church interior - Warling Studios. © Loyola Press. All rights reserved.
Liturgy and Sacraments

Visiting the Church in Different Seasons

Instead of doing one long tour of the church with students, think of doing a church tour in pieces. Let students get up close and personal, asking questions about the place we celebrate our faith and sacramental life. One way to do this is to visit the church during the different seasons of the liturgical year or before special feasts. For All Saints Day, look at the images of the saints in and around the […]

girl genuflecting in church - Warling Studios. © Loyola Press. All rights reserved.
Liturgy and Sacraments

Forming Students to Become Church Participants

Church is where we celebrate our faith and receive our sacramental life. In our faith formation program, we either begin or end each catechetical session in the church, because we want to give the students a sense of belonging and help them become familiar with the ritual actions associated with Mass. By including some catechesis in the worship space, we can help children become active participants in the liturgy. Here are a few ways to […]

red-haired boy - image by Adina Voicu from Pixabay
Understanding Kids

The Little Red-Haired Boy

I was sitting at my desk after checking in on each of the faith formation classes. An aide from the first grade came into the office with a young boy. He had bright red hair, freckles, and a scowl that said he knew he was in trouble. The aide told me that she and the catechist had tried everything to get this boy to behave in class—time out, sitting with the aide, making sure they […]