Welcome to CRECHE!

CRECHE was established in 1999 by a small group of Catholic homeschooling families to help support the efforts of parents as primary educators, to teach their children at home. We've not only grown in numbers, but have also grown in our Catholic faith, realizing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Faithful to the Catholic Magesterium guided by the Pope and the bishops in union with him, we unabashedly promote homeschooling as an intellectually and spiritually rewarding alternative to traditional educational methods. Open to homeschooling or non-homeschooling families in the Fox Valley/western suburbs of Chicago, CRECHE provides activities that encourage friendship and vibrant family life, striving to help members grow as disciples, bringing Christ to the world.

A Focus on Imitating the Holy Family

The Holy Family models for us what family life should exemplify. It is a school of virtue for both parents and children. There we find God, and learn how to connect with God and with others. The family is where love is freely given without self-interest. It is where we learn to love, to pray and to practice the gift of charity. Pope John Paul II has said, “The family, more than any other human reality, is the place in which the person is loved for himself and in which he learns to live the sincere gift of self” (Nov. 27, 2002).

Saint John Baptist de la Salle Teacher's Prayer

I want to teach my students how
To live this life on earth.
To face its struggles and its strife
And to improve their worth.
Not just the lesson in a book
Or how the rivers flow,
But how to choose the proper path
Wherever they may go.
To understand eternal truth
and know right from wrong,
And gather all the beauty
Of a flower and a song.
For if I help the world to grow
In wisdom and in grace,
Then I shall feel that I have won
And I have filled my place.
And so I ask Your guidance, God,
That I may do my part
For character and confidence
And happiness of heart.