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November 12, 2021By Mary Pat Heelan
Associate Director, office of Religious Education
I’ve noticed a new custom is emerging. Everywhere I go, people are encouraging me to stay safe. A grocery store clerk said, “Have a good weekend and stay safe!” I received an email yesterday that ended with, “Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.” We are reminded that, to some extent, we can try to live “safely.” We look both ways when we cross the street. We wear our seatbelts. We try to be prudent – that old-fashioned word that the Catechism defines as, “… the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it” (CCC 1806). But how do we help our children to stay safe, to recognize un-safe situations, and to know what to do if they find themselves in an un-safe situation?
In 2002, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops signed a Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Article 12 of the Charter called for safe environment education in all Catholic schools and parish religious education programs. In 2007, the Diocese of Worcester published a curriculum which has been used throughout the diocese ever since. However, many things have changed and many of the resources used in those lesson plans are no longer available.
On June 1, 2021, Bishop McManus announced that the Diocese of Worcester would be adopting Circle of Grace, a curriculum developed by the Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska. Circle of Grace is described as “a program which includes teaching a culture of respect that goes beyond mere protection. This program helps children and young people understand their own sacredness, the sacredness of others and how to seek help in their relationships with trusted adults.” (Circle of Grade Introduction)
It is implemented through our Catholic schools and parish religious education programs. Children in grades K-12 will take part in lessons meant to engage their particular level of child development. Children will be taught about our circle of grace. The term circle of grace is “a metaphor for the love and goodness of God that surrounds us and all others. It is the recognition that God is with us always and there to help us in difficult situations.” Through a detailed lesson plan and take-home activities, Catholic educators, together with parents, will use this wholistic approach to help children identify and maintain appropriate physical, emotional spiritual and sexual boundaries.
Children will also learn concrete ways to take action if any boundary is threatened or violated. Some of the lesson plan titles for Grades K-8 are: What is the Circle of Grace, Internet Safety, Understanding the Media on our Circle of Grace, Saying “No” to Disrespect-Honoring Other’s Circle of Grace, How to be Morally Responsible in Today’s Culture.
For Grades 9-12, students will concentrate on our Circle of Virtue – our response to God’s call, including an opportunity to start discerning one’s vocation. Lesson titles include: Communion of Saints-Mary and Joseph, When the Circle is Broken, Levels of Intimacy and Influence, When Boundaries Go Wrong, Love and Theology of the Body.
In St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians he writes, “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6.
Together, with the help of the Holy Spirit, may we be guided in knowledge and wisdom to help provide the safest environment for God’s beloved children.
See Religious Education Section
