Religious Education
Welcome to the St. Brendan Religious Education Program. In recent years many changes have been made to the program to help achieve the goal set by the National Conference of Catholic bishops. The goal for our program is called Renewing the Vision and it consists of three basic steps. They are…
1. To empower people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.
2. To draw people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community.
3. To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each person.
These three basic steps are not only for our children but for Catholics of all ages. The religious education program at St. Brendan is geared to accomplish this goal.
General Policies for all grades
It is expected that…
· All students will attend Mass regularly as part of their religious education. Attending religious instruction classes once a week is only a portion of their religious education, the other two major components are what we learn by attended Mass each week, and by what our children our taught in the home.
· Parents will remain active in the Religious education of their children.
· All students will attend classes and avoid excessive absences and or tardiness. A phone call to the CCD office is required of all absences.
· All students are expected to demonstrate behavior that represents responsibility, honesty, and respect for their Catechist and peers.
· In the event that any outside work is expected of the students, it will be handed in, in a timely manor.
· Parents will attend any and all meetings that are required of them. Specific meetings are outlined in each grade.
· If there are any questions or concerns from the parents, they will call the CCD office and address the concern. Open communication is encouraged to maintain a good relationship.
Middle School
Grades 6, 7, & 8
The Middle School Program is broken up into 3 separate cycles over a three year period. Each cycle is 8 weeks long and the sessions are 2 hours. Each session covers multiple learning modalities. Each week is filled with activities that are fun and educational. Students are engaged and challenged. They are able to learn and have fun at the same time. Classes meet Sundays from 5-7.
Any parent registering a child for the 6th grade is required to attend in person registration that will explain the policies of the Middle School Program. Missed classes will require make up work handed in the following week.
Cycle 1… Church and Sacraments.
During this cycle the students will be introduced to the Church as a community, and they will see how they are and can continue to be part of the community. This cycle also introduces the Seven Sacraments. There will also be an instructional Mass and a Penance (Confession) service.
Some of the highlights of cycle 1 are…
· A guest speaker on Church History
· Video taped skits on God’s Goodness
· Guest speakers on the Seven Sacraments with open questions and answers.
· An instructional Mass and a Penance Service.
Middle School continued…
Cycle 2 … Scripture and Prayer
In this cycle the students will be challenged to learn from Scripture. Jesus was the ultimate teacher and his stories teach us to live as Jesus did. Students will also learn how to pray as opposed to memorizing prayers. The lessons will engage the students with fun activities.
Some of the Highlights of Cycle 2 are…
· Team building activities on Trust and Tradition
· A presentation on How to use the Bible
· Skits on chosen Miracles and Parables
· A presentation on different types of Prayer
· A group Act of Christian Kindness (service project)
Cycle 3… Creed and Christian Living
The third cycle concentrates on the message the Nicene Creed delivers to us as Christians. There is focus on Creation, The Holy Spirit, Jesus the Savior, and Morality. We have emphasized that we are all children of God and that making the right choices in life are important.
Some of the Highlights of Cycle 3 are…
· The Creation Story
· Presentation on the Holy Spirit
· Morality Video and Lesson
· Activity on Making the right choices
· Why we serve others
Grades 9 and 10 Confirmation Preparation
The Confirmation program is a two year program that prepares the students to begin his/her life as an adult in the community of the Catholic Church. Our goal is to have each and every candidate see that the decision to follow Christ is to be their own. During the two year program there are many requirements to be completed. They are outlined to the parents at the end of the 9th grade. Classes meet on Monday nights from 7:00 to 8:15pm.
Grade 9…
Grade 9 is basically a comprehensive review of grades 1-8. Each week there is a brief presentation on a specific topic, followed by a lesson on that topic. During the year the students are asked to participate in many different Acts of Christian Kindness. All Candidates will be invited to participate in helping with some of the activities of St. Brendan. Specifically the Christmas Bazaar, decorating the Church for Christmas, cleaning the Church, helping with Bible School, and ushering the Confirmation Mass.
The candidates are also required to attend a one day retreat that is followed by a Mass.
Some of the highlighted lessons of grade 9 are…
· God the Creator
· The Sacraments of Initiation
· Jesus the Savior
· The Eucharist and the Mass
· The Ten Commandments
· In Service to Others
Grade 10…
We like to refer to grade 10 as the beginning and not the end of the religious education program. Too often it is considered to be like a graduation. The second year of Confirmation has brought forward some pretty remarkable young adults in our Parish. They have at young ages become fixtures in our community, and we are very proud of them.
The specific requirements of the 10th grade are outlined at a parents meeting which is usually the last 9th grade class of the year. Our goal is to completely involve the candidates in the community of the Church by completing Acts of Kindness to the community. The following list is a brief description of the 10th grade. A more detailed document with a schedule will be provided upon registration.
Each candidate will be required to…
· Choose a sponsor
· Complete an Act of Christian Kindness
· Attend a one day retreat
· Write a letter to the Bishop
· Choose a Confirmation name (Saint Name)
· Attend Mass regularly
· Attend class regularly
Confirmation is the completion of our initiation into the Catholic Church. Each candidate will be well prepared for this/her journey as a follower of Jesus.