The Notre Dame Program of Religious Education begins in the First Grade and runs through the end of the Seventh Grade. The Sacraments of First Penance and First Holy Communion are received in the Spring of the Second Grade, and the Sacrament of Confirmation is received in the early Fall of the Eighth Grade.
The Catholic Church has always taught that parents must be the primary educators of their children in the way of Faith. Long experience has shown that no program of religious education will have any impact on children unless the Faith is being practiced together as a family. Therefore our program is based on families, parents and children, attending Sunday Mass weekly. This is the very basis of the new program and constitutes the foundation of the children’s religious education. Parents and children also attend a Sunday morning class seven times a year.
The single most important goal of Faith Formation at any stage is a serious, deep and daily relationship with Jesus Christ, and attending weekly Sunday Mass with your children is the single most important means to attain this goal. A deep relationship with Jesus Christ is what every family needs now more than ever.