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Children's Catechesis

This page will provide you with information, resources and links supporting the faith formation of children and their families.

The Church and Children's Catechesis

The Fundamental Tasks of Catechesis

Catechetical Resources

Publishers Directory

Spring 2008 Confirmation/First Eucharist Schedule - NEW

The Church and Children's Catechesis

In the General Directory for Catechesis in paragraphs 177 - 180, we read the following about children's catechesis:

No. 177. Children, by virtue of the grace of their baptism, a privleged members of the Kingdom of God, just like adults.  As children of God, they have a right to respect and to be helped as they mature. We are mandated, as church,
to provide catechesis for young children, and their parents have a duty to nourish the gift of Baptism which they sought for their children.

No. 179. Catechesis and catechists must co-operate with parents in the faith formation of children.  "Pastors should remember that, in helping parents and educators to fulfil their mission well, it is the Church who is being built up. Moreover this is an excellent occasion for adult catechesis."

In the National Directory for Catechesis, there are several important passages dealing with  children's catechesis:

"... In a certain sense nothing replaces family catechesis, especially for its positive and receptive environment, for the example of adults, and for its first explicit experience and practice of the faith.' The catechesis of infants and young children nourishes the beginnings of the life of faith." (Part E, Section 1, p. 202)

Further on in the same section, the Directory reinforces the role of parents in catechizing their children by saying, "Parents are also the most effective catechists of prayer for their young children. They know what their children are capable of understanding and can easily teach their children basic prayers and the fundamental attitude of prayer." (p. 204)

 

Fundamental Tasks of Catechesis

Both the General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) (Recurso en Español) (#’s 85-87)and the NDC (Cp. 2, 20) lay out the mission of the Catechist in the fundamental tasks of catechesis

  • Promote knowledge of faith
  • Liturgical Formation
  • Moral Formation
  • Formation in Prayer
  • Formation of and for Community Life
  • Formation for Mission

Catechetical Resources

Resources for Catechetical Leaders

Recursos en Español

Online Resources to Help Families and Children

Justice and Service

Resources for Catechetical Leaders

    1. RCL resources for catechists and teachers
    2. RCL resources for catechetical leaders and religion coordinators
    3. 40 Developmental Assets for Elementary-Age Children

      Search Institute has identified a framework of 40 developmental assets for elementary-age children (ages 6 to 11) that blends Search Institute's research on developmental assets for adolescents with research on healthy child development. For more information, see What Young Children Need to Succeed (Free Spirit, 2000). The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops sees, in these assets, a way to strengthen the families of children and youth (Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, 1997). Catechetical Leaders and catechists can find many ways to build these assets in their ministry with children.

    4. From the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples - A Guide for Catechists
    5. Harcourt Resources for Teachers of Religion
    6. 10 Principles for Writing General Intercessions for the Eucharistic Liturgy - Diocese of San Jose
    7. The New Frontier: Integrating Media and Technology in Ministry by Angela Ann Zukowski, MHSH, D.Min. - A Professional Study Paper presented by RCL
    8. Catechist Magazine
    9. Sadlier We Believe - Resources for Families
    10. Sadlier We Believe - Resources for catechists
    11. Sadlier We Believe - Student lessons and activities
    12. Faith Formation Update from St. Anthony Messenger Press
    13. Understanding the Hispanic Culture, Carmen Portela, Department of Family Catechesis
    14. Sadlier We Believe - Teaching about the liturgical year
    15. Christ Music Kids - Music for children and Vaction Bible School resources
 

Recursos en Español

    1. Sadlier Creemos  - Recursos para la Familia
    2. Sadlier Creemos - Actividades y lecciones para los niños
    3. Sadlier Creemos - Recursos para los catequistas
    4. Faith First for  Families - en español

Online Resources to Help Families and Children

     
    1. Online Catholic Children's Magazine
    2. Faith First for Families
    3. RCL Kids' Clubhouse
    4. RCL Kids Only Club - Grades 4-6
    5. RCL Teen Center
    6. Handing on Faith
    7. Helping Families Build Bridges
    8. How to be CHURCH in your HOME
    9. EWTN kids
    10. Catholic Mom resources for Mass

Justice and Service

    1. Catholic Charities Office of Peace and Justice - Resources for Educatiors and Catechists
    2. Operation Rice Bowl - Learn about hunger and poverty overseas as you and your family observe the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving
    3. Through Campus Connection education, action and prayer, CRS connects campuses across the country with our global community.
    4. Catholic Relief Services' Going Global with Youth
    5. Catholic Relief  Service -  Kids
    6. Catholic Relief Services' Cyber Bridges for developing cultural understanding and global youth leadership between US Catholic secondary students and youth in selected countries throughout the CRS world.
    7. CRS Food Fast program makes the tragedy of hunger tangible and real for young people through 24 hours of fasting, prayer and reflection.
    8. Institute for Peace
    9. Souper Bowl of Caring '08 - National in scope, yet local in impact, the Souper Bowl of Caring works toward making the weekend of the big game an unprecedented time of giving and serving in this country. Local communities are affected both through youth involvement and money raised for charity. The Souper Bowl of Caring is an effort to touch lives and teach youth to fight hunger and poverty in their local communities. The 2007 effort was led by over 14,000 organizations and generated over $8 million for charities across the country and world.  See how your parish can participate by going to the website for more information.

Publisher Directory

Apostolate for Family Consecration

3375 Rd 36

Bloomingdale, Ohio 43910

Ave Maria Press

P.O. Box 428

Notre Dame, IN 46556

Center For Ministry Development

PO Box 699

Naugatuck CT 06770

CFM Religion Publishing Group

         Religious Education

          P.O. Box 7000

          Allen, Texas 75013-1305

C. R. Publications

345 Prospect Street 

Norwood, MA 02062

God With Us Publications

Eastern Catholic Conference of Religious Directors. God With Us Publications offers a number of publications, including the three major series for catechesis in Eastern
Catholic parishes.

Harcourt Religion Publishers

6277 Sea Harbor Drive

Orlando, FL 32887

Ignatius Press

P.O. Box 1339

Ft. Collins, CO 80522

Leaflet Missal Company

976 W Minnehaha Ave

Saint Paul, MN 55104

Liguori Publications

One Liguori Drive

Liguori, Missouri 63057-9999

Liturgy Training Publications

4251 North Knox Ave.

Chicago, Illinois 60641

Loyola Press

3441 North Ashland Avenue

Chicago, IL 60657

Midwest Theological Union

1420 Davey Road

Woodridge, IL 60517

Mother's House Publishing

2814 East Woodmen Road,

Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Our Sunday Visitor

200 Noll Plaza

Huntington, IN 46750

Pauline Books and Media

50 Saint Paul's Ave.

Boston, MA 02130

Pflaum Publishing Group

2621 Dryden Road 

Dayton, OH 45439

St. Anthony Messenger Press

Catalogue

Franciscan Communications

28 W. Liberty Street Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498

St. Mary's Press

702 Terrace Heights

Winona, MN 55987-1318

St. Maron's Publications

Post Office Box 0 1 0-3 60

Staten Island, New York 10301

Twenty-Third Publications

P.O. Box 180

Mystic, CT 06355

Vietnamese Catechetical Committee
in the USA

VirTru Powers

William H. Sadlier

9 Pine Street, 2nd Floor

New York, NY 10005

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