DIOCESE—“The Good News of Jesus is never on hold and people are still really hungry for God’s love and His presence,” said Ellie Nelson, director of religious education (DRE) at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin. 

 

With patience, creativity, technology and sanitizer, Nelson and other DREs from around the diocese are discovering new ways of providing faith formation to public school students during the 

COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Rock Falls

 

Religious education classes at St. Andrew Parish in Rock Falls will be held in person this school year with stringent sanitation guidelines in place. 

 

“We are following the (COVID-19) protocols of the Rockford Diocese and the (Centers for Disease Control). I made out a plan which was sent to the diocese and to our religious education families so that they would know the procedures we were taking to keep their children safe,” said Sister Marcianne Bzdon, SSND, coordinator of religious education (CRE).

 

“We are using as few classrooms as we can, but utilizing larger spaces in the building so that students can be spaced farther apart,” she said. 

 

“Students and teachers will also have their temperatures checked upon arrival for RE. I think we are being very, very safe and following all the procedures that the diocese has recommended. I hope parents place their trust in us and send their children so we can continue to educate them in their faith.”

Algonquin

 

At St. Margaret Mary Parish students will have three options for receiving religious education, Nelson explains. 

 

“Our first method is family faith formation where students and their families will attend one hour presentations at the parish with one family per table and everyone wearing masks and following safety protocols. 

 

“We will be offering more sessions of in-person family faith formation so fewer people will be at each session and those attending will be appropriately spaced,” she said.

 

The second option is livestreamed sessions and the third is home-schooling.

 

“Each family, with resources from the parish, will develop a plan for their religious education,” she said of those opting for homeschooling for RE.

 

Nelson said 96 families have opted for the in-person faith formation while 11 families are choosing to watch the live stream and four families opting for homeschooling. 

 

“Whichever option of RE a family may choose, we want to support the lessons and bring further catechesis into the home,” she said.

 

Oregon and Polo

 

Creativity takes center stage at St. Mary Parish in Oregon and St. Mary Parish in Polo where CRE Marie Monaco has planned some hands on activities for her religious education students. 

 

“We don’t start RE until October, even in a traditional year,” Monaco explained. “So we are going to do outside activities like having the kids paint large rocks around the church to form a huge rosary. We’ll have specific colors for the different prayers of the rosary. 

 

“As the weather permits, we’ll have family oriented RE activities outside where we can have social distancing,” she said.

 

“We’re lucky to have smaller classes at our parishes so moving to in-class instruction later this fall shouldn’t be too different than previous years,” Monaco said. 

 

“Of course, we will be following the guidelines for disinfecting our classrooms and everyone will be wearing masks.” 

 

She added that both parishes’ confirmation classes will be done in an online format.

 

Monaco said that she made home visits to students this spring in preparation for first Communion. 

 

“We had one-on-one instruction and I met with the students and their families so we could make first Communion banners and share dessert. I may use the same approach this school year with our first Communion families because everything we’re planning is somewhat tentative due to COVID-19.”

 

DeKalb

 

A focus on family faith formation is planned for the RE classes at Christ the Teacher University Parish and Newman Catholic Student Center in DeKalb this school year. 

 

“For the first semester of religious education, each family will receive a tote bag filled with books, materials, crafts and puzzles; everything for families to work together on faith formation,” DRE Cheryl Lehman said.