The St. John-St. Paul Collaborative provides Religious Education programs for our children and adolescents with ongoing faith formation, spiritual encouragement, and development of the understanding and practice of being Catholic in the world today.
The programs incorporate meaningful learning experiences designed to inform, guide, and celebrate understanding of the Catholic faith. Children actively participate in prayer, worship, and service to others while continuing to develop their own personal relationship with God.
As always, parents are the primary educators of their children, and our Religious Education programs serve to support and enhance their important mission.
PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 1 – 7
- Grades 1-2 Classroom Instruction program (First Reconciliation and First Communion Preparation)
- Grades 3-5 Classroom Instruction program
- Middle School (Grades 6-7) Classroom Instruction program
- Grades 3-7 Family Cluster program offering intergenerational learning for parents and children. (This program is not available for students preparing for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion – typically Grades 1 & 2 – who must enroll in our Classroom Instruction Program.)
- Grades 3-7 At-Home Lessons program that allows parents to facilitate monthly lessons for their children. (This program is not available for students preparing for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion – typically Grades 1 & 2 – who must enroll in our Classroom Instruction Program.)
- Kindergarten – Grade 5 Online: “Project Nazareth: Faith Begins at Home” program that delivers weekly resources to families. (This program is not available for students preparing for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion – typically Grades 1 & 2 – who must enroll in our Classroom Instruction Program.)
- Grade 2 “Sacrament Summer Blast” – an optional summer offering for rising 2nd graders who need to supplement their preparation for the sacraments.
CONFIRMATION PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 8, 9, AND 10
(for the 2024-2025 Religious Education year*)
- Grade 8 Classroom Instruction program
- Grade 9 Classroom Instruction program
- Grade 10 Classroom Instruction program
*Earlier this year, the Archdiocese of Boston announced that Cardinal Seán has approved a proposal that will lower the ordinary age of Confirmation from Grade 10 to Grade 8, to be implemented over the next 2-3 years.
For some time, the Archdiocese has been involved in an extensive consultation on a question of great importance: how to strengthen the participation of young people and their families in the life of faith in Jesus Christ lived out in our parishes, schools, and communities. Over the past several years, they have consulted with parents, young people, priests and deacons, and parish/school faith formation teams here in Boston and in other dioceses. The overwhelming consensus was to lower the age of Confirmation, which will:
- Decrease the gaps between the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation).
- Increase and strengthen the role of families in the faith formation of their young teens.
- Make the grace of this Sacrament available to our young people in greater numbers, and at a critical time when they begin to encounter the demands and challenges of adolescence.
Here at the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative, in the 2024-2025 Religious Education year, we will offer Confirmation Preparation programs for students in 8th, 9th and 10th grade, and all students enrolled in these programs will be scheduled to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the spring of 2025.
CALENDAR
The program runs from late September through early May. The calendar for the upcoming school year is emailed to all registered families and posted to the Religious Education website in August each year, before the start of classes.
2024-2025 REGISTRATION AND FEE INFORMATION
Registration is now open. Please visit our Religious Education Registration page today to register!
We ask that you register by May 31 as we will be making updates to our program and they will be based on enrollment numbers.
Regular Fees:
- $100 per Student
- $100 per Family Cluster
Additional Fees:
- First Communion Fee (usually Grade 2): $50 per student
- Confirmation Preparation Fee (currently Grades 8, 9, and 10): $150 per student
- Late Fee: $25 per student will be assessed after May 31.
Family Max:
- There is a Family Max of $300 per family (does not include Sacrament or Late Fees.)
CONTACT INFORMATION
Linda Messore
Religious Education & Youth Ministry Director
linda.messore@sjspwellesley.org
Christina Messore
Religious Education Staff
christina.messore@sjspwellesley.org