CCD Eighth Year

Theme: Understand the Church as the great sacrament of Christ's presence in the world, giving glory and praise to the heavenly Father and functioning as an abiding vehicle for his loving Son's redemptive work. Each of us should have a heartfelt desire to actively participate in the life of the Church.

Doctrine.

• View the Church as the successive continuation of that new People of God Jesus established to perpetuate his saving work.
• List characteristics of the early Christian community and note how these elements are still found in the living Church Christ founded.
• Appreciate the Holy Spirit as the presence of God preserving and guiding the Church through the centuries.
• Recognize that the mission of the Church is to save souls. She does this by proclaiming and living out the Good News of Christ. Christ is the ultimate Savior. Elements of the Church's identity which help in this work are as follows: the infallibility of the Pope; the various vocations and roles of service in the Church-- bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and the laity; ecumenical councils; the Magisterium or divinely protected teaching authority; and the inter-relationship of the Scriptures and living tradition.
• Describe some of the ways in which Vatican II speaks of the Church.
• Recognize that membership in the Church is made possible by faith and baptism.
• Explain the various levels of Church tradition, referring to the most important traditions as the unwritten Word of God, and noting them as a body of truths divinely revealed by word of mouth to the Apostles and handed down through the centuries.
• Describe the relationship between freedom and responsibility.
• Recognize conscience as that faculty of judgment by which we make decisions between right and wrong actions.
• Name the precepts of the Church.
• Recognize the Beatitudes as standards or conditions for perfect happiness as given by our Lord.
• As active Catholics we have a responsibility to respect and to care for others. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy help us to fulfill this duty.
• Recognize Mary's role as the Mother of the Church and the perfect model of the Christian life.
• Name the various states of life and vocations, explaining their manner of service and how they contribute the Church's mission of evangelization.
• Recognize the failure of sin: to respond to God's loving call; to serve the needs of our neighbor; and to respond to what a properly informed conscience judges as right.

Scripture.

• Accounts of the Early Church (Acts 1:12-14; 2:42-47).
• The Church as the People of God (1 Peter 2:9-10).
• Promise of the Spirit (John 16:13-26).
• Pentecost Account (Acts 2:1-36; John 14:26).
• Command to Preach and Hand On Message (Mark 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11).
• Faith and Baptism (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16; 2 Corinthians 5:6-7; Ephesians 4:3-6; John 3:1-21).
• Tradition (John 21:25).
• Following Laws of the Church and Commandments (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
• The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-48).
• Sin (Matthew 25:31-46; James 3:2).
• Account at the Cross (John 19:25-27).
• Scripture Passages Related to the Sacraments (see Grade 5 for specifics).
• Explain the distinction between Gospels and Epistles.
• Name the Four Evangelists.

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Prayers Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, an Act of Contrition, the Apostles' Creed, Acts of Faith, Hope and Love, the Angelus, the Memorare, the Magnificat, and a Prayer for Vocations.
• Deepen one's relationship with God through various prayer forms.
• Be at ease with spontaneous prayer.
• Experience brief silent meditation.
• Experience such devotions as the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, prayer to his/her patron saint or important saints on their feast days.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Plan and execute class liturgies or paraliturgies.
• Intensify internal and external participation in the Mass, with the possibility of functioning as a lector.
• Recognize the mystery of the Eucharist as the center and heart of Christian life.
• Experience communal celebration of Penance with individual Confessions.
• Be familiar and comfortable with the procedure for the individual reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
• Recognize and describe liturgical seasons and feasts of importance.
• Familiarity with the purposes and rituals of each sacrament.

Moral Development.

• Understand and describe the relationship between freedom and responsibility.
• Emphasize the responsibility of forming one's conscience according to Christ's teachings transmitted by his Church.
• Appreciate that Christians have a particular responsibility in promoting and realizing the Gospel of Life by always conducting themselves with integrity, justice, and mercy.
• Recognize the need for obedience to lawful authority and to evidence this in behavior.
• Intensify the reciprocal appreciation of daily receiving and granting forgiveness, particularly in connection to the appropriate supplication of the Lord's Prayer.
• Acknowledge personal failings in regard to Jesus' Law of Love, the Beatitudes, the Ten Commandments, and the Precepts of the Church.
• Acknowledge in rightful conscience our personal fault in hesitating or refusing to answer the divine summons to love God and neighbor through Christian service.

CCD Seventh Grade

Theme: Christ is revealed as the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Doctrine.

• Comprehend that Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God the Father and that he comes in faithful service to his Father to redeem humanity.
• Recognize that Jesus is both God and Man.
• Understand what it means to call Mary the Mother of God.
• Explain life-long Jesus' role as the faithful servant of his Father on our behalf.
• Realize and explicate the prime importance of Jesus a the redeemer.
• Emphasize Jesus' command to imitate his model of selfless service, utilizing our particular God-given gifts.
• Recognize that while the coming of Christ's kingdom is entirely according to God's time-table and initiative, we can participate, nonetheless, as his instruments in making divine goodness, justice, and mercy more present in the world.
• Recognize that the praise of God as Creator also implies a respect for all life.
• Acknowledge that each believer's manner of life proclaims the vitality and substance of his faith.
• Appreciate the various vocations as differing ways to render service in the Church.
• Recognize the saints as those who have responded with distinction to the call to follow Jesus. Mary's "fiat" was the perfect response.
• Recognize the failure of sin: to respond to God's loving call; to serve the needs of our neighbor; and to respond to what a properly informed conscience judges as right.
• Recognize that within the mystery of divine election, we are called to have a faith in Jesus that is actualized in works of love. Within the framework of divine providence, our acceptance or rejection of the gift of salvation points to our eternal destiny beyond the grave: heaven (possibly by way of purgatory) and hell.

