catholic focus
Religious Education
From The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 4:
[T]he name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church's efforts to make disciples, to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ.
St. Adalbert Parish provides religious instruction to its day school students (preschool - 8th grade) at the Academy of St. Adalbert and to its public school students (1st - 8th grade) through the Parish School of Religion (PSR) on Monday nights from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. The Religious Education Program at St. Adalbert Parish has as its primary goal the formation of students as people of faith.
The program disseminates religious doctrine in a progressive succession using a variety of methods. Students use the Faith First Legacy Edition series published by Resources for Christian Living®. This religious education program helps students understand both what Catholics believe and how to live out those beliefs. Faith First has a wonderful website with resources for parents and students. The web address is http://faithfirst.com/ or click here. Students also attend and participate in liturgical and paraliturgical worship services, and partake in a variety of service activities.
The Pastor of the parish takes an active role in the religious education of the students. Students attend and participate in regular weekly liturgies in church, usually on Friday mornings. The Pastor also provides opportunities for students to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation in September and during Advent and Lent.
The program seeks to reach the student as an individual person and attempts to provide a unique experience of faith community. In so doing, it seeks to involve the parents as partners in the child's religious education. Parent programs are organized prior to the children's reception of the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. It is important for parents, as the primary educators of their children, to affirm and to practice the teachings of the Catholic faith, thereby modeling Christian living for their children.
Eucharistic Devotions
The entire student body of the Academy of St. Adalbert participates in the Procession and Mass at the opening of the annual Eucharistic Devotions or "Forty Hours" on Friday morning of the week before Thanksgiving. Academy students and PSR students are expected to participate in the Procession and Mass for the closing of Eucharistic Devotions on Saturday afternoon.
Marian Devotions
Special honor is given to Our Lady through the Crowning of Mary in an evening in May during an all-school May Procession followed by recitation of the rosary. All students are expected to participate in this traditional and beloved devotion. All family members are invited and encouraged to attend.
Lenten Devotions
Children should attend the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday. All students in grades three (3) and four (4) participate in the evening procession and Mass of the Last Supper at St. Adalbert Church.
Glory Days VBS: Friendship Trek
St. Adalbert Parish Presents
Glory Days: Friendship Trek
A Summer Vacation Bible School Experience
Children ages 3 to 9 (or entering 4th grade) will learn that friends are great gifts from God and the greatest friend of all is Jesus, our Savior! Glory Days will be held Monday, June 16th through Friday, June 20th from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Click here to print a registration form. We are seeking volunteers (parents, grandparents, Jr. High, High School & College students) to help with the following:
- Registration
- Publicity
- Story Telling
- Games
- Crafts
- Coordinating Student Volunteers
- Snacks (preparing & serving)
- Music
- Service Projects
- Group Leaders (escort children to activities)
Help is needed NOW with the planning of this fun-filled week for our children to grab their gear and join Friendship Trek, an amazing hike through the Bible to meet Jesus, their Forever Friend. This is also a great opportunity for older students to fulfill some of their service hour obligations.
If you have any questions, please call Sr. Marilyn Sabatino at 440-234-6830 (after 4:30 p.m. 440-234-1096).
St. Adalbert Church Bulletin - 5/11
Click here to view/print the St. Adalbert Church bulletin for Sunday, May 11, 2008.
Sacramental Program
OVERVIEW
Christian initiation is celebrated in Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Through these visible actions, a young person is incorporated into the Church and shares its mission in the world: full initiation into the Church occurs by stages.
Sacramental Catechesis has traditionally been of two kinds: preparation for the initial celebration of the sacraments and continued enrichment by their reception.
Requirements for the reception of First Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation are determined by Canon Law:
- Age of reason (to be able to distinguish right from wrong)
- Proper knowledge of sacraments
- Emotional and spiritual preparation
- Approval by parent, pastor, catechist, Director/Coordinator
The policy of St. Adalbert Parish is that a child who will prepare for the sacraments (First Penance, Eucharist and Confirmation) must have had a minimum of one year of religious education immediately before entering the Sacramental Preparation Program.
FIRST RECONCILIATION & FIRST EUCHARIST
From The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 1457
According to the Church's command, "after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year."56 Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession.57 Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.
From The Code of Canon Law, Can. 913 §1 & Can. 914
The administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion.
