Our Catholic Faith Handbook
As a parent or carer of a student at a Catholic school, you will hear your child talk about things like "Pancake Tuesday" and "the sign of the Cross" and "Mass" and "Lent" and "Advent", and you may be invited to attend liturgies such as Mass and other events at the school. If you"re not Catholic (because many families whose students attend Catholic schools are not) or you"re Catholic but are not practising or don"t really know much about it, you may be nervous about attending events at the school because you"re not sure about what to do during Mass or how to pray.
The Our Catholic Faith Handbook is an easy-to-read guide explaining some Catholic beliefs and traditions parents and families might hear their child talk about when they"re discussing their religious education, and Catholic events parents and carers may be invited to attend during the school year. This booklet will help you to be a part of your child's faith formation.
The traditions of a Catholic school are like traditions in your family. They are sacred and special and are usually celebrated annually. Our schools celebrate tradition through the sacraments, prayer, music, art and with special days like a school's saint day. This booklet explains some of the “Catholic” part of Catholic schools so that parents and families understand these traditions and are comfortable to get involved.
Catholic schools recognise and support parents in their primary role as educators of their children particularly with regards to the religious development and pastoral care of their children. All parents and families are always welcome and encouraged to enjoy belonging to their school's faith community.
The booklet contains easy-to-read information about:
- Catholicism and Catholic Schools: What Catholics Believe, What Catholics Do, Faith Formation in Schools for Students and Families.
- Liturgy including the Mass: Entering and Leaving the Church, The Word of God: The Holy Bible, What Happens at Mass, Who"s Who at Mass, The Key Moments of Mass, The Seven Sacraments of the Church.
- The Catholic Calendar: Liturgical Seasons, Timeline of Key Dates, Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas.
- Praying and Prayers: Prayers Said at Mass, Traditional Prayers, Prayers for Meetings, Prayers for Families to Say at Home, Aboriginal Prayers.
- Catholic A–Z: A quick and easy reference to lots of Catholic words and phrases.
The informative booklet is available at the link below from the Council of Catholic School Parents.
Our Catholic Faith booklet
www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au