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February 16, 2024By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
“This is bread,” the catechist told the child with special needs preparing for first Communion. “Do you know what it will become after the priest blesses it?”
In response, the non-verbal girl pointed to Jesus on the crucifix, that catechist, Linda Brink, recalled.
Ms. Brink was recounting an experience she had working with the Special Religious Development program (SPRED), which she is now coordinating on the diocesan level.
SPRED is for “intellectually challenged” young people and adults, such as those with Down syndrome or autism, she said. There are currently three, aged 7 to 16, in the diocese’s only SPRED program, hosted by her parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Webster.
The SPRED process was brought to the Chicago Archdiocese in the 1960s by priests from France and Canada, according to the website spred-chicago.org. It says SPRED is now in several countries and U.S. dioceses.
Carolyn Oberhelman, Ms. Brink’s predecessor, who got SPRED going in the Worcester Diocese more than a decade ago, “retired” from this voluntary ministry, said Elizabeth A. Marcil, director of the diocesan Office of Religious Education.
Mrs. Oberhelman said her daughter, who was in the program, was her inspiration for starting it here. She retired “when COVID came and we stopped having meetings,” and now is aging, she said, adding, “I’m so happy that Linda is taking it on.”
Participants’ growing up affected the program, Ms. Brink said.
“As those kids got older and became adults ... they kind of outgrew it,” although they may stay in it indefinitely, she said.
“If you build it, people will come,” she reasoned, paraphrasing a line from the movie Field of Dreams. “That’s what we’re hoping.”
So, she said, she contacted the places which formerly hosted one or more diocesan SPRED programs for youth or adults, to see about restarting programs there: St. Andrew the Apostle Mission in Worcester, St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Westborough and St. Joseph Parish in Fitchburg.
“When I got involved, there [were no SPRED programs] in Southern Worcester County,” Ms. Brink said. She said she started the one at Sacred Heart around 2014, while she was still coordinating the regular religious education program at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Dudley.
Over the years in the Worcester Diocese, there have been at least eight SPRED groups for youth or adults, hosted by four parishes. Mrs. Oberhelman said she thought there were 30 or more special needs people involved at one point. Some of these participants in the SPRED program received the sacraments of confirmation and first Communion.
If parishes agree to host SPRED for their region, Ms. Brink can oversee the process, train catechists and provide on-site support.
“The SPRED ministry is an outgrowth of our understanding of the dignity inherent in every human being,” said Father Adam Reid, pastor of Sacred Heart in Webster. “And it’s an outgrowth of the mandate of Christ to teach all nations. We believe that all deserve to hear the Gospel of Christ, even those with special limitations. ... I thought it was a great ministry to bring to Sacred Heart.”
A parish can host SPRED for a region, at no cost except for utilities, Ms. Brink said. Donations from interested people have helped with other costs.
Committed volunteers are needed to assist with each program, including a leader catechist, who oversees it, and an activity catechist, responsible for things such as supplies, Ms. Brink said. Each of the intellectually challenged students, called “friends,” needs a helper catechist - a family member or parishioner – for one-on-one work.
At Sacred Heart, these catechists meet monthly to prepare for the upcoming lesson, she said. The whole group also meets monthly, to use one of the 12 lessons from the SPRED base in Chicago.
Everyone participates in each step, catechists too, to show that “the Roman Catholic Church is their community,” she said.
When participants come to class, they are greeted, with quiet music playing in the background. Each person chooses a tray of manipulatives, such as a puzzle, a picture to color or items for setting a table.
“That’s just to quiet them down,” Ms. Brink explained. “We’re all supposed to be using a tray,” or multiple ones, during the 20 to 30 minutes allotted for this activity.
Then all sit in a circle and tell about something they have done recently.
“It’s an intermediate state to what we’re going to do next,” Ms. Brink said.
Next, the leader catechist invites each person, by name, to go into the worship area.
“We have a low table on a rug,” chairs, a crucifix, a Bible, and a lit candle, Ms. Brink said. “Everything is natural; we have ... real flowers.” The leader catechist reads a simplified Bible verse slowly three times.
“We pass around a real bird’s nest that they can touch, and feel how warm it is,” or something else that conveys the day’s theme, Ms. Brink said. “The emphasis is on the physical.”
The leader catechist holds each participant’s hands, looks in their eyes and, saying their names, imparts a message from the day’s theme: “Jesus wants to say to you today...”
A religious song that can be accompanied by dancing and hand motions concludes the worship time.
Next comes agape, a “meal” of snacks each family brings, where all participants talk together.
“This is our communion,” Ms. Brink said. “It’s not Jesus’ body and blood; some of them haven’t received first Communion yet. This is our community meal.”
Everyone helps set the table with cloth napkins, china plates, and glass drinking glasses.
Sometimes Father Reid stops in.
“He really feels for these people,” Ms. Brink said. “He talks to them. He shakes their hand. They look forward” to his visits.
Participants are also to go to Mass, Father Reid welcomes them there, and tells the congregation about SPRED, Ms. Brink said.
She said Sacred Heart’s SPRED provides regular religious education and prepares participants to receive sacraments at their own parishes.
“We will help ... on a faith level, not an intellectual level,” she said. “They develop faith the way we should – because it’s in their heart.”
– Those wanting to learn more about SPRED can contact Linda Brink at lbrink2019@gmail.com.
