Submitted by Father John Tritschler
St. Anthony's Catholic Church
Some twenty five years ago the CBC Radio daily documentary Ideas program devoted an hour biographical sketch to the life of Blessed Marie of the Incarnation. Marie was a young widow who left France and settled in Quebec City in the mid 1600s. She opened the first day school in North America for native children. She taught the children their Catholic catechism. In turn the children went home each evening and relayed to their parents what they had been taught in their religion class.
Children can become the bearers of the Good News of Jesus Christ to their parents and others…"out of the mouths of babes" Mt. 21:16, Ps.8:2. Children receive the message of Jesus and his Church with an open mind.
How often parents are encouraged to come back to Church, to pray as a family, to reconcile with God, through the example of their child. Having a child receive religious instruction has often been a redeeming blessing for parents who have benefited from looking into the child's catechism book, or asking their child what they learned, or from having their child ask them some question which opens their adult soul to the light of Jesus Christ. Having a child take catechism can revive the religious practice of the whole family.
P.R.E.P. Catechism classes begin at St Anthony's Catholic Church, 7237 Morrow Rd., Agassiz, on Wed. Sept. 21, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. for children in Grades 1-7, and 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for high school students. Registration will take place at St. Anthony's Church after the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. masses on Sept. 11.