Bishop Celebrates Annual Mass
for Home School Families

Please join us this year:  Sept. 18,10AM, St. Catherine of Sienna in Wake Forest
 

The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge celebrated the annual Diocesan Mass for home school parents, Saturday, September 19, 2009 at Saint Joseph Church in Raleigh. Noting the parable of the seed and the sower in the Gospel reading of the day, Bishop Burbidge said, “We all hope to be the rich ground so that we will produce abundant fruit in our lives.”

He spoke of the importance of approaching all that we do with humility, discipline and confidence. Commenting on the latter, the Bishop noted, “Confidence is needed because sometimes it appears that our hard work and efforts do not pay off or bring benefits. Yet God assures us that His Word and grace are sufficient.”

Bishop Burbidge expressed his gratitude to the parents for the responsibility they are assuming as the primary teachers of their children in the way of faith. “You may not always see immediate and visible results, but trust in God’s promise that through His divine assistance the seeds you plant will grow in ways you can never imagine.”

Are You Homeschooling a Special Needs Child?

 Homeschooling a child with special needs can begin a journey of faith that unveils many unforeseen blessings as well as puzzling uncertainties. Special needs children, like all of God’s children, must learn to function in the world to the best of their abilities without losing sight of their ultimate purpose: entry into the kingdom of God. Teaching the special needs child about life skills, academics, and the faith, however, is not always a process that follows a set curriculum, methodology, or timetable. Patience, flexibility, perseverance, a sense of humor, a strong personal faith, and encouragement from the faith community are attributes that can help parents on this unique journey. We would like to hear from moms and dads who are homeschooling a special needs child and who would like to share their experiences with others on the same journey. Do you have questions you’d like to ask other Catholic homeschoolers, or teaching tips or lessons to share on to manage your school day, or suggestions for how to nurture your and your child’s spiritual development day by day? We’d like to hear from you and help foster a support network in the Raleigh Diocese for homeschool families with special needs children. Please email us to indicate your interest or to submit your ideas for such a network. Thank you and God bless!   Katie McDermott   ktmcd@nc.rr.com

Policy for Home-Based Catechesis

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