At St Mary’s Church, we believe that religious education is a lifelong process and that parents are the primary spiritual and moral educators of their children. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says so beautifully,
Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child’s earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents” (Catechism, 2226]).
Our responsibility as a parish church is to support parents in their role as the primary teachers and evangelists of their families. Through our full range of Religious Education programs, we seek to give the children in our care the knowledge, experience, and skills necessary to become faithful and fruitful disciples of Jesus.
Structure of Programs:
Preschool Classes Ages 3 & 4
Sunday morning during 9.00 am Mass.
September - April
Religious Education Grades 1st – 8th
Wednesday 6.30 PM- 7.30 PM.
Parent Meeting 2nd Wednesday of the month
6.30 PM - 7.30 PM.
September — April
Homeschool & St Joseph’s Confirmation Students.
If you homeschool or you have a child enrolled at St Joe’s Middle School, it is important to register with the Religious Education office using the appropriate registration form.
This year at St Mary's we are using the Spirit of Truth Parish edition (Grades 1-8) curriculum from the Sophia Institute for Teachers. The format is weekly in person instruction with monthly parent meetings.
Religious Education Contact
Please contact:
Linda Jackson
Director of Catechesis and Congregational Care