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The draft of the Arlington Diocese's position paper on Catholic home education was written with the assistance of seven TORCH (and NACHE) members. The other known committee members number two; they are diocesan representatives.
Catholic homeschooling parents who are not affiliated with TORCH approached Fr. deLadurantaye, Diocesan Secretary for Religious Education and the Sacred Liturgy, who graciously provided them with a copy of the draft. Fr. deLadurantaye also extended an invitation to the visiting parents: to distribute the copy among other Arlington diocese homeschoolers and similarly invite them to offer suggestions.
Other Catholic homeschoolers in the Arlington Diocese are welcome to read the Arlington position paper and offer their input in writing. It is strongly recommended that new input refers to magisterial (official Church) teaching regarding marriage, pastoral and parental obligations, and sacramental preparation.
Time is of the essence, however. (Click on preceding link for deadline and appropriate address.)
It has been correctly noted that the Arlington position paper models itself on the Baltimore diocese's position paper on homeschooling, entitled Homeschooling: A Gift to the Church, Fr. Kris Stubna's speech at one of the NACHE conferences, and the Pittsburgh diocese's homeschool guidelines.
Interested homeschoolers are invited to:
2. Read the research and reference links concerning the Church's teachings on the Sacrament of Marriage, Catholic education and the reception of the Sacraments of Confession, Holy Eucharist, or Confirmation. A few resources with which to be acquainted, especially because a few of them are already referred to in the Arlington draft, include the following:
Quam Singulari - Decree on First Communion Sacred Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments
Catechism of the Catholic Church (This site includes its own search engine)
Code of Canon Law (1983 - Especially study BOOK III : THE TEACHING OFFICE OF THE CHURCH, CHAPTER II : CATECHETICAL FORMATION. )
Council - Vatican II (Look for documents on education)
Diocese of Atlanta's Guidelines
Other resources which you might consider searching for on the Internet: Catechesi Tradendae
Charter of the Rights of the Family
1994 Letter to Families
On Christian Education of Youth
To Teach As Jesus Did
3. Submit suggestions, which must be made in writing and received NO LATER than the week after Easter 2001 (an absolute deadline of April 27, 2001).
Written suggestions may be sent via email to arlingtonvapp@hotmail.com, the central contact for Arlington area Catholic homeschoolers. This group is not affiliated with TORCH .
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