Religious Education Newsletter
April 2022
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Message from the Director
Jessie Adrians, Director of Religious Education
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“Jesus, I trust in you!”
-Signature of the Divine Mercy image, painted by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski under the direction of Saint Faustina Kowalska
I think it can be safely said that at some point in our lives, every one of us participates in a trust building exercise. For anyone who has been robbed of this team building experience a trust building exercise is defined by Google as “a typical process in group psychotherapy and development groups aimed at assisting members of the group learn to trust others. This might consist of placing a member in a vulnerable position so that they must rely on the other people in the group for support.”
For the most part I have neither loved nor hated doing trust building exercises as a member of a group. I think it has something to do with the fact that I know the likelihood of anything truly bad happening in a controlled environment is very low. There is very little on the line, so trust is easy.
However, I have found since adopting our son Andrew six years ago, parenting is a trust building exercise with a whole lot on the line. This has been particularly true for the past year with Andrew starting school. For the first five years of his life Andrew spent most of his time at home with us, and this was especially true over the past two years during the pandemic, and although I did not really enjoy the lock down experience, the one upside was I always knew what he was doing and who he was interacting with.
Sending him to school means a large portion out of his day is out of my sight and out of my control. I have found this very difficult over the past few months because he has had some struggles with friendships. I'm not going to get into the details because they're private to him, but let's just say that as a teacher I have placed hundreds of phone calls home to parents to voice concerns when a child is struggling either socially, emotionally, behaviorally, or academically, and for the the first time ever I was on the other side of the phone call, and that is a whole different story. As a mom there have been so many times over the past three months that I’ve wished I could take his place so he would not have to experience the growing pains that accompany us all as we learn how to make friends and be part of a society that becomes more complex with greater challenges in building relationships with peers and the community as we age. Watching him walk into school each day has been a source of constant anxiety for me as I feverishly pray that I will pick him up and be greeted with a smile, not tears, and that I would not receive any unexpected phone calls that things had gone awry.
It was with this on my mind and in my heart that Andrew and I prepared to attend Easter Vigil Mass. Andrew is not quite 6 years old and Easter Vigil Mass is almost three hours long, so I knew it was unlikely he would make it through the whole Mass, but I still wanted him to have the experience of the beauty that is the liturgical high point of the year. For those of you who have never attended this vigil, it begins with a fire called the paschal fire. The paschal fire is typically lit outside and is used to light the paschal or Easter candle that is utilized throughout the year for baptisms and funerals.
The paschal candle symbolizes the light of Christ. During the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night, the priest or deacon carries the candle in procession into the dark church. Everyone who attends the vigil receives a small candle that is lit with a flame that originated with the paschal candle. The result is that the darkened church is set ablaze by individual lights. The church is no longer dark, but filled with the light of Christ within us.
It was in this moment that God revealed Himself to me. I realized that we are surrounded by so many people who support and love Andrew. Looking at all the lit candles around us, I did not need to be afraid for my son. Yes, there would be hard times, and I could not prevent those, but there were two things I knew for certain:
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We are never alone: At his baptism Andrew became part of a loving faith community, so if anything ever happens to me there would be many people there to take care of him, as evidenced by those who kindly moved aside to let Andrew stand close to the paschal fire and patiently shared in his excitement about “his candle” prior to the Mass. (He told EVERYONE seated near us all about it, some people several times.)
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Jesus, I trust in You: God’s love for Andrew is everlasting and unconditional. My job as a parent is to trust in the Lord and to do my part to help him grow into the person God made him to be. As long as I keep my eyes on Jesus (this part is hard) and trust him, God will take care of the rest. This is a lesson God is constantly teaching me, but luckily, He is patient with me.
If you, like me, are looking to help your child continue to walk with Jesus as we head into the warmer days of summer and spring, here are two simple ideas:
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Keep on Praying: Our focus this year with weekly class sessions has been family prayer simply because it is the most powerful way to continue to grow as a domestic church. If you are looking for another form of prayer to try, click here to learn more about the Divine Mercy prayer/chaplet and how to pray it together as a family. (Its tagline is “Jesus, I trust in You,” so it is perfect for us as parents!)
