Religious Education

Our Religious Education program begins in PreKindergarten and extends to the 10th grade. It should be viewed as one ten-year continuum and not individual Sacrament grades.

To facilitate the number of students in our program, we have instituted two sessions in our Religious Education program:

Session I: PreKindergarten thru 6th grade students meet on Sundays from 8am – 10am (includes the 9am Mass)

Session II: 7th thru 10th grade students meet on Sundays from 9am – 11am (includes the 9am Mass)

This allows for a focus on practicing our Roman Catholic faith and following God’s 3rd commandment of going to Holy Mass each Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation, and promotes a better atmosphere for learning and teaching.

At Our Lady of Fatima parish, we believe that our Religious Education Program is a continuing journey of faith.  It begins in the home and is reinforced by our weekly Holy Mass on Sundays, Holy Days of Obligation, and by our religion classes.

Our program strives to not only teach about Jesus, but just as importantly, strives to inspire a relationship of friendship and lasting love with Jesus.  The ideals of this philosophy can only be fulfilled through a spirit of cooperation shared by each of the three major groups of our CCD family-staff, parents, and students. The quality and success of the program recognizes the need for each group to accept the responsibility of openness to one another, in mutual respect and encouragement.

Program Goals

1. To proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, by providing a religious program based on Scripture and Tradition. One of our main objectives is to teach the students the basic principles of the Catholic faith; however, giving meaning to the rituals and symbols of our faith is not enough.
2. To encourage reception of the Sacraments by preparing students to understand and appreciate their importance and necessity in their lives.
3. To foster growth in our Roman Catholic faith community, by providing valuable experiences of shared prayer and worship.
4. To encourage a spirit of charity, by promoting positive Catholic Christian attitudes in one's responsibility toward God, others and self.
5. To encourage students to take responsibility for their learning.
6. To foster cooperation and communication among staff, parents, and students. Our efforts will not be as effective unless they are combined.
7. To continually review and update curriculum needs and materials.

As parents, to provide a daily commitment to God by practicing the gift of faith and setting an example for your children who are always watching you.

The CCD Curriculum should be viewed as one ten-year continuum and not individual Sacraments or grades. To that end, the following is a list that outlines the general nature of the teachings in each grade.

PreK and Kindergarten: Introduction to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Bible stories, Saints, basic prayers, etc.

1st Grade: Our Heavenly Father: Introduction to the Holy Trinity through presentations on God the Father, the life of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God's plan of salvation and our part in that plan. It also acquaints children with Mary, angels, and the saints. Children learn basic prayers.

First Communion (2nd Grade): Jesus Our Life: Preparation for the first reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion, with the law of God and salvation history as background. The lesson emphasizes God's mercy and love. It covers Creation, the Covenant with Moses, the Ten Commandments, Redemption, Forgiveness of Sins, and the Holy Mass.

3rd Grade: Our Life with Jesus: God's plan of salvation, from creation to the Incarnation and Redemption to the birth of the Church at Pentecost and our life in the Church. Special emphasis is on the importance of Confession, Communion and the Holy Mass.

4th Grade: Jesus Our Guide: God's plan to save His people from sin (Salvation History), how we participate in that plan, and the many ways God helps us in our pilgrimage on earth to Heaven through His word, His law, and His Church.

5th Grade: Credo – I Believe: A thorough study of the articles of the Creed as the basic beliefs of our Catholic faith, with a special emphasis on careful understanding of definitions through the words of the Gospels, and the prophets, and the prayers of the Church.

6th Grade: Following Christ: The blueprint for a life of love: the Law of God, especially in the Ten Commandments, and the presence of Jesus in the Holy Mass. The interaction of the challenges of God's law and His gifts of grace that help us fulfill His law are also taught.

7th Grade: The Life of Grace:  Grace as our link with God, His gift to us to bring us to Himself and His eternal life, with an emphasis on transmission of grace through the Seven Sacraments and on God's loving gifts of revelation, of Himself through the prophets, the Incarnation, and the Church. The role of grace in developing the virtues is also emphasized.

8th Grade: Our Life in the Church: The history of the Church — its founding by Christ, its birth in the Holy Spirit, the marks of the one, true Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the saints and the role of the religious and laity up to the present. The structure of the Church Jesus planned, the role of the Magisterium, the clergy, the religious and the laity and our own vocations.

9th & 10th Grades: Confirmation: Based on the Rite of Confirmation, teachings help students to understand the Rite while preparing to celebrate the Sacrament. It offers students a relationship with the Holy Spirit, His gifts and fruits. Students learn the main doctrines of our faith and how to live life through the Beatitudes. They are also challenged to be soldiers for Christ by becoming the spiritual athletes for the Heart of God. 

Please note that the programs for First Holy Communion and Confirmation are 2 year programs.

1. Salvation - “Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (Isa. 45:8; 2 Tim. 2:10)
2. Growth in Grace - “I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
3. Love - “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.” (Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:2)
4. Honesty and Integrity - “May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection.” (Ps. 25:21)
5. Self-Control - “Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do.” (1 Thess. 5:6)
6. Love for God’s Word - “May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.” (Ps. 19:10)
7. Justice - “God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.” (Ps. 11:7; Mic. 6:8)
8. Mercy - “May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
9. Respect (for self, others, and authority) - “Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands.” (1 Pet. 2:17)
10. Biblical Self-Esteem - “Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:10)
11. Faithfulness - “Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts.” (Prov. 3:3)
12. Courage - “May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.” (Deut. 31:6)
13. Purity - “Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.” (Ps. 51:10)
14. Kindness - “Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thess. 5:15)
15. Generosity - “Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” (1 Tim. 6:18-19)
16. Peace-Loving - “Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” (Rom. 14:19)
17. Joy - “May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thess. 1:6)
18. Perseverance - “Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.” (Heb. 12:1)
19. Humility - “God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.” (Titus 3:2)
20. Compassion - “Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.” (Col. 3:12)
21. Responsibility - “Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load.” (Gal. 6:5)
22. Contentment - “Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength.” (Phil. 4:12-13)
23. Faith - “I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.” (Luke 17:5-6; Heb. 11:1-40)
24. A Servant’s Heart - “God, please help my children develop servant’s hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.” (Eph. 6:7)
25. Hope - “May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13)
26. Willingness and Ability to Work - “Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.” (Col. 3:23)
27. Passion for God - “Lord, instill in my children a soul that follows hard after You,” one that clings passionately to You.” (Ps. 63:8)
28. Self-Discipline - “Father, I pray that my children acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right, just and fair.” (Prov. 1:3)
29. Prayerfulness - “Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers.” (1 Thess. 5:17)
30. Gratitude - “Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20; Col. 2:7)
31. A Heart for Missions - “Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among the peoples.” (Ps. 96:3)