RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT ST. MONICA


CONTACTS:
Katie Gordy, Director of Religious Education, 359-2700
Holly Barron, Youth Minister, 580-402-3508
Jaimee Zorio, Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), 751-3748
Jeanne Manaugh, Adult Faith Enrichment, 340-5787

St Monica
Catholic Church has a unique Religious Education Program. If the guiding principle of our lives is "What would Jesus do, or say, or decide in this situation," we must know him through the Scriptures to answer these questions for ourselves. We want our children and all our parishioners to LIVE the GOOD NEWS!

RCIC
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Children is for unbaptized children from 4th grade to about 15 years old. They are prepared for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. They join the Church at Easter Vigil. They then join the appropriate program below.


PS-4 through 3rd Grade
During the summer*, we offer a Vacation Bible School for children, 4 years - 3rd grade. This is always scheduled in June or July from 9 to 11:30 a.m. for five days. In 2009, it will be from June 15 to 19, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Register here

From September through April, we offer Religious Education classes on Sunday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, for students 4 years - 3rd grade. At each grade level, certain prayers and sacramentals are also taught. Preparation for First Reconciliation takes place in the fall of the 2nd grade year. The children get ready for First Holy Communion during the spring of their 2nd grade year.

4th through 6th Grade
During the summer, we offer an RE Summer Session* for those in grades 4 – 9, which is scheduled for June or July from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In 2009, it will be from July 13 to 24. We use Jeopardy Games and an auction at the end of the session to make this time of learning extremely fun for the participants.

From September through April, RE classes meet on Sundays, between the Masses, or on Tuesday from 4 to 5:15 p.m. or Wednesday from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m.

7th - 9th Grade
During the summer, we offer an RE Summer Session* for those in grades 4 - 9. This is always scheduled for two weeks in June or July from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We use Jeopardy Games and an auction similar to that in the 4th to 6th grade.

From September through April, Religious Education classes meet on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. For 9th graders, RE is offered on Sunday morning between 8 and 10:30 mass. There is a welcoming retreat for Confirmandi (9th graders) in August or September.

Unless a student reviews new information within 24 hours of hearing it, he loses 80% of it. This fact makes RE Summer Sessions so much more effective in helping kids to remember what they've been taught.

10th Grade (or any non-confirmed 11th or 12th grader)
Preparation for Confirmation begins in the summer of the year before a late April or early May ceremony the following year. Confirmandi are interviewed by the Religious Education Director, Mrs. Katie Gordy when areas of Ministry Sampling are explored (30 hours of helping at our parish or in the community are required). Classes begin in September, on Sunday mornings from 9:05 to 10:20 or Wednesday evenings from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., and last until Confirmation. Confirmation II is a course on Catholic morals and ethics. A Welcoming Retreat is held in August or September for the Confirmandi. The students' overnight Confirmation Retreat is held the day before the actual Confirmation so that the students are open to the Holy Spirit. Because of the Confirmation Retreat schedule, the student misses a day of school to attend the retreat.

11th and 12th Graders
Confirmation is NOT graduation. We still expect our juniors and seniors to be active in the church and community. We also ask them to continue to meet as a junior/senior class on Wednesday evenings for Bible Study — discussing the upcoming weekend's readings, applying the Scriptures to their lives, and learning about apologetics (how to defend their faith).

NET Retreat
In the spring of each year, the National Evangelization Team (NET) comes to our parish to do a day long Saturday retreat for 7th - 12th graders.

Youth and Family Nights
Three to four times a year, on Wednesday evenings, instead of class for 7th - 12th graders, an event for these students and their families takes place sometimes beginning with a potluck supper at 6:30 p.m. and a program at 7:00 p.m. Often, national speakers are brought in for these events.

Faith Formation Scholarship

Download Scholarship Form, fill out, and return as e-mail attachment

Fees
Because we are a unique stewardship parish, there is no charge for any of the above programs for registered members of the parish. If a student's parents are not registered, there is a $30 fee per child per year for materials.

Registration forms are available in the Parish Office, church Narthex, and online at the parish website -- see below. They can be returned by mail, fax, or dropped off at the Parish Office or in the "Completed Forms" box in the Narthex.

PS 4, Kindergarten
Grades 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Grade 2 (two pages)
Grades 7, 8
Confirmation I or 9th Grade
Confirmation II or 10th Grade (two pages)
Grades 11, 12


If you have questions, contact Katie Gordy, Pastoral Associate and Director of Religious Education at 359 2700 or ktgktg@swbell.net

Updated 8/08