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Can Parents Really Prepare
Their Children for the Sacraments?
With a Look at the
Proper Use of Sacramentals
By Catherine Moran with Marianna
Bartold
On this page: Quotes
from the Pope
How-To's of
Sacramental Preparation
The Saints as
Inspiration
Quotes from
Saints on the Sacraments
Approaching
the Priest for Assistance
The Pastor's
Role
Sacraments
and the Code of Canon Law
Confirmation
- A Rite of Passage or a Sacrament?
Insights for
Teaching About the Holy Ghost
CCD and the
Interview
Sacramentals
The Rosary -
First Among the Sacramentals
Pope's Appeal
to Parents
This article is based on the original from the
Summer/Fall 1995 issue of
The Catholic Family's
Magnificat! Home Education Magazine
Copyright 1994. All Rights Reserved
One of the major hurdles that
homeschooling parents must face is teaching and preparing
their children for the sacraments. One may think that this
subject is not too difficult but today, when our Catholic
Faith is constantly being attacked, our children need to
understand, explain, and defend their faith. As parents, it
is our obligation to educate our children in these
matters.
With regards to this right and
duty of parents to educate their children thoroughly, Pope
John Paul II recalled in his Apostolic Exhortation
"Familiaris Consortio" what the Second Vatican Council
stated:
"Since
parents have conferred life on their children, they have
a most solemn obligation to educate their offspring.
Hence, parents must be acknowledged as the first and
foremost educators of their children. Their role as
educators is so decisive that scarcely anything can
compensate for their failure in it. For it devolves on
parents to create a family atmosphere so animated with
love and reverence for God and others that a well-rounded
personal and social development will be fostered among
the children. Hence, the family is the first school of
those social virtues which every society
needs."
As educators of our children, we
are responsible for not only educating them in the temporal
realm, but we are also responsible for preparing them
spiritually for the reception of the Sacraments. The Holy
Father continues in his Exhortation:
"The right and duty of
parents to give education is essential, since it is
connected with the transmission of human life;...it is
irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of
being entirely delegated to others or usurped by
others...In addition to these characteristics, it cannot
be forgotten that the most basic element, so basic that
it qualifies the educational role of parents, is parental
love, which finds fulfillment in the task of education as
it completes and perfects its service of life; as well as
being a source, the parents' love is also the animating
principle and therefore the norm, inspiring and guiding
all concrete educational activity, (emphasis mine),
enriching it with the values of kindness, constancy,
goodness, service, disinterestedness and self-sacrifice
that are most precious fruit of love."
When we prepare our children for
the sacraments, we are fulfilling a great and splendid
educational ministry that
St.
Thomas compared with the
ministry of priests:
"Some only propagate and
guard the spiritual life by a spiritual ministry; this is
the role of the Sacrament of Orders; others do this for both
corporal and spiritual life; and this is brought about by
the Sacrament of marriage, by which a man and a woman join
in order to beget offspring and bring them up to worship
God."
Again, to emphasize the serious
responsibility that parents have in the total education of
their children, especially preparation for the sacraments,
Pope John Paul II writes:
"The mission to educate
demands that Christian parents should present to their
children all topics that are necessary for the gradual
maturing of their personality from a Christian and
ecclesial point of view...taking care to show their
children the depths of significance to which the faith
and love of Jesus Christ can lead...furthermore, their
awareness that the Lord is entrusting to them the growth
of a child of God, a brother or sister of Christ, a
temple of the Holy Spirit, a member of the Church, will
support Christian parents in their task of strengthening
the gift of divine grace in their children's
souls."
The Second Vatican Council
emphasized this: "Such an education does not merely strive
to foster maturity...in the human person. Rather, its
principal aims are these: that as baptized persons are
gradually introduced into a knowledge of the mystery of
salvation, they may daily grow more conscious of the gift of
faith which they have received; that they may learn to adore
God the Father in spirit and truth." This solemn
responsibility is so great that Pope John Paul II said, "By
virtue of their ministry of educating, parents are, through
the witness of their lives, the first heralds of the Gospel
for their children."
The How-To's of
Preparation
Although there
are seven sacraments, we will discuss only three:
Penance, Holy Eucharist,
and Confirmation. We
know that a sacrament is an outward sign instituted by
Christ to give grace. As homeschooling parents, teaching
about the sacraments is not the major concern. We can easily
use the Baltimore Catechism for our younger ones, the New
Catechism for reference and study ourselves, as well as any
of the excellent Catholic resources available.
