Mission Office

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Mission Education Resources

The following is a working-draft list of some of the many resources that are available to you in providing Mission Education.  These include existing curriculum from a variety of organizations, helpful contact people within the Diocese, media resources, global connections, and mission/cultural-oriented field trip possibilities, as well as ideas of key times and easy ways to incorporate mission activities and lessons into your existing calendar and curriculum. Please utilize the gifts our Church has been given in mission education resources, so that you may help our parishioners and students know the gift each of them is called to be in mission.

KEY:    (F) = Formational      (I) = Involvement       (S) = Spanish Curriculum   (age) = target audience

 CURRICULUM TO UTILIZE:

Holy Childhood Association (I) (Pre-K - 8)
HCA is one of the Pontifical Mission Societies, and focuses on three principles for children: learning-about, praying-for and sharing-with other children.  HCA materials are available through “membership;” this includes prayer cards, membership cards for students, leaders’ guide (with prayer services, activity ideas, etc.) and the “It’s Our World” Newsletters (with information/bios from other countries, games/activities, prayers, etc in a fun fashion for kids at different age levels; they’re sent quarterly).  Membership “fees” (a donation of $1.25 per student) also go to help with projects and support the work of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.  Involvement in HCA can be done individually, within parish programs/classrooms, school classrooms or entire schools. 

HCA has also started a new program called, “HCA Around the World.”  This is a program designed to be part of the curriculum of schools/religious education programs, with the hope of helping young people learn more about the world around them within the context of mission and their Baptismal responsibility for that mission.  This program includes teacher’s guides, maps, globe bank, flag decals etc. to get kids excited about the world around them.  

Columbans (F) (K – adult)
The Missionary Society of St. Columban is a group of priests, sisters and lay missionaries whose special call is to cross boundaries of language, culture and faith to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. They endeavor to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, especially to the poor and the victims of injustice. They aim to help Churches mature until they are able to evangelize their own people, and they actively promote dialogue between Christians and those of other religions. In the United States, the Columbans form and strengthen missionary and global justice concerns through highly developed educational programs and materials.  Their mission education materials, which have recently been restructured, include a wide variety of videos, lesson plans and prayer experiences, each designed for a specific age group (ranging from K through adult); these programs are available on loan free of charge to catechetical leaders and educators. 

The Columbans are in process of putting otu a whole new series of Mission Education Curriculum for students, in which each grade focuses deeply on one of the Catholic Social Teaching principles. This should be available for use in September of 2007.

Maryknoll (F) (middle & high school, adults) (S)
Maryknoll magazine has a classroom program that accompanies their monthly magazine, and includes ready-to-use lesson plans, accompanying posters and teacher’s guides. 

Maryknoll also puts out multiple series of educational/spiritual posters and calendars for classroom use, including series on the Beatitudes, the Commandments, the Way of the Cross, The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, Sacraments, etc. – all of which are presented with pictures from around the world. 
They also have produced many videos that address a variety of global issues, such as AIDS, the School of the Americas, Banking and debt, food distribution, inter-faith dialogue, etc.  A more recent series of videos, “Children of the Earth,” focuses on nine different countries/regions and features children’s stories from those cultures in order to help us connect to the beauty and needs of our Global Church.   These posters and videos are also available in Spanish. 

Maryknoll is also currently working with Benziger Publishers to incorporate Mission education into more religious text book curriculum. 

Catholic Relief Services
“Operation Rice Bowl” (ORB) is a seasonal program for use during the Lenten season.  A parish guide and materials are sent to all parishes (and can be sent to schools as well).  This guide includes facts about the countries where CRS works, ideas for a financial collection during Lent to help CRS’s work (25% is kept for local food/hunger issue use in our Diocese), and other valuable information and activities (such as how to do a hunger banquet, Stations of the Cross, homily notes, etc.).  These resources are developed to increase your parish or school’s knowledge of the vast needs in our world and our Catholic responsibility to help meet them. (F) (I) (All ages) ``

“Food Fast” is another curriculum put together by CRS each year, which is designed to help teens address the needs of hunger and other relating factors throughout the world.  It is designed to be a 24-hour retreat in which participants do activities to strengthen their knowledge of global hunger-related issues, while they experience the issues in a somewhat real way through fasting for the entire retreat time.  However the activities, information and options included can be adapted to be taken individually or used in other settings and time-frames.  Food Fast can be done as a fundraiser as well as awareness-raising event; its goal is to move youth to both understanding and action. (F) (I) (jr/sr high)

“Hope & Dignity in the Developing World” is CRS’s programming for HIV/AIDS.  It includes information on different areas of the world and the effects of HIV/AIDS in these regions, including the many factors that contribute to the spread and the continued progression of the pandemic.  It also includes CRS’s response to this problem in our world.   (F)

