Religious Education
LOCATION
St. Thomas More Catholic Education Center
1625 West Highland Avenue
Elgin, IL 60123
Ron Becker, MA, Director of Religious Education
847.888.4887
rbecker@mail.e-stthomasmore.org
Kristi Guetschow, Secretary
847.888.4887
kguetschow@mail.e-stthomasmore.org
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION MISSION STATEMENT
To provide an education in the Catholic faith that inspires
our youth to grow closer to God through prayer, faith, and service.
Jesus said:
"I give you a new commandment: Love one another.
As I have loved you, you should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples:
if you have love for one another."
(John 13:34-35)
CLASS TIMES
This program is intended for students who attend public school.
Classes begin after Labor day and continue through the first week in May.
Preschool (4 year old) classes are Sundays from 10:30 am to 11:30 am.
Kindergartners are invited to attend Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)
at the 10:30 am Mass. CLOW is for all children of the parish ages 5-9.
Grade 1 classes are Sundays from 9:00 am to 10:15 am.
Grades 2 through 8 classes are Wednesdays. Choice of times: either 4:00 pm to 5:15 pm or 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm.
Grades 9 classes are Sundays from 9:15 am to 10:15 am.
Grade 10/Confirmation classes are Sundays from 10:00 am to 11:45 am. Sunday Mass attendance at either 9:00 am or 12:00 pm is expected.
TEXTBOOKS
Preschool through 8th grade: Christ our Life series published by Loyola University Press.
Grade 9: Discipleship and Jesus in the New Testament published by Brown-Roa.
Grade 10/Confirmation classes: Confirmed in the Spirit published by Loyola University Press.
GOALS & ACHIEVEMENTS
We have established grade level achievement benchmarks by which we measure the progress of the children through the Religious Education Program. These guidelines mirror those established by the diocese and are important to insure your child's continuing education in our faith. The program has been formulated to build upon the concepts and prayers learned in prior years. Continual practice and repetition, both at home and in the classroom, is crucial to build a solid understanding of the Catholic faith.
We have established grade level achievement benchmarks by which we measure the progress of the children through the Religious Education Program. These guidelines mirror those established by the diocese and are important to insure your child's continuing education in our faith. The program has been formulated to build upon the concepts and prayers learned in prior years. Continual practice and repetition, both at home and in the classroom, is crucial to build a solid understanding of the Catholic faith.
Preschool: Experiences God's goodness in creation. Develops a sense of the sacred.
Kindergarten: Experiences God's love in persons, places, and things around them.
Is introduced to Jesus and the church through CLOW and home program.
Grade 1: Prayers: Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. Knows how to pray
in their own words. Knows short life of Jesus and Mary. Knows church posture and behavior.
Grade 2: Prayers: Act of Contrition and Grace before meals. Knows the mechanics of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and therefore has general knowledge of the commandments
and examination of conscience. Knows the mechanics of the Sacrament of the Eucharist
and therefore has general knowledge of the Mass.
Grade 3: Prayer: Apostles' Creed. Knows what the Rosary is and how to pray it. Understands
the Communion of Saints and knows the story of Jesus through the mysteries of the Rosary.
Grade 4: Knows that God is revealed through Scripture and Tradition. Knows the Commandments. General recognition of the Beatitudes (must memorize at least one).
Knows the Stations of the Cross.
Grade 5: Knows four (4) types of prayer: Adoration, Thanksgiving, Contrition and Petition.
Knows the parts of the Mass and its mechanics. Knows the Sacraments, the signs of the Sacraments, and who administers the Sacraments. Knows Holy Days of Obligation and the seasons of the liturgical year.
Grade 6: Knows the basic Old Testament Bible stories and characters: Adam and Eve,
Cain and Abel, Noah and the Ark, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his
brothers, David and Goliath, Solomon, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
Grade 7: Knows the life, teachings, parables, and miracles of Jesus. Knows the precepts of the Church. Knows corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Review the Commandments & Beatitudes.
Grade 8: Review the basics of Church doctrine. Knows the four marks of the church. Knows highlights of church history from Pentecost to present. Knows the general structure, who's who, and mission of the church.
Grade 9: Knows what it means to be a Catholic and identifies more with the Church and its practices. Develops a deeper understanding of the what it means to be a disciple/follower of Jesus. Becomes more familiar with Jesus in the Gospels and New Testament.
