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CCD Family Newsletter
June 12 - June 26, 2024
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Breaking News
New CCD Curriculum for the 2024-2025 Year
Last year we were informed that Loyola Press, publisher of the Christ Our Life religious education series, was updating its curriculum for the 2024 year. As a result of this update OLS would be required to purchase all new books and teaching manuals for the coming year. Our catechetical team decided to take advantage of the opportunity presented to us by this mandatory change to research other curriculum options.
The decision is in and our order has been placed! This coming year, OLS's CCD program and school will be switching to Sadlier publishing's Christ in Us series for grades K-8. Some of the biggest reasons for the change include:
- Christ in Us is a true spiraling curriculum. Each year students will be answering the same core questions about the faith - albeit from different grade and age-appropriate perspectives. The program teaches the basics of catechism first and then dives deeper into the concepts in each subsequent year.
- Through its three-step approach (Encounter, Accompany, Witness) and spiral curriculum, Christ In Us accompanies the learner into an ever-deepening understanding and experience of a lived relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church.
- Since the students in each grade will be looking to answer the same basic question during the same week (ie. How do we know God? Who is God?), families with children in multiple grades should find it much easier to lead faith-based discussions in the car or at dinner after CCD.
- There are 20 main question-based chapters in the Christ in Us curriculum. This will give our catechists greater flexibility during our 25 weeks of scheduled classes. They will also have the ability to focus a more appropriate amount of time on the special liturgical seasons and feasts of the year (versus trying to also cram a study of Holy Week into Chapter 20).
- For a nominal extra cost, we'll be able to purchase on-line textbook access for our in-person students so that they can keep their workbooks at CCD. (One less thing to have to remember!) Going forward, if there is a "snow day" students can simply access the workbook and the material they need to make up the session online.
- Christ in Us comes with numerous online resources for catechists and a professional portal. Our homeschooling families will now have easier access to all the materials they need to conduct a great learning session at home. There is also a companion site with training videos and resources for parents and catechists.
- Sadlier is a well-respected publishing company whose representatives are willing to visit parishes and schools to assist in training catechists and administrators.
We are looking forward to partnering with our families and Sadlier publishing to make the 2024-2025 catechetical year a great one!
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Happy Father's Day!
June 16th
Fatherhood has its origins in God, who chose to reveal Himself to us as Our Father, sending his only Son for the sake of our salvation. Fathers therefore have a special role “in revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God”. (Familiaris consortio 25)
Prayer for Fathers on Father’s Day
Heavenly Father, you entrusted your Son Jesus, the child of Mary, to the care of Joseph, his foster father. Bless all fathers and grandfathers as they care for their families. Give them strength and wisdom, tenderness and patience, give them ability to love in a way that reflects your love. Support them in the work they have to do, protecting those who look to them, as we look to you for love and salvation. Help us to love them in a way that would bring honor to You and them. Bless and heal all those wounded by the imperfections of their fathers and grant an eternal rest to our fathers you have called from this life to yourself, through Jesus Christ Lord. Amen.
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Next Family Mass
Sunday, June 23rd
Our final 10:00 am Family Mass of the school year is coming up on Sunday, June 23rd. It will also be our final Coffee and Donuts. Be sure to stop by - especially if you missed picking up your child's volunteer certificate and gift last Sunday. Thanks again to all of the youth volunteers who made the Family Mass such a special time to worship.
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Registration for 2024-2025 is Underway
Thank you to all those families who have already registered for CCD. Your early registration is super helpful to us - and it saves you money! You are encouraged to register even if you do not know which day of the week your child will be able to attend - just let us know by September 1st!
Please complete one registration form for each child in grades K-8. Registration for the OLS high school Youth Group is separate and begins in September.
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Register Now for Early Bird Pricing!
Register Before July 15th, 2024
1 Child - $150
2 Children - $240
3+ Children - $325
Register After July 15th, 2024
1 Child - $180
2 Children - $270
3+ Children - $355
Families who would like to request financial assistance or be placed on a payment plan should contact Colleen McDonald at sorrowschurch@gmail.com. All requests are kept confidential.
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Can You Help?
The OLS CCD Program is always in need of men and women willing to share their faith as catechists. If you are interested in helping our program and are available on Monday or Tuesday afternoon from 3:45 - -5:15, please reach out to Jen Noll. Training, teaching materials and mentorship provided.
