Religious Education

The parish is the center of faith formation for Catholics. Every person in our pews, every Catholic in our parish community…child or adult…is on their own journey toward Christ and a life of discipleship.

10th Grade Confirmation

Confirmation for 10th Grade will be on November 2nd.

This class will be a 4-Week Sacramental Preparation.  It will be at Our Lady's but open to 10th graders from the collaborative. The primary purpose of this course will be to strengthen the student's faith and deepen their relationship with the Lord. They will learn what confirmation is and what it means. Students will learn about the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. Students will review the basics of the church's teachings as well as be encouraged to engage in prayer and reflection. Students will select a Sponsor and a Patron Saint. Students will have take home "Reflection Projects" to be completed with their parents and sponsors.

Class Schedule

Every Sunday from September 15th to October 6th.

Times: 5:30pm to 7:30pm (This is including Mass. Mass attendance is required for the program).

See below for the registration link.

8th-9th Grade - Confirmation Class

Students will take this class to prepare for receiving the sacrament of confirmation in Easter 2025.  This sacrament is a significant milestone in a Catholic's spiritual journey, marking a deepening of faith and commitment to the Church.  In the class, participants explore the meaning and significance of Confirmation, which is seen as a strengthening of the Holy Spirit's presence in their lives.  Students will learn about the teachings of the church and the role of the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Students will learn about the example lived out by the saints and how to live as a catholic in today's world.  The class also emphasizes personal growth and spiritual development.  There will be an opportunity for multiple service projects as well as retreats where students will have a chance to deepen their relationship with the Lord.  There are often opportunities for retreat experiences, where students can deepen their spiritual life and build connections with their peers.  Throughout the preparation, candidates are encouraged to choose a sponsor--someone who is a practicing Catholic and can provide guidance and support.

In addition to in class work, there will be take home "Reflection Projects" to be completed by the student with their parents or sponsors.  These projects will vary in type but are primarily centered around getting the whole family involve in encountering Christ in their everyday lives.  Examples include but not limited to, sort family bible studies, prayer times and reflectin and discussion questions.  These will be every week.

Class schedule for Confirmation prep

Classes begin Sunday, October 20th and will meet each week excluding school holidays.  Classes will begin at the 5:30pm Mass at OLA and end at 7:30pm.  Students are required to attend Mass as part of the program.

See below for the registration link.

Want to help out? We need Small Group Leaders for Middle and High School! Register as a volunteer here: https://forms.office.com/r/MJ5BghniaA?origin=lprLink

Youth Nights

Youth Nights will be every Thursday at St. Ann by the Sea parish hall open to Tween and Teens from both parishes.  This is separate from the Confirmation program and is not required.  There will be opportunities for Faith, Fun, and Fellowship with other young Catholics!  Youth Nights will be every week but alternate between Middle School Youth Nights and High School Youth Nights. 

Each night will start with a group prayer.  Then we will have a fun icebreaker game.  After the game we will have a short 15–20-minute talk on a topic on the faith, after which we will break into small groups to discuss the issue further.  We will come back together for a wrap up discussion in which groups will share what they talked about.  After that we will close as we began with a group prayer 

Come join us!

Youth nights will be held every Thursday night beginning October 24th from 5-6:30p

Middle School (Grades 6-8) will begin October 24

High School (Grades 9-12) will begin October 31

FAMILY FAITH FORMATION

Kindergarten - 5th Grade Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Ann by the Sea's faith formation program is family centered. We aim to foster a community in which parents and catechists journey together to form young disciples. In order to do so, our community must be an open-hearted community that is willing to grow together spiritually. It is our hope that in forming parents and family as the prime examples of how to know and love Jesus, we will not only be forming children, but also inspiring lifelong faith formation. How does it work? Family Faith Formation will be a hybrid program that blends in-church and at-home instruction, supplemented with at-church formation activities. Families will gather at least twice a month at church on Sunday afternoons. Once a month, parents and children will come together for Family Meetings. These consist of a group presentation for parents and children, followed by grade-level instruction for the children and small group instruction and discussion for the parents. Later in the month, parents and children will come together for Family Gatherings. These include grade-level instruction on specific themes (Advent, Lent, Saints, Sacraments, etc.) and small-group faith sharing for parents.

In between the Family Meetings and Family Gatherings, parents will be the primary catechists for students through at-home instruction. The Family Meetings will include unit overviews to give the parents the keys they need for at-home instruction. The small groups are opportunities for parents to share their experiences with at-home instruction and provide support for one another. While this is a family centered, parent-led experience, no one is catechizing their child alone. The Family Faith Formation program relies heavily on journeying tother as a community.

In addition to the Family Meetings and Gatherings, there will also be a supplemental Family Formation Night each month. Rather than formal classroom instruction, these formation nights bring the theology off the page into a tangible, livable format. These nights will include an array of crafts, teaching masses, music, movies, and other engaging activities.

From March-May, Communion I and II students will have additional Communion Family Meetings and Retreats to help prepare for First Penance and First Eucharist.

Class Schedule for Grades K-5   (click for schedule)

How can you help?

We need catechists and volunteers to help this program run smoothly! We will be using the Christ Our Life program from Loyola Press as our primary resource for this program. The program comes with catechist guides and lesson plans, so you don't need to be a theologian or expert to teach.   If you are interested in volunteering for K-5, please click on the following link:  Family Faith Formation Volunteer Form (K-5) (office.com)

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Registration

Register for all classes using the link:  St. Ann/OLA Collaborative Faith Formation | St Ann by the Sea Parish (osvhub.com) All interested families are welcome to join us for a registration ice cream social in the OLA parish hall on 9/8 after the 10:30 mass or the SA parish hall on 9/14 after the 4:00 mass. Contact Tarah Valin.