Kindergarten through 8th Grade Religious Formation Programs
NEW Curriculum Information:
K-1 Grades: Kindergarten class will be offered if we have enough Catechists to volunteer for the upcoming school year 2023/24. First grade will be available with the regular religion curriculum. New religion program for Kindergarten – 1st grade children starting this fall called Catholic ABC’S by Catholic Icing. This is a new program that will help young children embrace the faith at an early age. They will learn hands-on skills to help form the foundations of the Catholic faith.
2-5 Grades: Faith & Life Series by Ignatius Press: The Faith and the Life Series leads students to the Person of Jesus Christ and then immerses them in the Mystery of Christ, fostering dispositions in which students desire communion with God through Jesus in the Holy Spirit, a communion in truth, charity, and mercy. (Faith and Life Series)
6-8 Grades: CONNECT! Bringing Faith to Life by Saint Mary’s Press and is a combined 3-year program. The Connect program offers a comprehensive overview of the Catholic Faith that is correlated with the four parts, or pillars, of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. These pillars are: (1) The Profession of Faith, (2) The Celebration of the Christian Mystery, (3) Life in Christ, and (4) Christian Prayer.
8th grade is part of the preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation that is celebrated in the spring 9th grade and will include Altaration-The Mystery of The Mass Revealed curriculum by Ascension Press. Altaration address head-on one of the biggest problems we all face: how do we get Catholic teens to appreciate the awesome beauty and mystery of the Mass, and to actually look forward to attending and participating? Through a unique learning experience, including powerful cinematography and workbook resources, teens will come to see the Mass and the priesthood in a dramatically new way. Altaration is designed to stir thought, create conversation, dispel myths, and inspire young souls to a deep, lasting love for the Mass. The goal of Altaration is not to fill teens’ heads with information but to pierce their hearts with transformation, (Ascension Press).
Middle school (6th – 8th grade) is centered around the challenge in Sacred Scripture found in the Letter to Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12).
All K-8th Grades meet on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Students will meet in their classrooms two times a month. There will be a Family Event on an additional Wednesday for everyone to attend.
To register, please fill out and return the registration and health forms located under IMPORTANT FORMS. Contact Jen Nelson, Director of Religious Education for more information or questions at dre.stjoseph@gmail.com or 989-224-8537.