Scripture.

• Image of the Father (John 1:15-18).
• Nativity Narratives: (Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 1:18-2:23).
• Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38).
• Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22-40).
• Purposes of Jesus' Coming (Luke 19:9-10; John 10:10).
• Passages Demonstrative of Jesus' Helping Role of Service: Cana (John 2:1-12); Healing the Deaf Mute (Matthew 7:31-37); Official's Son (John 4:46-54); Story of Lazarus (John 11:1-44); Story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10); Servant's Ear (Luke 22:1-14); Washing the Feet of the Apostles (John 13:1-17); Catch of Fish (John 21:1-14).
• Passages Related to Call: Call of the Twelve Apostles (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 5:1-11); Call to Service (John 13:15-16).
• Following Jesus the Way (John 12:23-26; John 14:5-7).
• Witness (Matthew 10:32-33).
• Building Up the Kingdom and Working for Justice (2 Corinthians 11:16-33; Ephesians 5:1-2; Proverbs 21:21).
• Service Through Use of Talents (Matthew 24:14-30; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
• Story of the Rich Young Man (Luke 18:18-28).
• Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).
• Narrations of Death and Resurrection Found in the Four Gospels.

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Prayers Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, an Act of Contrition, the Apostles' Creed, Acts of Faith, Hope and Love, the Angelus, the Memorare, the Magnificat, and a Prayer for Vocations.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers, including the Psalms.
• Deepen the experience of prayer as a time for communication with the Lord.
• Be at ease with brief spontaneous prayer.
• Experience brief silent meditation.
• Experience such devotions as the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, prayer to his/her patron saint or important saints on their feast days.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Plan and execute class liturgies or paraliturgies.
• Intensify internal and external participation in the Mass, with the possibility of functioning as a lector.
• Recognize the mystery of the Eucharist as the center and heart of Christian life.
• Experience communal celebration of Penance with individual Confessions.
• Be familiar and comfortable with the procedure for the individual reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
• Recognize and describe liturgical seasons and feasts of importance.
• Familiarity with the purposes and rituals of the following sacraments: Penance, Eucharist, and Confirmation.

Moral Development.

• Emphasize the responsibility of forming one's conscience according to Christ's teachings as transmitted by his Church.
• Appreciate that Christians have a particular responsibility in promoting and realizing the Gospel of Life by always conducting themselves with integrity, justice, and mercy.
• Recognize the need for obedience to lawful authority and to evidence this in behavior.
• Intensify the reciprocal appreciation of daily receiving and granting forgiveness, particularly in connection to the appropriate supplication of the Lord's Prayer.
• Acknowledge in rightful conscience our personal fault in hesitating or refusing to answer the divine summons to love God and neighbor through Christian service.

CCD Sixth Grade

Theme: God, as the author of salvation history, incomparably reveals himself in the sending of his Son, Jesus. As his inspired Word, the bible chronicles God's providential interaction with his people.

Doctrine.

• Recognize that as the inspired Word of God, the bible was composed and assembled by human authors uniquely guided by the Holy Spirit so as to insure no error in salvation truth would be transmitted to his people.
• Recognize the Old Testament as those Scriptures which record God's preparation and formation of his people to receive Christ.
• Know the initial elements of salvation history as put forward in the Old Testament: Creation of our first parents and the primordial sin; the promise of redemption; the virtue of hope; and God's call of Abraham and his covenant; and the virtues of faith and obedience exemplified in Abraham.
• Familiarity with the Israelite bondage and the Passover as the feast commemorating the deliverance of God's people from slavery.
• Familiarity with the Exodus account: Moses as the leader appointed by God over his people; the plagues; the importance of Sinai; the significance of their many years in the desert; the Manna from heaven; and Joshua leading the people to the promised land.
• Appreciate the major Old Testament events, the persons/leaders, and their relation to the New Covenant/Testament.
• Familiarity with the various major and minor prophets in their role of speaking on God's behalf, revealing something of God's identity and exhorting the people to repentance.
• Recognize Mary as our wondrous exemplar of faith awaiting the Messiah with a pure heart and humble spirit.
• Understand the coming of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God's promise to his people.
• Recognize the New Testament as that part of the Scriptures which focuses upon the life of Christ and the early Church. [This is not a major theme, just an introductory one which will be further explored in grades seven and eight.]

Scripture.

• Creation (Genesis 1:1-2:25).
• The Fall of Man and the Promise (3:1-24).
• The Life of Abraham: His Call (Genesis 12:1-9); The Covenant (Genesis 15:1-21); Birth of Isaac (Genesis 21:1-8); Testing of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-19).
• Birth of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:19-34); Choice of Jacob (Genesis 27:1-46).
• The Life of Joseph: Sold into Slavery (Genesis 37:1-36); In Egypt (Genesis 39:1-45:28).
• Egyptian Oppression (Exodus 1:1-22).
• Origin of Moses (Exodus 2:1-22).
• Passover Night (Exodus 12:1-36).
• Exodus Events: Quail and Manna (Exodus 16:1-36); Sinai Covenant (Exodus 19:1-20:26); Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-35); Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 37:1-16).
• Forty Years in the Desert (Numbers 13:1-14:45).
• Death of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:1-8).
• Leadership of Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9).
• Settlement in the Promised Land (Joshua 24:13).
• Name the major and minor prophets. Tell briefly the message of each of the major prophets.
• Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38).
• Nativity (Luke 2:1-20).

