All young people
attending Kindergarten through 8th grade in
Non-Parochial schools should be registered with
Sacred Heart Parish's Religious Education Program.
Students attending the Pre-K and Kindergarten
program should pre-register due to the limited
size of the classes. Students attending St. John
Neumann Regional School are invited to attend if
they so wish. The Faithways program is especially
encouraged for those young people in grades 6, 7,
& 8.
According to Diocesan Regulations all students
participating in the C.Y.O. program must be
enrolled and participating in either the Catholic
School or the Parish Religious Education Program
(PREP or Faithways).
PREP Parent's Handbook
PARENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM
Please return with your registration form
An Introduction to Whole Community Catechesis
The
Eucharist is “the source and summit of the
Christian Life.”(Lumen gentium) Whole community
catechesis (WCC) connects what happens at Sunday
Mass to what happens in all other areas of parish
life - formation, community, home, school and
mission. It takes many of its ideas from the Rite
of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and its
directives from the General Directory of
Catechesis. It invites all members of the Parish
Community to participate.
A major part of WCC are the
Intergenerational Gatherings. These Gatherings are
open to the whole parish young and old alike, and
they cover different topics. Families pre-register
for the gatherings and at times pay a fee to cover
the costs. The gatherings include a meal or snack,
a teaching, faith sharing and an activity. The
gathering will last approximately 3 hours and in
order to get credit for the gathering the family
must attend all three hours. Each gathering will
fulfill only one requirement. There will be many
gatherings to pick from and certain gatherings are
required for each sacrament. Children may not
attend alone, for this is a family activity.
PREP
The PREP program follows a level system based on the religious education blocks the students have completed.
PREP Blocks:
Level I-A & I-B
Level II
Penance
Level III
Eucharist
Level IV-A & IV-B
Level V-A & V-B
Morality
Prayer
Old Testament
Creed
New Testament
Kingdom of God
Confirmation
** Children must also attend age appropriate Intergenerational Gatherings for the Diocesan Mandated Child Protection Catechesis. This occurs during the first year for a new student then again when the child is in levels III and VI.
Sacramental Requirements
First Penance: Completion
of Blocks I-A, I-B, II, Penance, and their
respective assessments, 6 Intergenerational
Gatherings: 3 Seasonal; 1 Saint; 1 Reconciliation;
1 Service or Social Justice, Age appropriate
participation in the Sunday Liturgy, First Penance
Retreat
First Communion: Completion of First
Penance, Block III, Eucharist, and their
respective assessments, 1 Intergenerational
Gathering, Child Protection Gathering, Seder
Supper or First Communion Retreat, Teaching Mass,
Age appropriate participation in the Sunday
Liturgy
Confirmation: Completion of First Penance
and First Communion, Blocks IV-A & B; V-A & B; Old
Testament; New Testament; Social Justice or
Morality; Prayer or Apostle’s Creed; Confirmation;
and their respective assessments, Age appropriate
participation in the Sunday Liturgy, Student
interview, Completion of Confirmation Packet, 8
Intergenerational Gatherings: 2 Seasonal; 2 Saint;
2 Social Justice; 2 Service, Pentecost Picnic,
Confirmation Retreat,
Reception of The Sacraments
The Sacraments of First Penance and First
Eucharist will be celebrated upon completion of
the requirements. If a student has completed the
requirements at a time other than the Spring of
the year, First Communion may be scheduled to take
place at a Sunday Mass. First Penance may also be
scheduled to take place at a different time.
Confirmation will be celebrated upon completion of
the requirements and when the Bishop or his
representative celebrates the sacrament in the
parish.
Block Scheduling allows the students and
families to attend religious education classes at
times that are more convenient. The Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults makes it very clear
that not everyone is at the same place at the same
time on their faith journey. Block scheduling
allows students the opportunity to receive
sacraments when they are ready.
Please note: The Diocese of Allentown
requires children to have at least 2 years of
religious education before the reception of any of
the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Holy
Eucharist and Confirmation).
