Catholics Come Home St. Louis
Grade 5
Creed
Identify the marks of the Church: one, holy, catholic, apostolic
Lesson
Opening Prayer – Pray together the Catholics Come Home prayer
Children recite the Nicene Creed together.
Explain that this statement was created so that Catholics everywhere would have a collection of all beliefs that are at the core of the
Catholic faith. This states what we believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary and the Church. Catholics all over the world
profess the Nicene Creed every Sunday after the Liturgy of the Word.
Ask the children to find a line that states our beliefs about the church and to list the four key words (one, holy, catholic, apostolic).
Watch Epic – listen for phrases and watch for images that illustrate the marks of the Church.
Divide the class into 4 groups and assign each one a “defining mark” (one, holy, catholic, apostolic). Designate one scribe to report.
The group defines the mark of the church in their own words using their textbooks as a resource. Be ready to describe a line or image
in Epic that illustrates your group’s mark. Each group reports back after a few minutes.
Watch Epic one more time.
Discuss the impact that this advertisement might have on those who might want to return home to the Catholic Church. What parts of
the advertisement do you think would invite them?
Learning Outcome Sample Assessment Connections
Define mark. Describe marks of Describe the meaning of mark, one, holy, Parish Life: identify how the marks of the
the Church catholic and apostolic Church are evident in my parish
Give examples from Epic how the images Drama: dramatize ways that show how the
identify the marks of the Church church is apostolic
Write about one of the marks and why this
characteristic is important in our understanding
of the Church
Resources
Access to the site www.catholicscome.org, which contains video links to the commercials
Textbooks
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catholics Come Home St. Louis
Grade 6
Catholic Church
Describe the Church as a sign of unity and peace to the world
State the ways that the leader of the Church, the Pope brings unity and peace in the world. Describe how the hierarchical structure of
the Catholic Church has maintained the core beliefs over time and across cultures.
Lesson
Opening Prayer – Pray together the Catholics Come Home prayer
Ask the students to name the current pope of the Catholic Church. Can they name any of the popes that came before Benedict XVI?
What is the role of the pope? How many popes have there been? Allow the children to go online to find a list of popes or pass out the
list in this packet.
Watch Epic.
Elicit responses. Have the children describe what they heard about the succession of the popes and the individual popes that they saw
in the advertisement. Which of the popes viewed have visited the St. Louis area? Who began world Youth Day? How are these
examples of spreading peace and unity?
Watch Epic one more time.
Discuss the impact that this advertisement might have on those who might want to return home to the Catholic Church. What parts of
the advertisement do you think would invite them?
Learning Outcome Sample Assessment Connections
Describe what it means for the Church to Describe what it means for the Church Biography. Research the life of Blessed
be a sign to the world to be a sign to the world Pope John XXIII. Have the student write a
Name a pope pictured in Epic and how biography of what he/she learned. Identify
he is a sign of unity and peace in the what Pope John XXIII did to change the
world Church.
Name one modern pope who devoted Art. Create a collage with images and
his work to being a sign of unity and words of Pope Benedict XVI
peace in the world
Resources
Access to the site www.catholicscome.org, which contains video links to the commercials
Epic Script
List of the line of apostolic succession which can be found online at www.catholic.org.
Catholics Come Home St. Louis
Grade 7
Scripture
Describe major themes of the Gospel of Luke: salvation is a joyful surprise; salvation includes everyone; special concern for the
poor and needy; Mary as the first disciple.
Lesson
Opening Prayer – Pray together the Catholics Come Home prayer
All stand for a reading from the Gospel of Luke 20:45 through 21:4
Discuss the following: To whom is Jesus showing love and compassion? Who does he denounce as hypocrites? Name some of the
miracles and parables in the Gospel of Luke that demonstrate love and compassion for the poor and needy. (healing the blind beggar
18:35-43, the ten lepers 17:11-19, curing the crippled woman 13:10-17 the good Samaritan 10:29-37, etc.
Distribute a list of the Seven principles of the Catholic social teachings (USCCB) and discuss which Social Teaching closely follows
a theme in the Gospel of Luke.
Watch Epic with the social teachings in mind: How many of the principles of Catholic social teachings are evident in the
advertisement? Allow the class to list the principles and describe the specific scene in the advertisement.
Apply this theme from Luke to your life. What does this mean to a 7th grader and how they live their daily life?
Watch Epic one more time.