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Prayers Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, an Act of Contrition, the Apostles' Creed, Acts of Faith, Hope and Love, the Angelus, the Memorare, and a Prayer for Vocations.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers, including the Psalms.
• Be at ease with brief spontaneous prayer.
• Experience brief silent meditation.
• Experience such devotions as the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, prayer to his/her patron saint or important saints on their feast days.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Plan and execute class liturgies or paraliturgies.
• Intensify internal and external participation in the Mass, with the possibility of functioning as a lector.
• Discern the relationship of the Passover Meal with the Holy Thursday celebration.
• Experience communal celebration of Penance with individual Confessions.
• Be familiar and comfortable with the procedure for the individual reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
• Recognize and describe liturgical seasons and feasts of importance.

Moral Development.

• Further realize that the Lord wants us to make the right choices and to act responsibly.
• Appreciate that the slavery of the Israelites and slavery in all its forms is a desecration of human life and personhood. The Gospel of Life compels us to demonstrate respect for all those created by God.
• Recognize the need for obedience to lawful authority and to evidence this in behavior.
• Intensify the reciprocal appreciation of daily receiving and granting forgiveness, particularly in connection to the appropriate supplication of the Lord's Prayer.
• Acknowledge personal failings in regard to Jesus' Law of Love, the Beatitudes, and the Ten Commandments.
• Identify something of one's own personal struggles in the difficulties of the Old Covenant people to be faithful.
• Exemplify an appreciation for honesty and an understanding of fairness.

CCD Fifth Grade

Theme: Christ's presence and actions are perpetuated in the Church and her sacraments. The sacraments are divine mysteries which draw us to Christ and bind us together in him.

Doctrine.

• Recognize that the sacraments are Christ's saving actions through which he transmits his Spirit to believers and sanctifies them.
• Arrive at a more in-depth appreciation of the particular purpose of each sacrament in the Christian's progressive life journey:
  BAPTISM unites us in the death and resurrection of Jesus; we are incorporated into his Church family, washed clean of original sin, and given a share in divine life.
  CONFIRMATION literally completes our baptism, gives us a more full share in the Holy Spirit, and summons us to a more responsible (mature) Christian discipleship.
  EUCHARIST is Christ's preeminent sacramental presence and sacrifice which strengthens and binds us as the People of God.
  PENANCE fortifies and restores our relationship with God and the Christian community.
  ANOINTING OF THE SICK sacramentally manifests the healing ministry of Jesus.
  HOLY ORDERS configures men to function in the person of Christ when offering the Mass and other sacraments, serving God in his holy people.
  MATRIMONY is the covenant of love between a man and woman, making possible a family and reflecting Christ's relationship to the Church.
• Distinguish Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist as the sacraments through which we are initiated into the Christian community.
• Distinguish Penance and Anointing of the Sick as the sacraments of Christ's healing in the Christian community.
• Distinguish Matrimony and Holy Orders as the sacraments of Christian service.

Scripture.

Old Testament Water Stories:

• Creation (Genesis 1:1-2:4).
• The Flood (Genesis 6:5-9:29).
• Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:1-31).
• Water from the Rock (Exodus 17:1-7).
• Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3:14-17).

Water in the New Testament:

• Baptismal Mandate (Matthew 28:18-20).
• Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-40).
• Nicodemus (John 3:1-21).
• Promise of Living Water (John 4:4-15).

Related to Confirmation:

• Holy Spirit Teaches (Luke 12:10-12).
• Diversity of Gifts and Maturity in the Spirit (Ephesians 4:7-16).
• Samaritans Receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).

Related to Eucharist:

• The Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
• The Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20); 1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

Related to Penance:

• Woman at the Well (John 4:4-41).
• The Paralytic (Luke 5:17-26).
• Do Penance (Matthew 4:17).
• Repent (Revelation 2:2-5).

Related to Anointing of the Sick:

• If Any Is Ill (James 5:14-15).
• Anointing with Oil (Mark 6:12-13).
• Peter's Mother-in-Law (Luke 4:38-39).

Related to Holy Orders:

• Call to the Apostles (Matthew 4:18-22).
• Mission (Matthew 28:19-20).
• Last Supper (Luke 22:19).
• Deacons (Acts 6:1-6).

Related to Matrimony:

• God Has Joined Together (Matthew 19:1-12).
• Love of Each Other (Ephesians 5:21-32).
• Marriage Bond (Luke 16:18).
• Cana (John 2:1-12).

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Prayers Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, an Act of Contrition, the Apostles' Creed, a Acts of Faith, Hope and Love, and the Angelus.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers, including the Psalms.
• Be at ease with praying aloud together as a group or class.
• Express sorrow for his/her sins through prayer.
• Experience brief silent meditation.
• Experience such devotions as the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, prayer to his/her patron saint or important saints on their feast days.
• Experience spontaneous prayer, including prayer of petition in the "prayer of the faithful" format.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Plan and execute class liturgies or paraliturgies.
• Participate with adults in the prayers and hymns of the Sunday Eucharist.
• Experience communal celebration of Penance with individual Confessions.
• Be familiar and comfortable with the procedure for the individual reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation.
• Recognize and describe liturgical seasons and feasts of importance.

