It is the firm belief of the Church that parents are the primary and principal teachers of their children. This means spending quality time with your children teaching them about our faith, and showing them through your good example how a Catholic should live and act.
It also means actively assisting in their formal training, and there are many avenues for parental involvement offered through our Religious Formation programs.
Parents may opt to help in the classrooms as aides, or serve as hall monitors or office helpers. Parents may choose to help with specific activities such as the Angel Tree or Thanksgiving Basket projects. Parents and even non-parents can help with other program-related activities such as baking at home for special activities, making phone calls, help with administrative tasks, or other activities that can often be done at their convenience.
Click this link to find out more about the Religious Formation Policies and Standards.
If you wish further information about how you help, please contact Diane Trimble at 301-977-7990.
Find out more about our Religious Formation Classes by clicking on the following links:
Our Four and Five Year Olds program helps parents enhance their role as the primary teachers of their child’s faith through example and instruction. Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter On the Family reminds us, "The Christian family...is the first community called to pronounce the Gospel...and to bring persons, through a progressive education and catechesis, to full human and Christian maturity." Once a month parents and catechists meet to provide the children with the basic building blocks of their Catholic faith in a warm, nurturing classroom setting. Parents have the opportunity to explore their own faith as well through casual conversation, group discussion, videos and other reference materials that are readily available.
The class sessions meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month from 4:30 to 5:30 P.M.
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The Youth Group -- Once a month teens of the parish gather for a Scripture Study and once per month teens gather for a Teen Mass and catechetical session. These two sessions per month form the backbone of the Youth Ministry program here at Saint John’s. In addition, regular opportunities for retreat, service to the parish and community, Mass and prayer, social activities, and trips help bring our teens to closer union with God and each other.
Teens in Leadership -- Members of the Youth Group who wish to serve in leadership roles meet each Monday in the Catechetical Center. This group takes a more active role by helping to organize what activities and opportunities the Youth Group will participate in, and how the various activities and programs will be organized. They also look for volunteers to staff the activities and programs and take responsibility for the well-being of the Youth Group. The Religious Formation and Youth Ministry Calendar lists all of the activities and meetings of both the Youth Group and Youth Board.
The Sacrament of Baptism The Sacrament of Marriage
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Weekly Classes for Grades 1 - 8
Using the rich resources of doctrinally sound catechetical materials that accurately explain the teachings of our Catholic faith, children learn to appreciate the tradition of the Church, the importance of Sacred Scripture and the richness of the Liturgy. With special emphasis on the Sacraments, especially Penacne and Reconciliation, the Holy Eucharist and Confirmation, these young Catholics come to better understand the Church around them. Parents need to support what the children learn in weekly classes by attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, displaying and using religious articles in their homes, praying and reading Scripture regularly, and fostering religious vocations.
Middle School Youth Ministry — Grade 6 Confirmation
Students in grades 6, 7 and 8 have the opportunity to participate in some Youth Group activities throughout the year. Please sign up with Mrs. Burgess to receive our special mailings for this group. Following their Confirmation, students in grade 8 are urged to join the High School Youth Group activities . Until then, they are encouraged to attend the Teen Masses (usually the third Sunday of the month) as well as the following special events which are announced in the bulletin.
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Youth Ministry (Post Confirmation — Grade 12)
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The Rite of Christian Initiation of Children (RCIC)
This program is for children who have not been baptized and whose parents have expressed the desire to fully initiate them into the Catholic faith. Special classes with catechists prepare the children for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation. Students are then encouraged to continue in their faith education in classes appropriate for their grade in school.
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First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation Preparation - PLEASE NOTE
There is a two-year preparation period for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. Students must be enrolled in a formal program of study, approved by the Pastor, for a least one year prior to the reception of the sacraments. Parents are required to attend parent meetings, and other special activities. Each sacrament has its own requirements. Descriptions of these requirments as well as schedules can be obtained from the Religious Formation Office.
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Baptism Preparation
The Parish also offers additional programs for parents and God-parents to learn more about the Sacrament of Baptism.
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Marriage Preparation
The Parish offers programs to assist couples in preparing for and planning to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage.
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College-Age Young Adults Ministry
The draft document of The National Directory for Catechesis reminds us that, Catechesis for young adults must carefully consider the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood. Young adults are a widely diverse group whose connection to the institutional Church can be intimate or distant. We hope to encourage our fellow parishioners of college age and beyond to continue participating in the life of our parish and the Church at large. We are currently developing this program here at St. John Neumann.
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Contact Maureen Joseph in the Office of Religious Formation at 301-977-7990 or by email.