By Sallie Bachar
Catholic Herald correspondent
Teens, adults have 'Bible encounter'
MERRILL -- Douglas Leonard has always had a passion for the Bible. "I am a big Bible reader," he said. "Bible teaching is a real thrill for me." Leonard, a volunteer catechist in the high school religious education program at St. Francis Xavier in Merrill, really wanted to share his passion for the Bible with adults but was committed to teaching the high school students.
On the other hand, Sr. Kathleen Walli, OP, who is the director of religious education for the high school program, wanted to give her ninth graders a whole year of Bible study from both the Old and New Testaments. The logical result was "Bible Encounter," a 14-week course developed by Leonard for teens and adults. Approximately 55 students and ten adults take part in the weekly sessions, which are divided into four groups. Leonard teaches two classes while Nancy Arndorfer and Pete McConnell, parishioners from St. Francis, teach the other two classes.
The study uses the Catholic Youth Bible, New Revised Standard Version and gives a sampling of God's Word in several genres -- myth, poetry, prophesy, Gospel and apocalypse. The books of Genesis, Psalms and Isaiah are singled out in the Old Testament and focus on the themes of creation, sin and covenant. Then several weeks are devoted to the Gospel of John, which is read and discussed in its entirety. Leonard's goal is for the students to experience the satisfaction of reading an entire book of the Bible and understand it as a whole. "There is great joy in reading whole books at one time, and we (Catholics) are not used to that," he said. A DVD dramatizing the text of John is also used to add richness to the message.
The course concludes with several chapters from the book of Revelation. Leonard's objective is to give the students a taste of apocalyptic writing and find the connection between the beginning in Genesis and the end of time. His choice of Scripture provides a complete view of salvation history and gives closure to it with the book of Revelation.
The syllabus developed by Leonard outlines the teaching objective for each particular passage being studied and then proposes several questions for discussion. The students are allowed their responses first before the meaning of the passage is explained. This inductive type of course, said Leonard, allows the students to first discover ideas on their own. A few minutes at the end of each class are dedicated to journaling. The students are asked to integrate the material covered into today's world and see how it specifically applies to their own lives.
Leonard has a doctorate in American Literature from the University of Wisconsin and is also director of communication and development for the Holy Cross Sisters of Merrill. He has taught at the college level for ten years and has been a catechist for six years.
He said he developed his own curriculum because "I did not want to take something canned." He added, "Catholics don't feel comfortable with the Bible. We get Scripture every week but have no confidence. I want people to know the riches of Scripture."
Walli, who has been at St. Francis for four years, is very pleased with the innovative program. After teaching for 28 years in Catholic schools and being a DRE for 14 years, she said, "It's fun to try something new. It enlivens me."
Some of the adult students were a little hesitant in the beginning to be in the same class with ninth graders. "At first I felt awkward," said one woman. "I didn't want to appear stupid, but we are part of the class and the kids want to hear what we have to say too."
Walli noted that there are no disciplinary problems with the students, and added, "The kids see value in the class because the adults are attending also."
Leonard said, "Sometimes the adults are more engaged than the teens, but it is working very well. It takes the kids a little longer to grasp concepts, but my feeling is they are getting something out of it."
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2005