Family, Become What You Are

Thursday the Church keeps the feast of St. John Paul II, set on October 22 because that was the day in 1978 he began his pontificate, telling the world, “Be not afraid.” Few popes have written more about the family. In Familiaris Consortio he called the home “a school of deeper humanity,” the phrase behind one of our taglines for The Formative Home this year, and he gave Catholic families a simple charge: family, become what you are. He saw the home as the first place a child meets Christ and the first mission field the Church has, which fits the season, since this past Sunday was World Mission Sunday. The faith is handed on first at the kitchen table, long before it reaches the ends of the earth. This week, read a few lines of his words aloud at dinner, and pray together for missionaries far from home.

Be not afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ.
— St. John Paul II, October 22, 1978

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Happening at CHECH

Fetal Pig Dissection Lab at HMNS

On Friday, October 30, at 9:30 a.m., students in grades 8 through 12 will dissect a real fetal pig specimen at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, exploring mammalian anatomy and physiology hands-on, the kind of lab that is hard to do well at the kitchen table. Registered families also get free access to the museum’s permanent exhibits that day. Hands-on lab work like this belongs on a high school transcript, so log the hours toward biology or anatomy lab credit. Spots are open, so invite your student’s friends: share the flyer with your co-op, parish youth group, or homeschool friends. Register at chechtx.org/enrichments.

Nature Spotlight

Plant Something This Fall

In Houston, fall is planting season. The heat breaks, and lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, and carrots all go into the ground now. Plant a small fall bed together, even a single raised box or a few pots on the patio, and give each child a share in its care: watering, weeding, checking for the first sprouts. A garden teaches what the rest of the home teaches more slowly, that good things take patience, responsibility, and faithful tending. Radishes come up within a week, a quick reward for the youngest gardeners.

Upcoming in Houston

UST College Fair at Cathedral High School | Wed Oct 28, 6–8 p.m. | Cathedral High School, 7726 Westview Dr., Houston | Meet University of St. Thomas admissions, financial aid, and academic department representatives, and learn about majors and student life

Help Your Teen Stay Confident Through College Planning: BigFuture | Oct 28 | Free webinar | Supporting your teen’s well-being and reducing stress during application season

NACAC Houston STEM College & Career Fair | Sun Nov 1, 1–4 p.m. | UH Student Center South | Free, register ahead | Not just for STEM students; colleges scan your registration barcode

West Houston Thunder Homeschool Baseball Tryouts | Mon Nov 2, 5 p.m. | Memorial Ashford Little League | Free, register by Oct 30 | Middle and high school, spring 2027 season

Ora et Labora: A Family Day of Prayer and Service | Sat Nov 7, 8:30 a.m.–4:45 p.m. | Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart | Free, RSVP for food | Liturgy of the Hours and family service projects | Come for a morning, an afternoon, or all day

High School Recollections: Sheridan and Westcott Study Centers | Sat Nov 7 | Monthly mini-retreats for high schoolers | Girls, 1:30–5 p.m. at Sheridan, followed by a hangout | Boys, 4–8 p.m. at Westcott, with the Way of the Cross, a talk, Benediction, and dinner out

Long Acres Ranch Homeschool Science: Pedology | Nov 10–12, 9–11 a.m. | $5 cash | Ages 8+ | The study of soil | Register online; spots fill fast and there’s no late entry

Showcase Saturday at UST | Sat Nov 14, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | University of St. Thomas | Free, registration required | Meet admissions, explore programs, and tour campus  

Free Science Programs — Texas Wildlife Association | Free TEKS-aligned science programs for grades K–12 | Water cycle, adaptations, life cycles, soil, food chains, and more

Wyoming Catholic College

This month our families are tending fall gardens and paying closer attention to the world outside the door. Wyoming Catholic College builds an entire education on that kind of attention. Every student begins college with a 21-day wilderness expedition in the Rocky Mountains, climbing high passes, summiting 13,000-foot peaks, and studying what the college calls “God’s First Book,” with a priest traveling alongside each group to offer the sacraments. Outdoor leadership continues through all four years, alongside a liberal arts curriculum in the Great Books, all in the shadow of Wyoming’s Wind River Range. It is formation in wonder, endurance, and leadership.  High schoolers can try it first through the PEAK Summer Program, two weeks for rising juniors and seniors: seminar classes in the morning, then rock climbing, horsemanship, and a four-day backpacking trip in the Absaroka Wilderness, with daily Mass and screens set aside. Find Wyoming Catholic among our partners on the CHECH Partnerships page.