According to the National Catechetical Directory for Catholics of the United States, "Parents are the first and foremost catechists of their children. They catechize informally but powerfully by example and instruction. They communicate values and attitudes by showing love for Christ and His Church and for each other, reverently receiving the Eucharist and living in its spirit, and by fostering justice and love in all their relationships." (Sharing the Light of the Faith, 1978, page 128)
Believing that quality religious education and sacramental preparation programs are necessary for Catholics of all ages, St. La Salle Pastorate provides:
* Sacramental preparation sessions for parents of infants to be baptized
* Religious Education classes for children, grades 1 - 9
* Confirmation program for high school candidates
* Confirmation sessions for adult candidates
* Marriage preparation sessions for couples planning to marry
* Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for adults wishing to be baptized and received into the Catholic Church
This booklet is provided as a source of information for those participating in one of the above named programs or sessions. Hopefully this booklet will be helpful to you in answering any questions you may have. The names and phone numbers for the Pastorate Staff are listed at the end of this booklet and on the cover of the weekly Pastorate Bulletin. Please contact Jim or Cindy if you have questions about Baptism, Confirmation, or Marriage Preparation; Brian for Religious Education issues; and, Fr. Burkle for Adult Confirmation, RCIA, or any Pastorate or local Parish issue.Introduction
What Do I Do?: To have a child baptized in St. La Salle Pastorate, call Cindy or Jim and they will arrange a Baptism Preparation class for you. The class is informal and will last about one hour. If you have had a child baptized within the past 3 years, you do not need to attend the class but you do need to contact Cindy or Jim to schedule the Baptism and provide the necessary information for the parish records.
Times We Baptize: Your child may be baptized during any weekend Mass. It is preferred that you schedule the baptism for the 2nd weekend of the month. We do not celebrate Baptisms in St. La Salle Pastorate during Advent or Lent, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Where Can We Baptize Our Child?: You are welcome to baptize your child at any of the Churches in the Pastorate. You may choose whichever Church or Mass time works best for you. If your child is baptized at a Church other than your home parish, a complete record of the Baptism will be recorded at your home parish. A notation indicating where the records are filed will be recorded at the parish where the baptism took place. If for some reason you want your child baptized at a Church other than one of the St. La Salle Pastorate Churches, you must have authorization from Br. Stephen.
Who Can Be Baptized?: Any member of the La Salle Pastorate can have their child baptized within the Pastorate. If someone from outside the Pastorate makes a request to have a Baptism in one of the St. La Salle Pastorate Churches, authorization from the person's Pastor is required.
Godparents: Godparents must be at least 16 years old, confirmed, and practicing Catholics. If there are two Godparents, one is to be male and one female. It is permissible for someone of another Christian denomination to be a witness as long as there is a Catholic Godparent.
Adult Faith Sharing: Lifelong, ongoing adult faith formation is the central task of the Church. It presents challenges as well as opportunities for today's Catholics.
Benefits: Wider social concern and desire for service * Stronger sense of community faith and prayer
Who: Anyone who can come anytime, once a year, once a month, every week. It is a flexible group and is for adults at all faith levels.
How: Very informal. You only need to bring yourself.
When: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Thursday nights
Where: St. Joseph Hall, Rickardsville
Formal religious education classes start in Kindergarten and continue through 9th grade. There is a program for 10th grade students to prepare for and receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Cost: Students who are a part of the Religious Education Program and are members of St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Cross, Holy Trinity, or SS. Peter & Paul Parishes pay an $85.00 registration fee. Members of St. Joseph Parish pay a $35.00 registration fee (St. Joseph Parish pays the remaining $50.00 per child). Confirmation Candidates pay a registration fee of $35.00. All fees are used to pay the expenses incurred by the Religious Education and Confirmation Programs.
Registration: The deadline to pay all Religious Education fees is the first Friday in October. Afterwards, the fee increases by $10.00 per month per child. (If, due to unusual circumstances, payment cannot be made by the first Friday in October, please contact Brian Nilles, Religious Education Coordinator, prior to this date.)
Attendance: Grades K-8 are required by the Archdiocese to meet for a minimum of 30 hours each year. The Religious Education classes, grades K-8, meet 15 times for 2 hours each class. A student may be excused a maximum of 4 times each year but will be responsible for a make-up assignment for each class missed. Grade 9 meets for 9, 2-hour classes. If a 9th grade student is unable to attend a class, s/he must arrange with the teacher to make-up the class.
Parents are to call their child's teacher before class time to report absences and to arrange for make-up assignments. If this is not possible, please call Brian Nilles at 563-552-2166. Do not leave a message on an answering machine. Give your message to a person.
If a student misses 5 or more classes, parents must meet with the Religious Education Coordinator to review the child's standing in the program. All parents should be aware that attendance at each grade level may affect when or if their child receives a Sacrament in a given year.
