Messenger launches new schools supplement

January 27, 2016 in 201601, Featured News, News

The Sacred Heart Messenger has launched a new four-page resource supplement, RE:LINK, linked to the Junior Certificate Religious Education Curriculum. It is not designed to replace textbooks, but it can be used as an additional resource for students, teachers and parents. It is included in the popular Jesuit magazine published monthly.

RE:LINK is produced and edited by an experienced secondary school religion teacher, Faith Quille, who teaches in St Conleth’s Community College in Newbridge. She is also a graduate of the Mater Dei Institute, which trains students as teachers and catechists.

The first edition discusses the plight of refugees and features an interview with a teenage refugee living in Ireland. Subsequent issues explore the celebration of faith, how someone becomes a saint, information about Pope Francis, and much more.

Faith Quille says that the supplement aims to be a valuable extra resource for students of secondary level Religious Education, covering topics relating to themes on the syllabus. “I have found that students retain information given in concrete examples. I believe that this applies even more when the example is one that they can relate to, such as a personality their own age or a celebrity they are interested in.”

Catriona Maher of Messenger says that RE:LINK is different from other publications in that it offers up-to-date information and examples in the way that textbooks cannot. There is also a lively website with extra material for students and teachers showcasing information in a way that students can relate to, whether it be celebrity profiles, interviews with others their own age or competitions.

Every month there is a competition related to the theme of the issue, with prizes for the best entries. Faith and the team at Messenger are delighted with the response to the first supplement and welcome ideas, comments and feedback regarding future issues.

RE:LINK can be found in the centre pages of The Sacred Heart Messenger magazine, which can be bought in many newsagents around the country, as well as from local promoters in your area. You can also subscribe online to the Messenger. It is priced at €1.50/ £1.25. There are discounts available for schools subscriptions.

You can also email RE:LINK: [email protected], or call the Messenger office: 01 7758523.