It is preparing the
children and approaching the local pastor that often
presents a problem.
Penance and
Contrition-First Teach by Example
To prepare children for the
great Sacrament of Penance, various materials are available
to teach the basics on how to approach and receive the
sacrament worthily, what to say and do.
But how do we go a step
further and truly prepare our children? Again, we go back to
teaching by example. If we want our children to realize the
enormous value of Confession and to utilize the sacrament
frequently, we must give them the example. Parents must
instill this habit in their children while they are young
and easy to mold and bend.
We cannot expect our
children to suddenly develop a love of frequent confession
when they are teenagers.
We can turn to
the saints for inspiration and guidance, especially the
young St. Dominic
Savio (18421857). Of
confession, he said,
"The confessor is the
doctor of the soul." And
it was St. Aloysius
Gonzaga (1568-1591),
Patron of Youth, who gave this excellent advice:
"He who falls into sin,
however light it may be, ought to rise immediately, have
recourse to God, beg pardon of Him, and ask for the grace
never to commit it again."
First, Avoid the
Sin
We need to
instill not only the importance of frequent Confession, but
also to instill the avoidance of sin.
St. John
Bosco often told his
boys, "Do not imitate
those who deceive themselves by saying, 'I will sin and then
go to confession.' How do you know that you will have time
to make your confession? Is it not madness to wound oneself,
in the hopes that a doctor will be found who will heal the
wound?"
St. Gerard Majella (1726-1755)
was so acutely aware how sin offended God that he said,
"I would give my life a
thousand times that God might not be
offended." A great
contemporary saint of this century,
St. Gemma
Galgani (1878-1903), has
told us, "I should
willingly give every drop of my blood to please Him and to
prevent sinners from offending Him. I shall be satisfied
only when I am a victim, to make reparation for my
innumerable sins and for the sins of the
world."
And the most dramatic example of
all - the mother of St.
Louis, King of France,
who told her son when he was a child that she would rather
see him die than see him commit one mortal sin. These
seemingly harsh words, when looked at closely, only revealed
this mother's love for her child - she knew the horror of
sin and the immense value of her child's immortal
soul!
It is also important to stress
that every time we go to Confession and receive absolution,
not only are our sins forgiven, but Our Lord forgets them.
The devil, the seeker and destroyer of souls, no longer
knows our sins. This is
why frequent confession is
important. It is so much
easier to keep our souls pure and spotless when we are in
the state of grace.
St. John Vianney, Cure of
Ars, (1786-1859) had
this to say about penance,
"We should perform our
penance overwhelmed with joy at being able to satisfy God,
whom we have offended, and at finding such an easy means of
effacing our sins which should have earned eternal
sufferings for us."
Approaching the Priest
for Assistance
As home
educators, we must stay visible and viable in our
parish. Our pastors
should see us every Sunday, as a family, attending the
Divine Liturgy. We should introduce ourselves to our
priest(s), greet him, talk to him. One or both parents might
be as active as possible in one or two of the parish groups,
i.e., Altar and Rosary Societies, Holy Name Society, Legion
of Mary, or whatever pious or religious groups, the parish
offers. Not only will these groups, hopefully, assist in our
own spiritual growth, but they will help the pastor in
recognizing us. The
pastor will come to realize that we are responsible
Catholics, committed to the
Faith. The fact that we
homeschool will become known after the pastor gets a chance
to know us. If he does not know much about homeschooling, it
will help him to know that homeschooling families are normal
families - not
isolationist
reactionaries. Many of
our good priests do not know enough about home education;
therefore, we must educate them!
When the time comes to approach
the pastor about a child's reception of Penance and First
Communion, it is important to be
kind yet
firm in our requests for
his assistance. Parents must remember that the entire
education of their children is their duty, right, and
obligation.
Homeschooling is the way
two spouses have decided to honor that obligation, and there
is nothing illegal or immoral about it -
on the
contrary!
Many parents approach the pastor
about 10-12 months before the time they expect their child
to receive their first sacraments. It is also a good idea to
outline for the pastor what we intend to teach during our
home religious class for the upcoming year. We may ask him
if there is anything else he feels would be beneficial for
us to teach our children as we prepare them for the
sacraments.
