Homeschool community inspires religious vocations, life-long faith

Newly ordained Father Timothy Kraemer and Deacon Brendon Schneibel are both alumni of the St. Joseph Pillar of Families Catholic Homeschool Support Group (SJPF), which is based in Grand Forks and supports the surrounding area. They join a growing crew of ordained and religious who received their primary education and early experiences of the faith thanks to this community: Father Matthew Kraemer, Father Sean Mulligan, Father Jayson Miller, and Sister Miryam Vandal. Additional alumni include Zavior Franck and Kade Palmer, who will both be attending major seminary this upcoming school year. 

While vocations to the priesthood and religious life show some of the fruitfulness of this group, the benefits of this group go far deeper. 

Laurie Kraemer, mother to Fathers Matthew and Timothy Kraemer, is an alumni parent of SJPF after 35 years of home-schooling, and was part of its founding in 1997. In the beginning, the families met in Warsaw once a month with Father Damien Hils as their spiritual director. 

“Most of the families were already homeschooling their children and some were involved in Protestant support groups, but they wanted to be able to come together for distinctly Catholic activities and devotions,” said Laurie. “We came together for Mass, a ‘half Holy hour’ and a potluck, and then we branched out into doing an All Saint’s Day Party and May Crowning. Many of the families were introduced to the elements of Catholic culture for the first time. They wholeheartedly embraced them, and brought them into their own families and then passed them onto other families through the support group and through heavy involvement in their own parishes.” 

Currently, the group also organizes a beautiful graduation Mass each year for the area Catholic home school graduates as well as several other activities. Throughout the years, Father Lefor, Father Moen, Father Kleinschmidt, and Father Joseph Christensen (and many others) provided spiritual support and encouragement for the families.  

“Many of the home educated students have become active as altar servers, in music ministry, and as leaders in SEARCH retreats,” said Laurie. “Some of the group members are ‘second generation’ families, wanting to raise their families in the ways that their parents did.”  

Another family of the St. Joseph Pillar of Families Catholic Homeschool Support Group is Brent and Amy Lahr and their six children (ages 5 to 17), parishioners of St. Michael’s in Grand Forks.   

“As a mother to six children there is a lot of schooling that gets done in a day!” said Amy. “A homeschool family is blessed with the gift of time. We are able to be flexible when the day needs it, but most days have a routine feel. In a typical day we begin all together with the daily Mass readings and a story about the saint of the day. The younger children have a saint coloring page to work on while they listen. Afterwards, I work with the youngest one in his workbooks. He is finished by mid-morning and then is able to play.” 

As the children get older, they become more independent and are able to do more subjects on their own. Amy said she likes to sit at the kitchen table so she can be available when one of her children needs help or if it’s their turn to work with her independently. 

“Since we are able to finish most of our school by lunchtime or bring it along with us, we can fit things in during the afternoon,” said Amy. “One day the oldest five have piano lessons, another day we might have an appointment, a different day we might take a break when Grandma and Grandpa visit. We enjoy the time that homeschooling opens up for our family. Our evenings are free to be together since we don’t have ‘homework’ to get done. We are grateful for the blessing that homeschooling has been to our family.” 

Beyond their homeschooling curriculum, Amy says there are several practical customs they do to encourage the faith for their family: regular Mass, adoration, and confession, praying the rosary, novenas, and chaplets celebrating feast days, displaying Baptismal candles and celebrating Baptism days, praying mealtime and evening prayers together, and hanging holy artwork of pictures of the saints in the home. 

“Homeschooling is a distinct way of life that brings the principle of ‘parents as the first and foremost teachers of their children’ to its fulfillment,” said Laurie. “Homeschooling is a calling, and parents must pray and discern if God is calling them to it. Find a support group! We are all made for community, and we all need support to grow in the Catholic faith and to raise our children to know, love, and serve the Lord.” 

The group welcomes new members. Interested families can contact [email protected] for more information. Visit www.homeschool-life.com/2096/. ;