Moral Development.

• Realize that the Lord wants us to make the right choices and to act responsibly.
• Show respect for life-- one's own life, that of others, and in the natural order.
• Recognize the need for obedience to lawful authority and to evidence this in behavior.
• Recognize the need to ask forgiveness and to give pardon because of unloving and selfish behavior.
• Acknowledge personal failings in regard to Jesus' Law of Love, the Beatitudes, and the Ten Commandments.
• Exemplify an appreciation for honesty and an understanding of fairness.

CCD Fourth Year

Theme: As the new People of God, we are bonded together by divine love. This relationship of love calls forth from us a personal response of fidelity to Him and a heightened responsibility for each other. The parameters for this response are the commandments, the teachings of Jesus, and the Church with her sacraments.

Doctrine.

• Recognize God as the benevolent Lord and giver of all Life.
• Possess an implicit awareness of his/her identity as a child of the Covenant and (through Christ) as an adopted son or daughter of our heavenly Father, growing in knowledge and love of the Lord.
• Recognize our obligation to respond to God's love by living a life worthy of our dignity and kinship with Christ.
• Relate in his/her words the story of Moses and the Decalogue.
• Recite the Ten Commandments.
• Give examples of how certain commandments touch our life and experience.
• State Jesus' two-fold Law of Love.
• Give examples from experience on how to carry out Jesus' Commandment of Love.
• Recognize and be able to explain in his/her own words the Beatitudes.
• Recognize the law of the Church to participate in the Sunday Eucharist.
• Give particular examples of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Scripture.

• The Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17).
• The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).
• Jesus' Great Commandment (Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34).
• The Rich Man (Mark 10:17-31).
• The Gift of the Spirit (John 14:15-31).
• Love of God and Love of Neighbor (Mark 12:28-34; 1 John 4:7-21; 1 Peter 4:8-10).
• Jesus Living Out the Rule of Love (Luke 7:1-17, 36-50; 14:1-6).

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Prayers Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, an Act of Contrition, the Apostles' Creed, an Act of Faith, and the Angelus.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers and responses of the Mass: Responses to the Readings, Gospel Acclamation and Response, Sanctus, Lamb of God, Eucharistic Acclamation, and Great Amen.
• Be at ease with praying aloud together as a group or class.
• Express sorrow for his/her sins through prayer.
• Express brief silent meditation.
• Experience such devotions as the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, prayer to his/her patron saint or important saints on their feast days.
• Experience spontaneous prayer, including prayer of petition in the "prayer of the faithful" format.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Plan and execute class liturgies or paraliturgies.
• Participate with adults in the prayers and hymns of the Sunday Eucharist.
• Experience communal celebration of Penance with individual Confessions.
• Be familiar and comfortable with the procedure for the individual reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation according to his/her abilities and moral development.
• Describe in his/her own words something of the significance of the different liturgical seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.

Moral Development.

• Realize that the Lord wants us to make the right choices and to act responsibly.
• Show respect for life-- one's own life, that of others, and in the natural order.
• Recognize the need for obedience to lawful authority and to evidence this in behavior.
• Give examples of unloving and selfish behavior for which people often ask pardon.
• Acknowledge personal failings in regard to Jesus' Law of Love, the Beatitudes, and the Ten Commandments.
• Give examples of how reconciliation may take place.
• Exemplify an appreciation for honesty and an understanding of fairness.

CCD Third Year

Theme: The Church is the family of God; Jesus abides and works with us through the Church.

Doctrine.

• Recognize that during his Earthly life, Jesus gathered a community of followers.
• Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God, invited his followers into it, and gave a model of life to follow.
• Jesus selected the apostles and gave them special powers as the first leaders to serve his people.
• When Jesus returned to his Father, he sent the Holy Spirit to be with his people and to continue his work.
• The present-day Church is one-and-the-same with the faith community instituted by Christ which he commanded to spread the Good News.
• Jesus is present in the Church through the Holy Spirit and the sacraments.
• Priests and Bishops, as successors to the Apostles, are the leaders of God's people whom Jesus has called, today.

Scripture.

• Jesus Preaching (Matthew 4:23-25).
• Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 12:1-53).
• Stories of Cures.
• Call to Goodness (Luke 6:39-49); Call to Repentance (Mark 1:14-15); Call of Christians (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
• Call of the Twelve Apostles (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 5:1-11); Mission of the Twelve (Matthew 18:16-20); Binding and Losing (Matthew 16:3-20); Easter Night (John 20:19-23).
• Ascension (Luke 24:44-53; Mark 16:19-20).
• Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13); Holy Spirit in the Church (Acts 9:31); Promise of the Spirit (John 14:25-26).
• Story of Nicodemus (John 3); Baptism (Acts 2:36-41).
• Eucharist (1 Corinthians 10:16-17); Multiplication of Loaves (Mark 6:34-44).
• Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-30); Fraternal Correction (Matthew 18:15-18).

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Blessing Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, an Act of Contrition, and an Act of Faith.
• Experience formal and spontaneous prayer situations.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers and responses of the Mass: Penitential Rite, Response to Readings, Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus, Eucharistic Acclamation, Lamb of God, and the Great Amen.
• Experience brief silent meditation.
• Experience such devotions as prayer to Mary and patron saints or important saints on their feast days.
• Pray that all will be guided in the choice of vocation.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Experience paraliturgies on forgiveness/reconciliation-- the call from God and our response.
• Experience communal celebration and personal reception of the Sacrament of Penance.
• Familiarity and comfort with a procedure of individual reception of Confession according to his/her ability and moral development.
• Actively participate in the Mass.
• Recognize vestments, chalice, and ciborium.
• Describe through verbal and/or artistic forms of creative expression something of the significance of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Annunciation, Immaculate Conception, and feasts of important saints.

