Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Religious Education Program
Catechists:
Preschool: Kaylene TenEyck 419/634-9891
Katlin Teneyck
Grades 1 & 2: Desiree Tosatto 419/634-0411
Michelle Bowman
Grades 3 & 4: Shirley Byal 419/759-2428
Grades 5 & 6: Mike Milks 419/634-9368
Tina Woods 419/648-3554
Grades 7 & 8: Mike Hood 419/634-1645
High School: Deb Driscoll 419/326-3655
Ann Hood 419/634-1645
Music Ministry Marilyn Dulin 419/673-0931
Class Room Numbers
Classrooms are upstairs, above the parish hall.
Room One – Grades 7 & 8
Room Two – Grades 3 & 4
Room Three – Grades 5 & 6
Room Four – PSR Office
Room Five – Preschool at 9:00 a.m./ Grades 1 & 2 at 10:00 a.m.
PHILOSOPHY
Parents are the primary religious educators of their children. Formal religious education classes at
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish are designed to support parents in their ministry. Each child is a gift
from God, and it is a privilege to participate in the faith development of our parish youth.
Our educational approach is threefold: knowledge, relationships and service. Knowledge of God
and the Church is presented through lessons based on Scripture, and the Tradition of the Roman
Catholic Church: our history, doctrine, and practice. Relationship to God is fostered through
prayer, the sacraments, community expressions of faith, and interaction with peers and Catholic
adults. Service is encouraged with opportunities for sharing and through community service
projects.
With the combined commitment of parents, catechists and clergy, the youth of Our Lady of
Lourdes Parish shall be provided with many and various opportunities for growth in the Catholic
faith.
ADULT FAITH FORMATION
As the primary educators of your children, it is essential for parents to be well informed.
Parishioners are invited to take any opportunities for educational and spiritual growth.
The parish hall is home to a small library of a variety of reading material and magazines. All are
invited to attend any of the Catechist trainings. The Diocese provides many opportunities for
continuing education, faith formation and spiritual direction – these events are advertised in our
bulletin and in the Catholic Times.
Included in the “handing on” of our faith is the modeling we do for the young people of our
parish. We must all take responsibility for being examples of faith-full living: by our prayer, by
our attitude, by our worship. It is God who has loved us first and adopted us in Jesus Christ; it is
up to us to respond in kind and show our kids how to love God and follow Jesus.
PSR RESOURCES
Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, we will be using a new set of textbooks for students in
Grades One through Six: RCL’s Faith First – Legacy Edition. Faith First is a spiral approach to
learning our Catholic faith. The four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – Creed,
Sacraments, Prayer and Morality – are taught and developed on every grade level every year.
This ensures that the beliefs of our faith are introduced to and reinforced for the young people as
they grow, develop and mature in their faith.
This method means that each catechist will build upon and reinforce what students have learned
previously in other grades. The result is age-appropriate learning on all topics.
Each text will provide:
Doctrine Chapters to help children understand what we believe as Catholics and how to live
out those beliefs.
Scripture Chapters to help children come to know and understand the Word of God. Each
lesson has three distinctive elements: Bible background, Reading the Word of God, and
Understanding the Word of God.
Liturgical Season Lessons to allow children the opportunity to celebrate and prayerfully
participate in the liturgy all year long.
In addition, each chapter of Faith First has consistent features that direct learning, develop
religious literacy, reinforce content, and encourage integration of faith and life. The consistent
features are: Faith Focus, Faith Vocabulary, Faith-filled People, Our Church Makes a Difference,
What Difference Does Faith Make in My Life, We Pray, We Remember, With My Family.
Please be sure to work with your children using Faith First. We look forward to feedback from
you and your children regarding the new textbooks
High School: Grades 9 – 12
High School students gather in the parish hall, following 9:00 Mass.
Aiding our High School parishioners in accepting ownership of their faith, along with the
responsibility for expressing it in their lives lies at the heart of our High School
Religious Education Program.
Fully initiated by their Confirmation, our High School students gather to explore and exercise their
Catholic identity. Adult guides facilitate the exploration by allowing the teens themselves to
determine direction: consideration is given to the range of ages and stages of faith development
and the unique dynamic of each group as they begin a new year. As background for youth group
activities, catechists will use RCL’s Path Through Catholicism textbook and resource book.