Children are to be enrolled in the St. La Salle Pastorate Religious Education Program or in a Catholic School. To enroll your child in a Program other than the La Salle Pastorate Program, authorization from Fr. Burkle is required. If, for some exceptional circumstance, your child is not able to be enrolled in a Religious Education Program or Catholic School Program, you must meet with Fr. Burkle.
First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation is primarily the responsibility of the parents. A book will be provided to assist parents along with an educational session about 6 - 8 weeks before the children receive the sacrament. The 2nd grade Catholic School and Religious Education teachers will, also, be of help to the parents and the children.
Confirmation for High School Candidates: Registration for Confirmation will take place in the spring of the 9th grade year. Monthly sessions will be conducted by Cole Schmelzer and a volunteer staff from September - April. The date of Confirmation is determined by the Archdiocese. Confirmation Candidates are required to attend 7 classes and a Retreat. Sponsors need to attend the final class.
Students enrolled in the Confirmation class at Beckman High School must participate in the first and last sessions and in the Retreat with all candidates from the Pastorate preparing for the Sacrament.
Confirmation for Adult Candidates: This program meets weekly for 5 weeks during the Lenten season. Candidates are to be accompanied by their sponsors for all sessions. Contact Fr. Burkle to register.
What you need for Parish Records: For First Eucharist and/or Confirmation, a Baptismal Certificate is required. If the candidate was not baptized in one of the St. La Salle Pastorate Churches, please notify the Church where s/he was baptized and request that a Baptismal Certificate be sent to the Pastorate Office, Att: Bonnie Schroeder.
What Do We Do?: When you plan to marry and have decided on a desired date, contact Fr. Burkle (563-853-3369) to reserve a date, time and Church for your wedding and to arrange for a pre-nuptial interview. (If possible, make this contact a year in advance of your wedding). If you have been previously married (in any Church, civilly or by common law) you may need to seek an annulment. Fr. Burkle will talk with you and assist you in this process. If you have not been Confirmed, this may be the right time to receive this Sacrament. Fr. Burkle will talk with you about your options and requirements for this. Then, contact Cindy or Jim (563-870-4428) so they can arrange a time for your first Marriage Preparation session.
What Happens at the Sessions?: Your 1st session is with Cindy or Jim who will gather the data needed for the Church records and assist you with FOCCUS, which is a survey to aid you with your marriage preparation. It can help you understand and communicate openly about areas that are important to your relationship. You will, also, receive a packet of materials to assist you in planning the Wedding Ceremony and information about Engaged Encounter, Pre-Cana, and the Sponsor Couple program.
Your 2nd session is with Fr. Burkle. He will go over the results of the FOCCUS Survey with you, and address any concerns or issues you may have.
Your 3rd session is also with the Priest (Fr. Burkle, Fr. Joensen, Fr. Krapfl) who will celebrate the Wedding Ceremony. He will help you plan the Ceremony, be available to talk with you about any Church or other matters you might want to discuss, and, if you wish, arrange for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Other Requirements: You will be asked to participate in an Engaged Encounter or Pre-Cana Weekend, or meet with a Sponsor Couple from within the Pastorate or from the Parish of which you presently are a member. If you wish, you could participate in two or all three of these.
If you do not belong to one of the St. La Salle Pastorate Parishes, you probably will want to do your Marriage Preparation through the Parish where you are a member. You will still have to contact Fr. Burkle to reserve the Church and Jim or Cindy to complete the information for the records. Then, you will meet with the Priest who will preside at the Wedding Ceremony. The Pastor of your Parish will have to give you permission to marry in the Pastorate and will send all your paper work to Fr. Burkle prior to your meeting with Fr. Burkle, Fr. Joensen, or Fr. Krapfl. If you belong to a Parish other than one of the St. La Salle Pastorate Parishes but do your marriage preparations in the La Salle Pastorate, your Parish Pastor will need to give permission for you to be married in the Pastorate.
The sacrament of marriage is a declaration that the couple is and intends to be a part of a parish community, faithfully celebrating Mass on Saturday or Sunday, celebrating God's forgiveness regularly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, living faith daily, and contributing time, talent and treasure to the work of the parish. As future parents, the couple passes on the faith to their child(ren).
A First Reconciliation meeting for parents is tentatively planned for Sept. 26 at 7:00 at Rickardsville with First Reconciliation on November 28th at 7:00 at Sherrill.
A First Communion meeting is tentatively planned for January 23rd. First Communion is at any of the weekend Masses on May 3th or 4th. Rehearsal for the First Communion Mass will be on April 30th at Rickardsville at 7:00. The First Communicant needs to attend the April 30th meeting. On or before January 23rd, let Cindy or Jim know the Mass at which your child will receive his/her First Communion.
All dates and times are subject to change.
Currently, the Religious Education schedule is not available.
Currently, the Confirmation schedule is not available.