St. Maria Goretti
Parish Religious Education Program
Office Number 215-721-6559
Maria Richardson, Director of Family Faith Formation, Religious Education and Parish Services
maria.richardson@stmariagoretti.net
Jo Ann Prahler, Administrative Assistant – joann.prahler@stmariagoretti.net
Pat Kendig, Administrative Assistant – patrick.kendig@stmariagoretti.net
NEWS UPDATE:
Due to the current restrictions of COVID 19, we have decided to move forward as follows:
- Parish Religious education will begin with our 40 Hours Devotion Closing Mass on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Please join us in the church at 6:45 pm if you are able!
- Classes in the Education Center will be available on Mondays for 2nd and 7th grade only on a first come first served bases. The process and requirements for attending are attached.
- Home-Based PREP is available for all families and children in the 1st through 7th grade (including 2nd and 7th grade). Please know that our books from Our Sunday Visitor are very easy to follow and each chapter has a quiz and family page at the end. They also provide incredible online resources that include music and many other supplements that are easy to use.
- PREP classes will begin September 28, 2020, and end on May 24, 2021.
REGISTRATION WILL OPEN July 28, 2020. You will receive an e-mail from info@ParishGiving.org to register online and books will be ordered based on registration
Once the COVID 19 restrictions are lifted, we plan to open with all grade levels in the Education Center as soon as possible!
There is an SMG PREP COVID 19 calendar posted on our website. This calendar is subject to change. Currently:
First Penance is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3, 2021, at 7:00 pm
First Holy Communion is scheduled for Saturday, April 17, 2021, at 10:00 am
Confirmation is scheduled for Thursday, March 11, 2021, at 4:00 pm.
All information will be communicated via the primary e-mail that you provided
All New Families should call 215-721-6559
All PREP information is communicated directly to families via E-mail.
To sign up for our e-mail, please contact maria.richardson@stmariagoretti.net
Welcome to the St. Maria Goretti Parish Religious Education Program
Below is a brief description of our mission and our Programs.
Catechesis is a sharing of the teachings of Jesus Christ in such a way that each young person comes to know about and believes in God, enters a relationship with God and is transformed by Him. Our goal is to:
- Teach the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
- Teach the doctrines of the Catholic faith
- Draw young people to a relationship with Jesus Christ and discipleship through reception of the sacraments and scripture
- Teach the benefits of liturgical, communal and personal prayer
- Build up a community of believers
Everything children learn in our programs plants seed on rich soil for building a strong relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ, and a foundation in faith that will last a lifetime. All children in our programs learn in a safe and supportive atmosphere. We offer several opportunities to meet the needs of our parish families:
Traditional Faith Formation Classes
The St. Maria Goretti PREP Program offers religious education classes to children in grades 1 through 7 who attend public schools or private, non-Catholic schools. We have dedicated Catechists who work with students at each grade level to form their Catholic identity by gathering as a community to learn, prepare for the reception of the sacraments of First Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation, pray the Rosary, attend Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, go to Confessions and Stations of the Cross.
Please note that all children need two consecutive years of Religious Education before receiving a sacrament.
We use Our Sunday Visitor, Alive in Christ series for all grades.
Classes are offered September through April and families have a choice of three sessions:
Monday – 4:30 PM to 5:45 PM
Monday – 6:15 PM to 7:30 PM
Each child will need to pass the mid-term and final assessment test to move on to the next grade level.
Sunday Family Prep
This program is different than our traditional PREP classes because it is for both parents and children. Families are asked to attend the 9:30 AM Mass on Sunday. After Mass the family will proceed to the education center for a light snack, then the children will attend a class similar to a traditional PREP class while the parents attend their own class. The parent classes will cover the same topic that the children are learning at an appropriate adult level as well as the following chapter that parents will teach at home. This is a partial Home based catechesis program. The classes meet twice a month at St. Maria Goretti and parents are asked to complete one chapter a week at home when they are not gathering. Each child will need to pass the mid-term and final assessment test to move on to the next grade level.
Home-Based Catechesis
Home-based catechesis is the work of Catholic parents/guardians who undertake the formal religious education of their own child(ren) in their home. The parish curriculum is used and each child will need to pass the mid-term and final assessment test to move on to the next grade level. Families are also expected to attend sacraments, parish devotions and special celebrations with all PREP families.
Adaptive Faith Formation Class
Our adaptive class is for any child between grades 2 and 6 who has been diagnosed within the Autism spectrum.
The classes are held during Sunday Family PREP time following the 9:30 Mass. The children will learn about our faith and be prepared to receive their Sacraments during their second year of study. If your child is not on the Autism spectrum but does have special needs please contact us. We will find a way to share our faith with them!