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Stay Connected: The RE school year comes to a close at the end of April, but there are many opportunities for children, youth, and families to continue to grow in faith as part of our parish community. Here are just a few of the opportunities taking place this summer:
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Vacation Bible School: St. Raphael offers VBS every summer for children ages 4k–5th grade. This year it will be the week of July 18–22. It is a great way for your kids to enjoy games, songs, bible stories, and crafts that will help them learn more about their faith while having fun! For more details check the bulletin or parish website.
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LOVE BEGINS HERE (Service Retreats):
- Grades 6–8: July 10–13 in Oshkosh
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Grades 9–12: We will be taking a group of high schoolers to Antigo June 26–30
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Contact Michael Wilms ([email protected]) for more information or click here to register your child.
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Summer Aftershock (Grades 9-12): Starting in June Aftershock High School Youth Ministry will meet Wednesday evenings from 6–8 pm for faith, fellowship, and fun!
On behalf of the entire RE team, I want to thank you for trusting us to journey with you and your family this past school year. Online registration for faith formation for grades 4K–Confirmation will be available online mid–late May, so be on the lookout for an email from me regarding registration for 2022/2023. However you and your family decide to grow closer to Christ this summer, know that Josh, Andrew and I are praying for you. Please pray for us!
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Family Outreach
Kathy Baehman, Youth Ministry Assistant & Family Outreach Coordinator
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It’s hard to believe that another school year is coming to an end. I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to the warm, sunny days of summer and spending time with my family. I’m not just talking about the big family vacation to theme parks or campgrounds. I’m talking about the small things that can create lasting memories. Below are some ideas I came up with that will hopefully bring joy to your family and help you to grow in your faith together.
Go to Daily Mass
Daily Mass is a great way to spend quality time together and grow closer to God. Daily Mass is usually much shorter than Sunday Mass, so it may be a bit easier with small children. We have daily Mass here at St. Raphael Monday–Wednesday at 8 am and Thursday–Friday at 7:15 am.
We also have Holy Hour of Adoration on the first Thursday of every month from 3:30–5:30 pm. Confessions are also available at that time. You can stay for the whole time or just stop in for 10 minutes—whatever works for your schedule.
Pray the Rosary
Praying the Rosary is a way to ask Mary to intercede for us. It may be hard for kids to sit quietly through the entire Rosary, so you may want to start out with saying a decade at first. You can work your way up to finishing the entire Rosary.
Vacation Bible School
St. Raphael offers VBS every summer. This year it will be the week of July 18–22. It is a great way for your kids to enjoy games, songs, bible stories, and crafts that will help them learn more about their faith while having fun! For more details check the bulletin or parish website.
Volunteer at Church
Some of you may already do this and know of the importance of serving your community. What a great way to bring your family closer together than to serve others through Christ? Contact the parish office and ask how you and your family can get involved!
Arts and Crafts
Road Trip!
If your family loves to jump in the car and hit the open road, here are a few places that you could visit:
- The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, WI
- The Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill
- The Belgian Roadside Chapels in Door County
- Marian Shrine in Milwaukee
I hope you and your families find some great ways to spend time together this summer and to help each other grow in your faith and your love for Jesus!
Prayers for a safe and healthy summer!!
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Sunday School
Ruby Kilde, Sunday School Coordinator & Youth Ministry Intern
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Welcome to a new week, Sunday School families!
This time of year can be filled with much anticipation as we long for spring and summer to arrive. At least for me, this is what I am looking forward to. In our longing for the warmth, sometimes we miss out on the present moment. It’s hard to see the beauty behind the rainy days and slippery mud. To help us with this, we can ask our Blessed Mother, the angels, saints, and Christ!
Here is the serenity prayer to help us as we transition into the summer season!
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the the things I cannot change
the courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time.
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, the sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever.
Amen!
As we finish up Sunday School, know of the deep joy that I have had from teaching your children this school year. I have seen a great increase of faith within the PK/K children, and look forward to continuing that journey.
Happy Easter, and know of my prayers for you and your families!
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Elementary School
Jenifer Jensen, Elementary School Coordinator
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Alleluia! Alleluia! The joy of our risen Lord be with all of you.