The pastor may
request to see what religious textbooks we have
used to prepare our
child, or he may question the child briefly. He cannot
insist that a parent use a particular catechism or textbook
in favor of another legitimately approved catechism. If the
priest interviews the
child, it is best that a
parent be present. Some
children feel more comfortable when a parent is close.
The priest should ask
questions of the child that are commensurate with his/her
age. That is, the priest
would interview the child at the young elementary level, and
he would not expect the child to know material covered in
the higher grades.
It is interesting to note that
shortly after Pope Pius X allowed the reception of First
Communion to be moved from age 7 to the age of reason, he
was approached by a young mother. This mother asked the Holy
Father's permission for her
five year old son
to receive his First
Communion. The saintly pope briefly asked the child if he
knew whom he would be receiving. The child quickly answered,
"Oh, yes, Holy Father. It is Jesus!" Pope Pius X quickly
responded, "There is
nothing to keep you from receiving Him in Holy Communion."
The next day, the Holy
Father personally gave the child his First
Communion.
Sacraments and the Code
of Canon Law
If a pastor is
completely unresponsive and unapproachable, it would be a
good idea to have a copy of the Code of Canon Law available.
Canon Law
#914 states:
"It is primarily the
duty of parents, or those who take their place, as it is the
duty of the parish priest, to insure that children who have
reached the use of reason are properly prepared and, having
made their sacramental confession, are nourished by this
Divine food as soon as possible. It is the duty of the
parish priest to see that children who have not reached the
age of reason or whom he has judged to be insufficiently
disposed to come to Holy Communion."
Parents may need the permission
of the priest for First Communion, but they and their
children do not need to take part in the parish CCD.
This does not mean the
priest makes a unilateral decision when it comes to the
child's reception of the
Sacraments. The parental
role is one of instruction, example and preparation; the
pastor's role is one of assisting the parents. A child
cannot be denied the sacraments simply because his parents
teach him the faith (as all parents should).
Furthermore, permission is not
needed for the Sacrament of Penance. The commentary to this
Canon Law adds: "The parish priest has greater
responsibility, but only
with regard to negative functions
of preventing the child
from coming to First Communion without adequate preparation.
He must accept the
child, however, when the
parents present the child as being sufficiently
prepared."
In other words, if parents (who
have the primary obligation and right; that of the parish
priest being secondary) have properly prepared their child
for the sacraments, the pastor
must give permission for
the child's First
Communion. This is
according to Canon Law and other documents of the
Church.
Regarding
Confirmation
The
Sacrament of Confirmation presents more of a
problem. In many
dioceses, the age for Confirmation is 18 years. Because of
this and other factors, many youth today are not confirmed.
This sacrament makes one a soldier of Christ, enabling one
to profess the faith - even to die for it. Today, however,
the major problem is living in this godless, materialistic,
secular and hedonistic society. To be constantly bombarded
on all sides by the sin and filth of today's world and to
still remain pure and Christ-like is truly a profession of
one's faith!
Today, Confirmation is often
treated more as a
passage of age that a
reception of a sacrament. Pope Benedict XIV teaches us that
to neglect Confirmation binds us under the pain of grievous
sin. In 1744, Clement XIV approved a decree of the Sacred
Congregation of the Propaganda to the effect that
"this sacrament cannot
be refused or neglected without incurring the guilt of
mortal sin." St. Peter
Damien also insisted that the obligation to receive this
sacrament is serious.
As homeschooling parents, we
should realize, then,
the importance of the
Sacrament of Confirmation.
We must prepare our
children by making sure they know their faith and can defend
it when necessary; that they are able to withstand peer
pressure and refuse to follow the crowd when it is a matter
of sin, even if this would mean bearing ridicule. Where our
young teenagers are concerned, this is very difficult. I
personally believe that our children need the graces of this
sacrament before their teen years.
The Evil One knows that
without the indelible mark which Confirmation gives, young
adults are easy prey.
What to
Emphasize
Have your child study the faith,
and read the Holy Bible with them, as well as the lives of
the saints. Make them
realize that studying and learning about their faith will
not end with the reception of the sacrament. Rather, it is
the beginning of a lifetime commitment. Teach children that
we cannot love someone unless we know them. Therefore,
to love God we must
spend time in study and prayer.
It is through these two
means that their love for God, as well as ours, will grow
and mature.
When preparing
them be sure that the older children know and understand the
infused virtues, the 12
fruits, the 4 Cardinal Virtues, and the 7 Gifts of the Holy
Spirit. It is also wise
to emphasize the gift of fortitude, which best identifies
the purpose of confirmation - to be prepared to do battle
against the enemies of salvation and, if necessary, to
suffer martyrdom for the Faith.