A child who enters our program at an older age
will be interviewed to determine the appropriate
Level that they should be attending. If it is
determined that the child should be enrolled in
the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
modified for Children, the CRE will determine the
appropriate blocks that the child needs to attend.
The Pastor, the Coordinator of RCIA, the CRE and
the parents or guardians will determine when the
child will be receiving the Sacraments of
Initiation according to Diocesan guidelines.
Pre-Kindergarten: Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd. A program for 4 & 5 year olds who will
be entering Kindergarten in 2008. This program
combines the parables with religious play to
encourage faith formation. Class meets during the
11 a.m. Sunday Mass and the students follow the
same schedule (spring & fall blocks) as the other
PREP students.
Kindergarten Level: Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd and Call to Faith. Liturgically based
faith formation using the parables and hands-on
methods of teaching. Only 12 children will be
accepted for the program on a first come, first
serve basis. Children who are registered for the
kindergarten level will be able to start counting
Intergenerational Gatherings towards their First
Penance. The students follow the same schedule as
the other PREP students.
Levels I, II, III, IV, & V: This program
follows a more traditional approach to catechesis.
The Call to Faith series, published by Harcourt
Religious Publishers, is used for faith formation
in these levels.
Faithways: Students who have completed
Level V-A and V-B continue their faith formation
with Harcourt’s Crossroads series studying Old
Testament, New Testament, Creed, Prayer, Social
Justice and Morality.
First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and
Confirmation: At this time we prepare our
students for the Sacraments using the Celebrating
Our Faith series by Harcourt Religious Publishers.
Home Schooling is available to all
families. The students will also use Call to Faith
by Harcourt Religious Publishers. Parents will
meet for a 2 hour informational sessions for each
block. The beauty of the new program is that all
of the students are covering the same unit topic
at the same time. So a parent who is
home-schooling 3 students at different levels will
only have to attend one session per block.
Students may not be home-schooled for sacramental
blocks. Assessments will be held at the end of
each block. Intergenerational Gatherings and age
appropriate participation in the Sunday Liturgy is
necessary for the reception of the sacraments.
Special Circumstances
Special Education: Parents
of students with any type of learning or physical
disability should note this on the student’s
registration form.
Learning Disabilities: Every effort will be
made to work with the parents and student so that
the child may participate in the classroom. Other
provisions will be made for those students who are
not able to handle the classroom experience,
either by home-schooling or by the parents acting
as aides in the classroom.
Custody Issues: Please include on the
registration form any custody issues that involve
your child. If at anytime during the year custody
arrangements change please notify the CRE. This
information will help us ensure your child’s
safety.
PREP REGISTRATION
All young people attending
Kindergarten through 8th grade in Non-Parochial
schools should be registered with Sacred Heart
Parish’s Religious Education Programs. Students
attending St. John Neumann Regional School are
invited to attend if they so wish.
Registration forms are available through the
Religious Education Office or on the parish web
site at www.shcpalmerton.org. Registration and
payment is to be made by July 1st for the Summer
block, September 1st for the Fall block, &
February 1st for the Spring block, or a $10.00
late fee will be charged. If your child is new to
the PREP program and has not been baptized at
Sacred Heart, please include a copy of the
Baptismal Certificate with registration.
Fees are as follows:
Religious Education Fees:
Members of Sacred Heart Parish
registered for one year and active:
Regular Fall/Spring block $25/child per block
Summer Session: $40/child per block
Inactive members or Non-parishioners:
Regular Fall/Spring block $100/child per block
Summer Session $150/child per block
Sacramental block (Penance, Eucharist,
Confirmation):
Active: $50/child per block
Inactive or non-parishioner: $125/child per block
Active Membership is determined
by 3 things:
♦ being registered in the parish for one year
♦ faithful attendance at Mass on Sundays and
Holydays of Obligation;
♦ the weekly use of the envelope system in support
of the parish. Envelopes are to be placed in
the collection basket at Sunday Masses or the
Saturday Vigil).
Please make registration checks payable to Sacred
Heart Church.
