 NEW in Our Simple Faith Podcast Series
An important part of our Family Faith and Generations of Faith programs is the adult faith formation component. Since we are not gathering in person this year, we are initiating a podcast series we're calling Simply Faith. Click here for our Podcasts! Episode 2: A Brief Introduction to St. Hildegard Episode 3: The Greatest Show--High School Marching Band, Salvation History and the Liturgical Year
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 What's Due?
Happy November! Hopefully, everyone has been able to complete and turn in any September homework or projects and gotten a start on October. Please let us know if you have any questions or need any help. Please try Formed! Our parish has paid for subscriptions for all families in our Faith Formation program. If you need help logging in, please let us know. Here's the short version.
 Advent is Coming!
Maranatha is a word we sing and hear during the time of Advent, and it means "Come, Lord Jesus!" Now is the time to prepare for the preparation of Christmas! What does this mean? It's time to buy Advent candles! Stores tend to run out as we get closer to the First Sunday of Advent (November 29 this year). If your family does not have an Advent wreath, you can make an easy one with some candles and a wreath. Or, you can order one online. Religious goods are available from a variety of vendors. One we use often in Autom.  St. Catherine's Preschool
St. Catherine’s Preschool is providing At Home Preschool Lessons for families with children ages 2-5. The weekly themes have fun and interactive child-centered activities. They are set up in a way that you are able to choose from a variety of activities for your child. All plans will include prayers, songs, stories, activities, bible lessons, crafts, finger plays, songs, and recipes. We will include links with all of the books read by the teachers and a few of the activities for a personal connection. The At Home Preschool lesson plans are $75/month and have an abundance of learning opportunities. You can find more information on our website.  Simple Faith Podcast Series
An important part of our Family Faith and Generations of Faith programs is the adult faith formation component. Since we are not gathering in person this year, we are initiating a podcast series we're calling Simply Faith. Click here for the first episode.  What's Due in October
It's the middle of October, and we want to make sure everyone is caught up with what they should have turned in by now. By now, just about every family or middle/high school student should have completed and turned in their September projects--either two family projects for elementary students or one age-appropriate project for students in grades 7 - 12. (Students in the Confirmation Class this year are not required to complete the monthly projects.) If you have not yet done so, September projects can still be found on our website. Click on "Menu" in the upper left corner and then "Faith Formation 2020 - 21". At the bottom of the drop-down list you will see the options for September projects. Please be aware that projects for students in grades 7 - 12 MUST be age-appropriate. For example, simple coloring sheets are not acceptable for those students. Parents of elementary school students need to be aware that monthly family projects and chapter reviews/First Reconciliation/First Communion homework must be completed for the year to count toward First Communion preparation. If one of these components is not done, the year will not count toward Confirmation preparation. Parents of middle and high school students need to be aware that to complete the year, students must attend Zoom classes, complete monthly projects and complete and turn in all homework. If one of those three components is not done, the year will not count toward Confirmation preparation. If you have not yet picked up your family's books and materials, you have until October 31, 2020, to do so. After that date, we will assume you have decided not to participate this year. Please contact Cynthia to schedule a time to pick up your books and materials. (Cynthia.Rodriguez@stcatherine-austin.org) ALL homework and projects for September - December MUST be completed and turned in by December 31, 2020. Due to the number of children, youth and families in our program, we will not be able to accept homework and projects turned in after that date.  Catechetical Sunday
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you. Sunday, September 20, we recognized Catechetical Sunday along with the US Bishops and other Catholic Churches throughout the country. In 2020, the theme for Catechetical Sunday and the Faith Formation (Religious Education) year is “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.” On this day, catechists are formally commissioned for ministry to the community. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each baptized person plays in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith. Here at St. Catherine's, we take it seriously that parents are the primary catechists of their children. During this time of pandemic, this role means more than ever! Our goal this year is to provide parents with resources to simply, yet profoundly, share their faith with their children, to "hand on to them" what they have "received from the Lord." We also hope to continue to provide parents with small moments of adult faith formation for them in the hopes it will give them more to "hand on" to their children. Please do not hesitate to reach out at any time with questions or suggestions you may have!  St. Catherine’s YouTube Channel
St. Catherine's has a YouTube Channel! The videos of our monthly liturgical meals will be hosted here. Each of the videos also have a direct link that will launch them. Introduction: https://youtu.be/5COCQpWbV0g St. Hildegard: https://youtu.be/M5uVJWtMVjM Archangels: https://youtu.be/8-1Uz39TreY You can also subscribe to our channel!  How Do We Get Started/Finish September? If you're still wondering how to get started, we recommend you just jump right in! One place to start is our Family Faith website where you can see what is due in September: https://www.stcatfamilyfaith.com/monthly-homework.html. Also, keep in mind the liturgical meals do not have to be prepared on the exact feast day. Save them up for a weekend! For example, today is the Feast of the Archangels, but it might be easier for your family to watch the video and prepare the meal another day. If you've completed your family/youth projects and workbook pages, please turn them in one month at a time in the drop box outside the nursery doors of the Parish Center. Please do not scan and email pages. With the number of families in our program this year, we will not be able to handle that volume of documents via email. If you're getting started a little late, no problem! September's web pages will be moved to make room for October's; however, they will still be on our Family Faith website.  The Red Folders
