Date: September 8, 2020

 

Dear Brothers and sisters,

 

Greetings! I hope and pray this letter finds you well and in good health. My name is Fr. Swamy Pothireddy, and I am the new pastor at Sacred Heart. I came to the parish on July 1 and am slowly getting acquainted with the place and people. Getting to know people and their names in this new parish is a big challenge for me–especially during this crazy time.

 

I am writing this letter to clarify some of your misconceptions with regards to REP. First, let me thank you for being an involved member of Sacred Heart, for your faithfulness, and especially for all your contributions to the church. I really appreciate your love and concern for the church.

 

From your conversations, emails, and letters, I understand your pain about the restructuring of our Religious Education Program (REP). This was not an easy decision for us pastors to make, and I am afraid there are a number of misconceptions circulating about changes made to the program. It is not Bishop Quinn’s decision, rather it is the decision of both the pastors at Sacred Heart and St. Joseph, Owatonna in consultation with the diocese. I am hoping my letter can help clarify how REP will look going forward.

 

Please understand that we have not eliminated the REP in our parishes, but due to a combination of financial and health concerns–exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic–we pastors came to the conclusion that continuing with the current REP/Youth program and board was simply not feasible. As you are aware, this situation presents many unforeseen challenges in regard to teaching religion and imparting faith to kids in the classroom. We believe that the restructured REP will allow us to continue the tradition of sharing the Catholic faith with our children but done in a way that we have the finances and resources to do so.

 

The new REP format will be as follows (please note that this is our current plan, but the plan could be modified if we pastors deem it necessary):

 

  • There will no longer be a paid REP staff.
  • A part-time REP director will be hired to oversee the program.
  • Children will receive Sacramental preparation for First Communion (2nd grade) and Confirmation (10th grade) in the classroom. We strongly feel this is the best way to ensure our children are properly prepared to receive the Sacraments.
  • Children in other grades will receive their REP lessons through an online format (primarily email), and parents will be asked to share these lessons with their children. As I am sure you understand, religious education ideally should be rooted in the home, with families sharing in the faith together. What a beautiful way for our families to grow in their Catholic faith!

 

We pastors have thought and prayed over this matter and only then have we made this decision as we are really concerned about our kids receiving faith formation. During this tumultuous year, we must adhere to all the guidelines and follow all the directives to ensure the health and safety of our children, our staff, and our volunteers. We also have to use the available resources quite meticulously and responsibly because we simply don’t know how this COVID-19 pandemic will affect our future. But, ultimately, our goal is to provide the best possible faith formation to our kids and youth, and we are working diligently to create a REP that can do just that within the parameters of our current situation.

 

I truly hope I have clarified the situation and eased your doubts and concerns. If you still have questions and concerns about any of these changes, you can contact me at any time.

 

Please pray for us that we continue the mission of Jesus, and I will continue to hold you and all parishioners in my prayers as well.

 

Sincerely yours,

Fr. Swamy Pothireddy

(Pastor at Sacred Heart)