TRANSCRIPT

In my class, we say a prayer every morning and offer up our day to the Lord. Nowadays, religion hasn't lost its importance, but people view it differently. When I talk about religion in a catechism class, the main problem is that there's no follow-up in the home. Most families don't discuss Jesus and God. A few parents cooperate from time to time, but most refuse to have anything to do with the sacraments. So it's the teachers who have the responsibility for this. Third-grade teachers have to prepare their pupils for the sacraments of Penance and First Communion, and this involves an enormous amount of work. One sacrament is administered before Christmas, and the other after Christmas. Furthermore, beginning this year in the parishes and public schools, children can receive the sacraments on their own - and not as members of either a school or parish community. I question the wisdom of this because to me, preparation for the sacraments should be done in community.

Francine Quévillon
Teacher at CMI from 1982 to today