ST PATRICK PARISH

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2019-2020

Dear Parents,

          Before you click HERE for the registration form, please continuing reading.  As you no doubt know, the education of your children in the Faith is a solemn responsibility that every Catholic parent accepts at baptism.  While it is first and foremost your responsibility to take them to Mass and teach them to pray and love God, the parish has an important role in supporting you in those efforts.

The Religious Education program at St Patrick has increasingly faced obstacles in providing you that support, chief among them is the increasingly busy schedule of parents and children that drains a tremendous amount of energy out of everyone.  This of course contributes to the second challenge, which is finding enough parents to volunteer as catechists.  What follows below is a new Religious Education Program for St Patrick that is intended to help alleviate these challenges and better serve your children.

Beginning Fall 2019, there will be TWO options for Religious Education.  You will need to select the option(s) that you feel will best serve your child(ren).  Note:  You can choose different options for different children, but once chosen, cannot be changed during the year.  Both options are based on the familiar Faith and Life books we’ve been using and will cover the basic “material” of the Faith that your children should be learning.   Summaries of both options are on the opposite side. 

The Sunday School option will look much like our current classes.  This option allows children to satisfy their obligation to go to Mass (without which, frankly, Religious Education is meaningless) and attend their classes at the same visit to St Patrick.  Having one session between the English and Spanish Masses will allow catechists from both communities to be catechists (Ideally at least two per class).  Because of the new Mass schedule, it will also be easier for priests to spend time with the kids.   For parents choosing Sunday School, we will set up a “lounge” in the school or cafeteria (TBD) in which they can spend some time before or after Mass (as applicable) waiting for their children if they are not volunteering as catechists…Hint, please consider volunteering! 

The Online Program option is intended to give parents and children a more flexible option to learn the content of the Faith.  Parents will need to monitor their kid’s progress (without which they will not be allowed to advance to the next level), but the teaching and content is imbedded into the online program.  To supplement the online content, we will also have two grades come each week (see summary on next page) on Tuesdays into the church where one of the priests will provide a living experience of our Faith with prayer and explanations of the Faith.  Click HERE for some more detailed information and requirements.

Religious Education Options (Select 1 for Each Child)

 Sunday School

• Time: 9:35-10:25 AM
• Dates: Most Sundays through the Religious Education year (schedule TBD)
• Where: St Patrick Parish Center (formerly the school building)
• Completion Requirements: 75% Attendance throughout the year. 
• Cost: 1 child ($150), 2 children ($200), 3+ children ($250)

 OR

On-line Course at Home

• Time: At your discretion
• Dates:   Must simply be completed by end of Religious Education year.
• Where: At home. On-line access and computer/tablet required. 
• Completion Requirements: Successful completion of the course with online tests (monitored by St Patrick online) and are required for the reception of sacraments (First Communion & Confirmation)
• Cost: 1 child ($150), 2 children ($200), 3+ children ($250)
• Supplements: To give the online children a weekly experience in the church, the they are invited to come once a month on the following schedule.  These sessions will be run by the parish priests and focus on giving the children an experience of prayer, music, and and explanations of the church and our Faith.  The specific schedule to To Be Determined.
  • Week 1:
    • Grades 1 & 2 @ 4:15 – 5:15 PM (with 1^st Communion emphasis)
    • Grades 5 & 6 @ 7:00 – 8:00 PM
  • Week 2:
    • Grades 3 & 4 @ 4:15 – 5:15 PM
    • Grades 7 & 8 @ 7:00 – 8:00 PM (with Confirmation emphasis)

For all questions about the program and registration, please email Bernadette Heym at [email protected].