Can. 914. It is primarily the duty of parents and those who take the place of parents, as well as the duty of pastors, to take care that children who have reached the use of reason are prepared properly and, after they have made sacramental confession, are refreshed with this divine food as soon as possible. It is for the pastor to exercise vigilance so that children who have not attained the use of reason or whom he judges are not sufficiently disposed do not approach holy communion.
Preparation
Preparation for these sacraments starts in second grade and begins with the Rite of Enrollment in February. First Reconciliation is celebrated in March. First Eucharist is celebrated in early May. The program consists of classes during the school day in the Academy of St. Adalbert or on Monday evenings in the PSR program. In addition, there are parent sessions which are designed to provide background and information on both the sacraments and the textbook material. This will enable parents to help prepare their children at home. Parents are required to attend these sessions. All children preparing to celebrate their First Eucharist must first be prepared to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1457). In January, a letter is mailed to each family announcing the dates of all classes and parent sessions.
Registration
Registration for the Reconciliation and Eucharist programs takes place in the fall. A separate letter is mailed in January indicating the date and time of the first Parent Session for the Sacramental Program. Please call the office the last week in January if you do not receive this information. A separate fee is charged for the Reconciliation/Eucharist Program, which is collected in the spring.
CONFIRMATION
From The Code of Canon Law, Can. 879
The sacrament of confirmation strengthens the baptized and obliges them more firmly to be witnesses of Christ by word and deed and to spread and defend the faith. It imprints a character, enriches by the gift of the Holy Spirit the baptized continuing on the path of Christian initiation, and binds them more perfectly to the Church.125
From The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 1309
Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. the latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands.125
Overview
As a Sacrament of Initiation, Confirmation is intimately related to Baptism and the Eucharist. Christians are reborn in Baptism, strengthened by Confirmation, and sustained by the food of the Eucharist. In Confirmation, young people are signed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and become more perfect images of their Lord. This sacrament renews and strengthens their baptismal call to bear witness to Christ before the world and work eagerly for the building up of his body. The candidate must be baptized.
As the primary educators of their children, parents are to be intimately involved in catechesis for Confirmation. This will help them renew and strengthen their own faith, besides enabling them to set a better example for their children.
The policy of St. Adalbert Parish is that any student who seeks entrance into the Confirmation Program must:
- be in at least the eighth grade
- have had a minimum of one year of religious education immediately before entering the Sacramental Preparation Program
- have completed all essential religious education curriculum
- be currently enrolled in a Religious Education Program covering elementary or junior high curriculum
Any student in eighth grade or above who did not attend religious education classes before the last year will be required to take make-up classes.
It is our hope that the Confirmation Program will provide the following opportunities for each student:
- to examine his/her own personality
- to develop a spiritual relationship with Christ
- to understand the meaning of commitment and discipleship
- to become an active member of the Christian community
- to develop a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Confirmation
- to participation in Apostolic Work which is encouraged as an integral part of the preparation
Letters are mailed to all eligible students and their parents/guardians giving the dates and times of the first parent meeting and the Rite of Enrollment Mass. Students who wish to be considered as a candidate for the Sacrament of Confirmation must attend this Mass. After the Mass, parents need to register for one of several meetings scheduled for the following week. A separate fee is charged for the Confirmation Preparation Program which is discussed at the first meeting.
Story of St. Nicholas
WHO IS ST. NICHOLAS?
The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time, the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.
The absence of the "hard facts" of history is not necessarily an obstacle to the popularity of saints, as the devotion to St. Nicholas shows. Both the Eastern and Western Churches honor him, and it is claimed that, after the Blessed Virgin, he is the saint most pictured by Christian artists.
As many of the saints, however, we are able to capture the relationship which St. Nicholas had with God through the admiration which Christians have had for him and admiration expressed in the colorful stories which have been told and retold through the centuries. His most well known deeds came around the time of Christmas, when he would leave gold in the homes of poor families on Christmas Eve, and give help to any person who needed it.
Over the centuries, this particular legend evolved into the custom of gift-giving on the saint's feast. In the English speaking countries, St. Nicholas became by a twist of the tongue, Santa Claus - further expanding the example of generosity portrayed by this holy bishop.
Today miracles and wonders are directly associated with the Saint. In anticipation of St. Nicholas's nightly visits, children put their shoes in front of the fire place or outside of their door where St. Nicholas puts a surprise.
The Academy of St. Adalbert had a very special visit from St. Nicholas on his feast day, Wednesday, December 6th. St. Nicholas was accompanied by his elves and black jacks. Once he found out how wonderful the students at the Academy of St. Adalbert were, he passed out candy canes to all.
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