The Seven Gifts of the
Holy Spirit -
How to Teach about
Them
The seven gifts that the Holy
Spirit brings at Confirmation are an inestimable treasure.
The Gift of
Understanding is a
supernatural light that enables the soul to know God better
first,
in His perfections;
second,
in the riches of love enclosed in the
mysteries;
third, in His word
contained in the Holy Bible;
fourth,
in our Catholic Faith, rich in wisdom, which God has
revealed to us; and
fifth,
in the Divine Providence which governs all the events of our
lives.
Without this gift, the lofty
truths of our faith are dark and in the
twilight. With this gift
comes the broad daylight and we can see clearly into the
depths of all things. Because of this gift, St. Augustine
was able to penetrate deeply into the counsels and guidance
of God in relation to the whole universe and to himself. St.
Bernard complained of not having enough time for the
abundance of thoughts and illuminations which filled his
soul every time he meditated on the life and death of Jesus.
It is important to remember that this gift is promised
solely to perfect purity of heart.
"Blessed are the pure of
heart, for they shall see God."
(Matt.
5:8).
While the
Gift of
Understanding enables us
to know God, the Gift of Knowledge teaches us to know
creatures.
First,
this gift shows all created things in their true light, by
pointing out that riches, honors, pleasures, and all earthly
good are but fragile, vain, and of short duration. These
latter things are incapable of making us happy, and can be
hurtful and dangerous for our salvation.
Second,
it teaches us to use all visible beings as a means to raise
us up to God, who created them for us; all of nature speaks
of God, preaching His love. It enables us to see in all that
exists a mirror, reflecting from all sides the goodness, the
wisdom, the power and the providence of God.
Third,
by this gift, the Holy
Spirit teaches preachers the great art of worthily
announcing the word of God and enables directors of
consciences the art of directing souls.
Counsel is given to the soul to
direct it in its acts.
It shows us what we must do or not do; say or not say;
according to persons, times, and seasons. This gift is so
important in today's world. It teaches us how to derive
benefit from everything as a means toward our own salvation,
the sanctification of others and the advancement of the work
of God. It even teaches us to derive advantage from sin.
Today it's very difficult to always do and say what is
right. This is the
secret given by this gift.
Before receiving this gift, the
apostles called down fire from heaven upon Samaria, which
refused to welcome the Savior;
after receiving it, the
apostles endured all kinds of rebuffs in patience and with
meekness.
St.
Bernard says the
Gift of Wisdom
imparts a disgust for
the things of this world and gives us a taste for the things
of God. With this gift, we find joy in thinking of God.
Without it, we allow ourselves to be seduced by the folly of
the world, which places its last end in creatures and not in
God. We all have a taste for that which amuses, gives
pleasure, flatters self-love and vanity, or attracts praise
and esteem. Wisdom helps us acquire virtues more easily and
makes us desire the ways of perfection.
The
Gift of
Piety teaches us to
honor God as our Father and to regard Him with loving
affection. We no longer see God as a severe Judge, but as a
loving Father. We can no longer fear Him, but love Him
instead. When we fall, we cast ourselves into His arms to
ask pardon, with humble confidence, just as a child who has
fallen and hurt himself casts himself into his mother's
arms. We make amends for
our faults by more love, better behavior and a renewal of
our lives with more
fervor. There is no
anxiety or scruples. This gift also teaches us to see in our
neighbor the image of God.
As to the
Gift of
Fear, it has nothing to
do with the fear that seizes us when we are in the presence
of danger, or with the apprehension of sin which torments
the scrupulous soul, or even with the Christian fear of the
torments of hell. The
Gift of Fear is a gentle one, inspired by love and reverence
for the eyes of God which are fixed upon
us. It is solely because
we love God that we are
afraid of displeasing Him by our actions, words, or
thoughts. This gift
keeps our soul pure by giving it a supreme horror of
committing the least offense against God. It fills our
prayers with a profound piety and inspires us with a
reverential attitude.
Fortitude
is the supernatural energy which strengthens us
against
cowardice in the service
of God, against our own
weakness,
and against the
difficulties, dangers,
and trials we may meet
with in the accomplishment of our duties.
Fortitude is an interior
vigor, a divine courage,
which enables us to do things which appear to be impossible.
