Curriculum

Kindergarten through 5th grade 

FAMILY CATECHESIS

(for families with children grades K-5)

This Faith Formation model brings families together for a shared experience that combines Prayer, Education, and Community in a way that forms our Faith for our integrated needs. Together, gathering ONCE per month, we will learn the facts we need, but more importantly experience ways to model prayer within our families. These experiences will equip families to complete three sessions at home. The at home materials can be completed as a family unit and on average may take 30 minutes per week.

 As we attend Family Catechesis sessions together, we have the opportunity to grow in community. We form relationships with the parents we meet at sporting events, PTA, scouting, etc, and this method provides an opportunity for your Parish to create a community in the place where you and your family need it most- among people who share your struggles and joys as you walk a life of faith.

Family Catechesis is a bridge between the formation methods we are familiar with and one that empowers, equips, excites and embraces what we don’t know. Father began our meeting with some Q & A about certain Catholic topics. Some families thought one way about the topic, while others felt the other way, and still some did not know. This emphasizes that we are where we are on our faith journey, and, in turn, we don’t know what we don’t know… our team at St. Catherine Labouré is committed to experiencing the faith journey with our families and leading where the Holy Spirit takes us, together.

"Whereas this adjustment in faith formation offerings is significant, we have been making plans to include Family Catechesis as an available option at our parish for some time. However, this adjustment is necessary because of the uncertainty of the timeline of the much needed maintenance and repairs of the bridge at the St. Joan of Arc campus (which allows us to have enough parking for Faith Formation). We are unable to predict the usability of the parking lot at St. Joan's during the next school year on a regular basis because the work on the bridge may not allow for it to be used for some amount of time. We do not want there to be any last minute schedule and location adjustments for bridge work/repair, as that would be greatly inconvenient for all. As a result, we have been tasked to keep catechesis going in the parish, but we must find a way to conduct it at our St. Louise site. As St. Louise School is such a vibrant and growing institution, space and time within it is at a premium. We believe we have created a schedule and a program that will work well for families, keeping most Formation sessions on “God’s day”, while having a minimal impact on STL School functions. The sessions are structured around our Mass schedule, to permit “easy access” to attend Mass and reflect on the experience with the Mass journal as a family.

Beyond Family Catechesis, we are offering two age-specific programs for our youngest and oldest students. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for ages 3-8 and Middle School Ministry for Grades 6-8. (High School Youth Ministry is already thriving and well, and we hope you will encourage your high school students to join in the fun!)

 

6th through 8th Grade

MIDDLE SCHOOL MINISTRY

(for children grades 6-8)

Our new program for middle school will follow a youth ministry model - what this means is we will be leaving the classroom model behind and using a more engaging format to catechize our young people in the joys of the faith. We will provide them with an environment in which they will feel at home.

What does a youth ministry model look like: It looks like your student walking in and being welcomed and helping them grow in community and grow closer with the Lord.

Practically - it looks like these five things:
Preparation: leave what we carry in with us at the door and re-center ourselves to be fully focused on the night and our time together, a time of fellowship and games
Proclamation: a statement to express the whole point of the night in just a sentence - a one line take away
Explanation: a teaching about whatever topic we are going over
Application: a time to relate this topic to our own life - either in discussion, prayer, or activity
Celebration: a time to turn it all back to the Lord and to thank Him for this time together and all that we learned.

This method is much more engaging than the classroom model because the teachings are shorter and then community time is longer, and there is discussion - the teaching will be related to their lived experience.

Practically - we will offer two sessions - Wednesday evening and Sunday evening coordinating with Family Catechesis for one of the sessions. Grades 6-8 attend BOTH Sunday or Wednesday sessions per month.

In these meetings your young people will be able to cultivate community with their fellow students and with others in the church - they will experience the lively joy of our faith through our topics and our programs - and ultimately they will come to know the all loving heart of Jesus - and know that they are loved and seen in this place.

Children ages 3-8 by August 31

CATECHESIS of the GOOD SHEPHERD

(for children ages 3-8 by Aug. 31)

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a Montessori-based religious formation program for children, beginning at the age of three. It seeks to create and facilitate a sacred, “hands-on” space for children called an atrium, in which both the children and their catechists can hear, ponder, and celebrate the most essential mysteries of the Catholic faith as revealed in the Scriptures and the Liturgy. After sampling this program with a 1st Grade Faith Formation class last year, we are happy to report that everyone had a wonderful time and can't wait to come back to our prepared CGS Room, called an "Atrium."

CGS will be the only Faith Formation model functioning in our St. Joan of Arc site. Each atrium is limited to 12 children which will accommodate parking around the building. Please note that our youngest children must be toilet trained to enroll.
 

Curriculum will include, but not be limited to:

Prayers: Traditional prayers of the church are taught and reinforced throughout the elementary and middle school years: Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, the Confiteor, Act of Contrition, the Rosary, Memorare, Morning & Evening prayer, Grace before meals, and Apostle’s Creed.

Precepts: The following are generally introduced in the elementary grades and developed in more detail at varying grades: Creed, Ten Commandments, Corporal & Spiritual Works of Mercy, Stations of the Cross, Beatitudes, Mysteries of the Rosary, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Precepts of the Church.

Liturgical Year & Saints: The feasts and seasons of the church year, particularly Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, and Holy Days of Obligation are covered throughout all grade levels. Saints are introduced in Kindergarten and lives of saints selected for each grade level. The Blessed Mother is treated by all grades in the context of Marian feasts and the Holy Family.

Service: We encourage children and families to get involved in the service activities of our parish. Confirmation candidates need to do 10 hours as part of their sacramental prep.  Sign up at this link if you would like to get emails with upcoming service opportunities.