It feels so wonderful to express not only in words, but through our actions, the gift God has given us: our salvation! We are saved through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are so blessed in our faith to be able to celebrate Easter EVERY Sunday at Mass. Yes, you read correctly. Our Mass is the remembrance of the Paschal Mystery, and we are invited to celebrate in this each time we attend and participate in Mass. What better way to start our week off than with being centered in Christ? Or to think of it another way, to end our sometimes very hectic week of family life, work, and schedules that are out of control, by turning it all over to Jesus in the Mass. We can then end our week from “H-E-double-hockey-sticks” released from all that burden, refreshed and able to start again with those beautiful virtues of faith, hope, and love our Catholic faith graces us with over and over. Like a do-over, but better because Jesus is with you in His precious blood and body and has called you to share that sacrifice with others through your own words and actions. Like the dismissal of Mass states, “Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life!”
May the abundance of Christ’s love fill your families and renew you EVERY time you come and celebrate the Paschal Mystery in Mass♥
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Middle & High School Youth Ministry
Michael Wilms, Youth Ministry & MS/HS RE
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Praise the Lord!...Now and forever!!
He is Risen!! Indeed He is Risen, Alleluia!! Happy Easter! One of the great joys of being Catholic is all of the celebration that comes along with it. Instead of celebrating Easter for one day then moving on to the next holiday and getting discount candy like the rest of the world, we as Catholics celebrate the triumph of the Lord for an entire season! This is the greatest time of the year, and thus we need extra time to take it all in. Just as we spent 40 days in Lent to prepare for this time, we now spend 40 days in celebration until Pentecost, where we celebrate the Birthday of the Church and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It's important to count the blessings around you, take time to thank the Lord, and share the good news with others! As a parish, we also celebrate the end of the year for Religious Education, and we thank the Lord for all the blessings, memories, and students that we’ve gotten to share the journey with. It has been quite the journey for myself in my first year working at the parish. I am truly grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to serve Him, and I am grateful to the parish for being willing to share its greatest treasures with me, you, and your families! Thank you for welcoming me into your lives and for sharing this experience with me. I look forward to all that this summer and next year will bring, and I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us. God bless :)
Upcoming Events and Retreats:
LOVE BEGINS HERE! There is still time to register!
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LBH for Middle School: This summer Saint Raphael will be hosting a week of Love Begins Here, modeled after Saint Teresa of Calcutta, for middle schoolers July 10–13 in Oshkosh. Cost is $125 for the week. Hurry and reserve your spot before it’s too late! Come as you are and make the most of your summer!
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LBH for High School: We will be taking a group to Antigo June 26–30. Cost is $150 per student with only 8 spots reserved for high schoolers. We have only 2 spots remaining!!
There will also be other opportunities throughout the diocese for high school and middle school students to attend at alternate LBH locations. Contact the parish or myself for more information, or register your child here: https://www.gbresources.org/lbhregistration.html
Other retreat resources:
There are only three more Aftershocks left in the year!! May 8, 15, and 22 on Sunday night with 5 pm Mass, 6:15 pm dinner, followed by games, prayer, and community until 8 pm. Open to all high school students. Starting in June we will switch gears to our Summer Aftershock programing, meeting every Wednesday evening from 6–8 pm for faith, fellowship and fun! Follow us on instagram for more summer updates (aftershock_ym_straph) and to stay connected.
Blessed Carlo Acutis...Pray for us!
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Some content in this section may be from FORMED, a Catholic content digital platform that provides 24/7 access to video-based study programs, feature films, audio presentations, and eBooks. St. Raphael has a parish-wide subscription, so sign up for your FREE account by visiting formed.org/signup and searching for St. Raphael the Archangel in Oshkosh, WI.
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Formed video
Join Brother Francis as he celebrates the power and splendor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in this moving and instructive animated presentation!
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YouTube video
“What if I don’t have time to pray both The Rosary and The Divine Mercy Chaplet?”
Deciding how to spend your time in prayer can be difficult, especially when you’re deciding between two powerhouse prayers like The Rosary and The Chaplet. Let’s look at each of them.
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YouTube video
With so much out there about St. Faustina, what is most important? Hear Fr. Chris Alar explain the life and spirituality of St. Faustina and why Jesus chose her to help prepare the world for His final coming.
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Check the youth page on the St. Raphael website for calendar updates.
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Religious Education
920 233 8044
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