Grandparents play a vital role in Catholic education

by John Sorce
john.sorce@theleaven.org

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Many schools within the archdiocese offer a dedicated day to celebrate grandparents.

According to Vince Cascone, superintendent of archdiocesan schools, it is a day that is highly anticipated every year.

“They are some of the most exciting days over the course of the school year,” he said. “We usually have a high percentage of grandparents participate where they will go to Mass with their grandchildren and then visit their classrooms.”

But not all families live locally. One way to increase attendance on these days is to celebrate during a holiday week during which grandparents who live out of town may be visiting.

Xavier School in Leavenworth offers its grandparents day during Thanksgiving week for that very reason.

“Some kids don’t have grandparents that live locally, so it’s nice to have an intentional activity that brings them together,” said Janelle Hartegan, the school’s principal. “We know we will have some grandparents come into town during that week [for Thanksgiving]. We celebrate Mass together at Annunciation Chapel in the morning and they will stay with the kids for lunch.”

All year-round

Grandparent support of their grandchildren’s education is not just limited to one specific day, however. Many of them are involved every day — whether that be through providing transportation, volunteering in various ways or helping with tuition.

Hartegan noted that her school offers a parking lot prayer at the end of each day, and many grandparents who provide transportation will often join in.

“It’s nice to have them intentionally pray in the parking lot with our school community,” she said.

Jan and Jack Brown recently moved to the area and have a granddaughter who attends Good Shepherd School in Shawnee. Jan Brown had high praise for the school’s teachers.

“The teachers there are amazing,” she said. “They have won several awards for their academics, and they go above and beyond for each child. Not every child learns the same way, so they figure out what the best way is for that child to learn. And they help provide them with the resources they need to succeed.”

Jack Brown also feels that providing kids with a Catholic education gives them a strong foundation for how they view things in a world that is increasingly full of distractions.

“I think it makes them well-grounded, especially today where there’s so much hate,” he said. “A lot of people today tend to rely on the internet for a lot of things, and it can be hard to sort out what’s real and what’s not. I think growing up with a faith early is very helpful in staying grounded.”

He can also speak from firsthand experience as a volunteer in the Good Shepherd cafeteria on what effects a Catholic education has on the day-to-day lives of the students.

“When I go to help serve in the cafeteria, I see how well the kids get along,” he said. “They have great manners and the right principles. We saw the benefits of sending our kids to Catholic school and are now seeing the benefits of our daughter doing the same.”

Mary Cox currently has three grandkids that go to Xavier, and three more that have graduated and are currently in college. She is a convert to the Catholic Church and noted the people at the school have provided a family-like environment.

“The Catholic Church has a lot of beautiful traditions and firm teachings on things that don’t always go with society,” Cox said. “Also, the parents at the school are very friendly and they make it feel like a big family.”

Helping hands

In a time where many households have two working parents, the importance of grandparents being involved daily has increased. Cox provides her grandkids with transportation, and that helps when their parents are not home.

“The more you can help, the better in this day in age,” Cox said. “It helps provide stability for the parents. I’m the one who picks up everyone from school almost every day, and you get to become more involved in their lives as you do things like that.”

One reason why grandparents have a desire to pass their faith down to their grandchildren is they know how much it has helped in their own lives.

“They know from experience how their own faith has helped them, and they have that same desire for their grandchild,” Hartegan said. “There is something greater that connects all of us, and that’s a pillar of what we do at our school. Grandparents have that wisdom, and they know there is nothing that can replace that centered component in our life.”

As Christians, we are all called to make disciples. That is true within our own families, and Cascone feels that introducing kids to Christ at a young age is at the top of the list.

“The most important thing you can do is introduce them to Jesus, help them have a relationship with Our Lord and help them to be in heaven with him one day,” he said.

Passing on the faith

“It’s one thing to know about Jesus, but it’s another thing to know Jesus,” Cascone continued. “Our schools are not meant to just teach about him, but to help bring our young people to a relationship with God.”

Building that relationship is critical, and Hartegan feels it is important to include as many people as possible to strengthen that connection.

“Strengthening the family across the board is critical, and it takes all of us,” she said. “The bigger we can make our community — including grandparents and extended family — the stronger our community and families will become.”

Cascone agrees and said that seeing his grandchildren receiving the Eucharist is a beautiful thing.

“When you have something that you love so much, you want those who are most important to you to experience it as well,” Cascone said. “To see your grandchildren receiving the Eucharist and believing that truly is the body of Christ is a beautiful thing that any grandparent would want for their grandchild.”

Grandparents contribute to children’s faith development

Grandparents can play a significant role in supporting their grandchildren’s Catholic school education. Here are just a few ways.

1. Spiritual support

• Pray together: Encourage your grandkids to grow in the faith by praying with and for them. Attend Mass with them, ask them to join you in saying a rosary or touring a different church, and be sure to make time for the school Masses in which they are given a special role.

• Share faith stories: Tell personal stories of faith from your own life, talking about times when you’ve had to rely on God for strength. Be a model to them of how important it is to have a relationship with God.

2. Educational support

• Reinforce Catholic teaching: Discuss openly with your grandchildren various Catholic teachings and how they apply to everyday life through discussions, storytelling or activities.

• Support learning activities: Are you one of your grandchildren’s day-to-day caregivers? Then offer to help with homework, catechism studies or especially projects that connect faith and their classroom work.

3. Community and financial support

• Attend school events: Don’t limit your participation in school functions to things like grandparents’ day. Join your grandchild for school Masses, Lenten devotions and special events like May crownings to demonstrate involvement in his or her faith journey.

• Financial assistance: Most parents of young children can use help with the cost of school uniforms, supplies or tuition. But most school budgets depend on at least a couple successful fundraisers, and those run on volunteers. Find a way to help out — preferably alongside your grandchild.

• Volunteer together: Finally, take advantage of opportunities to engage with your grandchildren in parish or school community service projects. As he or she ages, the volunteer projects can even be driven by his or her developing interests.

By being spiritually present, involved and supportive of their faith and learning journey, grandparents can have a profound influence on their grandchildren’s growth as Catholics.