Religious Education

Coordinator of Religious Education: Tiffany Tate    (To send an e-mail, click her name.)

 

The Formation and Catechesis of all Catholics is a very important and serious duty. We strive to help all of our parishioners in increasing their knowledge of the Catholic Faith in order to more fully live it. We assist especially in the preparation of all who will receive the Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Marriage. Opportunities are provided for on-going catechesis and education within the life of the parish through Parish Missions, Adult Education Classes, etc.  

The Religious Education Program (CCD) for our youth at both Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady, Queen of All Saints Parishes is comprised of two sections: 1) the elementary program for grades First to Eight and 2) and the Confirmation program for grades Nine to Eleven.

 

FORMS AND DOWNLOADS

2019-2020 Registration Form for Grades 1-8

2019-2020 Registration Form for 2nd Grade (First Holy Communion Program)

2019-2020 Registration Form for Grades 9-11 (Confirmation Program)

Note: Registration for grades 9-11 (Confirmation Program) must include copy of Baptismal certificate

2019-2020 SCHEDULE:

CCD Elem Schedule (Grades 1-8)

CCD HS Schedule (Grades 9-11)

 

ELEMENTARY PROGRAM 

Our elementary program strives to incorporate the concept of the value of parents being the first and most important teachers of the faith in the lives of their children. Our program is essentially an “at home” program where parents (or another family member) teach children at home using textbooks and study guides provided by the Parish, and the children are interviewed monthly on their knowledge of the material.

Over the course of approximately 8 months [from September through April], the CCD students and their parents meet once per month with our CCD team in the Hall at the Family Life Center of Our Lady, Queen of All Saints, where the parents listen to a speaker. At the same time, the CCD team tests the students on their progress in the learning of the material. The sessions begin at 6:00 pm and end around 7:00 pm.

ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM

Our program uses the Faith and Life series in grades One through Eight. http://www.ignatius.com/promotions/faithandlife/index.htm

Starting with First Grade, the children are taught about how special they are to God, their families and themselves.

Grade 1: Our Heavenly Father

Theme
Introduction to the Holy Trinity through presentations on God the Father, the life of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God’s plan of salvation and our part in that plan. Acquaints children with Mary, angels, and the saints. Children learn basic prayers.

Sequence
• Ch. 1-8: The Old Testament, God our Creator; our home in Heaven lost through original sin; the world prepares for the Savior.
• Ch. 9-21: The Incarnation, life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus.
• Ch. 22-28: The Holy Spirit, the Church, and Mary our mother.

Aim
To introduce first-grade students to the Church’s faith regarding the Triune God, the life of Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the life of prayer, with a special emphasis on growing to know, love, and trust God.

Grade 2: Jesus Our Life

Theme
Preparation for the first reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion, with the law of God and salvation history as background. The lesson emphasizes God’s mercy and love. Covers Creation, the Covenant with Moses, the Ten Commandments, Redemption, Forgiveness of Sins, and the Mass.

Sequence
• Ch. 1-16: God teaches us through his law; we obey through love
• Ch. 17-23: We find forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ sacrifice.
• Ch. 24-34: We prepare for life in Heaven by reception of Jesus in the Eucharist and our life in the Church.

Aim
To prepare second-grade students for the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, and to help them appreciate God’s love for them shown in these two sacraments. Students will learn how to receive the Sacrament of Confession, the order of the Mass, and the basics of prayer.

Grade 3: Our Life with Jesus

Theme
God’s plan of salvation, from creation to the Incarnation and Redemption to the birth of the Church at Pentecost and our life in the Church. Special emphasis on the importance of Confession, Communion and the Mass.

Sequence
• Ch. 1-7: The Old Testament Covenant with God.
• Ch. 8-14: Obedience through love of God and his laws. In Confession we meet Jesus in his mercy.
• Ch. 15-25: The life of Jesus and the Sacrifice of the Mass.
• Ch. 26-30: Our part in the Church born of the Holy Spirit; our relationship with Mary and the Communion of Saints.

