FAITH FORMATION

EMAIL US with any questions

Director of Faith Formation: 

Patsy Gillespie: dre@stmarysnorton.com

Faith Formation Assistant: 

Judy Burgess: religioused@stmarysnorton.com

Grades 6 & 7
Parent Meeting
9.21.2021

​

​

Overview Grades 1-5

​

​

​

Grade 1: God is Love

First-grade students begin to develop an awareness of God as our Father in Heaven, the creator of Heaven and earth, who is all good, who created them in His image and likeness, and who loves them unconditionally. Special emphasis is placed on growing to know, love, and trust God.  They will learn:
          * Basic parts of the Mass
          * The reality of sin in connection with the Sacrament of Confession
          * The lives of saints and the basics of prayer as a conversation with God
          * Basic Catholic prayers
 

Grade 2: Our Life in Jesus

Second-grade students focus on how much children are loved by Jesus Christ, and how His death and Resurrection has opened the way to Heaven.  We also focus on:
         * The parts of the Mass
         * Lives and lessons of the saints
         * More ways to pray
         * A special focus on the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist
 

Grade 3:  The Kingdom of God and the Church

Third-grade students learn about the Catholic Church, the Holy Spirit and how He guides the church, and how Jesus continues His mission through the Catholic Church.
         * Basics of the Holy Trinity and all seven Sacraments.
         * Prayer and living as children of God
         * Jesus’ Parables of the Kingdom, and Mary as the Mother of the Church
 

Grade 4: Jesus teaches us how to live

The fourth-grade students will focus on the moral life, our loving response to God’s great gift to us, and students explore more deeply what it means to be created in the image and likeness of God.  In this year, we:
         * Explore conscience formation, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the 
             Golden Rule, and the Great Commandment
         * Emphasize the reality of sin and the necessity of virtue 
 

Grade 5: The Sacraments

Fifth-grade students will focus on an in-depth exploration of God’s grace in the Sacraments, with a focus on what a Sacrament is and why Jesus instituted them. Students explore what it means that God is the source of all life, learn more about Holy Mass and Holy Days of Obligation, and read and discuss longer biographies of the saints. 

Life Teen is an amazing youth ministry program that has been very effective for many years. EDGE is their middle school program which incorporates catechesis, prayer, and fun. We will be using EDGE with our 6th and 7th graders in the fall and incorporate some of their materials in our Confirmation I and II programs. Click on the image above to find out more. 

Confirmation is a two year program in the Diocese of Fall River. All classes will meet on Sunday evenings every other week. Our goal is to help the teens form a "more intimate union with Christ and more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit" through "awaken[ing] a sense of belonging to the Church... as well as the parish community.