In
1995 the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops issued a commitment to
persons with special needs with the
passage of the Guidelines for the
Celebration of the Sacraments with
Persons with Disabilities. In this
document they said that . . .
“Parish liturgical celebrations and
catechetical programs should be
accessible to persons with
disabilities and open to their full,
active and conscious participation,
according to their capacity.”
With the help of two (2) very
qualified volunteers (certified
Intervention Specialists) and the
support of our Parish leadership,
St. Mary’s Berea is thrilled to
offer a religious education program
that, we hope, will bring the word
of God to those children with
special needs, in a way they will
better understand the message being
shared. We are calling this
program "GIFTSS from God" (Giving
Individual Faith Training
to Special Students).
The GIFTSS program is fully integrated
with our current PSR program in
every way! The
sessions are at the same times .
. . on the same days . . . with the
same age groups! Our
GIFTSS Catechists are in the classroom helping the
Catechist be successful. When
individual reinforcement is
required, the student is worked with
one on one. Lessons
are tailored to the individual
needs of the student, using accepted
education standard practices
(queues, schedules, folders, etc.).
The objective is to provide the
“best” tools and setting for each
child to learn about our faith.
Our “GIFTSS from God” religious
education program is not associated
with any state funded education
program for children with special
needs. It is a purely voluntary
effort. In order to be successful
it requires the support, and
active involvement, of parents and
any member of the parish willing to
be involved.
If your child is currently supported
by an IEP or a 504 Plan we ask that
you mark the registration form in
the appropriate checkbox. Our
GIFTSS team will then request
additional information by
means of a questionnaire:
GIFTSS Questionnaire
The GIFTSS Team
then schedules an interview with the
student and the parents to agree on
the most appropriate accommodations. We
will work with each Catechist so
that they will be better prepared to
have the student in their class.