This gift must be added to virtue in order for us to fulfill
our daily duties.
Ordinary strength is not
enough. Many times the
great sacrifices demanded of us cause us to become fearful.
Trying to live a good and holy life is not only difficult
but impossible without this gift.
Without fortitude, we
become cowardly and
condescending, allowing
evil to be committed, neither reproving or acting against
it. This is why the
wicked triumph, evil reigns and all that is deplorable wages
war against all that is good.
The apostles became strong,
intrepid and magnanimous after receiving this gift. St.
Peter, who trembled at the voice of a servant and denied
Jesus, later denounced the whole nation on account of the
Deicide it had committed.
This he was able to do
because he had received the Holy Spirit.
By means of the Gift of
Fortitude, the saints
suffered all things, exposed themselves to the greatest
dangers, and overcame the most painful labors.
We are not different
from the saints for, with this gift, we too are capable of
all virtue.
CCD and the
Interview
Children do not
have to attend CCD for Confirmation preparation. Consider
the strong statement in the Code of Canon Law, regarding the
"Right of Confirmation" which states:
"The initiation of
children into the sacramental life is for the most part the
responsibility and concern of Christian parents."
No one can take this
right and responsibility away from the parents. Again, the
priest may interview the child to ensure that the child is
properly prepared. As with the First Communion interview, it
is advisable for parents to be present during the
questioning period.
When physically present, parents
may assure themselves that the child is properly interviewed
- that is, that the
child is asked questions pertaining only to the sacrament
for which he or she is preparing to receive. Therefore,
answers or explanations to theological questions that would
not be considered necessary for any other person of the
child's age, preparing for the same sacrament, would be
inappropriate.
If, for some reason,
parents are facing
serious obstacles which will not allow their child to
receive the Sacrament of
Confirmation in their
diocese, parents may look for a priest at a nearby parish
who will accept Canon Law, the Charter of the Rights of the
Family (found in Educational Guidance in Human Love) and
encyclicals that teach parental rights and obligations in
total education of the child. In a worst case scenario,
parents may wish to seek out another bishop from another
diocese. There is no
Church law that says one must receive the sacraments in the
local diocese.
The Purpose and Use of
Sacramentals
Sacramentals are
holy things or actions of which the Church makes use to
obtain for us from God spiritual and temporal favors.
It is important to
remember that it is not the sacramentals themselves that
obtain these favors from God,
but the prayers of the
Church offered for those who use the sacramentals and the
devotions they inspire.
There are three categories of
sacramentals: the
blessings of priests and bishops, exorcisms against evil
spirits, and blessed objects of devotion. It is important to
remember to use sacramentals with faith and devotion and
never to make them objects of superstition. For example, it
is not the wearing of the Brown Scapular that will save us.
It is the childlike
trust and consecration of ourselves to God through our
Heavenly Mother and the
promise that will ultimately save us. Just as wearing our
wedding rings are a sign of our commitment and love for our
spouses (and are sacramentals themselves), so it is when we
wear any sacramental - it is a sign of our love and faith in
God.
Some of the most commonly known
sacramentals are holy
water, candles, ashes, palms, crucifixes, medals, rosaries,
scapulars, and
images of Our Lord, Our
Lady, and the saints.
Among the scapulars,
there are six different
ones.
Many are familiar only with the
aforementioned Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and
the wonderful promise attached to it,
"Whosoever dies clothed
in this [Scapular] shall not suffer eternal fire."
The Brown Scapular has
many indulgences attached to it.
One in particular,
issued by Pope Benedicts XIV, promises that a partial
indulgence of 500 days is granted when the Brown Scapular is
reverentially kissed.
This indulgence is not
extended to the Scapular medal.
The
Red
Scapular, properly
called the Scapular of
the Passion, was given
to us by Our Lord to Sister Apolline in 1846 in response to
the prayer of His Most Blessed Mother. On the scapular are
the words, "Holy Passion
of Our Lord Jesus Christ, protects
us." The Green Scapular
was given to Sister Justine in 1840 by Our Lady. The
inscription on this scapular reads,
"Immaculate Heart of
Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our
death." It is used
especially for the conversion of sinners.