Registration fees for catechists and aides are
waived.
Individuals having difficulty paying this fee
should contact the CRE to make other arrangements.
PREP PROCEDURES
Arrival and Dismissal:
Class time on Sundays is from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Please do not send children any earlier than 9:25
a.m. Students attending class in SJNRS building
should arrive and leave through the glass door in
the alley. If you do bring your child to class and
the catechist is not there, please stay with your
child until the catechist arrives. Please be
prompt in picking up your child. As a safety
measure, please pick up your child at his/her
classroom at 10:45 a.m. Children will be released
only to those authorized on the registration form.
ANY CHILD REMAINING AT 10:55 A.M. WILL BE TAKEN TO
THE 11:00 A.M. MASS.
Walking Students: Students who have the
permission of their parents to walk home after
class should give a note, signed by their parents,
to their catechist at the beginning of each block.
Attendance: If a child misses more than 1
class in a block the child will automatically
repeat that block or will need to be home schooled
for that block. Because of the incidence of
children skipping class without parents knowledge,
we request that the parent or guardian phone, or
e-mail the Religious Education Office before the
start of class, and report the reason for absence.
If you get the answering machine, please leave a
message.
Cancellation of Class: In the event that
classes would be cancelled because of weather
please call the Religious Education Office at
610-826-2849, check the PREP page on the parish
website at www.shcpalmerton.org, or check Channel
13. We will include e-mail notification if we have
been provided with an e-mail address. Please do
not call the Rectory. Parents and guardians should
use common sense in regard to transporting their
children. Rural road conditions may be very
different from those in Palmerton. If weather
conditions are too bad where you are located
please call to tell us your child will not be
attending class that day. If classes are cancelled
due to weather a make-up class will be scheduled.
Suspected Child Abuse: Suspected child
abuse must be reported by the Catechist to the CRE.
The CRE will then discuss the situation with the
Pastor, and then the proper authorities will be
notified.
All Catechists, aides and volunteers working with
children are required to have a background check
completed, and are required to attend the Diocesan
Training Program “Protecting God’s Children”. Any
type of harassment, either sexual, physical
(bullying) or psychological by students or any
representative of Sacred Heart Parish must be
reported to the CRE or the Pastor.
Emergency Procedures: A child who becomes
ill during class time will either remain in the
building in which they attend class or be taken to
the Annex. An aide will notify the CRE and the
parents will then be called.
Fire and other Emergencies: The students
will be evacuated in an orderly fashion to a safe
location on the property of Sacred Heart Parish.
If such an emergency occurs parents will be
notified by the proper authorities. No student is
to be removed from the area without the
notification of the CRE. In the event of a natural
or other disaster the Catechist will be warned, if
possible, and the children will be moved to the
area that has been designated as safe by the
Emergency plan, whether it be on or off site
location. Children will only be dismissed to
persons who have been authorized by the custodial
parent on the registration form.
Responsibilities of Parents: Religious
Education can be effective only to the extent that
parents regularly participate at Eucharist,
nurture prayer life in the home, are involved in
parish activities, and strive to live daily by
gospel values.
Participation at Sunday Eucharist: PREP
(Parish Religious Education Program) can be
understood only in the broader context of the
Church as a whole. Children who participate in
PREP must also be present when the Church gathers
for Eucharist on Sunday.
Rite of Penance: Children are
encouraged to go to Confession with their parents
and guardians as frequently as possible. Parish /
Family Penance Services will be scheduled several
times during the year for the students. Parents
and Guardians will be informed of these dates in
the bulletin and notices will be sent home with
the children.
Responsibilities of Students
In addition to attending classes
regularly, students are expected to participate
fully, complete all assignments and conduct
themselves in a Christian manner and exhibit that
same Christian manner towards fellow students and
catechists.
Assessments: Each student is expected to
demonstrate an adequate understanding of the
content presented during a block. At the beginning
of the blocks each student will be given a set of
questions and prayers on which they will be
assessed on at the end of the block. If a student
does not attain an 80% on the assessment they will
be asked to retake it. This may be done in an oral
or written format, whatever is best for the child.
