Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish
2024-2025 Religious Education Program
Thank you for your interest in Religious Education at Our Lady of Good Counsel. We are excited to share that registration for the 2024-2025 academic year is now open! Please click here for access to our registration form, fall class calendar and other important documents. Please contact the Director of Religious Education, Kevin O'Connell, with any questions or comments you may have: [email protected]. Additional information on program tenets, sacramental preparation expectations and frequently asked questions can be found below! Thank you and God Bless.
Parent/Guardian Collaboration: We believe that parents play an integral role in the moral and faith formation of students and no one can replace the influence that a parent’s example has on the spiritual life of a child. By taking time to pray, attend mass regularly, and participate in other aspects of parish life, parents can both reaffirm and enrich other forms of in-the-classroom instruction.
1. If my child is not available during the regularly scheduled meeting day/time, does this mean he/she cannot participate in the program?
No, of course not. It is widely accepted that family members serve as the primary catechists for their student(s). Some families opt to participate via homeschool learning exclusively and this is perfectly acceptable. We are available to provide as-needed guidance and support for students and parents who choose homeschool learning. That being noted, if your student is preparing to receive a sacrament while participating via homeschool learning exclusively, the parent is required to contact the Director of Religious Education, Kevin O’Connell, upon submitting their registration form. A mutually agreed upon plan of action will need to be created, with regular check-ins and assessments completed as appropriate. This is to ensure that the student is appropriately catechized, in accordance with established sacramental guidelines and standards.
2. I would like to register my child for in-person classes but I realize that he/she will likely have regular scheduling conflicts that may result in frequent absences. What should I do? Is there an attendance requirement?
A guiding principle of our Religious Education program is understanding that our families have diverse needs which may be best served by keeping a spirit of flexibility in our program expectations. We aim to take this approach, while also ensuring that all students, families and teachers are provided with a rich, formative experience. We understand that your child may not be able to make it to class from time to time for a range of legimate reasons. We also know that excessive absences, regardless of the reason, can make it very difficult for a student to stay caught up and/or learn at the same pace as the rest of the class. Unannounced or "no-show" absences can also be disruptive to our volunteer catechists who work hard to develop lessons plans and classroom activities that reflect the size and make-up of who they expect to be in the classroom on any given weekend. To this end, we publish all class dates and times in advance for your planning purposes. It is expected then that the parent/guardian contact the Director of Religious Education, Kevin O’Connell, in writing, with as much advanced notice as possible, to announce the date that their student is going to be absent from class. If a student accrues three unannounced or "no show" absences, the student's registration will be adjusted to "at-home learning only," at which time the student and parent can proceed at a pace more suitable to their circumstances.
3. What should parents know about the check-in/check-out process when classes are held?
There is no formal check-in process and class attendance is recorded. Students in grades 5+ are released from the parish hall at the end of class and may meet their parent(s)/guardian(s) upstairs in the Church or the parking lot. Students in grades 1-4 must be picked up downstairs in the parish hall and signed out. These students will only be released to the parent(s)/guardian(s) specified on the registration form – unless previously arranged in writing with the Director.
If a parent/guardian of a student in grades 5-12 would prefer that their student remain in the parish hall to be signed out, please email the Director and this will be accomodated.
4. As it relates to students preparing to receive the Sacraments of First Penance and First Communion, students are eligible only after they have completed at least one full year of religious education, immediately prior to their year of eligibility, unless otherwise specified. For example, students who are eligible to receive the Sacraments of First Penance and First Communion during their 2nd grade will have completed a full year religious education when they were in 1st grade. Students who only just begin religious education during their 2nd grade without the prior year of catechesis are then eligible to receive the sacraments when they are in 3rd grade. Note: Students enrolled in one of the diocese’s Catholic schools may register for 2nd grade sacramental preparation without any previous participation in the parish’s religious education program.
Parents of students preparing to receive the Sacraments of First Penance and First Communion must attend a minimum of two meetings with parish staff throughout the eligibility year and are expected to attend mass every weekend with their First Communicant.
5. As it relates to students preparing to receive the Sacrament Confirmation, candidates from Our Lady of Good Counsel typically receive Confirmation in the fall of their junior year of high school. The next Confirmation preparation program is scheduled to begin in late 2024 and continue through fall 2025. Eligible students are required to apply for acceptance into the preparation program after completing their sophomore year of high school. Eligible students must have also completed a minimum of one year of parish religious education during the year immediately prior to their entry into the Confirmation preparation program. Note: Students enrolled in one of the diocese’s Catholic high schools are exempt from the prior parish religious education requirement, though they must still apply for entrance into the Confirmation preparation program.
Parents of children students to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation must attend a minimum of two meetings with parish staff and are expected to attend mass every weekend with their student candidate.
Kevin O'Connell
Director of Religious Education