Religious Education

We, the community of Our Lady of Peace, are thrilled you are pursuing religious education for your child and/or for yourself. Just know that regardless of where you are in your journey, we’re here to help you.

Getting Started

Option 1 I’m ready to register
Option 2 I need info on the program
Option 3 I would like my child to receive First Reconciliation and First Communion
Option 4 I would like my child to receive Confirmation
Option 5 I am an adult and would like to receive a Sacrament
Option 6 My child is a little older and I would like her/him to become Catholic If your child wasn’t baptized or was not baptized in the Catholic faith, we are here to help you get them started.

Catechetical to Family

Catechetical Faith Formation Program (formerly called CCD)

 

Our religious education program doesn’t go so much by age of the child but instead by where they are in their faith formation.  Below please find an overview of the program and some frequently asked questions, but feel free to reach out to us for more specific questions and other information.

Our program is a family catechesis based program, Family of Faith, in which both the child and the parents walk and grow in faith together.  It consists of both at home and in parish sessions.

Besides the overall catechetical grade appropriate faith formation curriculum there are some benchmark prayers and/or core teachings of the church that are required to be known by each student at each different grade level. They are:

Prior to registering for our program

When registering, take a look at our Parent Guidebook and sign and return the forms within.

Frequently asked questions

How many sessions will there be and how often?

There are a total of 23 sessions in a year’s program with an average of one session at home and two in class each month.

At Church Sessions?

These are held on the days that the classes are held at the parish.  These sessions start and end with activities between the parent and the child together.  In the middle of the session both groups split and each will have their own activities for that day.

Parent volunteer program?

Each parent must volunteer at least one for one of the in parish class day events.  Some examples of volunteers needed, but not limited to, hall monitor, hospitality, donations, substitute catechists, as well as co-catechists or even teaching a class itself.

First Reconciliation & First Communion

Regardless of where your child is in relation to our traditional schedule class structure, the First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation is a two-year program adjacent to our standard Religious Education instruction.These programs run in parallel.

the Sacrament of Confirmation program:

  1. Participate in a two year Religion Education program (this could be either at a catholic school or a catholic religion education program).
  2. Need to know the following prayers:

    • Sign of the Cross
    • Hail Mary
    • Our Father
    • Prayer Before Meals
    • Act of Contrition
  3. Need to know the parts of the mass, be able to actively participate in the mass and should be attending mass on a regular basis.
  1. In person sessions (between the two sacrament preparation programs) will be:

    • Parent only information sessions, to give specific sacrament information
    • Parent and candidate retreat days
    • Teaching Mass evening event
    • Rehearsal events that must be attended by both child and parents
  2. Sacrament specific work assignments: to be done at home with the assistance of the parents and then returned at specific assigned dates.

I would like my child to receive Confirmation

Regardless of where your child is in relation to our traditional schedule class structure, the First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation is a two-year program adjacent to our standard Religious Education instruction.These programs run in parallel.

Overview of both programs

The different steps leading our candidates to their confirmation day at our parish:

  • Have experienced ongoing religious education formation, grades one through eight in either a formal parish religious education program or enrolled at a catholic school.
  • In the event that this was not the case, they must register for the 8th grade classes of the parish regular religious education  program and then do a second year focusing on the core benchmark teachings of the catholic church.
  • Participate in our Sacrament of Confirmation Preparation program.
  • Have full knowledge of the Catholic faith, and know the benchmark prayers and core teachings of the catholic faith.

Special Mandatory Events

  1. In the First Year:
    • Attend both the cornerstone Orientation class and Retreat
    • Attend the Rite of Promise
    • Attend at least one youth ministry parish event
    • Perform Works of Mercy: Each student must complete 6 hours of service exercising the Corporal and/or Spiritual Works of Mercy during 8th-grade year.
    • Four of the six hours must be completed at Our Lady of Peace.
  2. In the Second Year:
    • Attend the cornerstone 9th-grade Retreat.
    • Attend at least two parish youth ministry events.
    • Perform Works of Mercy: Each student must complete 6 hours of service exercising the Corporal and/or Spiritual Works of Mercy during. Four of which which must be at Our Lady of Peace
    • Choose a Sponsor: Sponsors are people who encourage, support and walk with the Confirmation candidate on this faith journey, helping our candidates embrace and actively practice the Catholic faith before and after Confirmation. Sponsors should have a deep commitment to the Catholic faith and be an active
    • Every sponsor must be confirmed themselves, and may not be the parent of the child being confirmed.
    • Be interviewed: Candidates will go through a casual 15-minute interview during the summer between the two years of preparation for confirmation.

Sacraments for Adults

OCIA /RCIA  (Order / Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)

We warmly welcome you on a transformative journey through RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). This guided path is intentionally tailored to meet you exactly where you are in your spiritual journey, whether you’re seeking to complete your Sacraments or to embrace the faith anew.

Your journey meets you where you are and unfolds at your chosen pace, allowing you to grow and explore at a rhythm that feels right for you, but don’t worry, we will be right here with you every step of the way.

The process of full initiation is adapted to meet the needs of those who are:

  • Not yet baptized.
  • Baptized in the Roman Catholic Church but not evangelized or completely initiated (looking to receive other sacraments).
  • Baptized in a different christian denomination church but interested in becoming a catholic.
  • Not ready to commit but wanting to learn more about the faith before becoming initiated in the faith.
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