Jackie Pearce felt like she was missing
the best hours of her children’s days. They were groggy as they headed to
school and exhausted when they came home. In prayer, she felt God leading her
to home school. But she was worried her husband wouldn’t agree, so she made a PowerPoint
explaining how this was the best decision for their family.
“He said yes as soon as the presentation
finished, and we haven’t looked back,” said Pearce. As her kids play sports in
the evening and her husband works at their restaurant at nights, so sharing meals
and learning during the day gives them plenty of family time. And she believes
she’s able to better form her children in the faith. “I believe that the Lord’s
call to home schooling has allowed me to really focus on giving my children the
strongest foundation possible.”
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated
Mass for Pearce and other home-schooling families in the diocese at Holy
Trinity Church in Gainesville Oct. 25. In his homily, he encouraged the
students and teachers to let go of last year’s setbacks and dedicate themselves
to growing closer to God during this new academic year. “God allows us to grow
and be transformed and we must allow each other to do the same,” Bishop
Burbidge said.
A recent interaction he had while
traveling was a reminder to always be God’s light in the world. “I was on a
train and there was some sort of power shortage and all the lights went out. As
I’m walking, someone recognized my white collar and humorously said, ‘Oh good,
here comes the light.’ At first I laughed, but later in prayer I decided that I
must accept that as a challenge,” said Bishop Burbidge. “That’s something
people should be able to say when they see us — there is the light. We can only
(reflect the light of Christ) to the extent that we are warmed by his radiance
as we come into his presence each day in prayer.”
After Mass, the families ate sweets and
enjoyed the moon bounce and puppet show set up outside the church. Home schooling
mom Cassie Henry said the large home-schooling community is one of the great
benefits of home schooling. There’s always someone to bring you a meal or watch
your children or to bounce educational ideas off of, she said.
The community also supports one another
in prayer. Henry said that once a home-schooling friend suffered the death of a
child. The community made a sign-up online and committed to have someone
praying for the family throughout the night and day for two days.
Henry loves that she can tailor her
lessons to each child’s strengths and weaknesses. She loves the trips they can
take as a family. “We don’t have any snow days, we have good weather days,” she
said.
Her husband Robert appreciates how home schooling
has formed his spiritual life. “I think I would run the risk, if our children went
to a traditional away school, of tending to forget about that responsibility
that I have to be one of the primary educators of our children,” he said. “It’s
definitely been a big benefit to me and my prayer life remembering and keeping
that part of my vocation front and center.”
