Mission Statement
Knowledge of God, understanding of the Catholic faith, building a relationship with Jesus, serving the community and the wider world is the primary focus of our program. Families are provided with the tools to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ together.
Philosophy
We commit to providing the highest quality catechetical education for our students. We offer support to our parents in their role as the primary catechists of their children.
We provide communal worship which is central to our lives as a faith community. This worship includes Sunday Mass, prayer services, prayer during class, and opportunities to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. Offering these prayer experiences helps the children understand that our relationship with God is developed more fully through prayer and community worship.
We bestow upon the students that knowledge of Christ and our Catholic faith must also lead to action in the world. For this reason, we provide opportunities for families to be of service in our community and beyond.
Program
Our Religious Education Program serves children in Pre-K through 8th grade. Classes of 24 children or less are taught by teams of volunteer catechists. The catechists are trained and meet regularly with the director of religious education. Classes are in session from September through May from 10:45 to 11:45. While the children attend class parents are invited to gather in the school cafeteria for hospitality and conversation.
As families attend Mass together the formation they receive is manifold. At the 9:30 Masses we offer
Liturgy of the Word for Children. A special Family Mass is held once a month at the 9:30 Mass in the church. Children are invited to serve as liturgical ministers.
Curriculum
Pre-K:
Stories of God’s Love – RCL Benziger
"
Stories of God’s Love is a religion-readiness program that has been developed by experts in preschool education and by catechetical specialists in accordance with the
Guidelines for Pre-School Materials provided by the Catechism Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Stories of God’s Love is rooted in the use of stories. Children listen to and role-play Bible stories and life stories that are related to each other. The Bible story serves as the foundational story, while the life story applies the message of the Bible story to present day life situations that reflect the everyday lives of preschoolers. This gives preschoolers the opportunity to discover the meaning of the Bible story and then apply it and integrate it into their lives.
The focus of
Stories of God’s Love is Jesus Christ, the Revelation of God’s love. Through Jesus, young children come to discover that God always loves them. Jesus, God’s own Son, invites them to be his friends and to live in friendship with him and with others. The young children also discover themselves as members of the family of the Church, the community of friends of Jesus. They join with the Church family to give thanks and praise to God for the gift of his love. It provides a readiness for the preschooler’s growth in the Catholic faith and a foundation in their identity as a Christian.”
-RCL Benziger
Kindergarten – Sixth Grade
Blest Are We – RCL Benziger
"The Blest Are We program begins with children on their journey of faith. The program recognizes the invaluable formation in faith that comes from a home where the Catholic faith is valued and practiced. In this environment the growing child sees family members in harmony with one another and with God. The Blest Are We program seeks to do as much as possible to support and extend the influence of the home community of faith, often referred to as the 'Church of the home.'
The program recognizes that each young person is part of a larger community of faith that is the local parish. The whole parish is the place where faith is nurtured through experiences the growing child has from the time of infancy. The child experiences liturgical rituals, various expressions of faith, and relationships with people of faith. Through these and other experiences the young person is a part of ‘the living and permanent environment for growth in the faith’ (GDC 158).
An important part of the life of the parish through which the young person grows in faith is the catechetical program. Here the young person learns about the Catholic faith in its belief, worship, morality, and prayer. These are the four pillars of the Catholic faith as set forth in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The program follows the same four pillars in providing the parish with the lessons on Catholic belief and worship, morality and prayer. The program supports the work of the believing community with learning materials, prayer celebrations, community building experiences, and ideas for developing an awareness of the need for peace and justice in the world. In all this, the focus is on the maturing faith of the young people who are such a big part of the parish community.”
-RCL Benziger
Seventh Grade
Creed: A Course on Catholic Belief – Sadlier Inc
Following Jesus – Loyola Press
The Creed: Faith and Witness: “Sadlier’s Faith and Witness Program” is a creative response to the needs of adolescents in the Catholic Church. It is rooted in a desire to serve effectively these young people. At the heart of the program is ‘a person, the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only son from the Father.’ And its aim is to draw adolescents into communion with Jesus Christ” (
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 426).
The Creed – A Course on Catholic Belief: “It is through divine revelation that we come to know God through the knowledge God has of himself. The gift of faith enables us to respond to this divine revelation.”
