DETROIT — It’s summer, and vacation Bible school season is in full swing. Some parishes have already held theirs, while others are still to come.
But vacation Bible schools, once almost exclusively limited to Protestant churches, can now be found widely among Catholic parishes. Many parishes sponsor their own each year, such as the VBS that will begin Aug. 1 at Our Lady of the Woods Parish in Woodhaven, while others cooperate with neighboring parishes, as with the multi-parish VBS that will begin Monday, July 18, at St. Damian Parish in Westland.
St. Anastasia, Troy, and St. Blase, Sterling Heights, are among parishes whose PandaMania VBS is already over for the year, but parents and volunteers are still talking about the experience.
“I absolutely loved it; my daughter absolutely loved it; we brought a friend’s daughter, and she loved it, too,” Jodi Hartzell says of the VBS at St. Anastasia Parish, which ran June 27 through July 1.
The family just moved to the area two years ago from Connecticut, and this was the first year for Hartzell’s daughter, Sarah, 8, to attend the VBS.
“They had lots of activities to keep the kids entertained, but the faith-based learning aspect was terrific,” Hartzell says.
The theme for the religious content was that “God is Wild About Us,” and there was ample use of music every day. “We did buy the CD at the end,” Hartzell continues.
There were indoor activities, such as crafts, but also plenty of outdoor activities, and she says she plans to be more involved herself next year.
“I just can’t say enough about it,” Hartzell adds.
The VBS drew nearly 120 children and about that many volunteers — both moms and teens from the parish, says Marian Bart, the parish catechetical leader who coordinated it for the first time this year.
“I hadn’t appreciated before how much the volunteers also enjoy it,” Bart says.
Barb Ziarko, who coordinated the Summer Circle VBS at St. Blase Parish, June 20-23, says theirs actually had more staff and volunteers than children — about 120 teens and adults to 100 kids.
This year’s theme was “Home Town Nazareth — When Jesus Was a Kid,” and featured Mary, played by parishioner Janice Hurst, telling stories about Jesus as a child. That ‘s in addition, of course, to all the crafts, skits, games and outdoor activities.
“It’s a fantastic program, it really is. The kids have a great time, and they learn so much about their faith,” says Barb Francis, whose daughter Jillian, and son, Joe, both participated.
“I’ve seen other programs, but this one is just phenomenal,” Francis says.
Pam Westergaard is both a mother, of two children who took part in the St. Blase Summer Circle and in her second year as a volunteer.
“It’s really a fun time. Every day is something different. There’s a lot of effort and thought and planning that goes into it — Barb just puts on a great program,” she says.
Each day’s three-hour session is broken up into 20 minute time segments to keep the children from getting bored, and effective use of music is made to keep them involved. “It’s just perfect for the kids,” Westergaard adds.
Monica Orlando, another St. Blase parent — of four children — and volunteer, says that besides teaching the kids about the Bible and God, the Summer Circle VBS also provides an opportunity for the parents to meet and develop friendships with other parents in the parish.
“I enjoy it immensely, and there’s a lot of relationship-building with other parents that goes on,” Orlando says.
