Catechism class at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in North Charleston over the weekend was a little out of the ordinary: The children were preparing to commune with the dead. The parish, whose ...

A photo of the author's First Communion, along with a souvenir from the ceremony (Gustavo Arellano / Los Angeles Times) In the spring of 1997, my sister and I took catechism classes at our home parish ...

Those attending Sister's catechism class better follow her rules — or they could find themselves on stage with their noses pressed against the blackboard, in the circle of silence, or sitting in the ...

In the spring of 1997, my sister and I took catechism classes at our home parish, St. Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim. Once a week, we joined about 20 other teens in the basement of the massive ...