The Forum
In-service training for inner-city teachers of religion
ROBERT H. DOUGHERTY
Since May of 1966, two hundred and fifty grade school teachers from Chicago's inner city schools have attended a "Cathechetical Weekend." This number includes seventy princi¡ pals and about twenty-five lay teachers. Six of these weekends have already taken place and four more are planned for the 1967-68 school year. This is part of a broader program sponsored and developed by the Religious Education Committee of the Center for Urban Education (CUE). CUE is under the direction of Sister Francis Raphael, O.P., of the Archdiocesan School Board and has its headquarters at 1208 S. Newberry St. It was organized to assist teachers of schools located in the inner city. This includes about one hundred schools, one thousand teachers, and forty thousand children. The CUE Center has become the happy meeting place and resource center for many teachers. CUE's committees are set up to meet the needs expressed by the teachers. One such committee is that on Religious Education. Frustration runs high in the teaching of religion regardless of school location; yet the teacher of an inner city school 219