Religious Education and Catechesis

All the Christian faithful, since they are called by baptism to lead a life in keeping with the teaching of the gospel, have the right to a Christian education by which they are to be instructed properly to strive for the maturity of the human person and at the same time to know and live the mystery of salvation. Parents, since they have given life to their children, have a most grave obligation and possess the right to educate them. Therefore, it is for Christian parents particularly to take care of the Christian education of their children according to the doctrine handed on by the Church.

The duty and right of educating belongs in a special way to the Church, to which has been divinely entrusted the mission of assisting persons so that they are able to reach the fullness of the Christian life. Since true education must strive for complete formation of the human person that looks to his or her final end as well as to the common good of societies, children and youth are to be nurtured in such a way that they are able to develop their physical, moral, and intellectual talents harmoniously, acquire a more perfect sense of responsibility and right use of freedom, and are formed to participate actively in social life. In each parish, the pastor has particular care for the Catholic education of children and youth. Pastors have the duty of arranging everything so that all the faithful have a Catholic education.

The parish community continues to be the prime mover and preëminent place for catechesis. The vocation of the parish is to be a fraternal and welcoming family home, where those who have been baptized and confirmed become aware of forming the People of God. In that home, the bread of good doctrine and the Eucharistic Bread are broken for them in abundance, in the setting of the one act of worship; from that home they are sent out day by day to their apostolic mission in all the centers of activity of the life of the world.

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Religious Education Notes

• Parents need to be a member of the parish, complete the registration form, and pay the fee on or before the first night of classes.
  
• Classes are held on Wednesday evenings from 6:00–7:15 pm at the school for students in grades 1–9.
• We always begin in the church, unless parents are informed otherwise.
• If you have questions call the RE office at 715-423-1251.
  

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Religious Education Scope & Sequence

Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish uses the Faith and Life Series, a part of Ignatius Press Religious Education, for its religious education program. The Faith and Life series, now available in German as well as English, has attracted commendations from people everywhere. From parents to teachers to priests to cardinals, Faith and Life has proved not only popular, but also incredibly effective. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) has mentioned that Faith and Life is "the best catechetical series in the German language." All the English texts of the series have been reviewed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Subcommittee on the Catechism and have been found to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The scope and sequence of the Faith and Life Series is below:

Grade One: Our Heavenly Father

• Theme: Introduction to the Holy Trinity through presentations on God the Father, the life of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God's plan of salvation and our part in that plan. Acquaints children with Mary, angels, and the saints. Children learn basic prayers.
• Aim: To introduce first-grade students to the Church's faith regarding the Triune God, the life of Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the life of prayer, with a special emphasis on growing to know, love, and trust God.

Grade Two: Jesus Our Life

• Theme: Preparation for the first reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion, with the law of God and salvation history as background. The lesson emphasizes God's mercy and love. Covers Creation, the Covenant with Moses, the Ten Commandments, Redemption, Forgiveness of Sins, and the Mass.
• Aim: To prepare second-grade students for the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, and to help them appreciate God's love for them shown in these two sacraments. Students will learn how to receive the Sacrament of Confession, the order of the Mass, and the basics of prayer.

Grade Three: Our Life with Jesus

• Theme: God's plan of salvation, from creation to the Incarnation and Redemption to the birth of the Church at Pentecost and our life in the Church. Special emphasis on the importance of Confession, Communion and the Mass.
• Aim: To show third-grade students that they belong to God's chosen people and that the child's family, the Church. Also, to encourage prayer and love for God's law.

Grade Four: Jesus Our Guide

• Theme: God's plan to save his people from sin (Salvation History), how we participate in that plan, and the many ways God helps us in our pilgrimage on earth to Heaven through his word, his law, and his Church.
• Aim: To help fourth-grade students understand their purpose and goal in life, and to see God's plan in history and society to lead us all to Heaven, our true, eternal home.

Grade Five: Credo: I Believe

• Theme: A thorough study of the articles of the Creed as the basic belief of our Catholic faith, with a special emphasis on careful understanding of definitions through the words of the Gospels, and the prophets, and the prayers of the Church.
• Aim: To help fifth-grade students acquire a solid knowledge of God and his Church through the understanding of the Creed we profess, and the distinguished truths of our faith from errors that lead away from the love of God.

Grade Six: Following Christ

• Theme: The blueprint for a life of love: the law of God, especially in the Ten Commandments, and the presence of Jesus in the Holy Mass. The interaction of the challenges of God's law and his gifts of grace that help us fulfill his law.
  
• Aim: To help sixth-grade students learn to love the moral law as Christ did and to cherish and love the Mass as our best prayer to God, and especially to revere and adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
  

Grade Seven: The Life of Grace

• Theme: Grace as our link with God, his gift to us to bring us to Himself and his eternal life, with an emphasis on transmission of grace through the seven sacraments and on God's loving gifts of revelation, of himself through the prophets, the Incarnation, and the Church. The role of grace in developing the virtues.
  
• Aim: To help seventh-grade students treasure the sacraments as indispensable to a full Christian life of love and truth. To understand how grace works and its relation to practicing the virtues, and to appreciate our gifts of reason and faith.
  

Grade Eight: Our Life in the Church

• Theme: The history of the Church—its founding by Christ, its birth in the Holy Spirit, the marks of the one, true Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the saints and the role of the religious and laity up to the present. The structure of the Church Jesus planned, the role of the Magisterium, the clergy, the religious and the laity and our own vocations.
  
• Aim: To help eighth-grade students know and love the Church as Christ's Body, and respond to the teaching of the Magisterium as the sure voice of Jesus, so that young people may be strengthened through their lives in the Church to face the confusion and secularism of modern-day society.