Moral Development.

• Realize that through Baptism God calls people to a new life in the Spirit.
• Realize that members of God's family are called to work with Him to extend His love throughout Creation.
• Give examples of behaviors which do not conform with God's Law of Love and which require that we ask forgiveness or render pardon.
• Express verbally and/or in artistic forms of creative expression examples of Jesus' healing and loving care, relating Jesus' forgiveness to a deepening understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

CCD Second Year

Theme: Jesus invites us into a union of love with him and our heavenly Father. The Lord grants, nourishes, and strengthens our participation in the divine life.

Doctrine.

• Recognize Jesus as God's Son, made man, who came down to earth to save us.
• Recognize the obedience of Jesus to the Father as a sign and model for our lives.
• Know that Jesus suffered, died on the cross, and rose on Easter Sunday.
• Recognize the many gifts that Jesus has given us: a share in God's life through Baptism; his forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance; his real Body and Blood in the Eucharist; and his Mother, Mary, as our Mother.
• Recognize Jesus' presence among us, specifically during the Mass.
• Recognize that Jesus actually comes to us in Holy Communion so that we can grow more like him.
• Recognize Jesus' two-fold Law of Love: to love God and to love neighbor.
• Recognize that by our actions we can and do say "no" to God; therefore, we need to be forgiven and to forgive.
• Recognize that if we are sorry and seek God's mercy through the Sacrament of Penance, he will forgive us.
• Recognize the Church as the family of God; Baptism as the gateway to new life in God's family.

Scripture.

• The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) and the Visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12).
• Jesus' Hidden Life at Nazareth (Luke 30:40) and Finding Him in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52).
• Gospel stories illustrating the goodness and love of Jesus, especially when he cured people.
• Account of the Last Supper (Luke 22:7-20).
• Death and Resurrection of Jesus (Luke 23:44-56; 24:1-8; John 21:1-14).
• Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (Mark 8:1-10) and Easter Meal (Mark 16:14).
• The Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15); Story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10); Parables of the Prodigal Son and the Lost Coin.
• Jesus Present to Us Still (Matthew 28:20; 18:20).
• Baptism Accounts in Acts (Acts 2:37-41; 10:44-48).
• Recognize Mass Readings as the Word of God.

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Prayers Before and After Meals, a Morning Offering, and an Act of Contrition.
• Recognize the different expressions of prayer and identify four reasons for praying.
• Participate in formal and informal prayers and celebrations.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers and responses from the Mass: Reading Responses, Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus, Eucharistic Acclamation, Lamb of God, and Great Amen.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Experience communal celebrations and personal reception of the Sacrament of Penance.
• Be familiar with ritual stages in Confession.
• Actively participate in the Mass.
• Recognize the difference between ordinary bread and the Eucharist.
• Describe through verbal and/or artistic forms of creative expression something of the significance of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Feast of the Holy Family, Feast of the Annunciation, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost.
• Point out certain objects in the church such as the altar, the tabernacle, the holy water font, Stations of the Cross, Confessional/Reconciliation Room, Mass vestments, as well as other important Christian objects like the Bible and crucifix.

Moral Development.

• Recognize signs of God's love in his/her life and in the world around us.
• Relate our care of all living things to God's care for us.
• Suggest ways of making the world a better place in which to live, particularly by being aware of our treatment of others.
• Identify and talk about reasons for sorrow and the signs of forgiveness.
• Participate in skits and games to distinguish between sin, temptation, and mistake.

CCD First Year

Theme: God the Father communicates his love to us in the gifts of creation, in the coming among us of Jesus, and in the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Doctrine.

• Verbalize the basic conception of God as a loving Father who made and cares for us.
• Recognize signs of God's love in created things and in the mission of his Son, Jesus.
• Recognize Mary as the Mother of Jesus.
• Recognize the life of Christ as a model of our own discipleship.
• Know that prayer is talking to God.
• Know that Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead.
• Recognize God's presence among his people.

Scripture.

• The Creation Story (Genesis 1-2:25).
• The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38).
• The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20).
• Passages about Jesus fulfilling his Father's will; the manner in which he showed love for others; i.e. the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) and stories of cures.
• The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).
• The Women at the Tomb (Mark 16:1-8).
• Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
• Recognize the Bible as the Word of God.

Prayer.

• Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Blessing Before Meals.
• Experience brief spontaneous prayer.
• Be at ease with praying aloud together as a group or class.
• Recite and/or sing selected communal prayers and responses from the Mass: Reading Responses, Sanctus, and Great Amen.

Worship and Sacraments.

• Recognize the church as God's special dwelling where his family worships together.
• Participate to a limited degree in the prayers and hymns of Mass.
• Point out certain objects in the church such as the altar, the tabernacle, the holy water font, as well as other important Christian objects like the Bible and crucifix.
• Recognize Sunday as the Day of the Lord, when his family gathers together for worship.
• Describe something of the significance of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost through verbal and/or artistic forms of creative expression.
• Know that Advent precedes Christmas and that Lent precedes Easter.

