Calendars:

Mission Statement

The mission of the Child Formation Program at Our Lady of Grace Church is to work in partnership with parents to provide comprehensive instruction in the teachings of the Church for children through Grade Nine.  The program will promote an environment that encourages growth in relationships with Christ, family and peers.  To that end, the program will recruit, train and support committed catechists, and will work in concert with the religious education curriculum offered by our parish school.

Sunday School (ages 3, 4 and 5)

Sunday School for preschool children is held at 9:15 AM and 11:15 AM.  The nursery is located near the North entrance to the church.

Curriculum for the three-year-olds focuses on both Old and New Testament stories.  Since young children love stories, the Bible story format will be used extensively, along with prayer, exposure to the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, other special activities each week, and seasonal celebrations.

The four-year-olds use the lectionary-based curriculum by Harcourt Publishers (www.pflaum.com).  The focus will be the message of the Sunday readings, particularly the gospel, and reinforced through song, finger plays and art projects.  Incorporated in the lessons are prayer, focus on the sacraments of baptism and healing, special activities each week, and seasonal celebrations.

The kindergarten students will use the Call to Faith curriculum by Harcourt Religion Publishers (www.harcourtreligion.com).  Call to Faith is deeply rooted in Catholic tradition, and highlights the themes of Revelation, the Trinity, Jesus Christ and the Church, Morality, Sacraments and the Kingdom of God with age-appropriate activities.

The Calendar provides you a listing of class sessions.  The Parent Handbook serves as a helpful tool to answer general questions you may have about our procedures and the curriculum.  Registration for classes is held at various times in August on site at Our Lady of Grace.  Please call the Parish Office (952-929-3317) for specific details on dates and time.  For additional information contact Mary Carte (see left column).

Grades 1 - 5

Our Wednesday afternoon and evening Child Faith Formation classes are held at 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM and are one hour in length.  We use the curriculum Call to Faith by Harcourt Religion Publisher (www.harcourtreligion.com) as the basis for teaching the students.  The themes Revelation, Trinity, Jesus Christ, the Church, Morality, Sacraments, and Kingdom of Go are visited each year, progressively building on the learning and experiences of the previous year at age appropriate levels.

The Parent Handbook is a helpful tool to answer general questions about the curriculum and the expectations and abilities of students at each grade level.  The Calendar will assist in noting when class is held and when other celebratory and community activities are occurring.

In addition, the monthly newsletter Faith at Home is directed to parents and contains timely information and details for Child Faith Formation events occurring each month, as well as a helpful article offering ideas for growing in faith as a family.  Throughout the year, Family Faith Events are held to enhance the reality of growing in faith as a family.  Watch the parish bulleting or this website for notice and description of these events.

Registration for classes is held at various times in August on site at Our Lady of Grace.  Please see the Calendar or call the parish office (952-929-3317) for details on dates and times.  For additional information contact Robin Loch (see left column)

Grades 6 - 8

Seventh and Eighth grade faith formation continues the lifelong process of learning and understanding our faith, yet it is specifically geared towards the needs of adolescents.  Our curriculum, Living Our Faith, by Harcourt Religion Publishers, is a module based curriculum, which means it has certain themes, each with ten lessons.  Our seventh graders will explore Jesus: Word Made Flesh and Morality: Challenges and Choices, while our eighth graders will study Church History: Our Christian Story and Sacraments: Signs of Our Faith.  For additional information contact Nancy Hochschild (see left column.

Sacraments (Reconciliation and Eucharist)

The preparation for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist occurs during the second grade faith formation and school year.  Preparation for these sacraments takes place at the school/child faith formation level using the respective curriculum, at home through parent involvement and modeling, and at Parent-Child sessions held with school and child faith formation families twice each year.  Invitations to the preparation sessions and celebrations of these sacraments are mailed to all participating families in the late fall of the year.  For additional information contact Robin Loch (see left column).

