Religious Education

Dear Parents,

Registration into all our religious education classes has begun.  We offer classes beginning in first grade through the twelfth grade.  Registration for all classes can be found online at http://www.stmarych.com.  When visiting our website to register you will find the schedule for all classes offered, the coordinators contact information, a brief overview of the program and a place for payment according the program it falls under. 

This year we changed a few of our programs due to the drop in Confirmation grade from 11^th to 8^th.  We will be confirming all students entering into the 8^th grade and above.  With this change we will be moving the incoming 5^th graders into the junior high program EDGE.  EDGE will consist of 5^th through 8^th graders.  Eighth graders will be encouraged to attend on the nights there is no Confirmation class and once they have been confirmed through the summer of their incoming freshman year.  EDGE is also open to all Catholic school children.

Ninth graders and above who have not been confirmed will need to be registered into our Confirmation program.  Information on the program and what is required to register is available on our website under Sacraments. These students will also be encouraged to attend our high school youth ministry group on Wednesday nights, and the Sunday nights it is offered after they have confirmed through their senior year in high school.  

Tenth graders and above who have been confirmed are encouraged to register for our High School Ministry Group formally known as Life Teen lead by Myles Creek.  This program has been adapted for post confirmation students.  Our goal is to keep them involved in the church while continuing their formation in the Catholic faith. This program will have different elements that will touch on scripture, prayer, apostolic work, service in the community and ministry life nights.  The students will meet one Sunday night a month for Life Nights, every Wednesday night for Formation Nights and will be able to assist the EDGE ministry group on a few Sundays a month.  We also encourage these students to sign up to be lectors or ushers at the 5PM Mass.  High School Ministry is open to all students, even Catholic school students.

Ministry life nights will be held once a month on Sundays at 6PM in assembly room of Bouman's Hall.  We encourage all students to attend Mass at 5PM (unless they attend another Mass as a family) then walk over to Bouman's Hall.  We will provide dinner on these nights along with fellowship, community and formation.  We encourage all high school teens (Catholic school students also) who have been confirmed to attend and bring a friend.  These nights will end at 7:45 PM and nondrivers can be picked up in front of the school.  

Formation nights will be held on Wednesday nights in the couch room beginning at 6:30 PM.  Any high school student whether confirmed or not can attend. Dinner will be offered.  Formation nights focus on scripture, prayer and learning to how to minister to others.   Students are encouraged to attend as many of these nights as possible if they would like to be a part of the EDGE ministry nights.  Formation nights are open to all Catholic school students.  

In addition to the changes to our high school ministry group, we have also created a parent ministry group led by Heather and Paul Augustin.  This group will offer 4 events through the school year catered to parents of school aged children, Catholic, public and private. These events will focus on community, fellowship, prayer, and formation.  The first set of events will be held on August 11^th.  One will be for parents of first through fourth graders at 9AM in the assembly room of Boumans Hall. All parents of children enrolled in Sunday and Tuesday classes are invited.  The other will be for fifth through twelfth graders at 6 PM in Founders.   This night will be for the parents and children of EDGE and high school students.