Pries'ts Vestment

tufterween

Hi all,
I need ideas for teaching the priest's vestments to second class. I want to teach them the Alb, Cincture, Stole and Chasuble.
Any ideas would be really appreciated!
Thanks

dambarude

Is that part of Alive O? That's a crazy thing to have to teach!

tufterween

No not part of Alive O... Why is it crazy to teach that?

dambarude

I don't know it just struck me as being a bit obscure!

I'm guessing there's some significance for each part of the vestment? Forgive my ignorance, I'm don't know very much about this particular topic.

Did you try www.educationposts.ie for ideas on it?

Orizio

I suppose you couldn't just teach them proper subjects like Math, History, or take them out for a game of hurling or some other sport, instead of wasting their time with such superstitious nonsense?

pooch90

That's an unreasonable response to make. It's the teachers responsibility to teach the curriculum including RE in Catholic school. S/he can't just focus on the core subjects and to be honest, this subject matter seems more interesting that the normal 'Beings' crap trotted out by the official Alive-O programme.
OP, I'm no help to you, sorry. Maybe your PP would be the best person to talk to them about it. Second class would love to have a guest speaker of sorts come and talk to them. Not all PPs would be willing but you know yours better than we do.

dambarude

Have to agree with Pooch90. I wasn't commenting on the fact that the OP was teaching religion, but rather the specific subject matter, when I said the topic she mentioned was unusual. If the OP is in a Catholic school its his/her duty to teach religion, and the whole "superstitious nonsense" response just doesn't wash.

Insect Overlord

What a priest wears during ceremonies must be close enough to the bottom of the list in terms of things to prioritise in RE lessons though. It's something the children will almost never need to know (unless they decide to enter the priesthood themselves at a later date, and I'm sure Maynooth wouldn't leave them ignorant of the vestments during their time training there).

Keep in mind the guidelines for teaching Gaeilge: aois, suim agus timpeallacht.
I can't imagine too many 7-9 year old being interested in what a priest wears during Mass.

pooch90

I see it as the child becoming more familiar with the rituals and traditions of the mass. As oppossed to going to mass asking "Why does the priest wear a dress?" they may understand the reason behind it. having an understanding of this may make the communion year less daunting. It's not for me to try to rationalise the OP's thinking behind her lesson plan.....

dambarude

Is there a background for each part of the priest's vestments? If there is I think it would be reasonable to teach. And pooch90's suggestion that it helps children understand that the priest isn't wearing a dress is a good one, as long as explaining isn't too laborious or tangential to what children would learn normally. I wouldn't have thought of things like this at first (as seen in my initial reaction!).

TBH religion in general can be very difficult to make interesting, especially when working off the joke that is Alive O. I'm not saying it shouldn't be taught (that's a whole other question), just saying it's hard to get a half hour each day out of it.

pooch90

Agree completely with your Alive-O opinion (even if I vehemently deny this at interview!) Don't normally end up doing the full half hour a day. If my pupils can be well rounded individuals I'm happy tbh. If the OP can make it an interesting lesson I'd much rather teach that than half the **** in Alive-O. Especially if it was worked into a unit where they were being brought to the church and becoming more familiar with the building and things therein

Orizio

pooch90 wrote: »

That's an unreasonable response to make. It's the teachers responsibility to teach the curriculum including RE in Catholic school. S/he can't just focus on the core subjects.

Why? What is more valuable to the student, teaching them Math, or telling them nonsense about non-existent men in the sky that order everything so?

It would be nice if teachers would take a principled stance on this as opposed to simply saying that they have to do what they are told, regardless of its pointlessness (in this case, religious studies). I do my very best to undo the ignorant backwards teachings that primary school teachers impose upon my unthinking nieces, but I would much prefer it if we simply jettisoned these (so-called) 'spiritualist' and entirely superstitious Roman Catholic teachings from our education syllabus. Evidently such a radical change could only occur with support of the teachers themselves.

D4RK ONION

While I agree with you, the Catholic church is deeply embedded (for better or worse) within the Irish Primary School system. Your suggestion that teachers making a stand by simply not teaching religion would get them fired swiftly and with 1000s of unemployed teachers ready to fill their places, it's unlikely to happen in that manner. The Church OWNS these schools. If the system is ever to become more secular, it's going to have to be at their discression.

thesimpsons

Orizio - are teachers supposed to just pick and choose what areas they'd like to teach so. If they are employed by religious school they would have to follow a religion and ethos which they would have know about before they accepted the job. If they didn't agree to teach a particular subject or aspect of a subject, they should have sought jobs elsewhere. Its like joining the gardai or army and refusing to wear the uniform. Parents or guardians who don't wish their children to be educated in this manner have choices - another school, home schooling or schooling in a religious school but withdrawn from religion classes.

Ghost Buster

thesimpsons wrote: »

Orizio - are teachers supposed to just pick and choose what areas they'd like to teach so. If they are employed by religious school they would have to follow a religion and ethos which they would have know about before they accepted the job. If they didn't agree to teach a particular subject or aspect of a subject, they should have sought jobs elsewhere. Its like joining the gardai or army and refusing to wear the uniform. Parents or guardians who don't wish their children to be educated in this manner have choices - another school, home schooling or schooling in a religious school but withdrawn from religion classes.

A lot of the time they dont though. I dont
I pay tax in an apparently and officially secular republic and yet the majoirity of schools take up time on a 2000 year old Chinese whisper.... ah well...:rolleyes:

judestynes

I found this information online OP. I hope you find it of some use

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15388a.htm

Cheers............. Jude