Children’s Catechism Program
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'” – Mt 19:14
Introduction
Our Family Catechesis program is designed with the understanding that parents are rightfully the primary educators and ultimately responsible for the catechesis of their children. That said, we can help! The goal of our program is to assist and supplement parents in teaching their children to know, love and serve God and the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church. We do this by engaging the family in the reading of Scripture and the Catechism, in prayer and in the community life of the Church. The motivation behind this program is the salvation of all souls, and we believe this is best accomplished by helping families actively catechize their children and authentically live the Catholic faith.
Classes Offered
We currently plan to offer the following classes for children aged 3 and up.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for 3-6 years old (Now enrolling for the year 2024-2025).
- Class on Penance and the Eucharist, required for families seeking 1st Holy Communion for their children.
- Confirmation classes are not offered at this time.
Class Curriculum and Structure
Our curriculum fosters the truth, goodness and beauty of the Catholic faith. Children are educated in the four sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Creed (what we believe), Sacraments (how we worship), Morality (how we live), and Prayer.
With the exception of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, all classes generally adhere to the following weekly class structure:
- Class session: The catechist provides a lesson on the assigned readings and facilitates group discussion. Each class begins and ends with a prayer, such as a decade of the Rosary.
- Post-class work: Families are encouraged to review with their child the lesson covered in class.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is an approach that engages children in the essential elements of the faith through materials they can work with and experience with their five senses. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd requires a fair bit of mental focus and listening ability from children. Younger children who are not yet of age to mentally engage with the materials should defer enrollment. Unlike our other classes, the CGS class is designed for the children only; parents and other siblings do not normally participate in our lessons. We offer Level I CGS for children aged 3-6 years old. More information about CGS can be found here: https://www.cgsusa.org/discover/cgs-approach/.
If you have any questions about your child’s eligibility, please call Mariella Zevallos at the parish office 415-751-0450 or email: mariella@starparish.com
Texts
We are using The Baltimore Catechism One for younger children preparing for First Confession and First Holy Communion. The New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism No. 2 is used for older children preparing for Confirmation (when the class is available). For the Bible, we are using the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE). Texts are included as part of the registration fee.
Class Calendar and Locations
Class meets on a weekly basis for ~45 minutes. Our academic year starts after Labor Day in September and runs through the first week of May.
The Children’s Catechism class to prepare children for First Holy Communion meets every Sunday 10:30-11:20am (after the 9:30am Sunday Mass), at Stella Maris Academy School. We will provide directions about the class location upon registration.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd meets two Sundays a month after the 9:30am Mass from 10:30-11:20am. CGS classes take place in our Atrium located in the Star of the Sea Preschool.
Expectations inside the classroom
We expect class participants to actively participate during class and to complete any assigned homework after class.
We expect participants to be on time for class. Children with more than 3 unexcused absences will not be eligible to receive their sacraments.
Expectations outside the classroom
We ask families enrolled in our program to actively live and model the Catholic faith by:
- Attending Mass with their children every Sunday at Star of the Sea.
- Praying daily with their children. We encourage families to pray the Rosary together, at least once a week.
- Participate in parish activities or events if possible.
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Community Life
Our knowledge and practice of the faith is deepened in community life outside of the classroom. We encourage parents to join our Hospitality gatherings each Sunday after the 9:30am Mass and 11:30am Mass and any other parish events and social activities.
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Eligibility to receive the Sacraments
In addition to having fewer than 3 unexcused absences, children in the sacramental preparation classes will be required to pass an exit interview at the end of the school year in order to be eligible to receive the Sacrament. This includes First Confession, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Fr. Joseph Illo, pastor, will conduct the exit interviews with the children and their parents.
NOW ENROLLING! FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PREPARATION 2024-2025
SEPTEMBER 8 FIRST DAY OF CLASS
YEAR SCHEDULE
September: 8th (First Class Orientation), 15th, 22nd and 29th.
October: 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th.
November: 3rd, 10th(no Class veterans day), 17th, 24th.
December: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th (No Class Christmas break)
January, 2025: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th.
February: 2nd, 9th, 16th (No class President’s Day), 23rd.
March: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th.
April: 6th, 13th (No class Palm Sunday), 20th (No class Easter), 27th.
May: 4th, 10th (First Confession and First Holy Communion Rehearsal) 11th (First Holy Communion)
Please call Mariella Zevallos, Director of Communications and Parish Life at (415) 751-0450 before registering. Tuition is $100 for your first child, an additional $50 for your second and subsequent child.
Payment options: Cash or check (Star of the Sea Church. Memo: “Children’s Catechism Program”). Your tuition will pay for the required texts. No child will be turned away because of financial need. We are pleased to offer scholarships.
INFORMACION EN ESPAÑOL:
ESTE AÑO 2024-2025 NUESTRA PARROQUIA ESTA OFRECIENDO EL PROGRAMA DE CATECISMO PARA PREPARACION DE PRIMERA COMUNION Y CONFESION. NO ESTAMOS OFRECIENDO PREPARACION PARA CONFIRMACION.
“Si necesita información en español acerca de nuestro programa de catecismo para niños (preparación para el sacramentos de Primera Comunión) por favor llame a nuestra oficina teléfono (415) 751-0450 y pregunte por Mariella Zevallos.” Gracias!