Weekly religious instruction is provided to public school children in grades 1 through 8. Classes are offered for grades 1-6 on Wednesdays from 3:45-4:45pm and 5:15-6:15pm. Grades 7 and 8 meet on Wednesdays from 6:45-8:15pm.
Our Catechesis program provides opportunities for children to grow in their faith through instruction in Catholic beliefs and traditions, participation in prayer and an understanding of how to live their faith each day.
Faith Formation is the best gift we can hand down to our children. At a child’s Baptism, each parent accepts the responsibility of training their child in the practice of the faith. The Church teaches that the parent’s role in the formation of Christian values in their children is irreplaceable. Our program aims to help you in your responsibility to pass down the teachings of Jesus revealed through His church.
Grade 2 will be prepared to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion. Grades 7 & 8 will be prepared to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
PREP fees are:
1 child - $75
2 children - $150
3 children - $180
4+ children - $200
Curriculum and Grade Scope - Our parish uses the Spirit of Truth curriculum through the Sophia Institute. Each grade has a specific focus for the year:
1st Grade: God Is Love - Students begin to develop an awareness of God as our Father in heaven, the creator of Heaven and earth, Who is all good, Who created them in His image and likeness, and Who loves them unconditionally.
2nd Grade: Our Life in Jesus - This year focuses on how much children are loved by Jesus Christ, and how His death and Resurrection has opened the way to Heaven. Students will be preparing to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion.
3rd Grade: The Kingdom of God and the Church - Students learn what the Catholic Church is, who the Holy Spirit is and how He guides Her, and what it means that Jesus continues His mission through Her.
4th Grade: Jesus Teaches Us How to Live - Most of this year focuses on the moral life, our loving response to God's great gift to us, and students explore more deeply what it means to be created in the image and likeness of God.
5th Grade: The Sacraments - This year provides an in-depth exploration of God's grace in the Sacraments, with a focus on what a Sacrament is and why Jesus instituted them.
6th Grade: Sacred Scripture - Students spend this year immersed in God's Word in the Sacred Scriptures and explore how the Bible communicates God's plan of salvation to us.
7th Grade/Confirmation Year 1: Living as a Disciple of Christ - This year includes four units in which students explore the topics of:
Volunteers Needed - Catechists, Catechist Aides, and Substitute Catechists provide an indispensible service to our children and their families by sharing their faith and giving their time to explain the teachings of the Catholic Church. An additional benefit, catechists deepen their own faith through the experience of teaching it to others. PREP fees are waived for parents who volunteer as catechists. If you feel called to share the faith with our children, please contact Holly Keller at [email protected].
Catechists must be at least 18 years old, be practicing their Catholic faith, and pass a background check.