Religious Education Program
Religious Education begins when a child begins Grade 1 and continues through Grade 8, when a child is confirmed. Families must be parishioners registered at Church of the Sacred Heart. Our program consists of:
- 3 online lessons per month, completed according to the family’s own schedule;
- 1 homework assignment per month, to be handed in; and
- 10 Masses to be attended in person here at Sacred Heart between September and June (family’s choice of Masses, daily or weekend).
Sacramental Preparation
Sacraments are sacred encounters with God and as such require preparation. This preparation includes the program as described above as well as attendance at a retreat beforehand.
First Reconciliation and First Communion: Two years of preparation. The best time to begin is when a child enters first grade.
Confirmation: This sacrament is celebrated in the Spring of eighth grade, if a child has completed Religious Education from Grade 1 through Grade 8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should enroll your child in religious education every year? To become a fully initiated Catholic, a person must celebrate three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.
If a person has not celebrated all three sacraments, he or she
• cannot be a godparent,
• cannot be a Confirmation sponsor, or, possibly,
• be permitted to marry in a Catholic parish. (According to Church law 1065 §1: “Catholics who have not yet received the sacrament of confirmation are to receive it before they are admitted to marriage if it can be done without grave inconvenience.” This implies that a pastor may decide to delay the Sacrament of Matrimony until the Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated.)
Why can’t these three sacraments be done all at once for children? If someone is going to be Catholic for the rest of their lives, there’s no reason to rush. Spiritual formation should be done properly, allowing the person time to learn, reflect, and live their faith. A thirteen-year-old can understand much more and live their faith more completely than a seven-year-old. Just as it is ridiculous to stop a child’s general education at the age of seven, similarly, we all need education in the faith throughout our lives, gradually growing in holiness, devotion and commitment to Jesus.
Resources
Registration Form
Louise Timko
Director of Religious Education
(908) 756-0633 Ext 143
Email: ReligiousEducation@churchofthesacredheart.net