Cyber Bridges is a pilot project that CRS has recently started.  It connects classrooms in the US with children in other nations through the use of the increasingly popular medium, especially among teens – the internet.  Students have the chance to learn about other cultures through being an on-line pen-pal, under the safe guidance of CRS and teachers.  (sr high)

“Going Global with Youth” is an online newsletter that CRS puts out monthly to provide educators with pertinent information and resources for addressing global issues with youth.  Regular topics include: Announcements, Life in the Field, Active Solidarity, Called to Action and Global Thoughts.  (F)

Center for Latin America and Caribbean Studies (F) (all ages)
The Center for Latin America and Caribean Studies (CLACS) is a National Resource center based out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  They provide multiple educational resources for teachers and community leaders, including different publications, videos and curriculum.  One example is the “Latin American Curriculum for the Middle Grades”, which is designed to help students in the middle grades explore different Latin American countries and cultures; it includes information and activities to address concepts ranging from trade, to communication, education, ethnicity, human rights development, language, history, art, gender roles, and more. 

Heifer International’s “Read to Feed” Program (F) (I) (K-8, adaptable for older)
Heifer International is a program that works to help families and communities in developing areas of the world become self-sufficient, through education and the gifts of farm animals (the Heifer Project).  The “Read to Feed” Program involves students in the awareness and fundraising efforts of the Heifer Project while encouraging them to read and learn more about other cultures and global issues.  It’s a great way for them to be excited about their own literacy and education, while helping bring about the education and livelihood of other children throughout the world.  Read to Feed Program’s curriculum deals with a variety of global economic issues and culture, presented in a creative way for students to engage at their level; materials include leaders guides, workbooks, maps/posters, story books and accompanying games and activities, video, financial sponsorship options, etc. 

GeoDeo “Journey into Africa” books (F) (Elementary and middle school)
This series of books was created by one of our local parishioners, Ann Jansen and published locally by GeoDeo Educational Resources.  These books include information and fun ways for kids to learn more about Africa – the countryside, the people, the culture and the needs there.  In addition to coloring and activities for young people, there are also books geared for grades 5-8, that provide valuable and exciting information on Africa, including featuring different countries, animals, recipes, maps, etc; a special section entitled “In Service to Others” is also included and profiles people who have worked to make a difference for our brothers and sisters in Africa (including some of our Diocesan missioners).  A study kit is also available, including a teacher’s guide, project supplies, videos and CD’s, reproducible worksheets, etc.   

Common Hope (I)
Common Hope, an educational and social development organization working in Guatemala, has put together a kit for teachers and youth leaders who are interested in helping sponsor children or families through their organization.  This kit includes information on past service projects done, a fact sheet and map of Guatemala, videos about the work of Common Hope, posters and a school survey.  Common Hope also provides an opportunity to be involved by sponsoring a child. 

“Mi Vida Es Missión” (F) (S)
This is a series of materials put out by the Latin American Office of Service for Mission (OLASEM), in conjunction with Maryknoll.  The materials are entirely in Spanish (English curriculum is not available).  The multiple booklets address 3 themes of mission (Fundamentals of Mission, Reality and Mission, and Actual Challenges of Mission); these themes are addressed at different levels with different specific topics for the new level and are a great way to help students embrace their baptismal call to be missioners and recognize the truth that “My life is Mission.” 

REFERENCES / CONTACT PEOPLE:

Mission Office Speakers Bureau (F)
The Speakers Bureau is made up of many people from throughout the Diocese who have been involved in Diocesan delegations and mission experiences, both long and short-term throughout a variety of countries.  They are available to present on their experiences of culture, faith and mission.  Examples of presentation needs have included vocation panels, Faith Formation programs for children, teens and adults, school classrooms in subjects such as religion, social studies and service-learning, and much much more. 

Service Learning Coordinators: (F) (I)

Kevin LaNave, Service-learning coordinator at St. Cloud Technical College.  Kevin is also the director of The Center for Service-learning and Social Change of St. Cloud.  klanave@victorcc.net   

Christopher Bineham, Service-Learning Coordinator/AmericCorps Member at St. Cloud State University.   
      crbineham@stcloudstate.edu
           

Inter-Faith Issues: (F) (I)

Malcolm Nazareth, Director of UNIITE (Understanding the Need for Interfaith/Intercultural Togetherness & Education), member of Christ Church Newman Center in St. Cloud, and strong advocate/speaker for inter-faith dialogue and social justice. 
      malnazareth@charter.net

Social Justice Issues: (F) (I)
Sr. Merle Nolde, OSB, St. Benedict’s Monastery
                  mnolde@csbsju.edu

MEDIA RESOURCES:

CEM Resource Library (F)
The Diocesan Media Center has a variety of books as well as multi-media resources for you to utilize.  Schools and parishes can get a membership to the Media Center, allowing their staff to borrow items. 

