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One of the most exciting programs of our Order in the Western Association
is the spiritual outreach to children called “Growing the Faith”.
We are happy to share a description of the program, followed by some reports
from the field – to see how members of the Order are helping children to
grow in the faith.
Mission
Statement
The
Growing the Faith program is founded upon
the Order’s purpose to promote the “Glory
of God through the sanctification of its
members.” The
goal of the program is to work toward the
spiritual enrichment of religiously underserved
children in our communities through direct
participation of Knights, Dames, Auxiliary
and Volunteers of the Order of Malta and
the donation of religious materials.
Program
Description
In
the five years since its establishment, the
Growing the Faith program has reached out
to thousands of children and faculty members
at Catholic schools throughout
California, enriching their religious curriculum
though hands-on participation and new religious
materials.
In
the 2006 grant year alone, the program reached
4,790 children with religious materials,
rosaries, and over 2,000 hours of participation
from Knights, Dames and volunteers. Today,
almost 50 Knights, Dames and volunteers are
involved with Growing the Faith. In 2007,
the program will reach 5,278 children at
11 Catholic schools in Northern California,
Southern California and Phoenix; this is
the first time members of the Order from
Phoenix will be participating in the program.
The
premise of Growing the Faith is to provide
religiously underserved children in Catholic
schools with solid, spiritual resources that
enhance their lives, while providing volunteer
opportunities for members of the Order.
St. Raphael School, San Rafael
Grant
recipients are selected based on economic
need, and an Order of Malta liaison works
with the school principal or religious coordinator
to implement the program. When the Order
begins working with a school, each teacher
receives the Handbook for Today’s
Catholic. The feedback from the faculty
about this gift has been very positive; the
teachers read the Handbook and appreciate
it.
Each
year, the schools receive funds to purchase
religious materials that augment the basic
texts that are used in the schools’ regular
religious education programs. Along with
the grant, the schools receive a set of program
guidelines and an evaluation
to be completed at the conclusion of the
school year.
Growing
the Faith provides each school with a list
of suggested materials and teaching aids
in various subject areas. For the past two
years, the program has worked with Sister
Tony Lynn from St. Peter’s School in
San Francisco to enhance this list of religious
resources. Recommended materials consist
of the New Catechism, books and videos that
illustrate the lives of the Saints, Bibles,
Bible stories, prayer books, and materials
that focus on the Sacraments and sacramentals.
Materials are donated to classrooms from
grades one through six and are accompanied
by a specially designed Order of Malta bookplate.
St. Louis Bertrand School, Oakland
During
school gatherings and religious education
classes, Knights, Dames and volunteers distribute
Rosaries to the schoolchildren with a pamphlet
on how to pray the Rosary, and then practice
the Rosary with the students. The Rosaries
and the pamphlet are used throughout the
year to teach the children how to pray. Knights
and Dames also participate in Masses, and
their presence is always looked upon as a
special occasion by the students and faculty.
During these and other visits, a Knight or
Dame will often teach the students and teachers
about the history of the Order.
The
feedback from the schools regarding the value
of the materials has been outstanding, but
the hands-on involvement of Knights and Dames
provides an entirely new and different element
to the schools’ religious curriculum.
When Knights and Dames visit a classroom
or participate in a Mass, the students are
able to learn from adults of faith; meanwhile,
the Knights and Dames become reinvigorated
in their own faith.
Feedback
from Participating Schools
“As
Catholic educators, we are constantly attempting
to instill in our students a deep faith,
understanding and love of God. Our challenges
are great in that so much of our secular
world operates in direct opposition to
Christ’s message. [The Growing the
Faith program] will help us strengthen
our students’ prayer lives and faith
experiences."
— Thomas
C. White, Principal, Saint Anne School
“I
can’t tell you how much your visit,
presence and gift of Rosaries in honor
of Our Lady meant to all of us at St. Peter’s
School! You have really brought ongoing
life to our Catholic education in numerous
ways.”
— Vicki
A. Butler, Principal, St. Peter's School
Moral Values Program, Sacramento
Participants
Helen
Mary Stein, DM – Chair, Oversight Board
Robert J. Stein, MD, KM – Vice Chair, Oversight Board
Kathryn Pandes, DM – Vice Chair, Oversight Board
Nancy Contadino, DM – Growing the Faith Area Co-Chair, Phoenix
Janet Feeley, DM – Growing the Faith Area Chair, Los Angeles
Regina Hunsaker, DM – Growing the Faith Area Chair, Orange County
Dee Israelson, DM – Growing the Faith Area Co-Chair, Sacramento
Chase Israelson, KM – Growing the Faith Area Co-Chair, Sacramento
Cyrus Johnson, KM – Growing the Faith Area Chair, Berkeley & Oakland
Marilyn Knight, DM – Growing the Faith Area Co-Chair, Marin County
Michael Lambert, KM – Growing the Faith Area Co-Chair, Sacramento
Mary Louise Otto, DM – Growing the Faith Area Chair, San Francisco
Roxanne Schroer, DM – Growing the Faith Area Co-Chair, Phoenix
Jeannie Stiles, DM – Growing the Faith Area Co-Chair, Marin County & San
Francisco
Primary
Contact
Helen
Mary Stein, Chair
914 Stonehaven Court
Walnut
Creek, CA 94598
Phone: (925) 933-1754
Fax:
(925) 933-0702
St.