Youth gatherings focus on practical charity and hospitality - among each other, moved out to the
parish and then to the community and the world. Occasional lectures are used for education and
reflection. Gift and/or craft making projects give opportunities for companionship, leadership,
cooperation and generosity. Ministry to younger parishioners, through events like Halloween face-
painting, allow the teens to be examples of hospitality and charity. Attending training and
exploring opportunities allows them to see if they are called to liturgical ministry.
We invite and encourage adults of the parish, especially the teens’ parents, to sit in on classes and
projects and are welcome to become involved with the youth group.
Middle School: Grades 7 & 8
Grades 7 & 8 meet Sundays, following the 9:00 Mass until 10:50 a.m.
Our parish celebrates the Sacrament of Confirmation with students in Grades 7 & 8 every two
years; to be celebrated again in the spring of 2007. Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation
seeks to challenge our young people to accept the gift of faith freely given to them, to take hold of
the responsibilities of that faith and share it with others, to become active members of their parish,
and to continue in their journey to strengthen their faith and deepen their relationship with God.
Grades 7 & 8 use Sadlier’s Creed: A Course on Catholic Belief. In Part I, Faith and Revelation the young
people learn that it is through divine revelation that we come to know God and that the gift of
faith enables us to respond to this divine revelation. This year, to assist the students with
preparation for Confirmation, Grades 7 & 8 will use Creed, Part II, The Church and the Holy
Spirit. The textbook will continue the study of Jesus and his teachings, the Good News, Life In
Christ, the Holy Spirit, and take an in depth look at the Catholic Church –mystery, identity,
community, mission.
Those to be confirmed, if not baptized at Our Lady of Lourdes, will need to provide the parish
office with a baptismal certificate before the date of Confirmation. Students are expected to attend
classes, participate in events and service projects and attend the Confirmation Retreat.
Regular attendance is required.
Elementary School: Grades 1 -6
Grades 1 -6 meet Sundays, following the 9:00 Mass until 10:50 a.m.
Elementary Grades One through Six: In the elementary program, our goals are for each child to
continue to develop as a disciple of Jesus by sharing their love, healing, forgiveness and
compassion with others. Each grade level includes age appropriate lessons in the areas of Scripture
and Revelation, the Christian Message, Prayer, Sacraments, Liturgy, and Morality. At each grade
level we continue to develop the child’s gifts and talents and encourage them to share those both
within our community and in service to others.
Preschool
Preschool class meets during the 9:00 AM Mass on Sunday morning.
PLEASE NOTE: On Sundays without Elementary, Middle or High School classes:
Check the bulletin for the Preschool scheduling.
The preschool program is a religious readiness program designed to support the family in bringing
the child closer to a love and knowledge of God and Church. There is a strong emphasis on self-
worth and the child’s relationship to God, creation, family, and the church community. Classes
provide opportunities for the child to learn through discovery and experiences in an atmosphere of
love and fun. Prayer is an integral part of each lesson, with emphasis on spontaneous prayer and
attitude formation.
Your children will enjoy and identify with the "Faith First Kids" whose delightful stories are woven
throughout Faith First Kindergarten, the textbook used with our preschool-aged children.
These adventures and experiences are designed to capture young children's enthusiasm and sense
of wonder as they begin to build their identity as young Catholics. Nurturing their faith age-
appropriately, this book introduces your children to the Bible, basic Catholic beliefs, and the
liturgy.
REGISTRATION
Registration for the Parish School of Religion (PSR) begins in early September. Children must be
registered each new school year. Those who register for PSR must also be registered members of
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Parish and PSR registration forms will be available beginning the
weekend of September 2 & 3 in the parish hall. Families new to the parish may register at any time
during the year.
TUITION
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish does not charge tuition for the religious education program. Costs for
instructional materials and supplies, guest speakers, special service projects and events are paid out
of the parish’s general operating budget. Because the program’s expenses are shared by all
parishioners, every family participating in the program is expected to contribute regularly to the
parish through Sunday offerings and may contribute specifically in the quarterly Religious
Education Fund envelope.