Confirmation Requirements

Confirmation NCEA Registration

To enter the Confirmation program, students must complete the Assessment of Catechesis Religious Education.  This assessment will take an inventory of the students understanding of core Catholic teachings and will provide an affective appraisal of the student’s beliefs, practices, and attitudes towards their faith.  In order to be confirmed this year, students must display at least a basic understanding of Catholicism.   To prepare for the assessment, we highly encourage you to register for one of the two review sessions Bo Schmidt will be leading, including food, games, and prizes.

Both review sessions and assessments will take place in the middle school classrooms of the OLG School and must be registered in advance by contacting Bo Schmidt at boschmidt@olgparish.org or 952.929.3317 ex 264.

Review Dates:                                           Assessment Dates:

  Monday August 27^th 6:00 – 7:30pm          Sunday September 9^th 7:15 – 8:30pm

  Thursday August 30^th 6:00 – 7:30pm        Tuesday September 11^th 6:00 – 7:15pm

Pre-Program Interview for Candidates and Parents

Each Candidate will need to interview with a member of the parish staff to discuss their readiness for the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The interviews will last about 15 minutes and will take place in the middle school classrooms of the OLG School.  Please register with Bo Schmidt to schedule an exact date and time.

                   Interview Dates:

                          Sunday September 16^th 3:45 – 5:45pm

                          Monday September 17^th 5:00 – 7:00pm

                          Tuesday September 18^th 5:00 – 7:00pm

Retreat Information

Each Candidate is required to attend one retreat as part of their preparation to receive the sacrament.  There are many retreat options to choose from including the National Catholic Youth Conference in Columbus, Ohio or one of the many NET Ministries weekend Confirmation retreats.  Scholarships are available for all retreats, contact Bo Schmidt for details.

The possible retreat dates for NET Ministries are:

September 21^st – 23^rd           January 25^th – 27^th                March 28^th – 30^th

November 9^th – 11^th              February 22^nd -24^th               April 11^th – 13^th

December 7^th – 9^th                March 7^th – 9^th                       April 25^th – 27^th

NET Ministry retreats take place in West St. Paul, Minnesota and start on Friday evening and end around 2:00 pm on Sunday.  The cost is for the retreat is $125 and scholarships are available.  For additional information about their retreats, go to www.netusa.org .  Contact Bo Schmidt for scholarship and registration information.

For Retreat Registration Forms click Here

25 Hours of Community Service

Each Confirmation candidate is required to complete 25 hours of volunteer service work.  As part of their service hours, each confirmation candidate is required to attend at least one session of Loaves and Fishes throughout the Confirmation program.  Our Lady of Grace Youth Ministry serves the area’s hungry every second Wednesday of the month at St. Stephen’s Church in Minneapolis.  Each participant is asked to bring 12 dessert cupcakes while they serve a meal to those in need.  We meet at OLG at 4:00pm and take a bus to St. Stephen’s.  Return time is around 7:30pm.  Upcoming dates for Loaves and Fishes are: October 10, November 14, and December 12.  To sign up or get more information, please contact Bo.

For a Community Service Hour Sheet click Here

For a Loaves and Fishes Permission Slip click Here

Choosing a Confirmation Sponsor

Each Candidate must choose a sponsor to walk with them in their spiritual journey towards Confirmation.  The sponsor’s role is to model how a person of faith is to live in today’s world, while providing the Candidate the opportunity to discuss how the Spirit acts within his/her own life.

For A Confirmation Sponsor Form click Here

Baptismal Record and Confirmation Name

Each Candidate must turn in the Baptismal Record form and a copy of their baptismal certificate to the parish office by December 9 to be Confirmed.  If you would like to select a Confirmation name, please fill out the appropriate section

For A Baptismal Record and Confirmation Name Form click Here

Liturgy of the Word for Children

The 9:30 AM Sunday Mass offers the children in Kindergarten and first grade the opportunity to explore the liturgical readings of the day through song, listening to the Word, discussion and prayer.  The children are dismissed from the church after the Opining Prayer, go to a nearby room for their celebration of the Word, and return to their families at the Presentation of the Gifts.  No registration is needed, and all kindergartners and first-graders are welcome.   For additional information contact Robin Loch (see left column).