Grade 10: Knows and understands the Catholic stance on moral issues including abortion, death penalty, mercy killing, sexuality, strikes, war, money, gambling, drugs, alcohol. Understands the process of making a moral decision. Can define: conscience, informed conscience, sin, reconciliation, morality, and the stages of moral development. Has memorized the basis or standards of morality found in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. Realizes not all issues are gray, or black & white.
SACRAMENTS
Reconciliation/Eucharist policy/procedures:
A child needs to attend two years of Religious Education before receiving a Sacrament. Attendance may be either in a Catholic School or RE/CCD program.
There is one mandatory parent meetings per Sacrament in which the theology, spirituality, preparation, and mechanics of the Sacrament are covered.
First Reconciliation is received on a Saturday in January.
First Eucharist/Communion is received at the end of April/beginning of May.
One may choose to celebrate Eucharist either in a small group (6 communicants) at a Sunday/Saturday evening Mass of your choice (dates announced at parent meeting) or
in large groups (approximately 45-50 communicants) on a Saturday morning/early
afternoon at the end of April/beginning of May.
Separate books (one for each of the two Sacraments) are given to the parent(s) to be worked on with their child at home and handed in to their respective classes.
Confirmation policy/procedures:
A student needs at least two consecutive years of Religious Education prior to receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. This may be through a Religious Education program or a Catholic high school.
This Sacrament is usually received in the fall of a student's junior year in high school depending upon the Bishop’s schedule.
There are twelve special Confirmation sessions that must be attended. If a student misses a Sunday session, there is a make up the following Wednesday.
As canon law states, a person should be confirmed. This person should be “properly instructed and adequately disposed”. In order to do this, Confirmation students take a Confirmation exam, make a retreat, attend a Communal Penance Service, complete service hour requirements, and pray a 30 day prayer vigil along with their sponsor.
Since desire to receive the Sacrament is essential, each Confirmation student writes a personal letter of intent to the Pastor expressing their desire to receive this Sacrament and acknowledge that Confirmation is a beginning of a new life with Christ and the Church.
CHILDREN'S LITURGY OF THE WORD (CLOW)
Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered at the 10:30 am Mass for children who are age 5-9 years old. The children attend Mass with their families. After the opening prayer, Father calls the children to come forward, blesses them, and sends them forth with the CLOW leaders to the chapel where they hear the Liturgy of the Word at their level. During the Presentation of Gifts (Offertory time), the children rejoin their families for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This program is open (not mandatory) to all the children attending the 10:30 am Mass with their families.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL (VBS)
One week of Vacation Bible School is offered during the Summer - usually the third week of June. VBS meets 9:30 am to 12:00 pm Monday through Friday. This fun and exciting program is open to all children of the parish 4 years of age to entering 6th grade. Arts and crafts, music, puppets, activity books, and prayer services bring everyone closer to the Lord.
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS (RCIA)
This journey in faith is for:
--Persons who have never been baptized.
--Persons who are baptized in another faith and are interested in looking at the Catholic faith.
--Persons who are baptized Catholic and need the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Eucharist.
Open house is held on the Wednesday after Labor day.
There are stages/periods along the journey in which a person may choose to continue or decide that this is not for them at this point in their life.
Inquiry period/stage: A time for questions, a time for looking where they are in their faith life. A time to look at whether there is a God; who this God is; who Jesus Christ is; who/what is church; an overview of the Scriptures both Hebrew (Old Testament) and Christian (New Testament).
Catechumenate: A time for studying what it means to be a Catholic. Covers the Liturgy/Mass, the seven Sacraments, Catholic morality, Mary and the saints, tour of the church, chapel, and sacristy.
Enlightenment/Purification: A time for more intense prayer and reflection. A retreat is made. Appropriate that this stage/period coincides with the Lenten season. Culminates in Baptism and full initiation into the faith at the Easter vigil.
Mystagogia: A time spent looking at the mystery experienced at Easter. Now what?” is the question explored.
RCIA meets Wednesday evenings from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm in the Chelsea Room.
Typical format:
1) Opening prayer
2) Brief presentation
3) Break
4) Small group discussion
5) Summary
6) Closing prayer
7) Dismissal
Contact Director of RCIA: Ron Becker 847.888.4887 rbecker@mail.e-stthomasmore.org