Teaching the teachers

[HallamPhil]

I was in a Sheffield primary school yesterday to support its celebration of Advent in a mass. Musically we did the following:
Gathering: Come and join the circle (from Share the Light - Farrell)
Lighting of candle in Wreath: Christmas is coming (from Innkeepers & Lightsleepers - Wild Goose)
Psalm: (from Music for CLOW Year B - Chris walker)
Gospel Greeting: Stay Awake, be ready (from Music for CLOW Year B -Chris Walker)
Prep of Gifts: Soon and very soon (A. Crouch)
Children's Eucharistic Prayer 2: with Acclamations from Marty Haugen's Mass of Creation for Children
Breaking of Bread: Litany (anon?)
Communion Song:Jesus, you are the bread we long for (Farrell)
Silent meditation:
Thanksgiving: Share the light of jesus ( from Share the Light - Farrell)
As children returned to class they went singing 'Jikelele' from the World Council of Churches resource of 2007

Children arrived class by class, except for Year 6 which brought in the youngest and stayed with them throughout. The arrival of each was greeted by the singing of Come and Join the circle;
readings were delivered by children who had been trained to do so;
the homily was engaging and spoke of how the priest was awoken by a burglar attempting to break into my office (!) ... you never know the hour (!),
the priest sang parts of the Eucharistic prayer
the staff 9and parents in attendance) all joined in the opportunities for said and sung response.

It was a celebration indeed and all worked together to achieve it. I hope all present will experience something equally engaging in their parishes.
Phil

[gwyn]

the priest was awoken by a burglar attempting to break into my office

You have an office? Phew! You're valued indeed.

Seriously, that sounds like exemplary liturgy.

[HallamPhil]

I was in another primary school for the end of term 'almost Christmas' Mass. I had already met with the headteacher and priest to discuss what this might be .. they wanted something different from what had been their usual experience. The process was not without its pain but I think the result was worthy.
Musically it went as follows:
Come and join the circle (Farrell) - Christmas is coming v 1-4 (Advent wreath song from WGRG) - Alleluia, raise the Gospel (Farrell) - Holy Child within a manger (Haugen) - Children's Euch Prayer 2 with Mass of Creation acclamations by Haugen - various Advent songs during Communion but also including Jesus you are the bread we long for (farrell) - Christmas is coming v 5 - Let's make this Christmas what it ought to be

I was grateful to the school in particular for introducing to me the last song with a fine and challenging text. I was also grateful to the priest who let me give two reflections. The first after the Gospel looked at the fact that God was born a human baby. We asked the children to list what babies do and then asked if the baby Jesus also did these things. So we had a baby Jesus who never dribbled, poohed his pants or cried (courtesy of Away in a manger) yet who later at the age of 12 ran away from home! The first ended with general agreement that at Christmas we might not leave Christ in the manger since this was not the image of Christ that was the most impressive and invited discipleship.

The second reflection after communion looked at the 'become what you receive' teaching of Augustine with an invitation for the children to become a blessing or Christ and a consideration of what that might mean.

There is a lot of good worship going on in our schools ... the documents of the Church allow them certain freedoms in the Mass and where these are explored great riches can be discovered and faith deepened. There used to be an argument that we should emulate what goes on in the parishes. I'm not so sure that this is the aim. I am content that the celebration this morning had an integrity which engaged both children and adults alike.

[johnquinn39]

There is also a lot of bad 'worship' going on in our schools. Last week, the teachers chose the music - they excised any referecnce to Advent, and had the psalm and Alleluia recited (not very well). Catholic teachers seem to be unaware of the liturgical year and the sung priorities of the Mass.

[festivaltrumpet]

Catholic teachers seem to be unaware of the liturgical year and the sung priorities of the Mass.

This is undoubtedly true. But other sectors of the Church are equally as ignorant, many clergy for example, and the vast majority of the laity. There is no formation outside organisations like this society. Liturgical leadership is not forthcoming from the hierarchy.

[alan29]

Probably best to assume that the majority of teachers in catholic schools are at the best lapsed catholics.
Alan

[gwyn]

...the majority of teachers in catholic schools are at the best lapsed catholics

It's a sorry state indeed and a sad indictment.

[JW]

Probably best to assume that the majority of teachers in catholic schools are at the best lapsed catholics.
Alan

I wouldn't disagree - so what is the Church doing about it?