When you picked up your family's Faith Formation materials, you likely received a red folder in the bag. These are our "General Information" folders, and in them you will find the following items. 1. Contact Information Page 2. Web Page Information Sheet 3. Grades 1 - 6 Homework Calendar (A majority of our family's have at least one elementary school age child.) If your daughter or son is in First Communion (the second year class), you should have received a blue backpack which included a children's Bible and folders for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation along with a homework calendar. If your daughter or son is in middle/high school, you should have received a folder for them with their appropriate homework calendar and other information. Students in grades 7, 8 and 9th grade Pre-Confirmation II will have worksheets and a blue Catholic Connections books. Students in 9th grade Pre-Confirmation I - 12th grade Pre-Confirmation II will have a red YouCat Study Guide, a yellow YouCat book and blank handouts to use as answer pages. If your daughter or son is in the Confirmation Class, you should have received a folder with Confirmed in the Spirit on the front. All homework calendars should be available on our website: https://www.stcatfamilyfaith.com/. Click on Menu in the upper left corner and hover over the headings to find your child's program.  From The Cloister Walk
by Kathleen Norris https://www.barclayagency.com/speakers/kathleen-norris/ "At morning prayer, the psalms seem suited to the archangels. Psalm 29, for Michael, the power of God: 'The Lord's voice resounding on the waters, the God of Glory thunders; the Lord on the immensity of waters...' And for Gabriel, Psalm 25, a quiet prayer of hope and trust. For Raphael, a psalm that I love, 147: 'The Lord builds up Jerusalem, and brings back Israel's exiles. And heals the broken-hearted; and binds up all their wounds. Michael--who is as God; Gabriel--God's messenger; Raphael--God's healing. They say what angels always say, 'Do not fear.'" Ignite Middle School & Ablaze High School Ministry Updates
Please visit the Ignite or Ablaze web pages for updated information on monthly projects. Middle and high school students are asked to complete one family project from the month's web page OR one project that is appropriate for their age. Attendance Requirement. No more than four online/Zoom classes may be missed. Advance notice does not mean an absence is "excused". There will not be make-up classes. Contact Livia Telles-Rodriguez, our Coordinator of Youth Ministry, for more information (livia.telles-rodriguez@stcatherine-austin.org). Confirmation Class Change in Start Date
This year, the Confirmation Class will begin in October. The most up-to-date calendar is on our website. Attendance Requirement. There are two required online/Zoom meetings a month for the Confirmation Class. Most students in our program participate in elite-level sports, dance, music and other extra-curricular activities as well as take advanced coursework. The Confirmation Class will be held from October - March. Two missed online/Zoom classes are allowed. There will not be make-up classes. Contact Livia Telles-Rodriguez, our Coordinator of Youth Ministry, for more information (livia.telles-rodriguez@stcatherine-austin.org).  Formed St. Catherine's has purchased subscriptions to Formed for all participants in our Faith Formation program. Please login and download the app to access some of this month's Family Project options as well as many other great resources! Make sure to type "Austin" after you enter "St. Catherine of Siena". Otherwise, we won't show up. What do we turn in? (In list form!)
Grades 1 - 6 (Including First Communion) Complete and turn in monthly homework in the workbook. This is the Chapter Review at the end of each chapter. Complete and turn in two Family Projects from the monthly web page. Grades 7 - 12 (Not Including Confirmation) Complete and turn in monthly homework. For grades 7, 8th PC I & II and 9th Grade PC II, these are the handouts that go with the Catholic Connections book. For grade 9 PC I - Grade 12 PC II, these are the questions from the YouCat Study Guide. Attend both online/Zoom classes. Complete and turn in one Family Project. (This is a change from earlier information that said two (2).) A project either has to be appropriate for the student's age OR a Family Project. For example, if there are two children in the family, at least one Family Project must be appropriate for a middle or high school student--not a project for an elementary school student. Confirmation Class The Confirmation Class has it's own requirements. Please click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for documents. Frequently Asked Questions this Year
1. Are we having in-person or Zoom classes? At this time, we are not offering in-person classes at all. There are Zoom classes for youth in grades 7 - 12 only. Please contact Livia Telles-Rodriguez (livia.telles-rodriguez@stcatherine-austin.org) for information regarding those classes. 2. How do we get our workbooks and other materials? Workbooks and materials for children will be picked up at the parish. Please click here for the Sign-Up Genius to select a day and time. 3. We're used to weekly classes. How does this year work? For families who participated in the weekly R.E. classes, this might be a little more confusing than for those who participated in our monthly program. In our monthly programs, families come together, and we begin with a whole-family activity. Then, after about half an hour, children and youth go off to their age-level classes, and the parents have an adult class. For the weeks between the monthly gatherings, kids and parents work on the workbook chapters together since they weren’t being taught them weekly during class. Those pages were turned in at the next monthly gathering. That’s how we planned this year’s program except without gathering in person. So, the Family Projects (2 for grades 1 - 6 kids/parents; 1 for grades 7 - 12) are in place of our whole-family activity at the beginning. The monthly homework is something that is turned in, ideally, at the end-of-the-month using our drop box this year. So, on the calendar you’ll see something about “Due by the end of October.” That’s the end-of-the-chapter Review, worksheets or questions, and the projects. If you don’t get them turned in exactly by the end of the month, that’s okay. We just want them within about a month or two of the month they’re due. All homework and projects for the fall semester must be turned in by the end of December. 4. What do we turn in? Click here for an easy list of what to turn in. If you still have questions, please reach out to one of us! (See email addresses at the bottom of this Newsletter.) 5. When do we turn in all the homework? Please do your best to turn in the homework at the end of each month. If it's a week or two late, that's okay. Please DO NOT wait until the end of the semester or year to turn in a stack of homework. All first semester homework MUST be turned in by the end of December. 6. Do we have to pay for a FORMED account or app? No. The parish paid for all Faith Formation participants. Make sure you add "Austin" when you type in "St. Catherine of Siena" because it won't come up on its own. That should get you in. Do you have any other questions that should be included in our FAQs for this year? Email them to Marti Salas (marti.salas@stcatherine-austin.org).  If this is your student's second year, keep your book from last year! Pre-Confirmation II follows on Pre-Confirmation I.
