I hope that you are enjoying the start of summer. 
Please view the programs and options that are currently being offered for the 2022-2023 academic year. We have numerous in-person and home study opportunities, so please carefully choose those that will best help your entire family to grow in their faith and their understanding of the meaning of discipleship.  Please select what you feel most comfortable and that best meets your child’s learning needs and prioritizes faith formation in your schedules. Classes will be capped according to the number of volunteers in the ministry of catechesis and the space allowed.  If you choose in-person learning we advise that you complete and submit your forms as soon as possible. Otherwise, you may be limited to at-home learning. All who enroll must be registered parishioners of St. Vincent Martyr Church and be an active member. 
PROGRAM INFORMATION to view the sessions being offered. Please select per child PreK-8th grade before enrolling.

Click here for the registration form

Family Sunday-Grades K-5^th   (In-person learning)
Our Family Sunday option is a great way to learn and be together as a unit family. We gather in the Community Room of the Ministry Center, once a month from 10:15 am-11:45m on a Sunday morning each month for a program of intergenerational learning. Simply put, both parents and children are guided through discussions and activities focused on both the Sunday readings and Church teaching. The goal of each Family Sunday session is to empower our parents and children to be confident about their knowledge of Church teachings and the ways in which they can be experienced and lived in our daily lives. Each month families take home a packet of materials and resources that will help them to continue the discussion at home throughout the month. There are also weekly responsibilities of an at-home religious education curriculum. Each family will be placed in a family group entitled Faith or Hope and you will be given a schedule of meeting sessions beginning in October. The groups will be limited due to the size of the space and how many families we can accommodate.

 
Home/ Independent Study- Grades K-8 (Home learning)
Families choosing this option can gather independently as families and complete the course work at their own pace and schedule. An alternative idea is to gather in one another’s homes, or as small faith community groups, on a weekly or regular basis to work together with their children. The gatherings are based on the Sunday readings for the week and the doctrine that can be related to those readings. We will provide all the materials, resources, and the content for each session. This option can be a wonderful community builder for families. Different age levels can work simultaneously also.
 
Traditional Model- Grades K-5 
Children in kindergarten through grade 5 meet once a week on Monday afternoons in a classroom setting from 3:45 pm –5:00 pm. They are instructed by parish volunteers who have been trained as catechists (teachers Each grade level uses a textbook, art materials, videos, and other resources each week during these instructional sessions).
During the course of this year, we will replace the afternoon session with a family gathering that will include various prayer experiences that are focused on family-based learning opportunities.  
This option meets the needs of families who are looking for a weekday traditional educational structure while at the same time providing family enrichment.

Junior High Ministry- Grades 6^th (In-person learning) 
Junior High Ministry- Grade 7th (In-person learning)  
These educational programs in 6th and 7th grade reinforce the tenants of our faith and are community service-oriented. Students are invited to explore a series of social issues and to engage in service projects aimed at “making a difference” in people’s lives. Catholic Social Teaching and the Church’s teachings on moral development form the foundation for all conversation. This will be limited to small groups monthly on Sunday afternoon sessions and the remainder of the work will be expected to be independent.

Eighth Grade Decision Point with Father George  (In-person learning) 
 The 8th graders are engaged and challenged to become ‘the best versions of themselves' while learning about our Catholic Faith. This program is led by Father George using Matthew Kelly’s Decision Point program of the Dynamic Catholic series. The program runs monthly on Sundays from 5:00 pm-6:30 pm.
 
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 1: PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten (In-person learning)
This is our Sunday morning preschool program, which is Montessori based, is designed for children 3-5-year-olds. This is a socially distanced class with masks. We can accommodate six children every Sunday for the duration of the 9 am Mass, first come, first serve. The children participate, listen, and follow along with the instruction and the activity stations designed to assist them in developing an understanding of the Mass.
 
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 2: 1-5th grade (In-person learning)   
 This is a continuation of Level 1. Those registering for this option MUST have participated in Level 1 or Level 2 in the past. We meet in the atrium, a space in the rectory basement that is broken out into three separate learning spaces on alternating Sunday mornings.
The New Directory for Catechesis identifies three areas of family catechesis: “in the family,” “with the family,” and “of the family.” (DC 227-231)  These areas recognize that all members of the family are on a journey of faith and that “in and among families, the gospel message should always resound.”