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It is time once again to prepare for a new year in the Religious Education for your child. Grades 1 through 6 will continue to meet on Sunday mornings. Our class time runs from the end of 9:45 Mass until 12:00 noon. Grades 7 and 8 meet on Monday evenings at 7 P.M.
Please note that in order to receive First Eucharist, a child must have two years of Reli-gious Education; to be Confirmed, a student must have completed all grades. A child may not necessarily be in the same grade in Religious Education as s/he is in school.
Calendars and Registration packets will be sent to all families registered last year. If any family needs a Registration packet or would like additional information, please call the Parish Office at 963-4205.
Introduction
The whole Church in heaven and on earth rejoices at the initiation of new members into the Body of Christ through Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. We have a variety of programs at Sacred Heart to catechize and initiate new Christians of all ages.
Programs for Children
Students in our Grade School and Religious Education program are prepared for the Sacraments of Reconciliation {second grade}, Eucharist {second grade} and Confirmation {eighth grade}. The Sacramental preparation program is a combined effort of teachers, catechists, priests, parents and students. It includes parent sessions, meetings between parents and a parish staff member, and, for Confirmation, a meeting between the student and a priest. Parent participation and cooperation is a crucial component of all these programs. For more information, please contact Mrs. Deanne May in the parish office at sacredheartyonkers@gmail.com
RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was the last of the Sacramental rites to be revised after Vatican II. Its introduction marked a significant change in the way adults are welcomed into the Catholic Community. It is a return to an ancient practice in the Church: a process of discerning and ritually celebrating stages of conversion, leading to sacramental initiation through Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist, as celebrated at the Easter Vigil. Instead of individual meetings with a priest to explain the teachings of the Church through "convert instructions," R. C. I. A. presents a structure for representatives from the local parish family to help form new members in the life of the Catholic Christian Community through faith-sharing and meditation on the Word of God as experienced in the Sunday Liturgy each week. Meetings are on Monday evenings from Fall through Spring. About ten people form the core group: parishioners, religious and a priest moderator. In addition to those seeking to discern whether God is calling them to embrace the Catholic Faith, the group is also open to those who wish to deepen their own spirituality or to any wishing to make up for "skipped" Sacraments {i.e., Confirmation}. If interested as an R.C.I.A. minister or candidate, you are invited to speak with a parish priest.
This year’s RCIA program begins each September. This program is designed to welcome any non-baptized or persons baptized into another Christian Faith into the Catholic community. It is also meant to prepare any adult Catholic who has not received the Sacraments of First Eucharist or Confirmation to complete these Sacraments. This is by no means a technical course in advanced theology, but it is aimed at familiarizing adults with the basics of the Catholic faith. If you would like to take part in this year’s program, please contact Fr. John or simply join us on Monday, evenings at 7:30 pm in the Parish Offices at 40 Convent Avenue.
Children's Liturgy of the Word
The Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered to children of the parish from pre-K through 6th grade. At the beginning of the Mass, the children are called out of the Church to proceed to the Church Hall. There, the scriptures of the day are read in child-friendly language, a reflection is offered, and the children are led in either a discussion or artwork to reflect on the meaning of the readings. The children are returned to family in the Church at the Offertory.
The program runs from Sept – June at the 9:45 AM Sunday Mass, with the exception of the second Sunday of the month (and other special occasions), when children are asked to remain in the Church with their families. A schedule is circulated in September to the grade school and religious education families: copies are available in the Church office.
Anyone interested in helping in any way is more than welcome.