Most parish programs and schools have wrapped up or are soon to complete their program year. We pray that it has been a year of blessing and grace for all of you—catechists, Catholic school religion teachers, parish and school staff, parents, and children.
With the coming of summer, you may be involved in Vacation Bible School or a summer-intensive faith formation program. Be sure to read Nicholle Check’s “Summer Program Resources.”
We encourage you to use this summer to catch up on some of the reading you put aside until later. Perhaps you have copies of Catechist or Today’s Catholic Teacher that you haven’t managed to read. (Check out their websites for some great free content.) If you read the Sunday readings as you prepare for your class, continue to do so as preparation for Sunday Mass. We’ll continue to include the link here in GROW. Maybe the summer is a good time to fit in some catechist formation classes offered by your diocese or deanery. Your parish faith formation director should be happy to lend you resources to keep you growing as a catechist as well as a person of faith.
Our team is working hard on the Gospel Weeklies for the 2018–19 school-program year. As we do so, we keep you and your students—past and future—in prayer. We ask you to keep us in your prayers as well.
May 13 was the last lesson of the 2017–18 year of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies. If your classes continue beyond that Sunday, there are free Late Close Lessons at each level that include a general lesson on the parables and Creation, as well as one for Pentecost. They are available for Seeds, Promise, Good News, Venture, and Visions. You will note that the first Late Close lesson online is marked as Lesson 2. This is because Lesson 1 is for the Ascension, which was the final lesson in this year’s Gospel Weeklies. Those who have purchased the Activity Books will find three additional Late Close Lessons for each level there as well.
Image credit: Corinne SIMON/CIRIC
