Schools offer diverse, prayerful experiences

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Jan. 24, 2008

For students who attend Catholic schools, there is no shortage of prayer in their lives.

While the Eucharistic liturgy is the greatest prayer for Catholics, students enrolled in Catholic schools of the Diocese of Sioux City have the opportunity to participate in various forms of prayer.

Brenda Ferrie, principal at Sacred Heart School in Sioux City, noted that in addition to teaching students structured forms of prayer, she said they try to teach the children that anytime they have something to say to God, it can be a form of prayer.

"A lot of things we do throughout our daily life or daily routine is a form of prayer," she said. "We want them to know that God always has an open door. There are not just certain times when we have to pray or certain ways - God listens to everything we have to say."

There is no shortage of traditional prayer either. They say morning prayer, prayer before meals in the classroom and after meal prayers in the cafeteria, prayers to end the day and have weekly Mass to name just a few of the prayer forms.

To get the students accustomed to offered petitions, after the morning prayer with petitions over the intercom, students can offer individual petitions in the classrooms. The petitions raise awareness about the need to care for others.

"In the individual classrooms - depending on the age of the student - they may pray for a sick dog or that they lost a pencil," said Ferrie. "They learn that no intention or prayer is silly."

At other times of the year they have prayed the rosary as a school, one time being for the intention of Marilyn Blum, who is principal of Bishop Heelan Catholic High School and is presently battling cancer. They have also participated in Eucharistic adoration.

Ferrie said she liked the idea of offering various forms of prayer "because students come from different backgrounds and families and each may have a different way that they pray at home."

According to Jeff Lynch, principal at Sacred Heart School in Boone, students at his school also have variety in prayer experiences in addition to Mass. Many experiences tie into services centered on particular liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church.

"For Advent, we have our Advent candle lighting and the kids sing and we have our daily reading," he said. "We start every school day off with a reading in the morning."

The rosary is also part of the prayer experience. Lynch noted that during Advent, Lent and Catholic Schools Week - using a huge rosary - they pray the rosary as a school. Generally, different classes will take a decade.

"During Catholic Schools Week to tie in with the theme of Light the Way, we are going to do the Luminous Mysteries," said Lynch. "We are also going to start the week off with a candlelight service to tie in with the theme of light."

Individual prayer is also encouraged. He said he liked variety in prayer because individual prayer means something different to everyone and "they have to experience it in different forms to find out which form is best for them. The more we introduce them to different forms of prayer, the more comfortable they will be with their prayer life themselves."

Paula Templemeyer, a member of the faculty at St. Edmond Catholic School in Fort Dodge, pointed out that along with weekly Mass, students have a reconciliation service twice a year.

There is Eucharistic adoration in the school chapel on the first Friday of every month and every Friday during Lent, she noted. Students in elementary, middle school and high school participate in adoration.

Templemeyer, who is the respect life moderator, said, "Our Respect for Life group holds a short prayer every Monday at noon in the chapel. We do the Litany of the Blessed Mother or the Divine Mercy Chaplet. This prayer time is optional for any high school student who wishes to attend." In May, the group leads an all-school living rosary.

The grade school students pray the rosary on a monthly basis and some teachers have opted to take their students to the chapel once a week to pray the rosary.

Like many other schools, other forms of prayer coincide with the liturgical season. For instance, the grade school prays the Stations of the Cross weekly during Lent.

"During Advent, the elementary did a daily Advent prayer service," she noted.

Prayer is incorporated throughout the day at St. Edmond's. For instance, prayer starts off each class in the middle and senior high school.

Sister Louise Scieszinski, principal at St. Mary School in Humboldt, said prayer in various forms is an essential component of the St. Mary Catholic School program in order that "children learn and develop personal habits of liturgical, communal and individual prayer. The sacraments are a core part of the children's experiences."

She mentioned that all students participate in weekly liturgy and classes take turns planning the liturgy. Student preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist includes parent meetings and family participation in learning stations.

An example of a public prayer form is the Children's Daily Prayer in the classrooms.

"Formal and informal prayer experiences are age-appropriate at each grade level," said Sister Louise. "These include learning and using traditional prayers at various times during the school day as well as using Bible stories and Scripture throughout religion classes and religion activities for all grades."

Students participate each week in adoration each week during the weekly parish exposition at St. Mary's Church.

Like most of the schools, students are involved in prayer services for Advent, Lent and other special times of the year such as Catholic Schools Week.

"Children learn the rosary and pray it in part or entirety at various times," she noted. "Students will make rosaries during Catholic Schools Week to send to soldiers on current active duty."

Students learn that reflection on Scripture and Bible stories and personal prayer are a part of their everyday life. Sister Louise added that spontaneous prayer is shared in classrooms. Intercessory prayer is prayed in classroom as a way of asking God's blessings on others and includes school prayer intentions for each week in the book in the front school hallway.

"Learning and participating in a variety of liturgical, communal and personal prayer experiences enables students to develop individual habits of meaningful personal prayer," she explained.