Dear Parishioners and Families,

March 30th was Laetare Sunday, marking the halfway point of Lent. Depending on when you're reading this, we are either still in Lent, or celebrating the Joy of Easter. This newsletter is divided into two parts: Lent and Easter, to help you prepare for both seasons.

Lenten Observances (April 1st - Holy Saturday, April 19th)

Family Lenten Activities:

• As we approach Holy Week, consider engaging in family activities such as praying the Stations of the Cross, reading scripture together, or performing acts of service.

Lenten Events:

• Lenten Family Night: Join us for an evening of prayer, community, and meaningful experiences on Wednesday, April 16th at 6:00 PM. We will begin with a short reflection video, followed by the symbolic washing of the feet, and conclude with a reenactment of the Last Supper.

Easter Joy (April 20th - 30th)

Happy Easter! He Has Risen!

• Please return your Rice Bowl to Mass for the second collection on April 20th.

Child Abuse Prevention Month (April)

• April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Archdiocese pastoral ministry emphasizes:

• Awareness of child abuse in our communities.

• Education on identifying and reporting warning signs.

• Communicate with children about grooming and uncomfortable situations.

• We pray for the protection and care of all vulnerable children, their caregivers, and those affected by abuse.

Safe Environment Training in Faith Formation: During the week of April 6th-10th, each Faith Formation classroom will participate in a short video on abuse prevention and discuss safe environment and

boundary topics with the students. This program is mandated by the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

April Faith Formation Dates :

• April 1st 6pm: Elementary Reconciliation Tuesday Classes and Enrichment (adapted OCIA)

• April 3rd 6pm: Elementary Reconciliation Sunday and Monday Classes

• April 6th-10th: Archdiocese Boundaries Lessons (Safe Environment Training)

• April 15th-21st: No Classes (Holy Week Break)

• April 26th at 10:00 AM: Elementary First Communion

• April 27th:-May 1st Last Week of Classes

Once again, thank you for your continued support of our programs.

As always, continue to pray for us as we continue to pray for you!

God Bless,

Mrs. Driskill

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Enjoy all the Catholic content in English or Spanish!

Below are a few suggestions from Faith Formation-

Lent with Brother Francis

https://watch.formed.org/lent-with-brother-francis

Brother Francis: The Stations of the Cross

https://watch.formed.org/videos/brother-francis-the-stations-of-the-cross

The Catholic Parent

https://watch.formed.org/the-catholic-parent

Happy April!

It has been an incredible month for Elementary Faith Formation. On April 1st (no fooling!), the first half of our First Communicants took part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It was incredible to see their faces radiant with joy as they left the confessionals as new creations in Christ. If you are interested in receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, SEAS offers Confessions every Wednesday evening at 6:30pm and Thursday mornings at 8:30am.

It is a joy to peek into the classrooms to see all the different ways the children are learning about their faith. Our incredible Catechists have a talent for turning their lessons into life skills! Some are helping kiddos to fill out “Coupons of Love” for a family member, others are holding class discussions, or even making cutout lost lambs for their students to find and bring back “home”. One week, a second-grade class made and paraded a pretend temple around the FFYC! A HUGE thank you to our wonderful Catechists for bringing the love, light, and joy of our faith to the elementary children.

For the remainer of April, the children will continue to learn about Lent and the many ways this season helps us get closer to God and our faith. Keep an eye out for our Palm Sunday parade at the 10:00am Children’s Mass on April 3rd. We will also have a Lenten Family night on Wednesday, April 16th, from 6:00pm-7:30pm in the FFYC.

Thank you for your faith, families! It is my prayer that we are always gaining a deeper knowledge and love of our faith, most especially during this holy season of Lent. May all we do be for the Glory of God and the love of the children. Amen.

Grow closer to God this Lent with 40 Daily Meditations for the Family! This season invites us to prepare our hearts for Holy Week through prayerful self-reflection. We seek to identify and release what keeps us from God's loving presence. It is free on FORMED. Click the image to access it

Lent can be challenging. We invite you to watch 'How to Lent,' free on FORMED. Click the image to access it

The Archdiocese of San Antonio provides several resources and videos to parishes in an effort to help programs talk to students and parents about safety measures.

In the month of October and April, our Faith Formation programs will be going over some safe environment and boundary topics with our students. Each program coordinator will provide you with more information on specifics.

If you would like to learn more about what the Archdiocese offers or to watch videos for specific age levels, check out the following links:

Archdiocese of San Antonio Child Protection Office-

https://archsa.org/child-protection/

Teaching Boundaries and Safety Guide-

https://www.virtusonline.org/educators/Teaching-Boundaries-and-Safety-Guide-English.pdf

Empowering God's Children (Grades K-5)-

https://www.youtube.com/embed/As5weSqt9Jw

Empowering God's Children (Grades 6-8)-

https://www.youtube.com/embed/P3RoYAYkDQ4

Empowering God's Children (High School)-

https://www.youtube.com/embed/eY_oua646oc

The safety of our students, families, volunteers, and staff is a top priority for our Faith Formation Ministry. It is important to us that parents feel comfortable and confident while their children attend classes at SEAS. We take several steps to ensure we are providing a safe environment for all.

Each of our volunteers and all of the staff are required to take Safe Environment Trainings. Our Good Shepherd and Elementary students must be picked up from their classroom to guarantee that they leave with a trusted adult.

To help with safety measures, we ask that parents read the below handbook provided by the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Parent Handbook- Protecting God's Children

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sOtPCQW3Fpn3QC6es6QwddSZOWX0groB/view?usp=sharing

Please let us know if you ever have a safety concern.

Loraine Driskill

Director of Religious Education

loraine@seaschurch.com

AJ Fowler

Youth Ministry Coordinator

ajfowler@seaschurch.com

Janet Garcia

Catechesis of the Good Shephard Coordinator

janet@seaschurch.com

Mary Koonce

Elementary Coordinator

mary@seaschurch.com

Luis Ramirez

Confirmation Coordinator

luis@seaschurch.com

Faith Formation Ministry

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Email: loraine@seaschurch.com
Website: www.seaschurch.com
Location: 8500 Cross Mountain Trail, San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone: 210-698-1941