 Religious Education for Children and Youth
Encountering the Living Christ
The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute. Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2221 & 2223)
Welcome to St. Peter’s Religious Education for children and youth. Each year the United States Bishop’s choose a guiding theme for the new catechetical year. This year’s theme is “Encountering the Living Christ.”
The Christian Formation team believes that assisting you, the primary educator of your children to be one of our most honored privileges. We know that the family is the primary community, the domestic church, where faith is shared and nurtured. It is the home where children are first introduced to prayer and faith traditions. It is in the home that habits of church attendance is started and will be nurtured. The Church, through formal and systemic catechesis nurtures and incorporates members into the body of Christ. Thus, the bond between home and Church enables, empowers and nurtures families to be living examples of Christ and builds up the Kingdom of God.
The goal of religious education is to deepen and nurture the faith of the Body of Christ. The Christian Formation team builds upon the foundation that you have laid of fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of faith, imparting accurate knowledge of tradition, doctrine and dogma. Please feel free to approach us with any questions, clarification on teachings or to express an idea which could enhance our programs. The Christian Formation team will support you in fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of faith, which binds us together in the one Body of Christ. The entire Church community, beginning at the parish level, puts itself at the service of the family to help form young Catholics.
We are excited about the many opportunities for active learning that translates into active faith. We welcome your interest in St. Peter’s Christian Formation processes and especially hearing from parents regarding their child’s religious education.
Registration is held yearly. Families MUST register EACH YEAR. By registering yearly families aid us in updating records, purchasing adequate materials and staffing ministries. The Registration Form may be downloaded, completed and returned to the Christian Formation Office by: mail or placing in an envelope marked “Religious Education” and dropping in collection basket, or bringing them to the Parish Office. We need a copy of the child’s baptismal record. If your child was baptized at St. Peter’s please tell us the date so we may obtain a copy.
Each spring prior to the end of the Catechetical year Registration Forms are sent home for the upcoming year. Registering early enables us to be good stewards of the parish’s financial resources. A discount is offered to families who register by July 1st and to NEW families who move into the parish through the year.
Religious Education Fees: 1st Child $35.00/ 2nd child $30/ 3rd child $25 with a cap of 85.00 per family. Additional fees: Diocesan mandated insurance $5.00/youth in grades 6th-12th. Sacramental fees: $20/child in Sacramental Preparation (First Sacraments and Confirmation) to cover additional materials which support preparation. Discount: Deduct $10/child - Cap per family $60.
You may fees at the beginning or spread them throughout the year. Letters will be sent as reminders.
No child is denied Religious Education due to financial distress. Please contact the Christian Formation Director if you are experiencing a hardship. All communication is kept confidential.
The Christian Formation Office monitors student attendance. Random and inconsistent attendance diminishes the class dynamic and makes it difficult for the catechist to plan lessons that build on material covered in previous lessons. To ensure continuity of information and formation, students should attend all scheduled classes. Students who will be entering a Sacramental Preparation must have good attendance the year prior to entering the preparation process. Good attendance is defined as not having missed more than 5 classes. Children and youth are expected to make up any missed work.
Classes begin the 1st or 2nd Wednesday following Labor Day and end late April or early May. Some sacramental programs may begin earlier. The schedule is structure to provide a maximum number of classes so as to assist parents in the formation of their children and to meet or exceed Diocesan Policy. The schedule is handed out at the 1st class of the year and can also be downloaded
Children and youth should dress comfortably but respectfully. Clothing that is scant, skimpy or expresses inappropriate stances create a distraction (scandal: definition of scandal is distraction). Our exterior attitude or expression should reflect an interior attitude. For the safety of the individual as well as the community, NO HEELYS (shoes with wheels) are permitted during class time. Please monitor your child’s dress so that all may focus on building the kingdom of God. All cell phones are to be turned off, no ipods or other electronic equipment is permitted.
Severe weather cancellations are posted on the Parish Home webpage, announced on WIS-TV 10 TV, with the Parish answering service. Class cancellation not due to weather will be announced in the bulletin, on the parish home webpage and, in some cases, notification via email to families or by notes sent home.
St. Peter’s students preparing for First Sacraments (Reconciliation and Eucharist) follow the same guidelines as the parish religion program and will use the same materials. Both school and parish program will celebrate the sacraments together. See Sacramental Preparation information below. Confirmation students (grade 9) at Cardinal Newman High School, registered as St. Peter parishioners, attend the parish Sacramental process. We accept the ministry (service) requirements required by Cardinal Newman.