-William H. Sadlier
“
Following Jesus creates a climate that appeals to the senses and opens hearts and minds to the work of the Holy Spirit. Following Jesus weaves together experiences in prayer, scripture, Catholic Social Teaching, and Liturgy for young people.
We nourish a relationship with God through prayer – traditional, reflective, liturgical, and praying with scripture. Experiences of prayer in
Following Jesus model and invite us to pray from within the truths we explore each time we gather.
The program embraces the challenge that ‘easy access to Sacred Scripture should be provided for all.’ Scripture sets the foundation for the truths that are reflected upon in each gathering. The authentic teaching of the church is revealed through both Scripture and tradition.
Following Jesus calls us to live our faith as people for others. Our faith is shared in our commitment to the principles of Catholic social teaching. The program helps young people connect their faith to the celebration of faith at Mass and invites all of the faithful to join in a more meaningful participation in the Church’s sacramental and liturgical life.”
-Loyola Press
Eighth Grade
The Spirit Sets Us Free – Sadlier Inc
“A versatile program for Confirmation preparation that effectively addresses the Catechism of the Catholic Church's call for Confirmation preparation, leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit."
-Sadlier Inc
Children Preparing for the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Children in second grade prepare to receive their First Communion on the first Saturday in May. Children in both Saint Clement School and the Religious Education program use a text,
The Gift of Eucharist. The text has both classroom and family components. Parents are encouraged to work at home with their child, completing lessons together using their family text. Parents and children also attend a parent/child retreat in order to prepare themselves to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Our community of faith prays for these families throughout their time of preparation, beginning with a Family Mass when the entire assembly along with the celebrant blesses all of our second graders.
Children Preparing to Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Children receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during third grade, after they have received their First Eucharist. In other parishes, it is more customary for children to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before their First Communion. We have found over the years that a child in third grade is better able to understand the concepts of sin and forgiveness. And this allows each child and family to have time to focus on the sacraments one at a time. However, if any parents would prefer that their child receive Reconciliation before First Eucharist, we are certainly more than willing to accommodate their wishes.
Our students use a text,
The Gift of Reconciliation, to prepare themselves to receive God’s gift of all-encompassing forgiveness. Parents receive a family text so that they too can work with their child to prepare for this great gift. Parents and children pray together at a special retreat and learn to examine their conscience. Our faith community prays for parents and students throughout this process. A blessing for our children is prayed at one of our Family Masses.
Children Preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation
Students in seventh and eighth grade prepare to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Since students this age are mature enough to make their own decision about receiving this sacrament, the students are responsible for their own work, independent of their parents. However, parents are encouraged to support their child and be present through the preparation process. Preparation begins in January of the 7th grade year beginning with a parent/student meeting. Students receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in 8th grade.
Religious Education Advisory Board
The Religious Education Advisory Board meets monthly throughout the year with Director of Religious Education to discuss both long-term and short-term program goals and projects. The following parents are members of the 2009 – 2010 Religious Education Advisory Board.
| Jamie Brady |
Sandwich Program/Service |
| Robin Breslin |
Advent Wreath Making/Hospitality |
| Laurel Elzinga |
Ash Wednesday Soup Supper/Nativity |
| Carla Miller |
Christmas Nativity |
| Cathy Nardi |
Room Parents/Book Club |
| Sharron Seymour |
Special Event/Hospitality |
Stewardship
Our weekly children's collection at each Mass helps our students understand the importance of being good stewards. We hope that we instill in our children the importance of sharing our gifts of time, talent, and treasure with our parish and those in need.
Weekly donation envelopes are given to the students in Religious Education and Saint Clement School. Children's donations are used to augment Saint Clement's
Sack Lunch Program for the homeless. To reinforce the idea of stewardship students are invited write a sentence on the donation envelope (found in the church vestibule) about how they made time for God and shared their talents during the preceding week.
The following are examples of some of the ways our young parishioners are making time for God and sharing their gifts and talents.
• “I do devotions every night.”
• “I pray to God thanking him for Jesus.”
• “I’m trying to be peaceful.”
• “I served last week.”
• “I helped my baby brother learn new words.”
• “I am trying to be a good boy.”
• “I served dinner at camp.”
