CDP presence in a parish
Sister Misty Garriga, CDP, serves as the Director of Religious Education for Blessed Sacrament Church in San Antonio. This entails planning and executing many events. She coordinates volunteer catechists and aides to teach Pre-K 4 year olds through 8th grade. In the fall before religious education classes begin, she offers a retreat day and a teacher training program for the catechists. Sister Misty supports the catechists by providing resources, helping to develop lessons, and communicating with parents. She offers parent/child workshops for those students receiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion. Sister works with the Blessed Sacrament School to coordinate the sacramental preparation and the ceremonies with her religious education program. For those older students who have not yet been baptized or received their sacraments, the children and parents attend the RCIA Adapted for Children class held on Sunday mornings. Using her IT skills, Sister Misty instituted an online program for those students who are home schooled or whose families cannot make the Wednesday evening classes. She meets several times individually with those online students to check their progress. She also coordinates with the Blessed Sacrament Parish School to facilitate teacher retreats as well as using her musical gifts as the choir director for the children’s choir during their weekly school liturgies.
Sister Misty describes the community at Blessed Sacrament as a loving, welcoming and joy-filled people. She enjoys the fellowship with the parishioners and values the opportunity to be a CDP presence in the parish along with Sister My Hanh Tran, CDP who teaches in the Blessed Sacrament Parish School. Sister Misty considers the Pastor, Fr. Jack O’Donoghue, a gift to work with. He has allowed her to be creative with the program. She feels very blessed to be in this ministry. It has served as a good start in parish life and as an opportunity to use her previous pastoral and educational experiences and gifts in a unique way.
Sister Misty coordinates the Christmas program, prepares for the Vacation Bible School in the summer and works with the families celebrating their quinceañeras. She also serves as the Safe Environment Coordinator for the parish, submitting the background checks to the Archdiocese and offering the misconduct videos and child lure presentations necessary for those who serve in the parish in any way.
Her plans in the near future include organizing a discussion group for the catechists as a way to build community amongst them and she hopes to initiate a young adult group for those 18-35 years of age.