Parents have the primary responsibility for the faith formation of their children and the Church is obligated to provide them with full support in this endeavor.

 

The Religion Curriculum is divided into the six categories based on the U.S. Bishops’ document National Directory for Catechesis #20 published in 2005.  In it the Bishops’ wrote, “…catechesis comprises six fundamental tasks, each of which is related to an aspect of faith in Christ.  All efforts in evangelization and catechesis should incorporate these tasks.”

 

1.     Catechesis promotes knowledge of faith.
2.    Catechesis promotes knowledge of the meaning of Liturgy and the Sacraments.
3.    Catechesis promotes moral formation in Jesus Christ.
4.    Catechesis teaches the Christian how to pray with Christ.
5.    Catechesis prepares the Christian to live in community, to participate actively in the life and mission of the Church.
6.    Catechesis promotes a missionary spirit that prepares the faithful to be present as Christians in society.

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The curriculum is based on a spiral approach to learning wherein themes and objectives are presented in a gradually deeper manner from on year to the next, building upon and deepening the presentation of the tenets of the Catholic Faith.  The objectives are supported with references to the Catechism and organized within the framework of the six tasks of catechesis. 

 

In addition, students will participate in the Touching Safety Program in Grades K-8.  Parents have the option to opt-out of this program.

 

The Theology of the Body program which our 7th graders participate in each year seeks to provide our students with a faith-based toolset of moral grounding, a well-formed conscience, and most importantly a message of hope for navigating our cultures many and varied moral and cultural pitfalls.  It as well seeks to provide our students with the opportunity for seeing themselves as God does: as unique, priceless, and purposeful images of Himself. This program, which we offer each year, has been assembled by professional catechists and produced by Ascension Press, a trusted Catholic publishing company.  Its content is inspired by, and based upon, the writings of Pope St. John Paul II, and assembled under the guidance and direction of the Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans, Imprimatur.  Year after year, the lessons taught through the Theology of the Body series have been among the most fruitful and well-received lessons in Cathedral Parish School’s middle school religion class.