Aim
To show third-grade students that they belong to God’s chosen people and that the child’s family is an important part of God’s family, the Church. Also, to encourage prayer and love for God’s law.

Grade 4: Jesus Our Guide

Theme God’s plan to save his people from sin (Salvation History), how we participate in that plan, and the many ways God helps us in our pilgrimage on earth to Heaven through his word, his law, and his Church.

Sequence
• B.C. Before Christ
Ch. 1-14: The fall and the first murder. The sin and suffering of mankind. God chooses his people and their leaders
• A.D. In the Year of Our Lord
Ch. 15-30: History changes when Jesus the King comes. Through grace, especially in the sacraments, we receive the strength to do good.

Aim
To help fourth-grade students understand their purpose and goal in life, and to see God’s plan in history and society to lead us all to Heaven, our true, eternal home.

Grade 5: Credo: I Believe

Theme
A thorough study of the articles of the Creed as the basic belief of our Catholic faith, with a special emphasis on careful understanding of definitions through the words of the Gospels, and the prophets, and the prayers of the Church.

Sequence
•Unit 1: God the Father of All. The Old Testament and mankind’s participation in and loss of God’s life
•Unit 2: God the Son, the Redeemer. The fulfillment of God’s plan in Christ, God and Man.
•Unit 3: God, the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier. Our call to holiness and witness in the Church.

Aim
To help fifth-grade students acquire a solid knowledge of God and his Church through the understanding of the Creed we profess, and the distinguished truths of our faith from errors that lead away from the love of God.

Grade 6: Following Christ

Theme
The blueprint for a life of love: the law of God, especially in the Ten Commandments, and the presence of Jesus in the Holy Mass. The interaction of the challenges of God’s law and his gifts of grace that help us fulfill his law.

Sequence
• Part 1: The Ten Commandments. Forming the conscience and increasing closeness to God
• Part 2: The Holy Mass. An emphasis on the Real Presence and Christ’s sacrifice and explanation of the parts of the Mass
•Part 3: The Last Things. Death and God’s judgment of us, with an emphasis on the great happiness of Heaven.

Aim
To help sixth-grade students learn to love the moral law as Christ did and to cherish and love the Mass as our best prayer to God, and especially to revere and adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Grade 7: The Life of Grace

Theme
Grace as our link with God, his gift to us to bring us to Himself and his eternal life, with an emphasis on transmission of grace through the seven sacraments and on God’s loving gifts of revelation, of himself through the prophets, the Incarnation, and the Church. The role of grace in developing the virtues.

Sequence
•Part 1: God Reveals Himself. The revelation of God through creation, the prophets, and to the chosen people.
•Part 2: God becomes Man. Jesus, true God and true Man, Priest and Sacrifice.
•Part 3:God Shares His Life. The operation of grace in our lives, in developing the virtues especially through each sacrament.

Aim
To help seventh-grade students treasure the sacraments as indispensable to a full Christian life of love and truth. To understand how grace works and its relation to practicing the virtues, and to appreciate our gifts of reason and faith.

Grade 8: Our Life in the Church

Theme
The history of the Church — its founding by Christ, its birth in the Holy Spirit, the marks of the one, true Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the saints and the role of the religious and laity up to the present. The structure of the Church Jesus planned, the role of the Magisterium, the clergy, the religious and the laity and our own vocations.

Sequence
•Part 1: The Church. Christ’s plan for the Church’s structure and its necessary attributes; the Church’s teaching authority. The early Church: Martyrs, Fathers, Saints and Mary.
•Part 2: The Christian in the World. Religious and laity, Holy Orders, Marriage, and family life; call to holiness.
•Part 3: The Last Things. Death, Judgment, the end of the world.