Solo catechists pay only $35 for their family for the entire year. Team-teaching catechists splitting classroom duties with another teacher pay only $55 for the entire family.
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Homeschooling Connection
If your child is in the OLS homeschooling program and you did not attend an exit interview with Mrs. Noll or reach out to schedule one for the summer, please reach out as soon as possible. Students who do not complete the homeschooling year in its entirety - including the end-of-the-year discussion with Mrs. Noll will not be eligible to participate in the homeschooling program in the coming year.
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Photos from OLS's Corpus Christi Procession
June 2, 2024
Thanks to everyone who journeyed with Christ through the streets of South Orange.
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Unique Ways to Keep Faith Alive this Summer in the Archdiocese of Newark
Summer is around the corner. As the hustle of school days wind down and religious education class wrap up, you can help keep the faith alive during those lazy, hot days of summer. Check out this New Jersey Catholic article for some great ideas. (Like attending a procession for the summer feast day of a favorite saint - like St. Anthony, seen here, on June 13th.)
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Happening Around the Parish
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SAINT / FEAST OF WEEK ONE
St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Feast Day: June 13th
Patron of: Lost Items and People (and just about everyone else)
Anthony’s birth and baptismal name was Fernando Martins. He was born in Portugal in 1195 to a wealthy family, yet he felt called to the priesthood and chose a life of poverty. At the age of fifteen he traveled to the capital of Portugal to study to become a priest. After his ordination, he lived at an abbey and was responsible for taking care of visiting guests. Once when some Franciscans were visiting, Fernando felt called to join their order. When he took the vows of this order, he changed his name to Anthony.
The plan was for Anthony to travel to Morocco to help spread the Catholic faith. While there, he became very sick. Because he was so sick, his superiors decided to send him back to Portugal. On the way home, a storm came and blew his ship off course. Instead of landing back in Portugal they landed in Sicily, not far from Italy. They then traveled to Tuscany. Being ill and weak, Anthony’s superiors decided to have him stay with some local friars to regain his health. He spent a long time there praying and studying.
One day, Dominican friars arrived and there was some confusion about who was to give the homily at a Mass. Somehow, it was determined that Anthony should give it. Anthony was not known for his preaching abilities and his superior told him, “Just say what the Holy Spirit wants you to.” His homily was so well received that he was from then on asked to preach to various groups. He became known as a great preacher. What was so special about Anthony’s preaching? Anyone, young or old, educated or not, could understand what he was trying to teach.
Books back in this time were rare and highly treasured. Anthony had a book that he often used for reference when teaching. One day it was stolen. Saint Anthony prayed that the thief would return it. His prayer was answered. The thief even eventually became a member of his religious order! (This is why Saint Anthony is often called upon by people who are searching for lost items.)
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Fun Activity for Feast of St. Anthony:
Hide and Seek!
Have you ever heard these sayings? "Tony, Tony, turn around! Something's lost and must be found!" or "St. Anthony, please come round. Something's lost and must be found!" People have been reaching out in prayer to St. Anthony for hundreds of years to help them find lost objects. You can teach your kids about St. Anthony and have fun at the same time by watching this video and playing a follow-up game of hide and seek. On a summer road trip? Get a book of hidden pictures or play St. Anthony Eye-Spy!
Looking for something? Give this prayer a try!
Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
O Holy St. Anthony gentlest of Saints, your love for God and charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request).
O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms. The gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.
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SAINT / FEAST OF WEEK TWO
The Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Feast Day: June 24th
Patron of: Baptism, Tailors, Converts
Only three birthdays are celebrated on the Church’s liturgical calendar, the Nativity of Our Lord (December 25), the Nativity of His Mother (September 8), and the Nativity of His forerunner, John the Baptist, on June 24. Saint John the Baptist was set apart from the womb to prepare the way of the Lord and was a significant figure connected to the Incarnation and the Redemption. The Church honors him because of his role in preparing the way for Christ.
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In the Liturgy of the Word, the Church feeds the people of God from the table of his Word. Previewing the readings before Mass then is then a bit like looking over the menu before you get to a restaurant: you have a better idea of what you can expect so that you can enter into the experience more fully prepared. And like a good discussion during a meal, discussing the readings and how they can be applied to your family's daily life helps your family to truly go out and proclaim the gospel after leaving the church.
Here are a few resources to help your family delve deeper into the Liturgy of the Word:
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