Happy New Year! Church Reform and Renewal in the New Year of 2019-Please God!!

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year.....May all your hopes and dreams come true!!

This week I had lunch with my cousins.  One of them graduated from Kellenberg HS on Long Island and is now in college doing very well. I am his godmother and also his Confirmation sponsor, so naturally I am interested in his spiritual growth. When he's home from college he attends St. Mary of the Isle in Long Beach, with his family.  From what I hear,  everyone at that parish loves the pastor, Fr. Brian Barr. As he's been described to me by another priest in the diocese of Rockville Centre, "He's a cool priest!" My cousins would agree. They especially like the Mass on the beach in the summertime.....(Fr. Brian has special permission for that.)
Another one of my cousins who was at the lunch, is presently enrolled in Kellenberg Memorial High School, which is run by the Marianist Brothers He is a sophomore. I was his Confirmation sponsor so I am interested in his spiritual growth as well. It's well known on Long Island that the Marianists run two great schools on Long Island-Kellenberg High School in Uniondale and Chaminade High School in Mineola. (Many priestly vocations are nurtured in those schools, so they are doing something right!)
At the lunch I discussed what my cousin was studying in religion this year at Kellenberg. The answer was "Church history"......"the entire year?" "Yes"........I have nothing against Church history but I really think the curriculum at Catholic High Schools should be re-evaluated.......We need as Bishop Barres always says, "Dramatic Missionary Growth" on Long Island. That would be great! I agree. We have the right message, there is no greater message than the Christian message of love, hope, compassion, grace, love of God and neighbor and when its lived in its fullest, it can have life changing effects, as Christians know. But how do we encourage enthusiastic discipleship and dramatic missionary growth in Catholic high school students? That's an important question that needs to be answered. I believe they need a year of study, prayer and reflection on how to be a Christian disciple, an evangelist for Christ, a great missionary who is open to the movement of the Holy Spirit.
If it was up to me, I think Catholic high school students would greatly benefit from one year of studying the Hebrew Scriptures, one year of the New Testament, ( I feel biblical studies are extremely important), one year on how to be a Spirit-filled missionary disciple and evangelist for Christ and one year of morality/Christian service.
I think that would help with the renewal, reform and dramatic missionary growth that all the bishops would like to see, as well as those of us in the pews.
Just my humble opinion!

God Bless
Nancy