Co-directors Plan Well-rounded High School Religious Education

By Mary Donovan

Harry Duchesne and Paul Gannon, Jr. are co-directors of the high school religious education program for St. Maryís. According to Paul, their responsibilities are divided between the two. Harryís area is more the religious education component, he said. Paulís is mostly extra curricula activities, service projects, social activities, youth groups and trips. Inevitably, however areas overlap and they work together.

Harry is coordinator of Spiritual Life and Campus Ministry at Anna Maria College. Paul is part time music teacher at St. Maryís School, K-8th grade. He also teaches two music courses at Anna Maria College. He has studied piano and guitar and has done a little music therapy, he said.

They have so many ideas for the program, he said. The problem is taking it one thing at a time. Currently, the Confirmation class is in two services a month at 5:30 Mass on Sunday. They are working on evolving that Mass into a youth liturgy, he said, with more members of the class involved in the service.

In addition, they want that to expand beyond Confirmation and involve post ñConfirmation Students.

"Some are now doing stuff," he said. "We want more. Now most are confirmed as sophomores; we donít see them until they graduate."

Between strong education and meaningful, enjoyable extra-curricula activities, they plan to succeed.