This weekend, April 28, 2024, the Director of Religious Education at St. Brendan, Mary Oldja, would like to update both parishes regarding PSR (Parish School of Religion). Since our PSR enrollment at St. Richard has dramatically declined, we combined PSR efforts with St. Brendan this current school year. However, families were offered the option to register within any PSR program at any parish that is most convenient for them. PSR programs across the diocese have seen a decline in enrollment since 2020. This is also the case at St. Brendan. Our revised PSR program will hopefully help us find a way to consolidate resources, share administrative and teaching leadership, enhance faith formation, and enrich faith within family life.
Please read the following message from Mary Oldja.
I live for Jesus Christ,
Fr. Tom
From the Desk of the Director of Religious Education
In January of this year, after many months of conversation and prayer, Nancy Yantek (our Religious Education Office Secretary) and I shared a presentation with Fr. Tom. Our presentation outlined the challenges of the current Parish School of Religion (PSR) program. Please note, these challenges are NOT unique to St. Brendan Parish as many parishes struggle with the same issues. Using the Catechetical Models for Children and Young People promulgated by Bishop Edward Malesic for use in the Diocese of Cleveland in August 2022 as our guide, Nancy and I presented a new path for religious education at the parish. I am excited to share with you the plans for Family Faith Formation, which replaces both In-Person PSR and Home School PSR at St. Brendan Parish for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Family Faith Formation combines the best parts of our In-Person PSR and Home School PSR as well as adding additional opportunities to enhance every member of the family’s faith life.
Family Faith Formation will begin each September and will consist of the following: a monthly Family Mass; monthly family faith formation sessions (held on Sunday mornings and Monday evenings the second week of each month) where all family members from all participating families will join together for a prayer experience, lesson, and activities to take home to work on together; time will be spent at home each week with the families reading the Sunday Gospel together and exploring various aspects of our faith using the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies as a guide; and family service opportunities will be offered throughout the year. When discussing Family Faith Formation these past three months with the parish staff, PSR staff, and Parish Council, I described it as a family of families growing in faith together through prayer, time for learning, and family activities.
Family Faith Formation, while meeting in person at St. Brendan only once each month, will involve family time each week throughout the academic year. Family Faith Formation expands the ages of those who can participate in religious education offered through the parish - no longer are we limited to only students in 1st -8 th grades, but Preschool and Kindergarten students can participate as well as high school aged and adult family members. Family Faith Formation, while created to serve the families with students enrolled in the public or non-Catholic schools, is open to any family who would like to participate.
Registration for Family Faith Formation opened this week. Please feel free to contact me in the Religious Education Office – 440.777.3702 or [email protected]. I am excited to answer your questions, help your family enroll, and include you in the creation of our monthly session prayer experiences and lessons!