Anne's School
San Francisco, CA
On
Friday, September 22, 2006 a small group
of Knights and Dames attended a beautiful
and rewarding prayer service a St. Anne’s
school in San Francisco. We were participants
in the Growing the Faith program. The school
year had just opened: in preparation for
October, the month dedicated to our Lady
and her special prayer, the Rosary, it provided
the perfect opportunity to give the children
rosaries to use in their classrooms.
The
prayer service in the church began with the
principal, Tom White, extending a warm and
appreciative welcome to the order of Malta.
He then thanked us for donating numerous
spiritual books and tapes with the Malta
book plate: to supplement and enhance the
spiritual enrichment for each classroom library.
Their books were given as the result of the
Growing the Faith grant provided by the Order.
St. Anne School, San Francisco
The
service continued with two brief presentations
by Malta members. The first was a brief history
of the Order of Malta and also included the
two Knights present, explaining about their
uniforms and the medals. The second talk
was made about the rosary packets, containing
a rosary and pamphlet how to say the rosary,
which each child would receive later. Then
one of the students gave some background
information on the rosary. Finally the entire
student body was invited to join together
saying one decade of the rosary. They were
prompted by three older students who stood
on the altar and led the entire school using
a large rosary and pointer.
The
prayer service ended with the pastor Fr.
Ray blessing all of the rosaries in the baskets.
As the children filed out of the church the
members of Malta present included Jeannie
Stiles, Lin Payne, Julie West, Mimi Otto,
Helen Mary and bob Stein and Joe Klammer
greeted the children and passed out rosary
packets to each child.
Each
of us in the Order who participated felt
very rewarded to see and experience the children’s
enthusiasm in receiving the rosary packets.
Hopefully, the children will always have
this love of prayer and the rosary their
entire lives.
St.
Joseph the Worker
Berkeley, CA
Natalie
Walchuk, the principal at St. Joseph the
Worker, requested the Knights and Dames in
uniform to visit each classroom. The classroom
visits gave us all a chance to interact on
a personal level with the children. Dame
Catherine Kim and Knight Bob Stein started
in the eighth grade and Dame Helen Mary Stein
and Knight Mike Lambert started in the Kindergarten.
Each class chose to sit on their special
rug so they could get closer to all of us.
The questions showed their curiosity about
our Order: who we were, why did we dress
like that, who is our leader, if we are an
international Order how do you speak to people
of different languages; even, “do you
know the Pope?” Do you pray the Rosary
that you give us? After the questions and
answer we passed out the Rosary pamphlets,
opened them and prayed together. Mrs. Walchuk
told us a frequently-asked question is “Can
we pray the Rosary today?”.When we
looked at their faces, we know Our Lady is
by their side!
St. Martin de Porres School, Oakland
St.
Peter's School
San Francisco, CA
Immaculate
Mary, your praises we sing
St.
Peter’s School in San Francisco celebrated
the feast of the Immaculate Conception with
a special children’s mass. The Knights
and Dames from the Order were invited to
participate with the children in the Mass.
Special dances were preformed before Mass
began. Colorful skirts swirled as the boys
with their sarapes danced with the girls.
In
Mary’s honor they read from the Storyteller
Bible donated by the Growing the Faith Program
as the second grade enacted the reading from
the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve eating
the forbidden fruit and their expulsion from
paradise. The reading was followed by the
entire school, 500 children, using sign language
for the Hail Mary.
St. Peter School, San Francisco
After
Mass Helen Mary Stein talked to the children
about the journey we are on together. Growing
the Faith wants to walk with you to Jesus.
Jesus’ Mother Mary knows Jesus and
enables us to know Jesus better through her
special prayer, the Hail Mary. The Rosary
has a mystery before each ten ‘Hail
Marys’ and if we listen to the mystery
it helps us know Mary and her son Jesus.
The
principal Vicki Butler, a former Lourdes
Malade, ended the celebration by offering
the children two surprises, cookies and a
longer recess.
Marylyn
Knight, Mimi Otto, Betty Ann and Mike Lambert,
Arnold and Ann Ditto, Bob and Helen Mary
Stein, Jeanne Stiles with her two children
Kristen and Jenny along with members of the
staff went to a neighborhood restaurant and
celebrated Vicki Butler and Jenny Stiles
birthday. Mary gave us the gift of these
children at St. Peter’s. Walking with
them to Jesus is a joy.
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