Moral Development.

• Be aware that each of us is a unique person created by God.
• Name signs of God's love in the world around us.
• Demonstrate a basic awareness of God's command of love through our behavior with others, either peers or adults.
• Demonstrate a basic awareness of the need to forgive and to request forgiveness.

Religion Objectives for Children

Back in 1982, the School Office for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., released a booklet with a set of curriculum guidelines to orient teachers and administrators in their task of providing sound religious education in Catholic schools. Then Superintendent of Schools, Leonard DeFiore, Ed.D., prefaced the document with a letter in which he acknowledged more than four years of work on the project by a Task force chaired by Sister Ursula Butler and assisted by a host of others, including Father Kevin Hart. Major sources for this document were guidelines from the Diocese of Scranton and the Archdiocese New York, along with the National Catechetical Directory. Having not seen it available for some time, and having found various elements of it still to be useful, I am taking the liberty of revising elements of it for this site. Our children are the hope of tomorrow-- the hope of the Church-- let us teach them well.

General Age Characteristics to Be Considered:

First Year (Six years old)

• active, changeable, emotionally responds and highly imaginative
• egocentric -- brings all things into himself -- starts with home, neighborhood and parish
• has difficulty separating fact from fantasy
• has difficulty relating events according to time elements
• thinks through perception -- via senses, learns by doing, showing, experiencing
• needs individual security, to be loved and to love in return, to grow, to identify

Second Year (Seven years old)

• beginning of openness to others, sensitive to feelings and attitudes of others
• strong emotional life under better control
• competition involving peers is beginning to be attractive

Third Year (Eight years old)

• self motivated, expansive and inquisitive
• need for others to be aware of him/her
• sense of self is becoming clearer
• sense of time and space is developing
• increased ability to talk with other persons, not simply to them
• the age of "I" and "You"
• strong symbolic thinking and acting
• age of credulity and openness for development of sense of Faith

Fourth Year (Nine years old)

• a growing capacity for self-motivation, responsibility and increased self-reliance
• emotional life is more stable
• acceptance by groups developing as a need, becoming very much group oriented
• a weakening of the symbolic and personalistic awareness of religious reality occurs
• age of the doer; action oriented
• loyalty and dependability
• growing development of conscience and a desire for moral order
• a spirit of service, sharing of self as well as things

Fifth Year (Ten years old)

• has a fairly critical sense of justice and can make comparative judgments
• has a special desire to be him/herself
• is beginning to realize that intention is important in deciding whether an action is good or bad
• attitudes are more flexible
• is becoming aware of the individuality of others as well as self
• strong influence from peer group is becoming very evident

Sixth Year (Eleven years old)

• involvement socially is primarily with peer groups
• has the ability to assume more responsibility for own behavior
• very critical of other's failures
• emotional life is more stable due to the benefit of a certain rationalism

Seventh Year (Twelve years old)

• social involvement is predominately with peer groups
• the young adolescent is beginning to build moral habits
• beginning to encounter conflicts in spirituality because of increasing desire for independence
• tendency to reject many childhood notions of God
• becomes more self-conscious and may shy away from situations of risk
• is interested in religion and wants to know what the faith community believes and practices and why

Eighth Year (Thirteen years old)

• friendships are of extreme importance to younger adolescents
• beginning to be aware of his/her potential to become a unique person
• becoming independent and need the support and encouragement of mature adults
• view some of the external forms and structures of religion as unimportant
• going through a process of questioning and searching
• have a deep and beautiful sense of the sacred but do not easily share questions or inner thoughts

Let the Children Come to Me, Religious Education Guidelines, Diocese of Scranton

Parish Advisory Board

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

Fundamental Equality

[c. 208] In virtue of their rebirth in Christ there exists among all Christian faithful a true equality with regard to dignity and activity whereby all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ in accord with each one's own condition and function.

Official Positions

[c. 228-1] Qualified lay persons are capable of assuming from sacred pastors those ecclesiastical offices and functions which they are able to exercise in accord with the prescriptions of law.

[c. 228-2] Lay persons who excel in the necessary knowledge, prudence, and uprightness are capable of assisting the pastors of the Church as experts or advisors; they can do so even in councils, in accord with the norm of law.

Juridical Representation of the Parish

[c. 532] The pastor represents the parish in all juridic affairs in accord with the norm of law; he is to see to it that the goods of the parish are administered in accord with the norms of cc. 1281-1288.

Parish Councils (Advisory Board)

[c. 536-1] After the diocesan bishop has listened to the presbyteral council and if he judges it opportune, a pastoral council is to be established in each parish; the pastor presides over it, and through it the Christian faithful along with those who share in the pastoral care of the parish in virtue of their office give their help in fostering pastoral activity.

[c. 536-2] This pastoral council possesses a CONSULTATIVE VOTE ONLY and is governed by norms determined by the diocesan bishop.

[c. 537] Each parish is to have a finance council which is regulated by universal law as well as by norms issued by the diocesan bishop, in this council the Christian faithful, selected according to the same norms, aid the pastor in the administration of parish goods with due regard for the prescriptions of c. 532.

APPLICABLE ELEMENTS FROM GENERAL GUIDELINES:

CONSULTATIVE ROLE OF THE LAITY AND THE COUNCIL

• give advice to the pastor.
• administrative authority exercised by the pastor.
• legislative or juridical authority properly belong to the bishop.
• consultation leads to action.

DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH (Lumen Gentium)

• promulgated by Vatican II, 21 November, 1964.
• asked pastors to "recognize and promote the dignity as well as the responsibility" of lay persons in the Church and to allow them "freedom and room for action" (LG 37).
• priesthood of all the baptized (and confirmed).
• common priesthood, basic equality, complementary services.

ARCHDIOCESAN POLICIES (effective 1 January, 1986)

• parish advisory board and finance council works are to be viewed as being complementary.

NATURE OF PARISH ADVISORY BOARD

• lay people, religious, clergy with the pastor.
• a living Christian community.
• solicitous for the parish, other archdiocesan institutions, concerns of the Church universal, Gospel message for all people and places in the neighborhood and community.
• through reflection, prayer, planning, motivation, support.
• place to identify, encourage and evaluate needed ministries and services.
• consider the needs of the community.
• search in the community for resources, ways and means.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARISH ADVISORY BOARD

• to promote pastoral activity.
• overall pastoral development, that all different aspects of parish life are considered and integrated.
• specific "action" is to enable, i.e., to find the means that will answer the community's needs.
• animation, rather than implementation.
• not immediately responsible for the liturgy or for catechesis, for the care of the poor, or even for church finances.
• encourage growth of parish activities, their coordination and harmonious integration into the service of one and the same mission of all (N.B. council is not a "working committee").
• members should receive on-going faith formation so as to strengthen their ability to serve effectively.
• parish pastoral council is not a prayer or discussion group.
• set time for spiritual reflection throughout the year, e.g. retreat for prayer, faith-sharing, evaluation, planning, calendaring, etc.

COMPOSITION

• representative of the faithful and/or various activities in the parish.
• Requirements: Catholic (good standing), registered, faithful participation.
• Basic Qualifications: keen desire to help, ability to listen, become informed, reflect and express themselves with care, open to training, experienced in prayer and action, lively faith and love for all (i.e., know the faith, able to communicate and work with others, adapt quickly, learn about the nature and the role of the parish pastoral council.

The Faithful:

• women, men, different ages, civil status, etc.
• from different walks of life, racial, ethnic, cultural and social conditions.
• from different areas of the parish.
• representatives of religious working/residing in parish.

Non-Voting Members:

• pastor, associate priest(s), pastoral staff.
• the pastor and pastoral staff are the recipients of the advice of the pastoral council and for that reason do not vote.
• Parish Advisory Board is not a federation of movements, committees or other organizations of the parish.
• avoid delegates of special interest groups.

Membership:

• not to exceed 12 to 15 voting members.
• not to exceed 5 to 7 staff non-voting members.
• more lay people than religious and clergy combined.

SPECIFIC ROLES WITHIN THE COUNCIL

President is the pastor or administrator . . .

• calls board together, recalls goals, guards vitality and dynamism by virtue of his office and responsibility (cf. c. 536).

Chairperson

• elected by simple majority of members annually.
• helps pastor with his task of board president.

Tasks of Chairperson:

1. good working of the board.
2. chair meetings, enabling pastor to hear the deliberations.
3. encourage active participation and free expression of views.

Secretary

• preferably a member of the board.

Tasks of Secretary:

1. keep minutes.
2. prepare documents and reports.
3. implement certain requests or decisions of the meeting.
4. may also be responsible for the finances of the internal business of the board (i.e., retreats, supplies, refreshments, etc.).

PROCEDURES

Proposing the agenda (to the president):

• duty of the chairperson and two other persons named by the board or the chairpersons of standing committees.
• president may add items.
• group shall meet before each meeting.
• the president's secretary may also participate.

Meetings:

• no less than four times a year.
• no more than ten times a year.
• additional agenda items may be suggested by the membership during the meeting.
• president may call special meeting or,
• president, at the request of one or more members, may call special meeting.

The parish pastoral council may choose to organize itself as a committee of the whole or to divide the scope of work into various areas of concentration.

The Holy Spirit Parish Advisory Board activities (committees) should at least cover:

1. Worship and Spiritual Growth
2. Catholic Education and Formation
3. Social Justice
4. Youth and Family Life
5. Hospitality and Parish Life
6. Vocations

Parish Pastoral Council should not become implementers of programs but should form consultative liaisons with those parish structures, which have been or are to be developed to turn plans into action . . .

• recommending others for positions of responsibility.

SCOPE

• limited by the responsibilities of various existing institutions.
• pastor is ultimately responsible to Archbishop for pastoral care in the parish and for integration into the pastoral life of the Archdiocese and the universal Church.

N.B. Parish Advisory Board is part of a decision-making PROCESS that leaves the final decision to the pastor. The pastor, in strict legal terms, is responsible to answer to the bishop or to the parish community for decisions taken. This consultative PROCESS does not minimize the impact or influence of the board but clarifies the relationship between the pastor (president) and board.

• need for seriousness of conciliar deliberations and recommendations.
• All decisions of the pastor and/or the board must not contradict the common good, policies of the Archdiocese or Canon Law.
• Council decisions must be ratified by the pastor or they remain "board decisions" (consultative).

Limit on the Authority of the Board:

1. to protect the ultimate responsibility of the pastor.
2. reminds the board of its place in the whole parish where all the members have the right to participate in the decision-making process.

• Strive to achieve consensus so that vote taking will rarely be needed.
• Votes on issues require 2/3 majority.