Another problem with our schools is that we pretend that we are educating for something other than success in exams - but then boast about our exam record and judge teachers on what their pupils achieve in exams. We have no objective measures at all as far as I can see for our success or otherwise in developing pupils' catholic (or any other) spirituality. I suppose Sunday Mass attendance beyond the age of 15 might be one.

Are we successfully educating our children for the Eternal?

There seems to be lots of complacency because our schools are successful. And I read nowadays that numbers in church don't matter. Do we really believe this or are we simply justifying ourselves. How does that tie in with the Great Commission, the Year of Evangelisation, Pope Benedict's instruction to make our liturgy attractive to people, etc.etc.etc.

[VML]

For something like forty years, we have been a couple of generations who subscribe to the attitude that 'no-one is going to tell me what to do/ what I should do/ what I must do.'
Priests, teachers and parents have, in my experience, had a crisis of confidence that the generations before most certainly did not have.
Words like reverence, sin, obligation, bound to, morality, modesty, even grace, are pretty rare in the modern RE vocabulary.
I know many totally committed Catholic teachers, but I know as many nominal Catholics teaching in Catholic schools whose contact with the Church is minimal.
As parents, many of us hoped and expected, over the last thirty years, that our schools were teaching and putting into words and definite instruction the faith that we continue to practise. This clearly did not happen.
As parents brought up to know that we have a duty to be at Mass every Sunday, and must be in a state of grace, and not knowingly have neglected our obligation, to be as spiritually fit as we can be to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, many of us are so relieved/ pleased / grateful for the small blessing of occasional attendance by our adult offspring that we daren't ask whether, if ever, they approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation before they blithely receive Communion two or three times a year when they visit.
And what do you do when the most suitable, stable, hugely hard working and capable, but non-practising single uncle whose contribution to the Catholic school in which he teaches is undeniable, is due to be the nominal Catholic God-parent? Say something to the parents and frighten them away??

Pray for them all, is all I can do.

[HallamPhil]

Unfortunately it is often the case that what we are led to believe may be nothing more than received teaching rather than indeed the teaching of the Church. I have been led to believe some absurd things but I was also led to believe that the Mass is itself the principal moment of forgiveness for most of us who settle grievances before we come to the altar of God and that the expectation is that if you are in a state of serious sin then you are obliged to go to confess sins to a priest within a year. It would be good to learn what the Church actually teaches, and if the Church welcomes the repentant regardless of these strictures. I'm sure that when the Church truly emulates Christ it does throw aside all strictures to welcome folk back to God-centredness so maybe we should be less judgmental and self-assured in these columns. For people who have, for whatever reasons, broken habitual religious patterns the step to return to a life within the Church can be daunting, more seriously considered that we might imagine and a threshold which too many face alone and unwelcomed by those who consider themselves 'saved'. Hopefully the love of God and those who try to centre themselves truly on God will transcend all. Hopefully also this will be celebrated in our liturgies that we might believe it.

[Southern Comfort]

Words like reverence, sin, obligation, bound to, morality, modesty, even grace, are pretty rare in the modern RE vocabulary.
I know many totally committed Catholic teachers, but I know as many nominal Catholics teaching in Catholic schools whose contact with the Church is minimal.

I beg to differ. Virtually all the words listed above are certainly in use in the vocabulary of the Catholic RE teachers (mostly primary) that I come across - and I come across a lot. To say that they aren't is to repeat the condemnations of people such as the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice organisation and many of the bloggers, who throw around these baseless accusations so freely that others may come to believe them to be true.

"Our young people are not being taught the faith" is the usual way it starts. Actually, they are being taught the faith, but obviously it is not possible to convey the entirety of doctrine at one time. The accusations often result from the fact that the mindless memorization of the Penny Catechism is no longer with us - and a very good thing too, I say - or that at a given stage in the child's development it hasn't yet heard of things like the Nine First Fridays or Mortal Sin.

I, too, know many committed Catholic teachers. I also know many non-catholic teachers in Catholic primary schools whose attitude to the religious dimension of their work would often tend put many of their Catholic colleagues to shame.

In my view, however, the principle problem is not the teachers, who I find generally to be rather conservative Catholics compared with my own liberal religious outlook! Rather, it is the parents. You can teach children all the doctrine you like, but in an 'alien' home environment it won't stick and will be forgotten. It amazes me that our Catholic teachers even bother to try - and they do try, extremely hard - to educate the children in their care in a Catholic-inspired environment, when they know full well that only a small percentage of all their effort is going to pay lasting dividends.

