SPRED is a catholic organisation, which forms part of the catechetical department within the Archdiocese of Johannesburg that supports the religious, spiritual, social and emotional development of people with an intellectual disability.
SPRED is an acronym that stands for SPECIAL RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENT but it also stands for accepting the challenge, and the privilege of assisting people with intellectual disabilities to participate fully in the liturgical life of the Church. It uses the method of symbolic catechesis (Method Vivre)
Our group consists of a group of volunteers (8) who commit to forming a small faith community to support our friends’ faith development by developing relationships of love, acceptance and welcome.
La Rochelle SPRED group have been assisting our friends since 2003 and currently we have 5 faith friends. We are constantly looking for volunteers especially men as well as people with intellectual disabilities in our parish that want to grow in their faith. The group meets 28 times a year for 3 hours at a time
Our vision statement is: To integrate socially, psychologically and spiritually in parish worship. Children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities, recognizing their individual value, attributes and contributions to society and the Church.