Dear Parent,

Your middle school/high school child has many choices before them, both positive and negative. One choice that we hope you would help your child to make is the choice of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Community in their life. It is in Jesus that your middle school youngster will find peace, joy and hope in their life. This can be facilitated through a commitment to family prayer and spirituality to attend Mass on a weekly basis, and to make sure your child is at Religious Education and parish events.

My experience in youth ministry has shown me time and time again that when Jesus is at the center of a young person’s life, they seem to do much better emotionally, spiritually and academically. My theory behind this is that Jesus gives them meaning and purpose to their lives. And yet, I have also seen that when something is “to give” in a young person’s life, church is usually the first thing to go. If it is a choice any evening between football, soccer, softball, baseball, hockey, dance or music practice or church, parents usually pick the practice, and to be honest I am not sure why. Most young people do not grow up to be professional athletes or performers, but they will grow up to be life-long Catholic Christians if we give them the foundation of Jesus in their life now!

Sr. Mary Rose McCeady, Director of Covenant House, a youth shelter for homeless and abused teenagers, recently stated we live in a culture that is “spawning a generation of children who feel more lost, terrified, disenfranchised, hurt and hopeless” than any generation in history. All you have to do is turn on the radio, MTV or television and watch and listen to someone like the popular rap star Eminem whose message according to Sr. McCeady is a “dark philosophy of recklessness, hopelessness and nothingness.” What is really frightening is that Eminem and his message have become an acceptable part of the mainstream culture.

The commitment to Jesus, the Catholic Community of St. Joseph’s Kingston-Plympton, will serve as the foundation and anchor for your middle school/high school youngster’s life. We look forward to seeing you and your child every week at Mass, Religious Ed and parish events!

In Jesus’ Peace,

Ann M. Cussen
Director of Youth Ministry

• We can come to Mass each Sunday with our families, hear the Word of God proclaimed and grow in understanding and wisdom. God reveals Himself to us through His Word. We receive the Word of God made flesh when we partake of the Eucharist. We become one with Him. It doesn't get any better than that!
  
  
• We can set a time each day to pray, talk with Our Lord, begin to walk with Him hand in hand through this life. He will show us the way, because He is the Way. Read Scripture and truly get to know Him in His Word. Teach the children how to pray.
  
  
• We can read materials that nurture our knowledge of our precious Catholic faith. There is so much to learn and understand. We can grow in wisdom, age and grace, becoming more fully human. The faith passed on to us from the time of the Apostles is AMAZING and teaches us all we need to know about living our life-loving and serving God.
  
  
• Get to confession! Let God heal you in His beautiful sacrament of Reconciliation.

Ann M. Cussen

August 20, 2006

Dear St. Joseph Religious Education Families,

Exciting News! St. Joseph Parish Religious Education Program will have another Generations of Faith event this Lent, 2007. We are alerting you early in the school year so that you can reserve your calendars now.

"Generations of Faith" is an innovative approach to parish faith formation that involves all generations in learning and growing together through experience and participation in church life. All of us…young, old and everyone in between…single, married and families in all shapes and sizes…come together for learning.

Generations of Faith provides an opportunity for all parishioners to come together for lifelong learning. It transforms the focus for catechesis being "only for children" and creates an environment for all of us to be immersed into the life of our church. We all learn! We all grow in faith! We all come together as community!

So, the dates reserved for Generations of Faith are as follows:

March 10th from 9- 12 pm
March 11th from 12:45-3:45 pm
March 13th from 5-8 pm
March 17th from 9-12 pm
March 18th from 12:45-3:45 pm
March 21st from 5-8 pm

Now, it will be your responsibility to choose just one of these sessions for your entire family to participate in! We will send out registration forms for you to complete some time after the New Year and you can fill in a choice most convenient for your whole family.

Regular Religious Education classes will be cancelled for a period of 4 weeks in order to create this unique opportunity for the parish to learn together. (Note your Religious Education Schedule)

A meal will be part of each session, so that will be an "extra" perk! Your family can enjoy a meal together at the parish, then learn, grow and celebrate your Catholic faith! This will all take place in our parish hall.

This flyer is to give you all "heads up" on this model of faith formation coming again to St. Joseph's next spring!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION, UPDATES AND REGISTRATION PROCESSES.

Dear Parent(s) and Guardians of Saint Joseph Religious Education Students;

St. Joseph is a faith centered community which encourages the spiritual, moral development of its students. A positive interdependence of family and church strives to foster Christian values of respect and acceptance of self and attempts to achieve an atmosphere providing a foundation in Religious Education so each student may function responsibly within the Church community and with society in general.

Everyone associated with Saint Joseph Religious Education believes each child in our program is a unique gift from God. We promote the spiritual growth of each of our children so they may continue to grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. We encourage and lead students toward achievement of their fullest faith potential.

This potential is nurtured through sacrament, prayer and service in the Catholic social environment. With Jesus Christ as their model, students can recognize the joys of contributing to Saint Joseph’s and our community.

I encourage you to continue to fulfill the responsibility you made at your child’s Baptism; particularly your attendance at the weekend celebration of Mass. It is in and through the Eucharist that each person is brought to spiritual fulfillment and that religious education finds its purpose and meaning.

On your behalf, let me extend my sincerest appreciation to Peggy Hall and Ann Cussen for their ongoing dedication and leadership as our Religious Education Directors. Along with their staff, the many volunteers and our dedicated teachers, we all look forward to the beginning of a new year of growing in the love of Jesus Christ.

Because of the vision and sacrifice of many parishioners of Saint Joseph, we begin this Religious Education year in our new Parish Center. May this beginning in a new home reinvigorate us to renew our love of Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist.

Sincerely in Christ,

Reverend Charles Higgins
Pastor