Religious Education Program

Our Religious Education Program fosters spiritual growth in parishioners of all ages. It has links to many prayer- and scripture-based study groups throughout our parish. The program requires the support of many volunteers to serve as catechists and aides to sustain and enrich the life of faith in our community.

Its chief and constant commitment is to provide:

• Religious Education Classes in English and Spanish for children in kindergarten through high school. K-8 classes in English are on Sunday Mornings. Classes in Spanish are on Sunday afternoons, as are both English and Spanish high school classes. Classes continue from September through May with normal holiday observances. These classes are for all students who do not attend Catholic schools during the week. Registration for classes beginning in September opens in April and closes the last Sunday in August.
• Sacramental Programs prepare children, with the participation of their families, to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist for the first time, and to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation for the strengthning of Faith. Unbaptized students, aged 7 and above, prepare for Initiation by Baptism as well as the other three Sacraments at the appropriate ages during Sunday classes. Adult Confirmation programs are also offered, according to need.
• The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) offers the unbaptized or thos pabtized in other faiths the opportunity to be initiated into the Roman Catholic Church. Year 'round, once-a-week classes on Tuesdays evenings (see the full RCIA schedule) continue until Initiation Rites at Easter.

Adult Enrichment Programs have varied over the years, and the enrichment flows through other programs described elsewhere to foster growth in understanding and in bearing witness to our Faith

Among the regular programs sponsored on a parish-wide basis are:

• The Lenten Lecture Series
• A Lenten Day of Reflection

Both of these are conducted in English. Other similar offerings are sponsored as well in Spanish and occasionally in other languages.