Mission Office Library (F)
The Mission Office has a variety of resources available for use by our Diocesan parishioners.  These resources include books (theology, prayer, culture/country information, etc.), documents (from Vatican II, the USCCB, and the Pope’s encyclicals, etc.), as well as videos (home footage of intercultural interactions, educational documentaries, etc.).  All resources can be checked out free of cost (not including postage). 

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS:
Guatemala: (I)
Common Hope (Guatemala)                          www.commonhope.org
San Lucas Toliman Mission (Guatemala)      www.sanlucasmission.com/Home.htm
Rising Villages (Guatemala)                           www.risingvillages.org
The Message Program (Guatemala)             

Good News (West Indies)      http://goodnewswi.com 

International and immigrant Students (in parishes, communities, schools, college, etc.) (F)

Foreign Missioners in the Diocese: (F)
            Fr. Gregory Ombok, Sr. Alice Nyangasi, & Sr. Beatrice Mogoka (Homa Bay, Kenya)
            Fr. Jose Gregorio Bracamonte, Coromoto Gonzalez (Maracay, Venezuela)
            Fr. Jose Edayadiyil, & Fr. Johnus Cherunilath (Kerala, India)

Missioners from the Diocese serving abroad (F)  

Partnerships: (F) (I)
            Global Solidarity Partnership: Diocese of Maracay, Venezuela – Diocese of St. Cloud, MN
            Global Solidarity Partnership: Diocese of Homa Bay, Kenya – Diocese of St. Cloud, MN
            SHARE Foundation: El Salvador         
            Project MM/Leon: State of Leon, Nicaragua – State of MN                            www.mn-leon.org           

FINANCIAL PROJECTS:

Diocesan Partnership projects:
Friends of the Seminarians Fund (Maracay, Venezuela)
This fund provides scholarships for the formation of seminarians in Maracay.

HIV/AIDS Project (Homa Bay, Kenya)
This project works towards relief and prevention of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Homa Bay. 

Heifer International                  www.heifer.org

Operation Rice Bowl               http://orb.crs.org

Common Hope           www.commonhope.org

SUGGESTED FIELD TRIPS:

American Museum of Asmat Art, Shoreview MN & Marjorie McNeeley Conservatory at Como Park, St. Paul MN (a great chance to learn about the culture, and then visit the "rain forest" in which they live)
            (651) 287-1132           www.asmat.org                                                       (651) 487-8200       www.comozooconservatory.org
        

Mille Lacs Indian Museum, Onamia MN
            (320) 532-3632           www.mnhs.org/places/sites/mlim    

St. Cloud Mission Office, St. Cloud MN
            (320) 251-1100           www.stcdio.org/mission

Immigrant or Social service Agency (Such as Catholic Charities or Hands Across the World)

YOUTH MISSION TRIP ORGANIZATIONS: (I)

There are several organizations that help to plan and facilitate mission or service trips for church or school groups of youth, both domestically and internationally.  The following are a few that we recommend based on their model of service and mission:

Young Neighbors in Action:                 
Young Neighbors in Action is a program designed to help youth recognize the needs of their brothers and sisters, as well as their call for both direct service and work towards justice, all based on the Call of the Gospels and the principles of our Catholic Social Teachings.  It organizes week-long trips, including meaningful service worksite experiences, prayer, reflection and Liturgies, community living, and daily challenges to live out their faith and the Gospel. 

BorderLinks:                                     
BorderLinks is a bi-national non-profit organization that offers experiential educational seminars along the border of the US and Mexico.  They offer unique trips for unique groups, each experience fitted to the needs and interests of its participants.  Be ready to open your hearts and minds in new ways and return home transformed and ready to share with others about the issues, culture, economics, and lives of people living in the borderlands.

Glenmary Home Missions:     Glenmary Home Missioners is a Catholic society of priests and brothers who, along with coworkers of Glenmary Home Mission Sisters and lay volunteers is dedicated to serving the spiritual and material needs of people throughout Appalachia, the South and Southwest of the United States. 

KEY TIMES TO INCORPORATE THESE RESOURCES:

Advent:
Advent is a great time to incorporate mission education into your school or parish.  As we strive to teach about the preparations, not for the birth of Jesus but for His coming again, it is a great time to teach about the beauty and justice of His Kingdom that His coming will bring about.  Use this time to teach about inequalities in our world, and about ways in which we are all called as disciples to work towards bringing about that Kingdom in our world now as we wait and prepare. 