The
Blue Scapular of the
Immaculate Conception is
a representation of the habit worn by the Theatine
religious. One honors Our Lady under this title when this
particular scapular is worn. The
White Scapular
was given to St. John de
Matha, founder of the Trinitarians, and it is noted to
foster devotion to the Holy Trinity. Finally, the
Black Scapular of Our
Lady of Sorrows traces
its origins to the Servite Order. Those who wear this
scapular do so as a remembrance and sign of Mary's humility
and open proof of the sorrow she endured in the most bitter
Passion of her Son.
The Rosary - First
Among the Sacramentals
The
Holy Rosary
is to the sacramentals
what the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is to the sacraments.
Highly indulgenced, the praying of it is always requested by
Our Lady in her earthly apparitions.
"A plenary indulgence
is granted to one of the faithful who recites the rosary
of at least five decades with meditation on the
respective mysteries in a church or a public oratory, or
in a family, or in a religious community, or in some
pious Association. The five decades are to be said in
continuity and if said in public, the respective mystery
is to be announced before each decade. An "Our Father"
and "Hail Mary" or some other prayers of one's choice are
to be said for the Pope's intention. In order to gain a
plenary indulgence, four things are necessary:
1.
The performance of the work to which the indulgence is
attached.
2.
Sacramental confession.
3.
Eucharistic
Communion. 4.
Prayer for the
intention of the Holy Pontiff. In addition to this, it is
required that all attachment to sin, even venial sin, be
absent." (From the New Regulations on Indulgences
by Fr. Winfred Herbst.)
The rosary was given to
St. Dominic
as the means to defeat
the Albigensian heresy and thereafter was used to crush any
other heresy or evil confronting the Church.
In this century alone,
Our Lady ahs come several times asking us to pray the rosary
every day. This
beautiful yet simple prayer, which is often scorned by those
who do not know any better, is the key to curing all the
problems in the world today. It is the prayer that touches
the Heart of Jesus because of the joy it give His Mother.
The greatest gift we can give our children is to instill in
them a love of praying the Rosary every day.
The Home as a
Sacramental
When a priest
blesses a home it becomes, by virtue of the act, a
sacramental - a point of
contact for grace. Our
homes should be holy, prayerful places - sanctuaries from
the outside world and a haven of peace and solitude. Our
role as parents (especially the mother, who is the hear of
the home) is to create and keep this peaceful spirit alive
in our homes. Husbands can come home from the day-to-day
grind of work to find the peace and rest they need to
refresh their souls. Our children, too, need this sense of
security and peace that only a blessed and holy home can
give. We need to protect
our homes from the onslaught of Satan and the evil
influences he uses as means of entrance into this protective
sanctuary.
In closing, I would like to
quote Pope Paul VI's appeal to parents at a General Audience
on August 11, 1976:
"Mothers,
do you teach your children the Christian prayers? Do you
prepare them in conjunction with the priests, for the
sacraments that they receive when they are young:
Confession, Communion and Confirmation? Do you encourage
them when they are sick to think of Christ suffering to
invoke the aid of the Blessed Virgin and the saints? Do
you say the family rosary together?
And you, fathers, do
you pray with your children, with the whole domestic
community - at least sometimes? Your example of honesty
in thought and action, joined to some common prayer, is a
lesson for life, an act of worship of singular value. In
this way you bring peace to your homes: Pax huic domui.
Remember, it is thus that you build up the
Church."
Catherine (Katie) Moran and
her husband David have been homeschooling for almost 11
years. Catherine is a co-founder for her local group near
Niles, OH, and is the editor of the homeschooling
newsletter, Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom. She is involved with
helping dyslexic children since discovering her youngest son
was diagnosed as severe dyslexic. She is a certified
screener for Scotopic Sensitivity, a syndrome that affects
50% of the learning disabled population. She is also the
secretary-treasure of the World Apostolate of
Fatima-Byzantine Chapter in Warrren, OH. Catherine holds a
double major in Speech and Hearing Therapy and Medical
Technology and she is currently working on her Pontifical
Degree from the Catholic Home Study Institute in Virginia.
Her book, "The Doorway To Heaven," is pending publication
with Tan Books, and Publishers. Katie is now president of
CHSNA (Catholic Home School Network of
America).
Marianna Bartold is the
founder of Keeping It Catholic; CHSNA; and the Michigan
Catholic Home Educators; founding publisher of The Catholic
Family's Magnificat Magazine, introduced the Magnificat
homeschool section in Sursum Corda, and she served as
homeschool forum moderator on EWTN Online (formerly
CRNET). She assisted in writing parts of this original
article and updated it for the Keeping It Catholic
website.
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