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The formation of our faith always begins at home. For that reason, a main component of our faith formation program is our reliance on the family being the main teachers. The K-6th grade classes are at 10:00 so that attending the 9:00 or 11:00 Mass would be more convenient. It is expected that families are going to one of the five Masses offered during the weekend. Catechists are recruited from the parish and follow the curriculum suggested by the Archdiocese. Materials are selected from national publishing houses and are supplemented with intra-disciplinary teaching tools. Our goal is to encourage students to view their faith as a way of life. To that end, we urge students and their families to practice our faith at home and to become active members of our faith community. St. Mary’s also offers classes for special needs students and for those children whose faith formation has been delayed. All Archdiocesan programs regarding child safety are implemented.
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Religious Education News!!!
Religious Education News Grades K-6!
Hello St. Mary’s Families!
Happy March! I pray you are all well after these last few snowy weeks! As we are now fully in the season of Lent, I’d like to invite your family to participate in some of the following activities to help mark this time as a true preparation for the resurrection!
Participate in the Family of Faith Activities
☘️ Cut out the “Car Conversations” on pg. 169 of the Parent Guide and place it on your rearview mirror. Chat about the questions on the way to or from school or sports practice.
☘️ Learn about our saint of the month – St. Peter! While a parent reads the story on pg. 194 in the Parent Guide, kids can do the coloring page on pg. 133 in the Student Book.
☘️ Review your baptism and how you were anointed to be priest, prophet, and king, sharing in the roles of Christ! Turn to pg. 202 in your Parent Guide for a discussion guide and pg. 138 in the Student Book for a writing activity.
☘️ Celebrate March 17th by listening to the story of Saint Patrick like you’ve never heard it before, on the Saints Alive Podcast!
Find a New Springtime in Confession
Did you know that the word “Lent” comes from the old English word “lencten” which means springtime? I love this connection. As the snow begins to melt, I know I’ll need to prune dead branches, clear out old leaves, and till soil in order for my April flowers to blossom properly. In the same way, Lent is a reminder for us to do away with what is holding us back so that we might enjoy a springtime in Christ. We have confession to help us with this!
I encourage you to take advantage of the tremendous gift of confession over the next few weeks as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter. For students who are preparing for their first confession, it is especially wonderful for them to witness their family regularly attend confession. If you’d like a little guidance for confession, Here is a link to a guided adult examination (https://youtu.be/Br4kAN5LbH8) of conscience as well as some step-by-step info on confession (https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-go-to-confession-the-sacrament-of-penance-reconciliation/).
Peace in Christ,
Christen Fitts | Director of Religious Education
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For more information on the Program, please contact Christen Fitts at stmarysdre25@gmail.com.
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