Small numbers, ‘big faith’ characterize St. James Major’s Parish School of Religion

Above: Jacinta Hawkins, the parish catechetical leader at St. James Major Church in New Orleans, lights the first two candles of the Advent wreath during her Dec. 4 Parish School of Religion class. (Photos by Beth Donze)

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

St. James Major catechists Jacinta Hawkins and Janine Ferrier figure that if Jesus started with just 12 apostles, there’s no telling how the seven young Catholics currently enrolled in their church’s Parish School of Religion (PSR) will help build God’s kingdom over the course of their lives.

The seven children – six girls and one boy – are divided into two classes that meet for an hour every Sunday before St. James Major’s 10 a.m. Mass:

Five children in grades 1-3, grouped in anticipation of their first Communion, are guided by Ferrier in the church’s vestibule.

The remaining two PSR students – a third grader and a fourth grader – meet with Hawkins in a room adjoining St. James Major’s serene chapel.

“My two students who made their confirmation last year were also students I taught when they made their Communion – I have Communion pictures of them!” said Hawkins, 70, a retired Catholic school teacher and RCIA leader who has volunteered to teach religious education at St. James Major, on and off, since joining the parish 30 years ago.

“It was good to see them get confirmed, because some of the ones I had as children you don’t see at church anymore, or some of the parents aren’t (assisting them) in continuing their faith,” Hawkins said.

On Dec. 4 – the second Sunday of Advent – the youngsters took out their purple crayons and markers to do some catch-up work at their first class since the Thanksgiving break. After their teachers lit the first two candles of the Advent wreath and read a related passage from Scripture, the children filled in the two candles and reflected on what their symbolism (“Hope” and “Peace,” respectively) meant in their personal lives.

“I hope my friends have a good Christmas,” said fourth grader Donovan Ferrier, sharing what his prayer of “hope” was.

Donovan’s classmate, Marie Philips, said her “hope” was that her beloved charter school would stay open – so she would have “a better chance” of attending the high school of choice in a few years.

“On top of that, I have a play that I have to perform on Dec. 9, and I just can’t tolerate the stress (of the school possibly closing),” Marie articulated.

In the other PSR class taking place simultaneously in the vestibule, teacher Janine Ferrier described Advent as “a time of prayerful preparation.” Third grader Journey Marsh spoke of the enjoyment she gets out of doing crafts connected with each lesson, which that day included coloring in the “Advent” portion of a liturgical calendar in celebration of the new church year.

“I like saying (the) ‘Hail Mary’ because we got to draw the beads on the holy rosary,” Journey recalled of a previous PSR craft. “We were allowed to color Mary!”

Parental engagement

Ferrier said she began volunteering as a PSR teacher when her youngest child (9-year-old Donovan) aged into the program a few years ago. She also helped out in the classroom when her two older children – now ages 18 and 21 – were enrolled and served as parish altar servers and eucharistic ministers in high school.

“It’s important to me to set a good example for my children. I want them to know that it’s important for them to find their way,” Ferrier said.

“I love seeing those ‘aha moments,’ when something clicks in class,” she added. “One time, my students complained to me, ‘We’re praying again?’ I told them, ‘We can never pray too much!’  Then, during the sermon, the priest said the same thing!”

Ferrier was feeling particularly proud of her son, Donovan, on Dec. 4. The youngster left class a few minutes early to “shadow” St. James Major’s pastor, Father Michael Labre, for his first day of training as a future altar server.

When Donovan was asked what he was looking forward to most in that role, his response came instantly: “Ringing the bells!”

St. James Major Church is located at 3736 Gentilly Blvd. in New Orleans. For more information on the Parish School of Religion, call the parish office at (504) 304-6750.

On Dec. 22 and 23 at 5 and 6 p.m. each day, St. James Major’s PSR students will present a Living Nativity in the gym in conjunction with a weeklong display of more than 75 Nativity sets. Opening hours will be Dec. 19-26 from 4-9 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.