A Message on Religious Education from the Desk of the Pastor:

It has been said that religion is "caught not taught."  Many of us grew up with the experience of doctrinal formulae as we learned the question and answer format of the Baltimore Catechism. Transmission of faith was taught.

With the changes of the past 30 years we have arrived at a an emphasis on the "habit" of religious celebration that is centered in the community of believers.  The Sunday Liturgy, were the community gathers is central to the "habit" of believing.  Central to all liturgical experience is the proclamation of the "Word of God" and the memory of the Lord Jesus.  The Spirit is at work forming us.  Religion is caught.

At St. Rose we retain a religion curriculum in the school and in the Religious Education Program. You will notice that preparation and celebration of Sacraments is centered in the "community that gathers."  The adult catechumens know this because of the rites of Lent and made accommodation for children, we got out of the habit of interfacing with the community.  While the church, over the centuries,  has made accommodation for children, we got out of the habit of interfacing with the community.  Sacraments were done to us (baptism/confirmation) or received or made by us (Eucharist).  We are now challenged to re-integrate this process.

Sacraments are the ritual language by which the church is renewed.  In the words of a writer, "the community celebrates the Sacraments, the Sacraments create the community."  The consequences of this are: 1) That Sacraments are the concern of the whole church - the community that gathers - and not a graduation exercise at the end of a curriculum of study; 2) Sacraments are not occasions of leaving the church after we "receive" them.  They are the celebrations of claiming our rightful place in the community of believers, the Body of Christ.

Parents and all of us must understand this process and make a commitment to it.  Sacraments are not just Kodak moments and times of gift giving.  Together, we must reclaim our ritual tradition.  The focus must move the individual to the community of believers, where ritual is celebrated.  Ritual is public work (Greek). Together, we will come to know our place in the community of believers as we strive to celebrate the ritual of Sacraments as a people who gather, the People of God. 

Changes are not being made for the sake of change.  We are striving to recover the heart of our tradition.

Father Michael McKeon, Pastor