Lent:
Lent is another great time to incorporate mission education into your programs and curriculum.  The theology of Mission that our Church calls us to includes the three main focuses of the Lenten Season: Prayer (through prayer we can be united with our brothers and sisters around the world no matter how far away or whether or not we ever meet face-to-face), Fasting (through giving up of our excess – be it food, material goods or extravagances both materially and entertainingly – we can better reflect on and understand our vast surplus and unequal distribution of goods and rights throughout the world, and can therefore better unite with our brothers and sisters in their needs); and Alms-giving (in recognizing our part in one global human family we also recognize that we are our brothers and sisters’ keeper, and therefore have a responsibility to share our gifts with each other).  Use these Lenten focuses in conjunction with the message and call we all share to be missioners. 

Easter:
At the Easter vigil we celebrate in a special way our Baptism; this celebration is continued throughout the Easter Season as we continue to be sprinkled with Holy Water and proclaim our Baptismal promises in a very real way.  This ritual action that we experience each Sunday is a great way to bring to life and reiterate the message of our Baptismal promises and the call we all have through our Baptism to be missioners and be part of a global family of faith. 

Mission Month:
October is Mission Month, and includes the celebration of World Mission Sunday (always the second to last Sunday in October).  This day is a day for our Catholic churches around the world to join together in the Eucharistic celebration while recognizing our common faith, solidarity and partnership with our brothers and sisters across the world, who are at the same time celebrating a special Eucharistic Liturgy, wherever they may be.  This day is just one of the ways in which, during the month of October, we strive to bring the message of mission, and our Baptismal call to be missioners, more fully and clearly into view and understanding.  It is also a great time for you to strive to do the same within your programs, and help add to the world-wide celebration of our belonging to one another. 

Catholic Schools Week:
Catholic Schools Week, in which we celebrate our Church’s commitment to education, evangelization and care for our young people, is also a great time to celebrate our Church’s commitment to education, evangelization and care for all peoples.  Why not expand the week’s solidarity of Catholic schools throughout the Diocese and local Church, to include being in solidarity with schools and children throughout the world?    

Vocation Awareness Week:
Vocation Awareness Week is a great time for us to help students realize that each and every one of us shares in the universal call to holiness and has a special vocation, no matter what form it may take.  One of these vocational forms is that of missioner – long or short term, locally or oversees.  This is a great time to begin planting the seed of mission work in its variety of forms. 

Others:
There are countless other times at which the inclusion of mission education materials and activities will fit very well into your programs and curriculum.  The mission message is one that fits into every aspect of our faith and lives, and therefore fits into all aspects of education as well.  Incorporate it all the time!  Here are some ideas of times when you can make it easy on yourself to include mission education:

1. Geography lessons (learn about the culture, including the faith-practices, of different locations; invite speakers from different areas)
2. Current events (discuss the socio-political aspects globally surrounding current events)
3. History lessons (research family history and immigrant/refugee background compared to current immigrant/refugee issues)
4. Music lessons (listen to, learn, sing and dance with music from other cultures; note: some cultural music and lesson plans around it are available at the Mission Office)
5. Religion classes (Catholic Social Teachings lessons; learning about the Church/faith of Africa, Latin America, Asia or other areas of the world; discussing the Church's theology of mission)
6. Confirmation Programs (opportunities and lessons dealing with the service component; what it means to be confirmed into the broader faith community globally)
7. Liturgy planning (mission Masses; multi-cultural Masses; discussion as Eucharist as the common thread of all Catholics world-wide)
8. All Saints Day (talk about missionary saints and martyrs, such as Archbishop Oscar Romero, Sr. Dorothy Stang or Fr. John Kaiser)
9. World AIDS Awareness Day (bring in information or fundraising for our partners in Homa Bay where HIV/AIDS is very prevalent)
10. World Day of Peace & World day of Prayer & Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
11. Valentine’s Day (make valentines for children in another part of the world, such as San Lucas Toliman’s Mission of Love project)
12. Christmas Season (incorporate multi-cultural traditions for celebrating the holiday)
13. And more – be creative! 

We’re here to serve YOU!

Please never hesitate to contact us for more information or to be of assistance in any way to you and your parish and school! 

Just as we are striving for solidarity with our brothers and sisters throughout the global family, we also recognize our need to be in solidarity with each other locally.  For this reason, we ask for your help as well.  Please offer us feedback on any of these resources, or on other resources you are aware of, as well as share your ideas with us so that we can share them with others throughout the Diocese.  Together we can all make great strides toward answering our Baptismal call to mission, and help our students, youth and parishioners to answer that call as well. 

The renewal that will blossom forth will be mutual.  “The grace of renewal cannot grow in communities unless each of these extends the range of its charity to the ends of the earthy, and devotes the same care to those afar off as it does to those who are its own members” (Ad Gentes, #37). 

Thank you for sharing in the Mission Education of our Diocese and for this opportunity for renewal and grace!

“I thank God every time I think of you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the Gospel from the first day until now.”  (Philippians 1:3-5)