2021-22 Grade 8 Ascension Religious Education

Advent Greetings! During our most recent class, we experienced a modified version of our customary Religious Education Christmas Pageant, watching scenes from the account of Christ's Birth from the Gospel according to St. Luke, and even listening to Cardinal George's proclamation of the story in Luke 2 set to music, recorded at the Cardinal's Christmas Concert a few years ago. I also shared a few anecdotes and stories, including the meaning of Gaudete Sunday and some traditions from other cultures that are customary in December, like St. Lucy's Day and the Feast of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. We also watched two more videos in the series on the Mass. There is no activity to do in the meantime, but I will send out a message for a short activity to do once we get to January. If you are interested in doing any of the optional extra credit opportunities, please refer to the November 30 and December 7 class website updates for more information. One other extra credit opp...

Advent Greetings class! I first want to offer a big thanks to all of you for your submissions for the activities, and for your generosity in contributing money to our class Christmas Angel gift.  You all raised a total of $91.  Good work! Recap of Last Class For the first half, we had a visitor join us virtually: Will Haeni is one of my college friends from Valparaiso University.  He grew up in the St. Louis area and currently is a weekend on-air meteorologist for WWMT-CBS 3 TV in Kalamazoo, MI.  He shared about his work and what faith has meant in his life. We also spent some time learning about Mary, especially in light of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which was on December 8.  It celebrates the dogma that Mary was free from the stain of original sin from the moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, named by tradition as St. Anne.  (By the way, there's a St. Anne statue in church, with Mary right in front of her.) Mary of the Immacul...

Advent Greetings! It was great to be back in class after our Thanksgiving break.  May gratitude be an attitude that allows you to live life more fully.  Thank you for sharing your Thanksgiving reflections. The altar at Ascension following Thanksgiving Day Mass The Advent wreath in Church Recap of Last Class We started class focusing on Advent, a Season with a threefold purpose, awaiting Christ's 2nd Coming, the celebration of his 1st coming, and His coming to us even today. I also shared a little about St. Mother Katharine Drexel, who used money from a large inheritance to fund church-based institutions to serve African-Americans and Native Americans.  Her birthday was on November 26. Then, we continued learning about the Eucharist, through which we remember Christ's sacrifice in the past, even as we make it present again in our assemblies.  (I shared my middle school yearbooks, which is a way for me to remember my past, and certainly gave you the chance to see what ...