Religious Education

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 mornings during 9.00 am Mass                                                                  September - April

 

Religious Education Grades 1st – 8th*
Preparatory courses for Baptized children to receive the Sacraments of First Communion (typically in 2nd Grade), and Confirmation (typically in 8th Grade).

*The format is weekly in-person instruction, along with monthly mandatory parent meetings.

Wednesdays 6.30 PM - 7.30 PM                                                                  September — April

 

Christian Initiation for Youth
Preparatory courses for children 10-18 years old who still need to receive one or more of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation. Parallel course to the Christian Initiation of Adults (Introduction to Catholicism), but the format is tailored for the age of the students.

Wednesdays 6.30 PM - 7.30 PM                                                                        September — April