By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
September 23, 2004

LAURENS - One catechist in the Diocese of Sioux City has been volunteering her time for seven years at Sacred Heart Parish in Laurens.

Jean Hofmaster has taught first, second, third, fourth and fifth grade religious education at Sacred Heart and is currently teaching the combined fourth and fifth grade class.

"I have done a little of everything," said Hofmaster. "I know they struggle to get teachers. My schedule allows it. I like working with the elementary kids."

Her three children, a third grader, a seventh grader and a freshman in high school, are part of the religious education program. She commented that her children will soon be done with elementary religious education, but she plans to continue teaching the elementary classes.

"Karen Lind has been the DRE since I started," said Hofmaster. "She sets wonderful programs and curriculum up for us. She is such a wonderful leader. I think that is basically why I stay. It is so easy for us to go every week to be there. The kids are great. It is rewarding. I always feel good at the end of class. I feel like we are doing something positive. In the world we live in now, I think we really need to stress the positive to the kids."

Hofmaster has noticed that not a lot of young people or their parents go to church as often anymore. She thinks it is important to teach religious education "to let the children have the little exposure that they get one hour a week. I think they need that. I enjoy teaching them."

One year she had a class in fourth grade and the next year due to a shortage of teachers, she had the same children in fifth grade. Another year, she taught her own daughter and enjoyed having her in the class.

"When a couple of the kids found out I was going to be their teacher again, they were excited and happy," said Hofmaster. "It is rewarding that the kids were glad. You hate for them to dread, 'Oh, no, not Mrs. Hofmaster.'"

In the religious education program at Sacred Heart, they like to stress in class the importance of being respectful and acting like Jesus when he was on earth.

"At the beginning of our class, we try to talk about what have you done for someone else this week, how have you helped someone else," said Hofmaster. "We talk about it. One of the kids said, 'I got the newspaper for my neighbor.' I encourage them to do something positive. The next week I ask them to tell me what they did."

In the past, Hofmaster would post the good deeds that the students did on a bulletin board.

"I am trying to teach them to act the way Jesus would have acted. Had he been here among us, what would he have done? How would he have treated the same situation?" said Hofmaster. "I encourage them to try to do a good deed every week for someone. It doesn't have to be the same person. Then come report back to me and tell me what they have done."

According to Karen Lind, the DRE at Sacred Heart in Laurens, being a catechist is the main contribution that Hofmaster offers to Sacred Heart, but she will help out with anything if someone asks her.

Whenever there has been a problem finding a teacher, Hofmaster has always been flexible as to which grade she would teach, commented Lind.

"Above all she's got the love of God that shines through her," said Lind. "She also loves kids and wants the best for them."