Attendance Requirement. In order for a Pre-Confirmation I or II class to count as one full year prior to the Confirmation Class, students must complete 80% of the class. For the 2020 - 21 faith formation year, that will include completion of homework, family projects and attendance at online/Zoom classes. No more than four online/Zoom classes may be missed. There will not be make-up classes. Contact Livia Telles-Rodriguez, our Coordinator of Youth Ministry, for more information (livia.telles-rodriguez@stcatherine-austin.org).  This year, the Confirmation Class will begin in October. The most up-to-date calendar is on our website.
Attendance Requirement. There are two required online/Zoom meetings a month for the Confirmation Class. Most students in our program participate in elite-level sports, dance, music and other extra-curricular activities as well as take advanced coursework. The Confirmation Class will be held from October - March. Two missed online/Zoom classes are allowed. There will not be make-up classes. Contact Livia Telles-Rodriguez, our Coordinator of Youth Ministry, for more information (livia.telles-rodriguez@stcatherine-austin.org).  Children in the First Communion Class (grades 1 - 5) will receive a blue backpack for the Go, Seek, Find program by St. Mary's Press instead of a Be My Disciples workbook. Students in grades six and up will receive more age-appropriate materials to prepare for these sacraments. Visit our website for more information.
Contact Marti Salas for more information (marti.salas@stcatherine-austin.org). Flourish is an online access site for the Be My Disciples workbooks. Each month, optional activities will be available on the Flourish website for children in grades 1 - 6 (not including children who are using the blue First Communion backpacks). Links have been emailed to all families who registered for grades 1 - 6. Please contact Sarah Pedrozo (sarah.pedrozo@stcatherine-austin.org) with questions or for more information.
St. Catherine's has purchased subscriptions to Formed for all participants in our Faith Formation program. Please login and download the app to access some of this month's Family Project options as well as many other great resources!  Grades 1 - 6 (Including First Communion)
Complete and turn in monthly homework in the workbook. Complete and turn in two Family Projects from the monthly web page. Grades 7 - 12 (Not Including Confirmation) Complete and turn in monthly homework. Attend both online/Zoom classes. Complete and turn in two Family Projects. At least one has to be appropriate for the student's age. For example, if there are two children in the family, at least one Family Project must be appropriate for a middle or high school student--not a project for an elementary school student.  Holy Leisure: The Key to a Good Life
By now you are aware that our theme for this year is "Living Leisurely through the Liturgical Year" which we have adapted from Benedictine Spirituality. In her book Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Benedictine sister Sr. Joan Chittister shares her reflections on the Rule of St. Benedict. "Leisure, in other words, is an essential part of Benedictine spirituality. It is not laziness and it is not selfishness. It has something to do with the depth and breadth, length and quality of life. In an American culture...leisure may also be one of the most difficult spiritual elements to achieve. We are trained to be doers and makers, not dreamers and seers. Benedictine spirituality, on the other hand, sets out to develop people who reflection what they are doing, people for whom the gospel is the filter through which they see their world. Work, it is clear from the Rule of Benedict, must not exist in a vacuum. Monastics do not exist to work. Work is to be integrated into monastic life without doing violence to either. In the Benedictine vision of live, no one dimension of life is to be exclusive. Prayer, community, and personal development are all as essential to the good life as work. And that takes a sense of holy leisure." Over the next days and weeks, as we parents struggle to balance our work lives with our children's school lives, let us aspire to do so in away that does not "do violence to either." Let us also be mindful, that our children and youth continue to look to us for guidance, inspiration and the attitude to have toward the difficulties to come. If we place the blame and responsibility for our time management, our prayer and reflection, our work-life balance on the world, the school, someone else, we will not be able to show them how to depend upon God. This Labor Day weekend, let us make sure to take time to plan out the coming week in such a way it gives each of us quiet time for reflection each day in order to allow God space to work in our very, very busy lives. Ignite Middle School |
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