Discuss the impact that this advertisement might have on those who might want to return home to the Catholic Church. What parts of
the advertisement do you think would invite them?
Learning Outcome Sample Assessment Connections
Describe the major themes of the Gospel State major themes of the Gospel of Luke: Family Life. Students ask their parents to
of Luke Salvation is a joyful surprise; salvation work with them on finding an example of a
includes everyone; special concern for current event that is focused on the dignity
the poor and needy; Mary as the first of human life (stories in the news of death
disciple. Give examples from the gospel row, euthanasia or elder care, abortion) or
highlighting these themes. Identify other special concern for the poor and needy
themes in the gospel.
Resources
Access to the site www.catholicscome.org, which contains video links to the commercials
Catholic social teachings information as written by the USCCB and found at http://www.usccb.org/
Catholics Come Home St. Louis
Grade 8
Catholic Church
Recognize that the Church’s gifts and growth are evident through all periods of history in the last 2000 years.
Lesson
Opening Prayer – Pray together the Catholics Come Home prayer
Distribute copies of the local newspaper, one for every pair of students. Have them look for examples of how the Holy Spirit has
worked in the world. Share findings with the group.
Give examples of modern day Saints; people who are doing the work of God today: young people who give a period of service to the
Jesuit Volunteer Corp, Blessed Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity or Dorothy Day and the Catholic Workers, catechists who
volunteer their time to teach children about Jesus and the Church, families who bring food donations to soup kitchens and food
pantries, etc.
Watch Epic
Ask the children to list all the ways that the Holy Spirit was evident in the depiction of the Catholic Church in this advertisement.
What statements about the Church were surprising to them?
Watch Epic one more time.
Discuss the impact that this advertisement might have on those who might want to return home to the Catholic Church. What parts of
the advertisement do you think would invite them?
Learning Outcome Sample Assessment Connections
Recognize that the Church’s gifts and List the events in the history of the Church Mission. Research the life of a missionary
growth are evident through all periods guided by the Holy Spirit as illustrated in or a mission order and write a short essay
of history in the last 2000 years. Epic. on how the Holy Spirit was evident in
Create a timeline that places these events guiding the work of the missionary.
in chronological order. Allow other Sacraments. Examine how the Gifts of the
students to add events that took place in Holy Spirit are evident in Catholic people
those same periods of history (discoveries, who serve others
world leaders, artistic accomplishments...)
Resources
Access to the site www.catholicscome.org, which contains video links to the commercials
Resource on the modern day saints from the internet: Jesuit Volunteer Corp at www.jesuitvolunteers.org or Dorothy Day and the
Catholic Workers at www.catholicworker.org
Catholics Come Home St. Louis
High School
Catholic Church
State the models of the Church as defined by theologian Avery Cardinal Dulles SJ, and articulate your personal model of church
Lesson
Opening Prayer – Pray together the Catholics Come Home prayer
Explain that a “model” offers a way to understand and explain a large and complex concept, just like a model of a car, building or city
brings the complex into focus, provides a way to see all the parts of a whole and how they relate to each other.
Offer more information: In 1987 Avery Cardinal Dulles SJ revised his work on the models of the Church, which show different facets
of the Catholic Church: Sacrament (which has a primacy among the models), institution, mystical communion, herald, servant, a
community of disciples. (Models of the Church: Expanded Edition, Image, 1991).
Watch Epic and discuss which models of the church are most evident (there can be more than one right answer if a student can justify
his/her choice with lines from the narrator or images).
Ask: How do these models of Church in the advertisement differ from your personal image of Church? Is there just one model that
can define the whole of the Catholic Church?
Watch Epic one more time.
Discuss the impact that this advertisement might have on those who might want to return home to the Catholic Church. What parts of
the advertisement do you think would invite them?
Learning Outcome Sample Assessment Connections
Articulate the Models used to State the 7 Models of Church as described by Parish Life. Use the Models of Church
describe and define the Church Avery Cardinal Dulles SJ created by Cardinal Dulles and apply them
Identify one or several models that you have to your home parish
personally experienced
State which model most challenges you and
why
Resources
Access to the site www.catholicscome.org, which contains video links to the commercials
Use the following internet quiz:
http://quizfarm.com/quizzes/Church/MissGermer/models-of-the-church-quiz/
48 questions on a quiz created by a teacher that rate your personal model of church
Courtesy of Archdiocese of Chicago