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Our Lady of Joy Religious Education
First through Sixth Grade – Public School
Leighton Drake
Faith Formation/Religious Education
(480) 346-3042 x202
Our Lady of Joy’s children’s faith formation is a dynamic program that integrates catechesis and activities using the Faith and Life Series by Ignatius Press, which incorporates Sacred Scripture, the Catechism, prayer and liturgy into the learning process. We strive to provide excellent spiritual and intellectual faith formation for your children.
Teachers and classroom aides are needed! We need committed, faithful Catholics of all ages to answer the call to share the faith with the children of our parish family. If you are a fully practicing Catholic who loves the Lord and His Church with all your heart, you may be called to assist us in this amazing ministry! Contact the Faith Formation office to inquire.
Enrollment is conducted during the summer and sessions run from September through April.
Choice of class date and time is on a first come – first served basis.
Students attend sessions once a week in the Parish Center.
The registration fee is $80 for the first child, with reduced rates for each additional child.
Sessions are offered on the following days and times:
Grades 1-6: Mondays 6:15 – 7:45 pm
Grades 1 – 3 on Wednesdays 4:15-5:45pm
Registrations are available in the parish office. Sessions begin Monday, September 13th, and Wednesday, September 15th.
Parents/guardians are the primary educators, or catechists, of their children in the ways of the faith. This may terrify us if we haven’t had an adequate education in the faith ourselves. But we can take heart because there are many resources out there. We’d be happy to suggest books and other resources for personal faith formation. We also have an incredible gift store here at Our Lady of Joy with plenty of readable, solid Catholic books, CDs, and DVDs. And, we have the support of our parish faith formation programs here. We are here to support your efforts in bringing your children to a mature faith.
Our children need solid catechesis in order to flourish, and they need our example of what it means to be a disciple (one who learns from the Master) and an apostle (one who is sent to proclaim the good news), which should prompt us, as parents, to ask ourselves: Do I show my children the importance of putting God first by going to Holy Mass every Sunday (or Saturday vigil)? Do I show my children the importance of God’s mercy and the power it has to change us and mold us into the people He created us to be by regularly availing myself of the amazing grace that comes from the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Do I witness to the joy of dependence on Christ through family prayer every day? Do I give God proper reverence by living a life that honors Him and respects my fellow human beings? Do I demonstrate the importance of giving God my whole self by faithfully living the fullness of Catholicism in matters of faith and morals? And do my children see in me a confidence in the love that God has for us, and a spirituality that reflects my love for Him? And finally, do I include my children in the faith formation programs of my parish so they may grow in faith and in their sense of Catholic community? These are good questions for us, as parents, to constantly return to as we take on the responsibility of leading our children to Heaven. We are, indeed, their primary teachers of the faith. What we say and do matters more than we can know.
We look forward to seeing your children in our religious formation program. Let’s equip the children of our community for life!
For more information, please contact the Faith Formation office.