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 Ascension Press Venture program and in-person events to prepare for this sacrament that marks them as adult Catholics on their lifelong journey of faith.

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

CLASS PROGRAM DETAILS for the 2022-2023 School Year

GRADES 1-7

We are returning to in-person classes for Grades 1-7! Parents of students in these grades may choose in-person classes or homeschool for their children.

 GRADES 8, 9 and 10

Students in these grades are now eligible for Confirmation. These students can choose to complete lessons independently or join their peers on a Zoom class for each lesson. Candidates for Confirmation are also required to attend in-person fellowship events, a Commitment Mass, a Sponsor Mass, and a Confirmation Retreat.

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 as well as 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 will meet every other week for an hour long class at the church. 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:

*If these times do not work for your family, you may enroll your child in homeschool.

GRADES 8, 9 AND 10: CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

New this year, students in Grade 8 or above are eligible to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. 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 2023, he or she must:

• Complete all lessons
• Attend the Commitment Mass, Sponsor Mass, Confirmation Retreat and minimum number of fellowship events
• Turn in all paperwork and writing assignments by the appropriate due dates (see Confirmation Handbook)
• 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)

Fellowship dates and topics will be released in early October for the school year. Families may choose the times and events that best suit their schedule. Parents and/or sponsor are required to attend the Commitment Mass, the Sponsor Mass and a Confirmation Retreat with their student.

START DATES

In-Person Classes for Grades 1-7 and Zoom classes for Grades 8, 9, and 10 will begin in mid-October and end by early April, (early March 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 after September 2022.

Homeschool students may begin any time. All Homeschool work is expected to be completed by May 31, 2023 (Grade 2 students by May 1, 2023). See the Homeschool Parent Instructions PDF for details and the optional Art Print Links PDF.

CHRISTIAN SERVICE

All grades 1-10 are required to complete Christian Service as part of the Religious Education program. Christian Service consists of volunteering or raising money for programs that support the Corporal and 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.

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 will assist the staff member or catechist during class by assisting students with work and helping to monitor 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.

FEES

GRADES 1-7

For students in Grades 1-7 our registration fees will remain the same this year. The Registration Fee for 1-child enrolled in Grades 1-7 is $150. Registration for 2-children in grades 1-7 is $275. Three or more children enrolled in Grades 1-7 is $400.

Books Fees Grades 1-7: Grades 1-7 will again use the Loyola Press Finding God program. For Grades 1-7 digital books are included in the registration fee, but paper books are available for purchase for $25. Families who opt to purchase a paper book will not receive a digital book.

GRADES 8, 9 and 10

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

Installment plans are available for all Registration fees including Confirmation. Financial Assistance is available. Please email the religious education office for the Financial Aid application.

Thank you for joining our Religious Education Family!

We look forward to helping you to grow your child’s faith!

Registration:

Online registration is now closed. Email us at [email protected] for any late registration.