How Does Sharing and Living Your Faith Keep Your Family Together?
If we want the next generation to experience the joy of the Catholic faith, then it is up to us to show and share that being Catholic has made a difference in our lives and in how we have lived as family and faith community.
“…[Y]oung adults arrive at a sense of their fundamental identity and worldview not by weighting all possible intellectual arguments for and against a proposed way of life, but rather by roughly adopting the worldview of those mentors who left the deepest impression upon them–and who loved them. It should come as no surprise, then, that the emergence of the new generation of dedicated young Catholics will rise and fall with the choices of their parents” (p. 70). These remarks are the concluding statement from a 2018 report by Justin Bartkus and Christian Smith out of Notre Dame: ‘Ask Your father and he will tell you:’ A Report on American Catholic Religious Parenting.”
Going to Mass every weekend with four children was not always easy. I was always nervous about arriving late and trying to find seating for six. We ended up sitting near the front but to one side. I’d like to think that we sat toward the front because we wanted the kids to be able to see what was happening. The reality, however, is that we were running late on many weekends, and, as you well know, the empty seats are always in the front of the church!
Some of you, I’m sure, can relate to the following seating pattern that we used:
Son Daughter Dad Daughter Mom Daughter
I don’t know how many years passed before I ever sat next to my wife again at Mass!
It wasn’t until my kids were probably starting to leave the nest that my thinking began to change. It went from “Oh my goodness, we’re going to be late again” to “At least we’re at Mass.”
Going to Mass as a family was one of the few activities that we did together each week. It was even more regular, it seemed, than eating a meal together. It was what kept us grounded together as family. Today, often with no children at home any more, it’s still a special time for Lynn and I to connect; it’s “date morning” with the reminder of the sacraments, including marriage as a sacrament.
How does sharing and living your faith keep your family together?
5th Grade Flag Essay — Clean Sweep
JFK students had a clean sweep in the area’s fifth grade flag essay taking all three spots:
First place: Wrigley M. Second place: Mili M. Tied for third: Laila M. and Brooklyn M.
Lego League
Congratulations to JFK’s Lego League teams. They won the Lego League Core Values award for embodying the values of Lego League. Our 6th grade White team was also #1 in the league and in the tournament.
MobyMax Information
Have your children been on MobyMax yet outside of school? A separate message regarding MobyMax, including log in information, went home in backpack mail (youngest/only) around November 30th. MobyMax is an online tool that we are going to use to supplement math instruction, primarily. It does, however, also have modules for reading, English/language arts, social studies, and science. It can be used both in and outside of school across a variety of platforms. Something to do during that long Christmas break!
Special Dates
For a complete list, please check our website calendars. Please also check backpack mail for information that is grade or homeroom specific.
- Dec 17: 3rd grade Gingerbread Houses (A tradition you’ll all remember!). 5th-8th out of uniform.
- Dec 18: Civic Oration PC Rnd (which will really be in the gym this year). K-2 Christmas Show, 6 p.m. K-2 out of uniform during the day.
- Dec 19: K-2 Christmas Show for the school after our 7:40 a.m. all school Mass. Red/Green/White/Christmas attire. Special Dismissal at 12:40. No afternoon PS classes.
- Dec 20-Jan 2: Christmas Break
- Jan 3: Classes resume
Bible Study for Middle School Youth
You’ve never seen a Bible study like this before! OLV’s Faith Formation staff is offering “Encounter: Experiencing God in the Everyday,” for 6th-8th grade students after school beginning in January. Dates are January 24 and 31, February 7, 14, 21, and 28, and March 7 and 21. Each session is 2:45-3:45 in the library or parish center. Cost is $13, and registration is due by January 7th. For more information, or if financial assistance is needed, please contact Jennifer Wemhoff at 563-391-8384 of davolvrek6@diodav.org.
Need the Bulletin?
When I don’t get a hard copy bulletin at church, I always think that I’ll just go look it up online. Then, it seems as if I rarely do. Here’s the link: December 16, 2018.
Use Victory Vouchers for Your Holiday Shopping
Victory Vouchers are gift cards that one can purchase for over 7,000 different vendors. You buy the gift card through OLV or online and receive the full face value of the card. The parish, however, ALSO receives a percentage of the face value. You can even direct the parish to use some of its take to help you reduce your own family’s tuition bill! The parish office has a wide variety of gift cards in stock. For more information, click here: Victory Vouchers.
Blessing Bags Collection Begins
Have an old backpack? A drawstring sports bag? JFK is teaming with OLV’s Christian Service Ministry to collect new or gently used backpacks or similar bags for adults. During Lent in the spring, the bags will be filled with with non-perishable items for the homeless and distributed. Bags can be sent to school through January 13th.
Coats for Kids and Special Dress Day
Student Council has agreed to participate in our area’s Coats for Kids. A note went home earlier. The last day for collection is December 18th. Although stated together in the same letter, there is no connection between donating a used coat and our special dress day on the 19th. All students are invited to participate in our Red/White/Green/Christmas attire special dress day on December 19th. Just make sure it’s not too crazy as we do have Mass on the 19th as well. (Ex: “Antlers” may need to be removed during Mass.)
Chad