If the child does not attain an 80% upon the
second review it will be determined whether the
child will move on to the next level.
Conduct: If a child is disrupting the
classroom, the catechist will meet with the child
after class to discuss his/her behavior. If the
CRE deems it necessary the parents will be asked
to come in for a conference, and at that time the
coordinator may suggest other alternatives for
religious education.
CATHOLIC YOUTH ORGANIZATION (CYO)
According to Diocesan Regulations
all students participating in the CYO program must
be enrolled and participating in the Catholic
school or in PREP.
PREP students must be registered during the year
in which they wish to participate in CYO. They
must attend two blocks and three (3)
Intergenerational Gatherings during the year, or
they will not be permitted to participate in CYO
the following school year. Failure to attend
classes will result in the students not
being eligible to participate in the games.
ADULT EDUCATION
Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults (RCIA): RCIA is a process for adults
and children to become members of the Roman
Catholic Church, while completing the Catholic
Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation,
and Eucharist). It is a process that gives all who
partake a chance to discover more about themselves
and our faith. For more information on our RCIA
program, contact the Religious Education Office of
Sacred Heart Church (610-826-2849).
Catechist Formation Classes are offered in
the Spring and Fall. These classes are open to
anyone in the Parish. The Diocese of Allentown
recommends these classes for all who wish to
volunteer their time in religious education.
Intergenerational Gatherings offer another
means by which the adults of the parish are able
to participate in faith formation. These
Gatherings, open to the whole parish, offer
education, faith sharing, and a sense of community
fellowship.
Scripture Study is a group that meets
Friday evenings to study and discuss Scripture.
Please call Sue Steigerwalt for more information.
THE DIOCESE OF ALLENTOWN CHILD PROTECTION CATECHESIS
Dear Parents and Guardians:
“Let the children come to me…” is what
Jesus said to the Apostles when they tried to keep
the children from Jesus because He was tired. At
another time Jesus tells us, “Unless you become as
little children, you cannot get to heaven.”
Children are close to the heart of Christ.
One of the mandates passed by the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops is that
preventative measures be put into place to ensure
the safety of our youth. With this mandate in mind
the Diocese of Allentown has implemented a
Children and Adolescent Protection program in our
schools and religious education programs. The
purpose of this program is to help children
improve self-reliance, raise self-esteem and
master personal safety skills – all while
reassuring them that most people are kind, safe
and committed to their well-being. Students learn
to identify specific signs and behaviors often
used by predators.
The material has been prepared in the light
of our faith and according to the morals and
teachings of our faith by the Department of
Religious Education of the Diocese of Allentown.
You may have concerns as to whether or not this
material is appropriate for your child and in
keeping with your beliefs. With this in mind I
invite you to preview the material available in my
office and attend the sessions with your child.
Each new parent will also receive a parent
component to the program. The material will be
presented in an ongoing manner worked into each
class’ curriculum and the Intergenerational
Gatherings. If you have any questions please feel
free to call my office at 610-826-2849 or e-mail
me.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Kathleen D. Merkel
Coordinator of Religious Education
DIRECTORY
Rectory: 610-826-2335
Fax: 610-826-5360
Religious Ed. Office : 610-826-2849
Website: www.shcpalmerton.org
Rev. William T. Campion - Pastor
Mrs. Kathleen D. Merkel - Coordinator of Religious
Education
Office: 610-826-2849
St. John Neumann Regional School: 610-826-2354
Diocesan Victim Asst. Coordinator:
Mrs. Helen P. Kelleher, L.S.W . Confidential: 800-791-9209;
Diocesan Safe Environment Coordinator:
Sr. Meg Cole, SSJ; 610-289-8900 ext. 222
(Schedules are subject to change)
2008 CALENDAR
SACRED HEART CHURCH
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF FAITH AND SERVICE
September 14, 2008 - PREP Classes begin
(Schedules are subject to change)