Introducing Catholic Foundation Stones

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by humans yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:4-5) For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11) You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the keystone. (Ephesians 2:20)

In your experience what are some of the challenges in seeking to hand on Catholic faith in our schools today?

“There has never been a time in the history of the Church when it has not been important to hand on the basic truths of the Catholic faith. It can often seem, however, that in our day the need for foundational formation in Catholic belief is more pressing than ever. Many Catholics have been blessed to have received a thorough grounding in Catholic teaching, but that is not the case for everyone in the Church. There are also a variety of people who, while not Catholic, would like to know what it is that stands at the heart of Catholicism. For some, an interest in the Catholic faith will be important because of family relationships or connections through work, especially if they work in a Catholic school. For others, there may be a level of personal interest or spiritual soul- searching which prompts the desire to know more about what Catholics believe.” Bishop Arthur Roche in his foreword to Catholic Foundation Stones

How did Catholic Foundation Stones come about? Request by headteachers in the Diocese of Leeds who recognised the need for a resource to form staff in the Catholic Faith Having surveyed many of the very good existing resources, none seemed to do what was needed Working through a text produced by Fr John Wilson and Fr Andrew Allman, the headteachers’ working party endorsed Catholic Foundation Stones as something that would meet the needs they had identified Catholic Foundation Stones was trialled in a number of schools and then offered to all schools in the Diocese of Leeds Following positive feedback, it was published by St Paul’s Publications.

What is Catholic Foundation Stones? Catholic Foundation Stones is a very basic introduction to the Catholic faith. It is simple and straightforward and can be used with all kinds of different groups and individuals. For example: People who are interested in learning something about the Catholic faith People who are interested in becoming Catholics Catholics who wish to deepen their knowledge of the faith Catholics who are returning to the practice of their faith Staff in Catholic schools, both Catholic and non-Catholic, who would benefit from learning more about the faith that underpins where they work (this was a key reason why the resource was originally written)

Catholic Foundation Stones may also be useful, in whole or in part, in many other aspects of parish and school catechesis and faith formation. For example preparation of parents who present a child for baptism parents of children receiving First Holy Communion training readers, special ministers of the Eucharist, and those who lead Children’s Liturgy of the Word It could also serve as preliminary catechist training and offer an introductory grounding for those considering further faith formation.

Catholic Foundation Stones is structured around the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: the FAITH WE PROFESS (the Creed – the proclamation of what we believe); the FAITH WE CELEBRATE (the Sacraments); the FAITH WE LIVE (the 10 Commandments and the moral life); the FAITH WE PRAY (prayer and the spiritual life).

There are many resources available to help people understand more about the Catholic faith. We identified the need for a springboard to introduce people to the basics of Catholicism, some simple and accessible foundation stones. Catholic Foundation Stones is therefore just a small beginning, a snapshot. There is much more to discover and to take further. It is important, especially at the beginning of the course, to see each of the sessions in the context of the course as a whole and to see the whole course as part of something bigger. Not every aspect and detail of the Catholic faith will be covered in Catholic Foundation Stones. What is offered here is merely an appetiser from an immense and luxurious banquet!

What have people said about Catholic Foundation Stones? “I highly recommend this resource for use in Catholic parishes and schools. For anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, Catholic Foundation Stones is a very accessible and inviting place to begin.” (Bishop Roche, Bishop of Leeds) “Just a short mail to say how brilliant the 'Catholic Foundation Stones' document is. As a staff we have worked through the units during the last year and will complete them next week.” (A headteacher) "‘Catholic Foundation Stones’ is an excellent way to explore the basics of our faith. It's a great resource and I know I will be referring back to it.” (A catechist) “We have been using Catholic Foundation Stones as the basis of our programme this year and have found it to have been the best programme we have ever used. I speak as one who has been doing RCIA for over 20 years now and in that time have tried everything that’s going.” (A Deacon)

How to Use this Course Organising the Programme The 12 sessions have been designed so they can be offered once a week for 12 weeks or spaced at greater intervals as suits particular circumstances. In a school setting, the course may be offered over one academic year, two separate sessions per half-term. Each session is intended to last for a maximum of 1 to 1 ½ hours. It is recommended that the course be supplemented with a visit to a local Catholic Church. The sessions are structured simply and are flexible. A group, or number of small groups, can work through them together with a co-ordinator guiding the session. Access to a copies of Sacred Scripture is needed and also the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Page 10 - An index of the different Old and New Testament books of the Bible is normally given at the front. This will help in locating the passages. Biblical texts are normally referenced according to the name of the book of the Bible, the chapter number (which is not the same as the page number) and the number for the verse or verses. So, John 3:16 refers to the Gospel of St John, chapter 3, verse 16. Page 10 - The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is arranged in a question and answer format. References are normally given by numbers which refer to a particular question or questions. These are not the same as the page numbers and there will usually be more than one question on a page. The paragraph numbers down the side of the pages in the Compendium enable cross reference with the full Catechism of the Catholic Church. References to the Compendium are given at the end of each session to help with follow up.

Individual Sessions The co-ordinator will need to have read through the relevant pages for each session and the relevant parts of the Bible, the Compendium and the other follow up resources. The co-ordinator will have prepared the room in advance with refreshments offered at the beginning or end of the session. The co-ordinator begins by welcoming everyone, introducing the session and invites everyone to pray the Opening Prayer. It is important to emphasise that this is an opportunity to learn about the beliefs of the Catholic Church. It is not a debate or an exercise in coercion. The purpose is to read and hear, reflect and share.

The co-ordinator will invite people to read and think about their answers to the initial questions. There is space for any notes to be recorded. These can be shared either in small groups or with the group as a whole. It is important that the opportunities for sharing and discussion at the beginning and during each session are kept within reasonable time limits so as not to compromise the time needed for the communication of the content contained in the Read & Reflect sections. The Read & Reflect parts can be read aloud, by the co- ordinator or participants, either in the large group or in small groups. The sharing can be with the large group or in small groups and then opened up to everyone. Again, there is space to record any notes.

Each session concludes with Praying Together with the Saints. This is a prayer-time using a prayer written by someone in the history of the Church who has been beatified (declared ‘blessed’ and on the way towards sainthood) or canonised (formally declared a ‘saint’). Then there follows the Our Father and Closing Prayer. The co-ordinator will then point out the Follow Up possibilities for each session – using the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Questions Questions may be raised during the sessions which no one in the group is able to answer. These should be noted and followed up, perhaps by the co-ordinator or the individual concerned. The Compendium and the full Catechism of the Catholic Church will help with this. Alternatively, it might be possible during the course to invite a knowledgeable guest to come and take part in a question and answer session, having forwarded to him or her a copy of the questions which have been raised. Participants should be reassured that there is no such thing as a stupid question.