Aim
To help eighth-grade students know and love the Church as Christ’s Body, and respond to the teaching of the Magisterium as the sure voice of Jesus, so that young people may be strengthened through their lives in the Church to face the confusion and secularism of modern-day society.

Our goal is for our students to know the Word of God, the life of Christ Jesus, the Holy Catholic Church and and to grow in the understanding of how important prayer is in our life.

 

CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

The Confirmation Program is comprised of grades Nine through Eleven.

Over the course of approximately 8 months [from September through April], students in the Confirmation Program meet twice per month with our Confirmation team in the Hall at the Family Life Center of Our Lady, Queen of All Saints. The sessions begin at 6:00 pm and end at 7:30 pm.

The requirements for receiving the Confirmation in the 11th grade include (each year, 9-11):

1. Regular attendance at the weekend Masses of these parishes (or another Catholic Church).

2. Attendance at all scheduled classes, special events, retreats and ceremonies. Absences must be excused before the scheduled class or event by the Pastor or DRE.

3. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament four hours per year (two times as a class and two other times with a parent/guardian). All candidates must sign in or complete an Adoration form.

***Note: Confirmation Candidates who miss more than two classes, Sunday Masses, or do not complete the other requirements each year without a valid reason (serious illness) determined by the DRE WILL NOT REMAIN IN THE CONFIRMATION PROGRAM.

CONFIRMATION CURRICULUM

Our Confirmation Program uses the Chosen Program.

Chosen is a 24-lesson program to prepare students intellectually and spiritually to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. This program both catechizes and challenges teens to fully embrace a life in Christ. Chosen is a dynamic learning experience centered around fully integrated video and workbook lessons. Guides for leaders, parents, and sponsors have been seamlessly incorporated. Chosen takes your teen on a comprehensive journey through all of the richness and vitality of the Catholic Faith.

Chosen Lesson Titles:

Lesson 1: “Why am I here?” (An Introduction to Chosen)

Lesson 2: “What makes me happy?” (Discovering God as the Source)

Lesson 3: “What’s your story, God?” (A Look at Salvation History)

Lesson 4: “How do I know God is real?” (Understanding Divine Revelation)

Lesson 5: “Who is Jesus?” (The Person and Mission of Christ)

Lesson 6: “Why be Catholic?” (Discovering the Church Jesus Founded)

Lesson 7: “Where am I going?” (A Look at the Four Last Things)

Lesson 8: “How do I get there?” (The Power and Purpose of the Sacraments)

Lesson 9: “When did my journey begin?” (Baptism, Your Initiation into God’s Family)

Lesson 10: “Why tell my sins to a priest?” (The Healing Power of Confession)

Lesson 11: “How does God help when it hurts?” (Anointing of the Sick and Redemptive Suffering)

Lesson 12: “Who is the Holy Spirit?” (Meeting the Third Person of the Trinity)

Lesson 13: “What does the Holy Spirit do for me?” (Gifts for the Journey)

Lesson 14: “Why have I been Chosen?” (Sealed and Sent in Confirmation)

Lesson 15: “Why do I have to go to Mass?” (Encountering Jesus in the Eucharist)

Lesson 16: “What does it mean to say, ‘I do’?” (Marriage, a Sign of God’s Love)

Lesson 17: “Who’s calling?” (Holy Orders and Vocational Discernment)

Lesson 18: “Are you talking to me?” (Getting to Know God Through Prayer)

Lesson 19: “Who is Mary?” (Meeting the Mother of God – and Your Heavenly Family)

Lesson 20: “What would Jesus do?” (The Beatitudes as a Path to True Happiness)

Lesson 21: “Do I have what it takes?” (Building Virtue – Your Spiritual Workout)

Lesson 22: “Why wait?” (God’s Plan for Love and Sex)

Lesson 23: “How do I build the kingdom?” (Saying “Yes” to the Mission of Christ and His Church)

Lesson 24: “Where do I go from here?” (The Journey Continues)