RELATIONSHIP OF PARISH ADVISORY BOARD WITH OTHER LEVELS OF THE CHURCH

• interested in the life on different levels of the parish.
• concerned with the Archdiocesan pastoral priorities.
• familiar with pastoral publications of the Archbishop and his office and agencies, of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and the Holy See.

CLARIFICATION AND CONCLUSION

• Regional Bishop and Secretary for Parish Life assist parishes in application of the norms.
• prayer required for effective and efficient consultation, resulting in vibrant faith community.
• invitation to people to use their gifts for building up the body of Christ.

Advent Penance Service

OPENING HYMN - O Come, O Come Emmanuel #33 in Missalette

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

We are drawn together in this place of prayer by a desire to share more deeply in the redemption won for us by Christ. We confess as a community and as individuals that we are sinners and have failed in many ways to bring the grace of the Gospel into our families, our society, and our own personal lives. We stand in need of God's mercy.

GOSPEL - John 12:44-50

BRIEF HOMILY & EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE (see back page)

ACCLAMATIONS

Response: Lord, have mercy.

• Eternal Word, you created the universe and in the fullness of time became man for our salvation: come and save us from sin.
• Lord Jesus, you have called us to be part of your Church: help us to live in a way worthy of our vocation.
• True Light, you rise above the horizon of the world to disperse the darkness of death: reawaken in us faith, hope and charity.
• Prince of Peace, you break down the walls of hatred that divide the nations: open the way to harmony and peaceful coexistence among peoples.
• Son of God, you were born as a man of the Virgin Mary: help us follow the interior action of the Holy Spirit after the example of your holy Mother.

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, I detest all my sins because of your just punishments. But most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.

CLOSING PRAYER

Almighty God, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and to prepare the way of our salvation. Grant us the grace to heed their warnings and to forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The penitents go to the priests for individual confession.

A Rosary for Life

The Joyful Mysteries

1. ANNUNCIATION - Mary faithfully received her unexpected pregnancy with the utmost trust in God. May all pregnant women do the same and welcome the life within them.

2. VISITATION - Mary and Elizabeth cared for each other and shared their immense joy. May we also nurture and celebrate motherhood as a precious gift.

3. NATIVITY - The birth of God into the human family raises up our dignity and makes every child, born and unborn, a reflection of the Christchild. May we share God's love and respect for the children, seeing each life as immeasurable and irreplaceable.

4. PRESENTATION - Mary and Joseph presented the child Jesus in the temple as a recognition that every child belongs to God and is an expression of his creative will. May we never malign a child's sacred dignity as simply an extension of a woman's body.

5. FINDING JESUS IN THE TEMPLE - Mary and Joseph were anxious when Jesus could not be found. As the years passed, many would fail to find his divinity behind his humanity. Now the confusion comes full circle; may we always discern the humanity of the unborn child.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1. AGONY IN THE GARDEN - Our sweet Lord sweated blood, so terrible was his anguish. May parents agonizing over whether to choose life or death for their unborn babies have the fortitude and submission of self to say with Jesus to the Father, "Thy will be done." God chooses life.

2. SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR - All innocent flesh resonates with the scourged flesh of Christ. May each one of us recognize the terrible sin of dismembering and tearing the unborn child asunder in the womb.

3. CROWNING WITH THORNS - Christ is tortured and humiliated. Never should we cower to human opinion, pain, or mockery against the cause of life. May we offer up these indignities for the love of Christ in reparation for sin and for the conversion of sinners.

4. CARRYING THE CROSS - Despite exhaustion and suffering, Jesus fulfilled his mission and carried his cross to Calvary. We have a purpose as well, the proclamation of the Gospel of Life. May we remain faithful in our pro-life work, despite all fatigue and discouragement.

5. CRUCIFIXION - Jesus forgave his murderers. He died so that we might live. May we put aside all malice, and seek the conversion of the lovers of death to the Gospel of Life. May we be forgiven our passive toleration of abortion in the past.

The Glorious Mysteries

1. RESURRECTION - Love is indeed eternal; life has conquered death. Jesus transformed his tomb into the womb of new life. This is the mystery of the resurrection. May we never seek to change the womb back into a tomb through abortion.

2. ASCENSION - Having accomplished his saving work, the Lord returns to the Father, and offers the commission, "You shall be my witnesses even to the very ends of the earth." Many who are contemplating abortion are coerced, wounded, fearful, and near despair. May we draw them to the Lord and to his
peace.

3. DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - The Holy Spirit grants us life and then breathes eternal life into us. Abortion and contraception blasphemes this work of the Holy Spirit. May the Spirit of God direct us as we pray for the unborn, for expectant mothers, for anxious fathers, and for a softening of the stony hearts of abortionists and their supporters.

4. ASSUMPTION - Utterly chaste and pure, Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven. Seeking virtue and grace, may we treat our bodies and those of others, including the unborn, with respect and decency.

5. CORONATION - As Heaven's Queen, the honor of all motherhood is elevated in Mary. May she make us bearers of the loving presence of her Son, especially to pregnant mothers considering abortion.

The only other supplement to the conventional Rosary is at the very end--

Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

God made you his chosen instrument in bringing about the conversion of millions of pagans in Mexico.

Your powerful intercession conquered the holocaust of human suffering among the Aztec people.

Pray for us now, that we might be God's instrument in overthrowing the holocaust of human abortion. By your intercession, dear Mother of Mercy, may Our Lord touch and bring about a lasting change in the hearts of all the enemies of the unborn children. Amen.