The January session for family catechesis at St. Barnabas will be a children-only session on safe environment. Since my role is to facilitate the parent sessions, I’ll actually have the day off!
As part of the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Archdiocese of Chicago requires its parishes and schools to provide valuable training to children and youth annually. This important training is designed to educate children and youth on how to recognize and report abuse. This is not a sex education course, but rather sexual abuse prevention training that encourages children and youth to disclose abuse, neglect, or any troubling information to a safe adult, particularly their parent(s).
To accomplish this goal, St. Barnabas is using the Growing with GOD: Safe and Sacred™ program by Loyola Press. Growing with GOD: Safe and Sacred™ is a complete child safety and Catholic family living program that puts the needs of God’s children first. Loyola Press partnered with knowledgeable experts to create a program that provides parish and school leaders with everything they need to give children strategies to keep themselves safe and the knowledge they need to live a healthy life as disciples of Christ. See the program overview.
I will be back on the job again come February as we explore Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, with the theme of “Getting Our Priorities Straight.”
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