Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
O U R PA R I S H
Building a F o u n dat i o n
T
Dolores is a current catechist, and she went through the program as a student.
The Parish School of Religion bulletin board offers a welcoming message to all.
Eighth-grade students write summer prayer intentions on a tablecloth.
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F a i t h for
he family is the first place children learn the faith. This is why the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops lays out a number of ways to build the “domestic church” within our own families — like always attending Sunday Mass, praying a Rosary as a family, and inviting priests, deacons and sisters into your home, to name a few. Here at Queen of the Holy Rosary, we are blessed with catechists who all volunteer to share the faith and help our families build up the domestic church. For Denise Godinez, who has served as Director of Religious Education for 26 years, this work is important to her and the volunteer catechists. She is thankful for the catechists who share their time and talents with our parish. “Within a parish, there are many who help others understand God’s teachings, but catechists are God’s essential workers for religious education for young people,” Denise says. “These individuals have openly accepted God’s request to teach His word to a new generation.” Our School of Religion Program, for kindergarten to eighth-grade students, is held on Sunday mornings, following 9 a.m. Mass. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is held on Wednesdays at 4:45 p.m. for 3 to 6-year-olds. Sacrament Preparation is for students in second, seventh, and eighth grades Our catechists come from a wide range of professions, but they are united in their desire to serve our Lord through teaching the youth. Josie Werkowitch has taught Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) for the past nine years. She loves how this program gives the children time and space to listen to the Holy Spirit. “It helps them begin to understand the riches of the Catholic Church and the love of Jesus for us all,” she says. “Parents sending their child to CGS are helping their child to contemplate the significance of the words we hear every time we go to Mass, ‘This is my Body.’” continued on page 5
