Religious Education
formation begins in september and ends in may.
religious education meets on SUNDAYs, 11:15AM - 12:30PM,
in St. michael’s academy.
Our Catechesis Vision at St. Michael’s Catholic Church is built on the foundation of the new Directory for Catechesis (2020), in #77 of the Directory: “Catechesis makes the initial conversion ripen and helps Christians to give a complete meaning to their existence, educating them in a mentality of faith in keeping with the Gospel, to the point of gradually coming to feel, think, and act like Christ” states our main mission.”
The vision of Faith Formation at St. Michael's Catholic Church is to accompany disciples to grow in a desire to learn about Christ and His way of life by our words, actions and deeds.
Furthermore, nurture followers to witness and proclaim The Word of God through knowledge of Scripture and Church tradition. Deepening their relationship with God will allow disciples to enrich their life of prayer. Disciples grow in understanding of liturgical celebrations leading to more spiritual encounters with: the Sacraments; especially the Eucharist, lives of the Saints, and the Liturgical seasons. This mission fosters connections of faith, love, and healing for all, throughout our Church and the community.
Being mindful of these goals, catechesis is centered on:
Living a life of Words, Actions & Deeds
Knowledge of Faith
Enriched Life of Prayer
Spiritual Encounter in the Celebration
Community Life
Catechesis, a privileged stage in the process of evangelization, is generally directed toward persons who have already received the first proclamation, within whom it promotes the processes of initiation, growth, and maturation in faith. (Directory For Catechesis, 55)
Director of Religious Education:
Lisa Sala
lsala@stmichaelscatholic.com
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION
FOR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN
The full policy is below. Here are some highlights based on questions that are coming into the office with the beginning of the academic year:
There are two types of preparation that go on simultaneously when children and youth are discerning or being prepared for sacraments: Remote and Immediate
Remote preparation is simply the curriculum for their current grade level. This is taught whether they are in a Catholic School, a parish Faith Formation Program or if they are being homeschooled. Here is the link to that current Pre 3 - 8 Curriculum
Immediate Preparation is that preparation that is specific to the reception of that particular sacrament. This preparation is done at the parish with all three of the groups listed above being formed together for the particular sacrament.
The National Directory for Catechesis outlines what needs to be covered for each of the 3 sacraments:
Immediate preparation outlines These outlines assume that the parish is using a textbook from the USCCB Conformity list. A Confirmation retreat is mandated for those preparing for Confirmation. A certain number of hours, as a minimum, are also listed in the policy for each sacrament.
Children over the age of reason (7-8) who are lacking sacraments are placed in the parish's OCIA process where their parents accompany them.