“Go therefore, and teach all nations . . .”
Matthew 28:19
Teaching
The most precious gift we can share with one another is the gift of our Faith. Teaching is an essential part of our charism and apostolate as Franciscans of the Eucharist. Although not all members of our community will go on to be formal classroom or religious education teachers, we all participate in our communal teaching apostolate through talks, retreat work, leading Bible Studies, and other non-classroom teaching opportunities (see Retreat Work and Talks).
Teaching Religion in Catholic Schools
Teaching religion in our local poor Catholic schools is the primary way that our community currently lives out our teaching apostolate.
Our first Franciscan to complete her teaching degree, Sr. Stephanie, has been teaching in a local, poor Catholic school since 2016.
Since that time, more Franciscans have gone on to complete their teaching degrees. We currently have four sisters teaching religion in three different poor inner city Catholic schools. Because formal classroom teaching is just one aspect of our community’s life and apostolate, we currently teach on a part-time schedule, with each sister teaching 2 days per week.
Our community’s focus in teaching is to help our schools continue to build up a strong Catholic identity, grow in appreciation for the many treasures of the Catholic faith, and to try to help students, parents, and school staff alike to have a renewed encounter with Jesus and all develop a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. We do this through teaching religion classes to students in grades Pre-K through 8th grade, helping to prepare students and families to receive the Sacraments, preparing and leading staff retreats and professional developments, providing support to other classroom teachers in incorporating elements of the Catholic faith into their own teaching, and working closely with the pastors and priests to provide opportunities for students to encounter Jesus directly through Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and experiences of Eucharistic Adoration.
