CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS

By Dave Brodner

Helping teachers to be more effective witnesses

Pope Paul VI described the importance of teachers in a Catholic school when he stated, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” Helping teachers to be better witnesses of the Catholic faith is something the Lloydminster Catholic School Division is trying to do. In order to help our teachers to be authentic witnesses some specific actions have been put in place in our school division.

If Catholic schools are to thrive, we need to make a conscious effort to pass on the faith from one generation to the next. This is the case not only with students, but with teachers as well. This is the purpose of a faith mentorship program. About five years ago, the religious co-ordinators of Saskatchewan developed a guidebook that is meant to help Catholic school divisions implement a faith mentorship program.

The mentor’s role and function is that of nurturing growth. A mentoring relationship is built on mutuality. We want to establish relationships where people can feel safe in exploring questions they have about our Catholic faith.

In the Lloydminster Catholic schools, all teachers new to the division work with in-school faith mentors. This ensures that there is someone at their school who is willing to discuss faith matters with them. They are also expected to meet formally once a month at each school. Here the provincial faith mentorship guidebook is used as a resource to begin faith discussions. Also, they are to attend large group sessions where all new teachers and their faith mentors meet (these are outlined below).

Having support both at the school and division level has been helpful in our program. Our goal is to provide new teachers with an opportunity to grow in understanding and witnessing the Catholic faith.

Sessions at the division level work on a theme basis where the group looks at a topic in detail. Presenters include school division personnel and local clergy, and small and large group discussions take place on the given topic. Here are the topics addressed at the division level:

1. Being a faith leader (Aug. 27): This session focused on the Catholic teacher’s responsibility in modelling and leading students to develop a sense of belonging to the church faith community. Practical suggestions were provided to help teachers to be in step with the church seasons and how to prepare school prayer services and liturgies.

2. Prayer/Advent (Nov. 21): This will focus on the joys and struggles of lifting our minds and hearts to God. It will outline the basics of developing a real relationship with God and will provide practical ways to better talk to and listen to God as we prepare for Advent.

3. Knowing the story (Jan. 16): This will focus on knowing the story of the Catholic Christian faith, which is centred on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We are able to enter into this victorious historical event by participating in the life of the church. The Gospel of Mark will be used as the focus in this workshop.

4. The Creed/our focus during Lent (Feb. 20): This will focus on the meaning of the creed, which is a one-prayer summary of our faith, used for all baptisms and confirmations.

5. Mary and the Easter season (March 20): This will focus on how Mary is the first disciple of Jesus. Her role within the Catholic faith is always to encourage us “to do whatever (Jesus) tells us.”

6. Sacraments (April 17): This will focus on the privileged ways of meeting the risen Jesus as we journey through our lives.

7. Morality/Ten Commandments (May 15): This session will explore how the Ten Commandments expand the basic commandment of loving God and neighbour.

Between sessions, mentors and mentees work together to discuss the previous topic, previewing the next topic and/or discussing other issues or topics that may arise. This ensures that our teachers know they are supported in their faith development as well as in their teaching. We have been fortunate throughout the program to have the active support of our clergy and can rely on them to provide the necessary guidance to make the sessions fruitful for participants.

The Faith Mentorship Program, we believe, can help teachers be better prepared to teach in the Catholic school system. Along with the mentorship program, all staff members are expected to gather weekly to reflect on the Sunday Gospel. We also have an RCIA program for teachers wishing to enrich their understanding of the Catholic faith.

Brodner is the religious co-ordinator for the Lloydminster Catholic School Division.