BRAINTREE -- When the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated remote learning in the spring, students and their families were forced to examine how education can take place at home. Now, as the possibility of a new surge of the virus overshadows the start of the academic year, Catholic homeschooling organizations are reporting increases in inquiries from families that are considering homeschooling or hybrid learning as an alternative to public school or remote instruction.

Homeschooling, where parents teach their children at home, is distinct from remote learning, where teachers orchestrate students' curriculum. Even before the pandemic, there were resources for Catholic homeschooling families in the archdiocese. The Pilot spoke with several Catholic leaders, practitioners, and supporters of homeschooling about the benefits and challenges of this model of learning.

Jane Richard's family was one of four families that became interested in homeschooling 25 years ago.

"We felt called to grow deeper in our vocation of marriage, and we realized that in order to have an influence and pass on Catholic values and virtues to our children, the best way to do that was through homeschooling," Richard said in an Aug. 14 interview.

She and the other parents realized that they knew very few people who were homeschooling, and there was little in the way of support or resources to learn more about it.

"We were hungry to grow deeper in our faith and to live out our vocations in a much deeper way, but there was no way to find each other," she said.

Together, the families co-founded Catholic Homeschoolers in Massachusetts East, or CHIME, a parent-led group that coordinates events and activities for Catholic homeschooling families. Its activities include field trips, First Friday Masses, and a Vocations Day at St. John's Seminary. Participants have even gone on pilgrimages to Europe together.

Richard now serves as an advisor for CHIME. Her four children are now adults, and two of them plan to begin homeschooling their own children.

Jennifer Kearns and her husband discussed homeschooling even before they had children, and began researching it when their eldest child was about to begin kindergarten. Kearns reached out to CHIME to learn more about homeschooling and connect with other homeschooling parents. Her family has now been involved with CHIME for eight years. Kearns' children are currently in grades eight, six, four, and kindergarten.

Kearns said she appreciates the "flexibility" of being able to use different educational tools and methods. Learning is not limited to a specific time, but continues throughout the day. Although her children work on curriculum suited for their respective age levels, as a family they take time to participate in some learning activities together, such as reading stories from Greek mythology, the Bible, or Church history.

Some homeschooling programs involve meeting with other families so their children can study together some of the time. Kari Beckman is the founder and executive director of Regina Caeli Academy, an independent Catholic university-style learning program that has students learn in a classroom for two days and at home for three days each week. It is now in its 18th year, with locations in 16 cities throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. In the Archdiocese of Boston, it is hosted at St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish in Dedham.

For Catholic families, a primary benefit of homeschooling is the ability to incorporate the faith into daily activities. CHIME and Regina Caeli Academy center their culture around the sacraments, feast days, and liturgical seasons. Beckman said Regina Caeli does this by "teaching the students to rejoice" and "bringing a lot of the joy of the faith alive in the hearts and minds of our students."

"It's a beautiful environment, where we really celebrate the life of the Church," Beckman said.

Kearns said that being able to talk about faith throughout the day benefits both her and her children.

"We all learn together. So that's a wonderful opportunity to be able to learn our faith, to practice it, and to live it in all the different things that we do," Kearns said.

Aside from the spiritual benefits, Richard said the best thing that has resulted from homeschooling has been the strengthening of relationships within her family and between the CHIME families.

"The relationships and the depth of this lifestyle change is extraordinary. The blessings are incredible," Richard said.

Richard said the closing of schools and transition to remote learning allowed parents to "see the strengths and weaknesses" of learning at home. More people are reaching out to organizations like CHIME and Regina Caeli to learn about homeschooling options during the pandemic.

"I think that's a good that's coming out of it," Beckman said.

Father Edward Riley, the director of pastoral formation at St. John's Seminary, serves as the liaison and spiritual director for homeschooling families in the archdiocese. He holds Masses for homeschooling groups, helps to arrange for students to receive sacraments, and connects people interested in homeschooling with families who already practice it.

Even before the pandemic, Father Riley said, homeschooling had been gaining popularity in the United States.

He noted that one common concern is that homeschooled children will not develop social skills the way they would in a school. In actuality, many homeschooling families are involved with their parish and wider community, and homeschooled children can participate in other schools' sports and extracurricular activities. Additionally, because homeschooling is becoming "more prominent," Father Riley said, there are more opportunities for homeschooled children to interact with other children.

"It's almost as if they're having the same social interaction as if you were in a school system with 20 children in a classroom," Father Riley said.

He said that homeschooling requires "personal character," the ability to be disciplined, organized, and patient. He said he would encourage people considering homeschooling to talk to families who already practice it, and to evaluate their own abilities.

Both Richard and Father Riley pointed out that homeschooling is not a permanent commitment, but can be done for a period of time. Father Riley said this can be helpful if a child is transitioning between schools or if something disrupts their academic year. Sometimes, he said, parents are more comfortable homeschooling for earlier grades, but stop as the curriculum becomes more advanced and specialized for higher grade levels. Richard said her family decided one year at a time, ultimately continuing for 10 years.

"It's such a wonderful opportunity, even if you only do it for a year. We're here to help any Catholic homeschooling family who needs support," Richard said.

Parents interested in learning more about Catholic homeschooling can contact Father Edward Riley at 617-746-5425 or rev.edward.riley@sjs.edu.