My critical post earlier in this thread was aimed at teachers who 'do' liturgy but know nothing of liturgical principles. They either shouldn't be being asked to do this, or we should make sure that they have proper formation first. That's extraordinarily difficult. You can teach seminarians any amount of scripture, philosophy, the various different branches of theology, Canon Law, church history; but you can't teach them liturgy because they already know everything - after all, they've been to Mass in their parish, haven't they? The same kind of thing applies to teachers. It seems to be assumed that, because they are Massgoers, they therefore have enough knowledge to be responsible for liturgy. But they haven't. (Neither have seminarians, but that's another thread.)

But in other fields I have nothing but respect for our teachers who are trying to do a Catholic teacher's job against impossible odds.

[oopsorganist]

I have just had a very strange Passion Sunday ........
our Primary announced they were "coming" and a list of hymns via the grapevine was passed to me.... oh dear, anyway after spending some time trying to work out how to juggle these around to fit the day, as usual I am a bit hazy about what is going to happen.......but in some ways pleased that the bridge for the school to celebrate occasions with us is still working ......even if it is a strange and rickety bridge....and even more pleased that the tape recorder has been considered second best to live accompanying.... this is a big first
.... Sunday arrives with perhaps 14 children and a head teacher (she clutching the tape recorder "Just in case").

The Head wants x to sing a solo for the start of Mass, and also y, from the Travelling community, would like to sing a solo from Resurrection Rock. The solo for the start of Mass being that one about deer and underwear. Managed to get it swopped with the Servant King, with the solo during Communion. Chiid x did not appear for solo so we ended up singing it together, then popped it on the end so no one would be upset, child x got a round of applause! It was a bit deformed really.
Anyway inspite of the chaos the service went with joy and participation and a full house complete with screaming toddlers, but with good community spirit.

That being the case, how do I manage to get across the fact that bringing us one or two children with solo intent is less important than the presence of the teaching staff leading the school into the participation of all the families of the parish in services, preferably regularly.............?
I wondered if this solo thing was the norm in the HT's parish and if so, am I missing a trick or two.
Answers on a post card please.

Writing this here has in some ways given me my own answer.. it's just part of the learning curve isn't it? Next time I will see it coming to head it off at the pass, or I could try and use it for a purpose in the course of time. I am most happy that our Confirmation Group started today... with three Catechists, one I very like, which is a great progress for the parish and has taken time to develop....it is part of things changing and new people doing things.

( We nearly blessed the hymns and Psalms as opposed to the palms but that is another story).

[pirate]

In the days when I was a Tawny Owl, I once pointed out that if I took the Brownies canoeing with the level of attention to the rules and guidelines that the school put into a children's Mass, people would drown. It went down like a lead balloon. But the principle was: as a responsible leader I had to take advice and even directions from the people with the experience/qualifications. However, as I was told "It's so nice to see the little children singing"!

Heading for Triduum with no organist... (she's playing for local amdram's South Pacific!)

[Hare]

Heading for Triduum with no organist... (she's playing for local amdram's South Pacific!)

At risk of making myself unpopular, I am constrained to ask: Is this organist just someone who helps out when they can, or do they officially hold the post of "Organist" ? If the latter, I have to say that this situation regarding the Triduum is really quite despicable.

[pirate]

Well, our organist is not paid, if that's what you mean. But people have other things they do outside church to which they are committed and to be fair, she will be playing on Good Friday* and Easter Sunday, when she can be there. And we often sing without the organ (which is not well-positioned and can hardly be heard anyway) so for me it's no more than an inconvenience that she won't be there for Thursday and Saturday. The chap I asked to play instead has fallen ill, so rather than spend this week panicking and phoning and frazzling we're just going to be a bit less ambitious. We'll be singing four of the psalms and everything else required.

I do wonder about midi, though, Nick. We used to be very sniffy about those machines where Father types in '666' and out comes 'Praise my soul the King of heaven', but what you're doing seems to be different and rather more flexible and tailor-made. When you have time - not this week obviously! - could you start a thread to explain what you're doing and how it works?

*loud in my head when I made the original post was "Vigil! Vigil! Argh!"