Religious Education Class Offerings and Registration

With the exception of pre-school, tuition for all classes is: one child $135, 2 children $165, 3 or more children $205.  First Reconciliation and Communion Year Fee: $35.  Confirmation Year Fee: $50.  Parents who volunteer as catechists receive a 100% tuition scholarship for their children.  Please do not hesitate to speak with us if there is a financial difficulty as we are happy to assist with this.  Please contact the Religious Education Office (301-490-8770) for more information on how to register or to ask questions. 


 

Pre-School, Ages 3 and 4

Children begin to reach out for the Lord at an early age.  Help your child to learn more about Him early on and to develop habits which root him or her in a strong and fruitful relationship with Christ!

  • For the 2020-2021, no weekly classes will be offered for Pre-School 3- and 4-Year olds. We will, however, offer periodic online, catechist-led activities for this age-group. Email prep@stmaryofthemills.org to join our email list for these faithful, fun, and free activities for your little ones!


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Kindergarten

Just like pre-schoolers, kindergartners are ready to reach out for Jesus, but they can handle a little bit more. Help your child to continue to grow in love of Jesus Christ and to understand their faith more deeply!

  • For the 2020-2021, no weekly classes will be offered for kindergarten. We will, however, offer periodic online, catechist-led activities for this age-group. Email prep@stmaryofthemills.org to join our email list for these faithful, fun, and free activities for your little ones!

    Age Requirements. Children must be 5 by September 1 unless they have been tested and allowed to enroll at an earlier age. Children enrolled in Montessouri facilities will be placed strictly according to their age


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Parish Religious Education Program (P.R.E.P.) for Grades 1-6

It is especially important that the faith of children is nurtured in those years when so much learning takes place.  So important, too, that they continue to progress in their relationship with the Lord and come to know and trust Him in a deeper way.

  • Completely Online for 2020-2021. Classes will consist of a mix of recorded teaching, at-home activities, and a weekly live, online, in-person gathering. The online gathering will not exceed 8 children and will run approximately 30 minutes. Scheduling of the online gathering will be based on our volunteer schedules and on input given by parents at registration. Total time per week will be approximately 90 minutes.

  • For children, in grades 3 through 5 who have not been baptized and/or have not received First Communion, the Christian Initiation of Children class is available.

  • Children in grade 6 who have never been baptized and who have not yet received First Communion will prepare to receive these sacraments along with Confirmation in grade 8. They will be placed in regular grade level classes for grades 6, 7, and 8.


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"Faith Alive!" for Grades 7, and 8 and Older Teens

The faith of teenagers requires a special kind of care and nurturing. “Faith Alive!” seeks to form participants in knowledge and practice of their faith but also to provide engaging activities which encourage youth to pursue a deep and personal relationship with Christ AND to give them a greater sense of the community of the Church and their place in it.  Note that all preparation for Confirmation takes place through our “Faith Alive!” program as well as preparation for Baptism and First Communion for teens who have not yet received. 

  • Completely Online for 2020-2021. Classes will consist of a mix of recorded teaching, at-home activities, and a weekly live, online, in-person gathering. The online gathering will not exceed 8 children and could run anywhere from 30-45 minutes (depending on the length of the at-home activities). Scheduling of the online gathering will be based on our volunteer schedules and on input given by parents at registration. Total time per week will be approximately 105 minutes.

  • For young people in grades 7 and up who have not been baptized and/or have not received First Communion, the Christian Initiation of Teens program is available.


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Children With Special Needs or Learning Difficulties

We welcome all children, including those with special needs or learning difficulties, to engage in regular faith formation through our program.  We remind parents that our program relies on volunteer catechists and aides who are generally not trained as special needs educators, but who will do their best, with our support, to address your child’s particular needs.  Because special needs and family preferences for addressing those needs vary greatly from child to child, we encourage parents to schedule an appointment with our Director of Religious Education, Jennifer Juzwiak (301-725-3080 x.215) to discuss the best possible way to help your child to come to know Jesus Christ more deeply and to flourish in knowledge and practice of the Catholic faith.


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Preparation to Receive First Reconciliation and First Communion

The usual age at which children prepare for and receive First Reconciliation and First Communion in the Archdiocese of Washington is age 7 or 8 (second grade).  Children receiving at the usual age begin their foundational preparation in grade 1 and prepare specifically for those sacraments in grade 2. 

If you wish for your child to receive these sacraments and he or she is older than the usual age but not yet in grade 6, we offer a two-year special preparation class ~ called Christian Initiation of Children or C.I.C. ~ specifically geared toward preparing older children for reception of these sacraments.  This class is offered within the P.R.E.P. program and following the completion of this class, students are placed in grade level classes to continue formation.  It is through this class, as well, that children who are older than age 7 or 8 prepare for baptism.  Please send an explanatory email to the Religious Education Office along with your registration if your child is older than grade 2 and wishes to prepare for First Reconciliation and First Communion.


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Preparation to Receive Confirmation

The usual age at which candidates receive The Sacrament of Confirmation in the Archdiocese of Washington is 8th grade.  Confirmation candidates engage in preparation for this sacrament for two years prior to receiving (in grades 7 and 8) as part of a larger effort to help them to understand their relationship with Christ and His Church more deeply.

If you wish for your teen (grade 7 or older) to prepare for and receive Confirmation but he or she is older than the usual age or has not had regular religious formation in recent years, we do offer a two-year preparation class ~ called Christian Initiation of Teens or C.I.T. ~ specifically geared toward preparing your child for the Sacrament of Confirmation.  This class is also appropriate for teens who are unbaptized or who would also like to be prepared for First Communion.  The class is offered within the "Faith Alive!" program.  Please send an explanatory email to the Religious Education Office along with your registration if you believe that this class meets your child's needs.  


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Important Note for Parents Seeking Sacramental Preparation! The strong foundation required to live life according to the fullness of God’s plan requires consistent and deep formation in faith.  Preparing to receive the sacraments is only one objective of this formation.  In order to provide your child the foundation that he or she needs, it is important to plan for ongoing faith formation rather than enrolling simply to receive a particular sacrament.


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