Parish-Based Sacramental Preparation Program

Church:
Home
Contacts & staff
History
Sacraments
The saint
Links

Ministries:
Altar & Rosary Soc
Avilas
Children's Lit/Word
Euch Ministers
Funeral Servers
Holy Name Society
Hunger Center
Lectors
Legion of Mary
Music Ministry
Offertory Trustees
Pastoral Council
PSR
RCIA
Respect for Life
Sacristans
St. Vincent de Paul
Ushers
Vibrant Parish Life
Welcoming
More: Organizations

Other sections:
Calendar
Church & ministry
Scenes
School
Organizations

1. What is the new St. Patrick Parish Sacramental Program about?
The new St. Patrick Sacramental Program has been created to educate and prepare the students of St. Patrick Church for the Sacraments of Confirmation, First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. It is the responsibility of each parish to educate and prepare its own students to receive the sacraments. Since the new West Park Catholic Academy will be a separate Catholic School in the West Park area, it is the parish's responsibility to prepare its students in its own way. This will be done in a new and innovate way beginning in September, 2008.

2. What will be different about these classes?
Classes for our new Eighth and Second Graders will take place on Sunday mornings instead of during school hours. We have tried to be sensitive to the busy schedules of our parish families.

Parents and students will attend the 10:00 Sunday Mass. Then students will attend classes immediately after Mass: Eighth Graders in the Lower Church until 12:15 pm, Second Graders in the Community Center until 12:00 PM Classes will be held on the First and Third Sundays of the month during the school year. (Each family will receive a calendar for the school year at registration time.)

Eighth Grade classes will begin with Scripture sharing based on the Gospel heard at Mass for the first 20/30 minutes followed by their class. Second Graders will attend the Children's Liturgy of the Word service during Mass for this part of their class. Second Graders will also have prayer to begin their classes in the Community Center.

The Sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist will take place at the Sunday Noon Mass instead of weekday nights or Saturday mornings. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will remain on Saturday, since this is when this sacrament is celebrated on weekends. This is being done because our students and their families belong to a parish community that celebrates and has the Eucharist as the heart and soul of its existence. Since all our families worship at St. Patrick Church, it is important that all our parishioners have the chance to celebrate these sacraments with our students and their families.

3. What role does the St. Patrick Church community have in this new program?
The parish community will have a very important role in this program: that of prayer. Students will need the prayerful support of all of our parishioners throughout this coming school year. By attending Sunday Mass with our students and their families, by seeing photos of our students in the Church vestibules each week and through their prayers, they will be able to lend their support for our students, making this a truly spiritual and unforgettable year for them.

4. Who will be teaching these classes?
This is another exciting part of our new parish program. Fr. Greg and Deacon Dick Beercheck have asked Mr. William Svoboda and Mrs. Kathy Dubecky to be the catechists for our students. Mr. Svoboda is the Assistant Principal at Trinity High School and also head of Trinity's Campus Ministry and Retreat program. He is very innovative in teaching the Catholic faith and dynamic in his spirituality.

Mrs. Dubecky has taught PSR at St. Patrick School of Religion for a number of years and is also dynamic in working with young children; especially our new Second Graders. They both have a great love for education, love for the youth of our Church and a great love for God that the students will experience during their classes.

Fr. Greg and Deacon Beercheck will also be working with both classes throughout the year in preparation for the celebration of the sacraments in 2009.

5. If I have questions about this new program, who can I talk to?
Feel free at any time to contact Fr. Greg Schaut or Deacon Dick Beercheck at 251-8286, and they will get back you as soon as they can.