CODE OF CONDUCT
All students and teachers are expected to act in all ways and at all times in a manner that is in
keeping with gospel values and Christian discipline. Our teachers are all volunteers, and therefore
have a right to expect their students to act toward them and one another with respect and
obedience. Teachers will be responsible for establishing a classroom environment in which
students receive continuing instruction regarding acceptable behavior. Unacceptable behavior will
be pointed out to the student for him or her to correct. Persistent or outlandish misbehavior will
be reported to the coordinator, pastor, and parents.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance at all scheduled Religious Education classes and events is expected; each session builds
upon the previous one. Regular attendance enables the child to benefit fully while promoting a
sense of belonging to the parish community. Each year the students are not only learning about
the Lord, the Catholic Church and our faith, but they are also gaining an understanding of the
responsibilities that the Gospels entail. One of these responsibilities is to make the faith their own,
and to demonstrate this by regular and consistent attendance. For this reason, should the
attendance of a child become erratic and inconsistent, the parents will be asked to make an
appointment with the pastor. Naturally, there will be circumstances and conditions in which a
child is unable to attend, and this is certainly understood. However, if a student is habitually
absent from classes (without fair and reasonable explanation), the parents will be obliged to meet
with the pastor, in order to assess the sacramental readiness of the child.
As the sense of belonging to the parish community is so important for the children, we encourage
enrollment in the Parish School of Religion. However, if you wish to home school your children,
you may make an appointment with the pastor to outline a course of study and purchase the
appropriate text books.
CANCELLATIONS
In the event of a weather (or other type of) emergency on a Sunday morning, classes will be
cancelled. In these rare situations, cancellation of classes would occur simultaneously with a
dispensation from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass. News of these situations would be
broadcast on local radio stations (WKTN and WONB).
VOLUNTEERS
All of our catechists are volunteers and any parishioner who has the desire to work with the youth
of the parish is welcome to participate in our program. Volunteers may help as teachers,
substitutes, aides, guest speakers, service project coordinators, and more. Contact the coordinator
for options and information.
For the safety and well-being of your children, all volunteers who work with children of the parish
provide an application to the parish office and undergo a fingerprint/background check through
the Ohio Bureau of Identification and Investigation.
Catechists are required to attend a “Protecting God’s Children” workshop with consequent and
ongoing training. The Diocese of Columbus Department of Religious Education provides parishes
with a Diocesan Policies handbook; catechists read the policies and sign compliance forms. Parents
may request to borrow a copy of the Policy Handbook by calling the parish office.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
The year wraps up, following a short break, with Vacation Bible School. This is a week-long,
theme based program for 4 year olds through fourth graders. VBS is advertised publicly and ours
is one of the many programs offered during the summer by Ada churches. Vacation Bible School
offers parishioners an opportunity for a short-term commitment as a catechist or helper, invites the
leadership of our older children, and helps to foster ecumenism by open invitation and hospitality
to the larger community through the children who attend.
CURRICULUM
General
The Religious Education Program at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish follows the Diocesan Elementary
and High School Religion Graded Course of Study. This Graded Course of Study (GCS) was
developed by the Diocese of Columbus to ensure that the total content of faith is taught in a
systematic and age appropriate way. The GCS contains general program goals and objectives and
grade level objectives.
This curriculum, based on the National Catechetical Directory, gives students an appreciation of
the Catholic religion and an opportunity to freely choose to live according to its principles. It is the
beginning of a lifetime of learning about their faith.
Program Goals
The general program goals for all our students are:
to discover the meaning of God’s revelation in Scripture and tradition and respond in faith;
to reflect on one’s own personal experience in light of the Catholic Church’s tradition;
to participate in the praying, believing, celebrating and serving community of the
Catholic Church;
to witness by word and example the Christian moral life;
to develop one’s full human potential as a child of God.
Growth in faith occurs in stages according to many factors, including family heritage, individual
response, and formal and informal instruction. The curriculum developed for our parish religious
education program is only one of many ways to form a child in the faith. It will be effective, at
best, when viewed as a supplement and support to parental instruction and witness in faith and
religion.
As our program develops and grows from year to year, we hope to increase cooperation and
communication between staff, teachers and parents in order to create better ways to teach the faith
and support parents and families in their growth in faith. Suggestions and recommendations for
improvement are always welcome.
All texts and instructional resources used in our parish program have been evaluated and
approved for use in the parish, by our pastor, and approved for use in the diocese by
representatives of the Diocesan Department of Religious Education.
Our Lady of Lourdes
Parish School of Religion
Religious Education Handbook 2008-2009
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