St. Patrick Parish

WELCOME TO OUR PROGRAM!

The Religious Education program at St. Patrick Parish is designed to help parents and students develop a deep understanding and love of the Catholic faith. Students in Grades 1-7 use the Loyola Press Finding God series to learn about the prayers and practices of our faith and about God’s plan for salvation. Students in Grade 2 prepare for and receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Eucharist.

Students in grades 8, 9 and 10 are now eligible to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Students in these grades use the Loyola Press Confirmed in the Spirit book and in-person classes to prepare for this sacrament that marks them as adult Catholics on their lifelong journey of faith.

Information on our Safe Environment Training Programs

Please read the descriptions below carefully to understand
our program for this year.

CLASS PROGRAM DETAILS
for the 2023-2024 School Year

GRADES 1-7

This year we will again offer both in-person classes or homeschool to students in grades 1-7.

GRADES 8, 9 and 10

Students in these grades are now eligible for Confirmation. Students in the Confirmation Program must attend the Sunday 6 pm Mass and stay for class after from 7-8 pm on the 11 required dates. Candidates for Confirmation are also required to attend a Confirmation Retreat (date TBD). More details will be communicated in October when classes begin.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Homeschool available to Grades 1-7: Religious Education Homeschool students complete all 25 chapters/sessions in the book at their own pace. Homeschool consists of reading the chapter/session, taking a short online quiz on the session until the child receives 100%, and logging the date of completion for each chapter on a Paper Homeschool Log and/or a Google Form Homeschool Log. See the Homeschool Parent Instructions PDF for details and links.

In-Person Classes available to Grades 1-7: In-person Class students in Grades 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 will meet every other week for an hour-long class. In-person Class students in Grades 2 and 7 meet more often as these are sacramental preparation years and will meet roughly three times a month for an hour-long class.

All students are expected to have read the chapters before the class so that we may focus on specific topics from each lesson in our class meeting. Students who miss a class will be asked to make up the chapters covered that week using the homeschool method. See the In-Person Class Parent Instructions and the Missed Class Parent Instructions PDFs for details.

CLASS PROGRAM SCHEDULES

In-Person Class Schedule Grades 1-7:

Classes begin in mid-October and conclude in early April. Our Religious Education Calendar with exact dates for each class is available now.

*The day and times for Grade 7 may change. All students may switch between class and homeschool if needed.

GRADES 8, 9 AND 10: CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

The Confirmation Program at St. Patrick Parish is now open to all students in grades 8, 9 and 10 who have fulfilled their previous Religious Education requirements either through a Parish based Religious Education program or a Catholic School curriculum. For a student to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in spring of 2024, he or she must:

• Complete all lessons and attend the 11 in-person classes
• Attend the Commitment Mass, Sponsor Mass, and Confirmation Retreat
• Turn in all paperwork and writing assignments by the appropriate due dates (see Confirmation Handbook available October 2023)
• Pass a simple test to ensure they are ready and knowledgeable enough about their faith to receive the sacrament
• Complete 5 hours of Christian Service (see Christian Service PDF or Confirmation Handbook)

The 11 required classes will be on Sunday nights after the 6 PM Mass. Students are asked to attend the Mass and then stay for an hour class after Mass. Classes begin in mid-October and will conclude in February. Students must also attend the Confirmation Retreat held here at the parish, date and time TBD. The Confirmation ceremonies will be held in March or April 2024.

A parent is required to attend the Commitment Mass with the student on the first day of class and stay for the class after Mass. A parent or sponsor must attend the Sponsor Mass with the student and stay for the class after Mass. Full schedule will be included in the Confirmation Handbook released in October.

Students wishing to be confirmed who have missed some years of Religious Education are asked to contact the religious education office by email to see if they are eligible to enroll in our Called to Be Catholic program. This program is to be completed by the student at home and must be completed before the student receives the Sacrament of Confirmation. Students may be enrolled in both this program and the Confirmation program at the same time or may complete the Called to be Catholic program over the summer. The fee for this program is $100.

START DATES

In-Person Classes for all grades will begin in mid-October and end before April vacation, (February for Grades 8, 9 and 10). Dates of classes and the sessions/chapters covered at each class can be found on the Religious Education Calendar PDF which is available to download now.

Homeschool students may begin at any time. All Homeschool work is expected to be completed by May 31, 2024 (Grade 2 students by May 1, 2024). See the Homeschool Parent Instructions PDF for details and the optional Art Print Links PDF.

CHRISTIAN SERVICE

All students in Religious Education are required to complete Christian Service. Christian Service consists of volunteering or raising money for programs that support the Corporal or Spiritual Works of Mercy. See the Christian Service PDF for details on number of hours per grade and for annual events offered by the Religious Education Department. This is designed not to be a burden, but to help students understand the value and reward of helping those in need.

VOLUNTEERS

You can share your faith as a volunteer or catechist this year! A catechist is the primary teacher for the class and is supplied with all necessary materials. Volunteers assist the staff member or catechist during class by helping students with work or redirecting student behavior. The number of students we can accommodate in class depends on the number of volunteers that step up to help. Please contact us by email (or indicate your willingness to help on the Google Registration Form) to discuss how you can volunteer today! All volunteers must complete an application, an annual CORI and the Protecting God’s Children class if he or she has not already done so.

FEES

Registration Fee for Families with Students in Grades 1-7:

1-Child in Grades 1-7: $175
2-Children in Grades 1-7: $315
3 or More Children in Grades 1-7: $450

New this year, the Book Fee is included in the cost of tuition. All students will now receive a new paper Finding God book each year at no additional cost.

Confirmation Fee:

Grades 8, 9 or 10: $250

Students in Grades 8, 9 or 10 pay one flat registration fee of $250 per student. There is no longer be a separate Confirmation Fee and no additional charge for books. There are no discounts for having additional students in the program.

Installment plans are available for all Registration fees including Confirmation. See the Payment Page for details on the Installment plans.

Financial Assistance is available. Please email the religious education office for the Financial Aid application if you wish to apply.

Thank you for joining our Religious Education Family!
We look forward to helping you to grow your child’s faith!

Registration:

To register for our program, please follow the link below and be sure to complete the Family Information Form as well as payment through PayPal.

https://www.stpatrickstoneham.org/religious-education-registration-part-1