Religious Education is suspended until at least May. We anticipate a longer suspension. Packets with the course material and worksheets to be completed are being sent home. New dates for First Holy Communion and Conformation will be available soon.
Many non-Catholics believe that Catholic faith is a blind acceptance of the Church's teaching without any attempt to use the powers of reason and logic. On the contrary, unless a person uses his own intelligence to come to the conviction that the truths of the Catholic religion have been revealed by God, he can never make a true act of faith. Even a child, before he can make an act of faith, must have some realization that it is reasonable to do so, at least from the testiminy of his parents. And if an intelligent person examines the claims of the Church honestly and thoroughly, he will eventually conclude that the Catholic religion is the one true religion of God, and that all are obliged to believe it. Then, if he sincerely prays to God for light and strength to do what is right, he will surely be led to make a firm act of faith in the truths taught by the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church has been authorized by Christ to teach the truths of divine revelation, found in the Bible and in divine Tradition. The Church can teach and explain authoritativley and infallibly not only the doctrines that are contained in the Bible and in divine Tradition, but also doctrines which have not been revealed but are connected with divine revelation; and Catholic are bound in conscience to accept these teachings of the Church.
Catholics should show their appreciation of the great gift of the one true faith by studying it constantly and by daily endeavoring to put it more perfectlt into practice in their lives.
Our parish's religious education program is here to help in this most noble and important effort for your children! To enroll them in our program so they may be fully initiated into the Church through the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation, please call our program's coordinator, Ms. Linda Byrons, at 845 343 4415. Classes are held once a week from September to the spring.