By Julie A. Miller
Catholic Herald

Religious educators gather for Fall Institute

RICE LAKE -- Catechists, teachers and parents gathered for the Fall Institute on Oct. 10 and St. Joseph School and Church. This year's theme was "Open Wide the Doors to Christ: Spirituality Building Community."

The institute opened with a welcome from Bishop Raphael M. Fliss before he celebrated Mass with priests of the diocese.

Fr. James Jackson, pastor of the Park Falls-Butternut-Fifield cluster of parishes, gave the homily. Reflecting on the reading from the Book of Jonah, Jackson wondered if Catholic school teachers, like Jonah, ever feel left out. "Sometimes it feels like God is good to everybody but (Jonah) and maybe you feel that way also."

Jackson said he often tells parishioners, that if Catholic school teachers make just 60 percent of what a public school teacher makes, they are giving 40 percent to their parishes. "Who else does that in the parish?" he asked.

Jackson said his goal is to pay teachers in the Catholic schools more than their public school counterparts. In looking for a way to do that, he came up with "Project Youth," a program aimed at helping Catholic schools. He said he has asked the Knights of Columbus to sell wreaths to raise money to help out Catholic school teachers.

"I hope we can do more in the future for our teachers and for our schools, and I hope we can do more to recognize more often the great things that each of you do," Jackson said.

Following the Mass several outstanding catechists and teachers were presented with awards for their contributions to education in the diocese.

The keynote speaker for the institute was Fr. Val J. Peter, JCD, STD, executive director of Girls and Boys Town in Nebraska.

He was introduced by Sr. Genevieve Schillo, director of the diocesan department of Christian formation. She spoke of his work administering the enormous interlocking set of institutions that make up Girls and Boys Town. She added, "But what was most impressive about Fr. Val is that he takes time to carry out his field of counseling and assistance to youth in a direct manner. He actually sees girls and boys who are part of these enormous undertakings."

Peter's topic was "How Loneliness Works and How it is Countered." His talk was punctuated with poignant stories about some of "his kids."

Peter said "I wanna tell you if we're to talk to kids today in the year 2001, especially after Sept. 11, we're going to have to address these three strange issues you don't hear much about." He pointed to three issues he had written on a chalk board: 1) Loneliness, 2) The empty self, 3) All I have is the present.

People want the best for their children, but something has happened to America's children, and its nobody's fault. Peter said when he was a child he slept in a bed full of kids. "We talked abut all of our feelings and hopes and dreams and wishes. ... If you are all by your self, you have nobody to talk to."

Children today, with their own rooms, miss out on that and it leads to loneliness. Even worse, he said, children don't develop the ability to share their feelings.

Children's rooms have phones, televisions and computers and each family member spends the evening in a separate room. Peter said that, too, leads to loneliness and less physical togetherness in the family. Children grow up deficient in important skills. They have no conversation skills and are not skilled in building relationships.

Brothers and sisters live in the same house and do not relate to each other and parents do not know how to relate to their children. Some children have so few relationships that if he spends five minutes with them he is the best friend they have, Peter said.

Since the terrorist attacks children are not only lonely, they are terrified. Peter said he turned the television sets off on Sept. 11, because the children he works with don't need any more terror.

The key to fighting the loneliness of children is to teach them relationship skills. Peter said it is not hard, but it takes a lot of time. "You know how to be a friend. Teach that to them."

For his second issue, the empty self, Peter described children clad in all the latest "in" clothes that become their identities. When those clothes go out of style the children lose those identities, he said.

This empty self is evident in the way children view themselves. They see no purpose in their lives. Peter said he uses the genealogy of Jesus that starts Matthew's Gospel. "So and so begat so and so. Do you know why I like to use something like that? Because most of those people listed in there are bums." Peter said he uses that to show children "there can be a little sprout off the dim sprout of Jesse and that can be you."

Girls are interested in three things, Peter said, shopping, grooming and boys. Peter said, "What is that? That is an advertiser's dream." They are not interested in their parents, school, church or siblings. Boys, Peter said, are interested in sports, grooming and girls.

Boy-girl relationships between these empty selves are dominated by the male. "The girl learns very early on do things you don't know about or you would be scandalized if you heard." Sex is the only way they can feel something. Peter said, "If you don't have any relationships, there is no difference between love and sex."

Peter said lonely children have no future and an empty self has no past. They have no dreams, no plans or ambitions. He said that leads to his third issue: "All I have is the present."

Peter said, "One of the blessings that has come from Sept. 11 is we have to prepare our children for a terrible war. ... They'll have to defend this country. How, I'm not sure. This could go on for five, 10, 15 years. You would be amazed at how they respond to that."

He said children need to go to their social studies teachers and tell them they need to know something about American history. They should say, "Tell me something good. I want to learn about some role models. Because I'm going to have to be one. I have a future. ... When the torch is passed to me, I can be ready."

Educators honored for service to diocese

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