SPRED

CiCi is so excited to be back in her SPRED class today!!

Every night I pray with the kids for good health for our family and friends. I add a prayer for God to continue to give us the strength and religious guidance to raise CiCi and Ronin.  For years,  I prayed for us to find a way to include CiCi into the church.  I wanted my kids to have religious education incorporated into their lives somehow, so we tried to go to church every Sunday to make sure our family was exposed to the religious tradition and rituals that we grew up with.  I wasn’t sure if anything like this existed for kids with special needs.

In the Fall of 2014, my prayers were answered when I discovered Special Religious Education (SPRED).  I wish I had known about this amazing program earlier since it starts at age 6. It is available through the Chicago Archdiocese that assists people of all ages with developmental disabilities to become integrated into the churches of worship through religious education. It was important for us that CiCi receive the Holy Spirit and with SPRED, sacramental initiation takes place according to the personal rhythm of each individual.  Just like in school, there are  different methods  of intellectual functioning and therefore different modes of learning Christ’s teachings.

CiCi was not able to start SPRED until Fall 2015 because the waiting list was long…but we were so happy to finally  be part of SPRED at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview.  The group of catechists there are truly amazing and have become part of our family.  Each week is a different theme that is incorporated and is taught to the children based on their ability. Typical sessions begin with a  “preparation” time  when CiCi, her  friends and the other catechists  engage in contemplative activities intended to calm their minds and bodies. This is usually quiet activity time in which they  concentrate on their work and speak in soft voices.   They usually  work with art materials, paper, sand, musical instruments, and other materials.  Each person works individually, although often catechists and their friends work side-by-side.

After preparation time, each person is welcomed into the  celebration circle.  They begin by discussing the session’s symbol and parent will  bring personal or family stories, photos, or other objects that relate to our child’s life experiences to the session’s symbol.  After  personal stories are shared around the circle, a short passage from the Bible is read and then each person in the group receives a spiritual message for the session.  They  hold each person’s hands and look  into their eyes and feel the Holy Spirit in our presence.  CiCi’s favorite part is when they listen to a song and then together do gestures that capture the emotion and feeling of the music and lyrics.

The final part of the session is called “agape.” The catechists brings food to share with the kids and they sit around a table to eat and talk.  At the end of the session, someone plays a guitar and leads them in a chorus of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” mentioning each person by name.

Through SPRED, CiCi was able to receive her First Reconciliation blessing in April  2016. It was a special time spent with CiCi and her SPRED family has we prepared for her First Holy Communion in May 2016.  We sat in a circle filled with her SPRED friends as we all prayed over CiCi and sent our love and blessings to her.

On her First Communion Day, I was so nervous…but happy nervous.  The kind of nervous brides have on their wedding day. But everything about CiCi’s communion day was perfect.  The church was filled with OLPH parishioners, CiCi’s godparents, our family, and our closest friends.  She was the only one receiving her First Communion that day and she was the center of attention.  We were accepted with open arms from the OLPH community and CiCi accepted the Body of Christ up on the alter surrounded by her family.  It was a beautiful day blessed by God that we will cherish forever! This was truly a miraculous day!