St. Raphael Parish religious education

Religious Education Handbook 2006-07 (pdf format)

1. To build upon the religious faith nurtured by families and celebrated in baptism 
2. To provide religious formation which is consistent with the basic traditions and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church as reflected in the direction set by the Second Vatican Council and its applications to
   contemporary living.
3. To provide the opportunity to experience the rich sacramental life of the Church, which can nourish and sustain life.
4. To create a sense of community identity which can be an ever deepening experience of Church for children and their families.
5. To involve people in the mission of the Church on all levels of development.
6. To assist the growth of parents in their roles as "religious educators," and to enjoy this interaction with their children.

The Mission of Catechesis
"The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them When they saw him, they worshipped, but they doubted.. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."    ~ Matthew 28:16-20

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"Quite early on, the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church's effort to make disciples, to help people believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in his life, thus building up the body of Christ."

"Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young people, and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into fullness of Christian life."   ~ -Catechism of the Catholic Church: 4-5

updated 9/14/06