Amy Comcowich, our Religious Education Director, oversees the Religious Education Program here at St. Matthew Parish. Religious education, like all good learning processes does not just happen in a classroom. It is more likely to happen more spontaneously and in a variety of settings. St. Matthew Parish relies on three individual, but complementary, frameworks in order to provide an effective, worthwhile religious education program of its members. They are:
Each of these components has a distinct role in the educational process and must be nurtured, valued and supported by all members of the parish.
Within the Parish School of Religion, we provide educational curriculum to insure that all young members of our parish learn about our Catholic faith in an age-appropriate manner. The curriculum used for those in grades 1-8 is the Blest Are We series offered monthly during the school year. Those in grades 9-12 meet either for six sessions or two half day session in the Fall and the same in the early Spring using materials from Saint Mary’s Press. There is also a Youth Ministry component for grades 6-12.
The Family is a continuous setting for learning. The way a family lives out the teachings of the gospel, how it establishes and encourages Christian values, how it instills prayer practices and involvement in the faith community models the way of life for the family members. The role of the Family in the religious education process is central to its success.
The Parish Community plays its part in the religious education triangle by demonstrating its commitment to community in its liturgical celebrations, in the vitality of its parish life and in the acceptance of the ministries to which each of us is called by our Baptism. The Parish Community calls its members to Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. The Parish Community celebrates the continuation of our Catholic heritage and passes these traditions on to its next generations.