Acts 2:3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

Sunday, May 5, 2024, is on the horizon, and we want to maintain communication with you regarding the event. We have previously discussed the proper attire for this most solemn occasion and celebrated ceremony.

The First Communion female candidates have been asked to wear their white or light pastel dresses, and we welcome other traditional accessories such as a veil and white gloves. The First Communion male candidates have been asked to wear dark suites, white shirts and RED ties! This sacrament marks the beginning of your child’s responsibility as a member of the church. The dark suits (slacks and jacket) mark the seriousness of accountability your son is accepting with the sacrament. The red ties represents the Holy Spirit that will guide him through life. We understand families may have their own traditions, and we do not want to create a hardship with this standard. Please feel free to contact Ms. Gabriel if you have any suggestions or questions.

Thank you,

Ronnie Gabriel

(Zora & Jayla's mom)

504-701-8363

Happy Sunday!

Today we continued our discussion of the order of Mass. Traditionally we explain the Catholic Mass as having two parts:

• Liturgy of the Word
• Liturgy of the Eucharist

In last week's video lesson I provided an in depth lesson on the Liturgy of the Word. Please make sure your child reviews that video prior to our retreat on February 24th.

During our retreat we will focus on the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Today we took a field trip into the chapel and focused on the Intro Rites which are considered the “start” of the Mass. The children learned how the rites and rituals we perform each week mirror and reinforce the Sacrament that we share with our church family:

• Baptism - entering the church and blessings ourselves with holy water.
• Reconciliation - when we recite the Penitential with our church community.
• Eucharist - which is the Sacrament we are preparing for in May.

The children were taught the proper way to enter the sacred space of the sanctuary, how to genuflect, lower the kneeler, and have silent prayer to help settle of minds and spirit for Mass. Through these actions we show reverence (respect) to God and our church community.

We talked about the Catholic missal which is the liturgical book containing music, Lectionary readings of sacred Scripture, Mass settings and the Order of Mass. Next week please appoint your child to be in charge of the missalette. Have your child locate the correct date and practice following along to keep them engaged in the order of the mass.

You are your child's first teacher in all things especially their Faith. You have done a wonderful job and I ask that you continue in your efforts by attending weely Mass and pointing out the REASONS we do specific things in church.

I enjoy spending time with your little ones each week. Thank you for your dedication to their religious education.

Class Tag Announcement

May God Bless & Keep You,

Ronnie Gabriel

(Zora and Jayla's mom)

Retreat - Team Building - Interviews

The retreat on Saturday, February 24, 2024 started with a team building exercise. The children were paired up and then given time to interview their teammates. We learned about pets, siblings, and favorite sneaker brands. Each child introduced the person they interviewed and the children had a good time learning about their church siblings! 

The highlight of the exercise were the interviews with both Sr. Josephine and Fr. Jaison. They discussed their home countries, told us how many siblings they have, and shared other interesting things about their service with the church.

Thank you for getting the children to the retreat on time so they could participate in this wonderful team building exercise. It really set the intention for the day! 

Retreat - Classroom Work - Story of Exodus

During the classroom time we learned the story of Exodus and how Moses was placed in a basket floated down the Nile River into his life as an adopted son in the Pharos' palace. The class watched videos and we discussed significant events of the story that connect to the Communion Meal we celebrate today.

As you can see from these images the children were focused and engaged. I really enjoyed our discussions and marveled at the children's ability when understanding the lamb being slaughtered and blood being placed on the lentil of the door so the angle of death would “pass over ” the chosen people is similar to the sacrifice of the LAMB of GOD on the cross that we shall not perish but will have everlasting life in paradise.

Your children are very intelligent and you should be proud of their ability to communicate their feelings and thoughts about the subject of their Catholic Faith!

Retreat - Sanctuary Field Lesson & Scavenger Hunt

The class moved from room 100 and into the sanctuary where we discussed symbolism and the use of colors and images in the church used to speak to the international Catholic church family.

The children learned:

• Color Coding in the church (Green Ordinary Times, Purple Advent & Lent, etc)
• Symbolism Greek letters Alpha & Omega their meaning and why they appear on the banners in the church
• Stain-glass windows used to retell bible stories and remind us of bible characters
• Proper way to genuflect when entering the pew
• The different items found in the sanctuary (Altar, ambo, tabernacle, etc)
• The difference between crucifix and a cross

Sr. Josephine took the children on a tour of the Sacristy. She showed them where the elements were stored for the Communion meal:

• Chalice
• Paten
• Altar linens
• Holy Oils
• Incense

We pointed out multiple items that would be helpful for the Sanctuary Scavenger Hunt schedule for the end of the retreat.

Ronnie Gabriel

(Zora & Jayla's mom)

God's Banner Over Me is Love!

Texas Catholics have a tradition of preparing communion banners for their First Communion. Typically this project is completed in advance and each parish tries to display the banners in the church during the First Communion Mass.

St. Mary’s CCE students usually discuss the symbolism of the images used to make the banner during our pre-ceremony retreat. The children complete this crafting project during the retreat, and the banners are used as pew markers and to mark assigned seating on the big day!

Please make sure your child brings their kit to the retreat on Saturday, April 20, 2024. We will have additional glue available as the kits supply a very small sample size bottle. I will also have a few hot glue guns on site that will be manned by my daughters, but I welcome any adult who wishes to remain with us during this project period to help.

The banners can be purchased online with Amazon for $18.50 each, or at most local Catholic Book Stores. The links below are the ones we would like to use to maintain uniformity.

First Communion Banner Kit - 9 x 12 - Gates - Blue

First Communion Banner Kit - 9 x 12 - Gates - Pink

Good morning!

Today's class was taken from the Liturgy of the Word. In today's first reading we learned of God providing water in the desert for the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness. Moses was instructed to strike the rock from which sprang a stream. The human thirst was satisfied.

In the new testament reading Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman and promises water that quenches the soul.

This promise is not only for the children of Israel, but to all that accept Jesus as their Christ and Savior.

We then took a trip into the sanctuary where we discussed the use of water in the Sacrament of Communion. We discovered where the curets were located and talked about how the contents of wine and water are used when preparing the blood of Christ.

The children were every engaged and are making amazing progress in their understanding of the Sacrament.

God Bless & Keep You

Ronnie Gabriel

(Zora & Jayla's mom)