Statement of Philosophy and Purpose
“The aim of catechesis is to lead believers to a deeper knowledge and love of Christ and the Church and a firm commitment to follow him” (National Directory for Catechesis). Focusing on Jesus as the very center of catechesis, the goal of the St. Emily – St. Thomas Becket Religious Education Program is to promote the knowledge of faith, meaningful participation in liturgical worship and the sacramental life of the Church, offer moral formation, teach prayer and lead believers to become disciples of Christ.
Parents are the first educators of their children in the faith. They remain the most important ones, no matter how long a child goes to school.
St. John Paul II repeatedly wrote about the importance of the family in religious education. In 1979 (Catechesis in Our Time), he said,
The family’s catechetical activity has a special character, which is in a sense irreplaceable.... Education in the faith by parents, which should begin from the children’s tenderest age, is already being given when the members of a family help each other to grow in faith through the witness of their Christian lives, a witness that is often without words but which perseveres throughout a day-to-day life lived in accordance with the Gospel.
...Christian parents must strive to follow and repeat, within the setting of family life, the more methodical teaching received elsewhere. The fact that these truths about the main questions of faith and Christian living are thus repeated within a family setting impregnated with love and respect will often make it possible to influence the children in a decisive way for life. The parents themselves profit from the effort that this demands of them, for in a catechetical dialogue of this sort each individual both receives and gives.
Family catechesis therefore precedes, accompanies and enriches all other forms of catechesis. (§ 68)
Parents and the parish function as partners in this enterprise. With communication and cooperation, we create an environment in which children can grow in their faith. As participants in the religious education program, parents make a commitment to the religious formation of their children at home, which includes
Parents commit to making sure that their children attend the sessions on time and are prepared with the necessary supplies. They help to review homework at home and make up any work that is missed. They commit to enrolling their child continuously from first grade through eighth grade / confirmation.
An essential part of this commitment is for families to worship with their children and the whole parish at Mass on Sunday and to help prepare their children for the sacraments.
The role of the parish is to support parents in their role, but not to take it over. A primary goal of our catechetical program is to help parents bring home what their children are learning here and make it a part of family life.
In order to meet these goals, the parish community assists and supports the family by providing a welcoming environment where families can worship together. The parish also provides a religious education program which gives the students an experience of community learning with their age group, but does not replace the parents.
“The aim of catechesis is to lead believers to a deeper knowledge and love of Christ and the Church and a firm commitment to follow him” (National Directory for Catechesis). Focusing on Jesus as the very center of catechesis, the goal of the St. Emily – St. Thomas Becket Religious Education Program is to promote the knowledge of faith, meaningful participation in liturgical worship and the sacramental life of the Church, offer moral formation, teach prayer and lead believers to become disciples of Christ.
Parents are the first educators of their children in the faith. They remain the most important ones, no matter how long a child goes to school.
St. John Paul II repeatedly wrote about the importance of the family in religious education. In 1979 (Catechesis in Our Time), he said,
The family’s catechetical activity has a special character, which is in a sense irreplaceable.... Education in the faith by parents, which should begin from the children’s tenderest age, is already being given when the members of a family help each other to grow in faith through the witness of their Christian lives, a witness that is often without words but which perseveres throughout a day-to-day life lived in accordance with the Gospel.
...Christian parents must strive to follow and repeat, within the setting of family life, the more methodical teaching received elsewhere. The fact that these truths about the main questions of faith and Christian living are thus repeated within a family setting impregnated with love and respect will often make it possible to influence the children in a decisive way for life. The parents themselves profit from the effort that this demands of them, for in a catechetical dialogue of this sort each individual both receives and gives.
Family catechesis therefore precedes, accompanies and enriches all other forms of catechesis. (§ 68)
Parents and the parish function as partners in this enterprise. With communication and cooperation, we create an environment in which children can grow in their faith. As participants in the religious education program, parents make a commitment to the religious formation of their children at home, which includes
- learning prayer and Catholic practices;
- exploring the Scriptures together;
- sharing values and morals;
- participating in service opportunities as a family.
Parents commit to making sure that their children attend the sessions on time and are prepared with the necessary supplies. They help to review homework at home and make up any work that is missed. They commit to enrolling their child continuously from first grade through eighth grade / confirmation.
An essential part of this commitment is for families to worship with their children and the whole parish at Mass on Sunday and to help prepare their children for the sacraments.
The role of the parish is to support parents in their role, but not to take it over. A primary goal of our catechetical program is to help parents bring home what their children are learning here and make it a part of family life.
In order to meet these goals, the parish community assists and supports the family by providing a welcoming environment where families can worship together. The parish also provides a religious education program which gives the students an experience of community learning with their age group, but does not replace the parents.