Catholics are just beginning to realize that there is something strangely “un-Catholic” about many Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs. It should not be surprising. Only in this generation have Catholic parishes joined in the summertime VBS phenomenon.

What is surprising is that some Catholic parishes continue to use VBS programs whose teachings are not in agreement with the Church.

The primary purpose of Vacation Bible School publishers is to provide an out-reach tool during the summertime to share the Gospel with children. However, a non-Catholic gospel may not be faithful to the authentic truth of Christ. A non-Catholic gospel is often a bare-bones introduction to knowing Our Lord. A Catholic VBS program, conversely, is an opportunity to introduce families to a lifelong pursuit of holiness.

A few programs purport to be Catholic (or to offer a Catholic version), but they fall short of handing on our rich heritage of sacred Tradition along with sacred Scripture. A cursory overview reveals such programs to be the original non-Catholic teaching material, with some bullet point material from the Catholic Catechism.

While the materials used are often not wrong in a doctrinal sense, they can be incomplete.

Many “Catholic” programs are anything but, says Michael Barone, coordinator of religious education for St. Francis de Sales Church in Newark, Ohio. “It's as if these programs are primarily produced with the fun, campy stuff in mind — the religious values are secondary. They'll use a few references to the Catechism to stitch it up, and introduce it as a ‘Catholic’ product.”

Barone adds that our children's daily lives demand deeper religious training: “We expect a child to know about AIDS, drugs and sex education,” he says. “Then we think they can't handle the fact that we talk to Mary as Our Mother. Our children learn about condoms at an early age — and we neglect to tell them of the saving protection of the brown scapular. They are taught about the negative influences of secondhand smoke, and yet we don't think they can grasp the fact that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. Believe me, kids in our culture are ready for something more. They need something more,” says Barone.

It's not like there aren't more complete programs out there. For example, Our Lady of the Rosary, a Catholic home school organization based in Bardstown, Ky., has two programs, “Joys of Jesus” and “Magnificence of Mary,” that are Catholic from stem to stern. And Traditions Of Roman Catholic Homes, an association of lay Catholic home schoolers popularly known by its catchy acronym, TORCH, also produces a VBS kit. The $5.95 kit contains lesson plans, plays, song suggestions and organizational tips.

Perhaps one reason for the lack of publicity around these two good programs is their lack of flash. Because they don't have the slick packaging of many evangelical Protestant VBS programs, the perception can be that they do not fill in all the gaps.

My faith was ignited through a truly Catholic vacation-Bible program pulled together by a group of Catholic moms'

Also, programs that do not come ready-to-roll-out right out of the box can seem intimidating to VBS teachers. Many prefer fun to substance because they may not feel competent to be handing on truths that they do not really know themselves. This underscores the importance of authenticity. Michelle Mazelin of Oviedo, Fla., says her first real experience with the Catholic faith was at an authentically Catholic vacation-Bible school. “My faith was ignited through a truly Catholic vacation-Bible program pulled together by a group of Catholic moms,” she says. “It wasn't until I signed up as a group leader for this program that I began to learn about the truths of my faith.” Her eyes were opened, she adds, as she attended VBS classes each day and heard teachings on the Eucharist and the saints.

A little Catholic guidance can go a long way toward providing a solid solution. Faithful, concerned, well-versed Catholic parents need to volunteer for program selection committees. The following tips can help you with a program that has already been purchased:

E Put well-formed, knowledgeable Catholics in teaching roles. Teachers should have an excellent grasp of Catholic teaching, especially regarding the various myths that surround the Catholic Church. A good teacher can use VBS to bridge the CCD gap for Catholic youngsters; they may also have opportunities to correct misunderstandings non-Catholic children bring with them.

E With the help of a well-formed priest or director of religious education, find ways to bring the sacraments into the lessons. Lessons on forgiveness should encourage children to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. Lessons about a meal with Jesus are natural segues into the Eucharist. References to water often lead to the significance of the sacrament of baptism.

E Look carefully at the words of the music in the program. Often, you can simply alter a word to correct the meaning of a song. If the only option seems to be to remove the song from the program, look through the missal for popular songs that might appeal to children.

E When choosing crafts, look to sacred Tradition for inspiration. Rosaries, scapulars, holy cards and other distinctly Catholic items have natural kid appeal. Pope John Paul II has referred to our homes as the “domestic church.” A decorated holy water bottle or font, personally decorated missals, Stations of the Cross and liturgical banners can bring the Church home to the family. Use Catholic art of Our Lord and Our Lady wherever possible. Be sure to have your crafts blessed by a priest — and teach families what it means to have a blessed item.

E Build in some time for each class to be in close contact with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Classes held in the sanctuary will give guides an opportunity to teach proper reverence before the Blessed Sacrament. (It will also give some holy help to your teachers.) Daily Mass is a powerful beginning for each day. Teen guides could also be on hand to introduce children to eucharistic adoration during the week — and to encourage the children to make more visits on their own.

E Buy Catholic sacramentals for the children. One program found that by not buying the take-home newsprint worksheets, they were able to buy holy cards, scapulars, rosaries, holy water bottles and other traditional sacramentals for all the children in the program. Christian-soldier action figures were popular items at one VBS program. Ascension Press' “Friendly Defender” flashcards are another fun resource children will appreciate.

Putting together a great VBS program can be time-consuming and difficult — particularly if you have to stitch in Catholic patches to make for a complete, well-rounded presentation of the faith. However, a program that presents deep truths in a fun way will have eternal benefits.

Caroline Schermerhorn writes from Newark, Ohio.