Educational Program Aimed at New and Returning Catholic Families

Another press release from RCL Benziger's that I pass on to you:

RCL Benziger Offers Educational Program Aimed at New and Returning Catholic Families

MASON, Ohio —  Whether students and their families are new to the church, returning to the church or new to Catholic school, RCL Benziger’s new Our Catholic Heritage program eases the transition into a parish religion curriculum. 

Our Catholic Heritage reaches out in a special way to children who have not been catechized. This revision of the highly popular “This is Our Faith Heritage” program is linked to RCL Benziger’s newest series, Be My Disciples, which was published for parish religious education programs this year.

Our Catholic Heritage is the perfect entry-level text for young people who are being initiated into the life of the Catholic Church. It is offered at two age levels to choose from: Level 1, for grade school students, and Level 2, for those in junior high. Both levels highlight Catholic doctrine and practice in order to develop a Catholic identity, increase knowledge of the Catholic faith and build a Catholic vocabulary.

This new program emphasizes the life of Jesus, includes chapters on key Church doctrine and offers a solid overview of the four sacramental rites.

Our Catholic Heritage:

·        Follows the directives of the General Directory for Catechesis
·        Eases a student’s transition into regular religion classes and the use of virtually any catechetical series of instruction
·        Highlights Catholic doctrine and practices in order to build knowledge and Catholic identity
·        Offers important terminology and vocabulary
·        Has a “With My Family” section that offers meaningful opportunities to engage the whole family in the catechetical process and bring faith into the home every day!
·        Emphasizes Church history on the junior high level
·        Offers stories, personal experiences and activities to make evangelization and catechesis an even more enriching process
·        Supports families and religious education reinforcement at home with many resources for prayer, practices and faith teaching. 

The program uses a three-pronged approach to religious education:

-         Students learn Scripture by examining the life of Jesus and the key stories in his life and ministry, such as his baptism, his call to discipleship, miracles and parables, and his death, resurrection and ascension
-         Doctrine is taught through chapters that spell out what “We Believe” and why
-         The liturgy of the church is explained through the  “We Celebrate our Faith” section that walks students through the liturgical year 

Sections on prayers and practices, maps of the Holy Land and key teachings offer additional resources for teachers, parents and students.  

Additional information, ideas, activities and resources can be found at the companion website, BeMyDisciples.com, where students are encouraged to take the lessons learned through Our Catholic Heritage to a new level of discipleship! 

Review copies and information may be obtained by contacting Harry Johns, RCL Benziger’s director of marketing, at hjohns@rclbenziger.com.