The Christian Formation team will communicate with parents in a variety of ways, including internet, bulletin, letters, and phone calls. Contact the Christian Formation Director, Donna Tomasini, via email at: donna@visitstpeters.org or by calling 779-0036. Parents/guardians: please notify the Christian Formation Office of any changes of address, phone, email, pertinent family situations, medical conditions, and spiritual needs. Please check with your child each week for Formation announcements, or reminders.
The Christian Formation staff will respect a family’s right to confidentiality.
Permission slips must be completed for any off-site activities such as retreats, social events and ministry opportunities. There may be an occasion when transportation will be needed using personal vehicles or commercial or school buses. Diocesan Policy mandates that we may NOT use corporate 15 passenger vans. When personal vehicles are used, volunteer parent drivers must have liability and collision insurance.
Parents are the primary educators of their children and our programs assist and support their efforts to be evangelizers. Our Christian Formation programs rely and expect parental involvement. Parent participation involves teaching, substituting, chaperoning, hospitality (providing refreshments), monitors, aids, mentors and assisting with special projects and programs. Parents who are directly involved in some aspect of their child’s parish formation program model life-long faith formation.
Religious Education works closely with various parish ministries, such as St. Vincent DePaul, Knights of Columbus, Women’s Sodality and Parish Life. We encourage our youth to participate in all the parish liturgical ministries. All ministries require some form of training and a few have age/sacramental requirements. Please contact the Christian Formation Office or check out the home page of the Parish website if your child or you would like to participate in a liturgical ministry.
All our sessions meet on Wednesday evening 6:30-7:45 p.m. Our religious education program begins in Kindergarten. Grades K5-8th grade use Harcourt Religion series “Called to Faith.” Visit the elementary and middle school websites find a comprehensive description of the various programs. 1st Reconciliation and Eucharist preparation takes place in 2nd grade Confirmation preparation begins in 8th grade with the Sacrament being celebrated in 9th grade. Youth 9th through 12th grade are part of Youth Ministry. Youth ministry is a vital and integral part of faith formation. Vacation Bible School is generally held the last week of June.
Registration forms include confidential information and their contents are released only for appropriate program-related reasons. Permanent attendance records are kept each year in the Christian Formation Office. It is our policy to work with both custodial and non-custodial parents in providing program, grade-level and sacramental information. If the custodial parent requires special arrangements, it is the responsibility of the custodial parent to provide the Christian Formation Office with the official copy of the court order or the custody section of a divorce decree when stating the parameters of religious education boundaries. We cannot be held responsible for failing to honor arrangements that have not been made known.
Children in 2nd grade prepare for the sacraments of Reconciliation (Penance/Confession) and Eucharist. Reconciliation is celebrated in early Advent and 1st Eucharist is celebrate on the Feast of the Good Shepard (4th Sunday of Easter). 1st Reconciliation and Eucharist preparation children will have separate home texts to complete using Silver Burdett series “Celebrating the Gift of Reconciliation and Celebrating the Gift of Eucharist.” Confirmation preparation begins in 8th grade with the Sacrament being celebrated in 9th grade. The Confirmation text used in 9th grade is from Sadlier Publishing Company, “The Gift of the Spirit.” Confirmation youth will attend a retreat prior to reception of the Sacrament. Visit the Confirmation site for particulars regarding the preparation process. All sacramental preparation requires involvement in the home.
As Christians we recognize the uniqueness of God’s people. Parents are encouraged to alert the Director of Christian Formation if they have identified their child as having special needs; medical or educational. The catechist will be confidentially informed. If necessary a meeting will take between the parent, catechist and the Director to determine the way that we can best assist the child. Also, in some cases the parent may be requested to assist in their child’s class to provide assistance and so everyone’s experiences a loving and cooperative environment.
The Christian Formation team is comprised of ordained, professional lay ministers and volunteer staff. We provide training and on-going formation through parish, deanery and diocesan sponsored events. All ordained, professional staff and volunteers are required to participate in a diocesan-sponsored program, which address the issues of child abuse. All staff and volunteers much undergo a criminal screening and background check.
Each year parents have the option of having their children/youth participate in a Diocesan sponsored child protection program. The session is held during regularly scheduled religious education sessions (generally the 1st Wednesday in October). If parents choose to withhold their child/youth from the Teaching Touching Safety program, they are requested not to bring them to religious education on the date of presentation.
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