In order for your child to receive their sacraments in the Diocese of Phoenix, they must attend a 2 year Religious Education program. Please contact the Religious Education office if you have any questions.
RE Calendar
Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Religious Education Department of St. Mary’s Catholic Parish to assist and support our parents in the formation of their children in their catholic faith. We are committed to instill an abiding love of God and one another and share the fullness of our faith through the doctrines and traditions that is has to offer.
Parents
We acknowledge parents as the primary people in their child’s faith formation. Our hope is to work with and guide parents as needed through our Religious Education Program.
Our curriculum includes Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, liturgy, lives of the saints, Catholic customs and practices. Through these things we hope to provide the tools for the children in our program to know, love and live their faith and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
We welcome children just beginning their faith journey as well as those who have already received their sacraments of initiation. We realize the needs of the children in our faith community vary and we do our best to meet those needs.
Parent’s Prayer
All praise to You, Lord Jesus, Lover of children:
Bless our family, and help us to lead our children to You. Give us light and strength, and courage when our task is difficult. Let Your Spirit fill us with love and peace, so that we may help our children to love You. All glory and praise are Yours, Lord Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen
Special Education for Religious Education
Our parish welcomes all children into the Religious Education program. Catechetical instruction, including sacrament preparation, is made accessible to children with special needs by providing appropriate accommodations.
Possible Accommodations:
- Support and strategies for a child in a regular Religious Education class
- An additional classroom aide for a student in a regular Religious Education class (can be a relative, a child’s respite or habilitation provider, or a volunteer parishioner)
- Pull-out instruction in a one-on-one or small group setting
- Participation in a separate Special Education Religious Education class
Special Education Classes:
The special education classes are designed for students who are not served well in a regular class due to an intellectual or developmental disability.
The benefits of the special education class include:
- Small class size
- Low student-teacher ratio
- A consistent routine and schedule board with pictures
- Simplified concepts, simplified language, and repetition
- The heavy use of visuals and hands-on activities, including music
It is essential that all forms of the liturgy be completely accessible to persons with disabilities, since these forms are the essence of the spiritual tie that binds the Christian community together. To exclude members of the parish from these celebrations of the life of the Church, even by passive omission, is to deny the reality of that community. Accessibility involves far more than physical alterations to parish buildings. Realistic provision must be made for Catholics with disabilities to participate fully in the Eucharist and other liturgical celebrations.
–Pastoral Statement of US Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities (November 1978, revised 1989), 23.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are always needed to work with students who have disabilities in regular classes, in one-on-one instruction, and in the special education classes. Experience is helpful but not necessary.
Please Join Us at Home by Praying the Following:
Prayer to St. Michael
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the divine power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen
We will also continue to pray for our country:
Almighty God, Bless the land, the people and especially the leaders in the U.S.A. As a great nation, may we always know and do your will. May we show love and honor to you. Amen