The primary goal of the Sunday Catechesis program is to help parish children develop a personal relationship with God the Father, through the person of Jesus Christ, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We seek to foster within the children a love of and reverence for the Bible, the teachings of the Catholic Church and all of God’s creation. We strive to be witnesses to our students as we share our love and knowledge our our faith.

Registration:
Prior to participation in Sunday Catechesis, each child must be registered. For more information, or to inquire about registration, please call the Religious Education office at (574) 277-5760, ext. 117, or email rkiley@stpius.net.

Class Times:
8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Sundays (Grades 1-8)
2023-2024 Sunday Catechesis Schedule

Volunteer Information: 
Interested in volunteering as a catechist, catechist aide or helping with child care?

Click here to learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Family Catechesis?  
Family Catechesis is a program designed to help children and parents grow together in their faith. It includes monthly in-person sessions for both parents and their children from August to May and supported learning at home during the rest of the month

Why did you add the Family Catechesis program?  
This program accommodates the busy schedules many families face each day by offering one monthly session for the whole family (children AND parents), followed by weekly learn-at-home lessons. It also allows parents to become more deeply involved in their child(ren)’s faith formation, helping parents grow in their faith as well! Attend once per month and work on your schedule at home to complete the learning process.

Will Family Catechesis help prepare my children for their sacraments?  
Family Catechesis is an approved parish program, just like CCD or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Your children will have full access to our parish sacramental preparation, just like any other program. 

I’m not a trained catechist. How do I help my children with the learn-at-home component?  
The program uses the Christ Our Life series from Loyola Press. During the monthly session, parents are equipped by parish leaders to share with their child(ren) throughout the month. At the same monthly meeting, children meet with grade-level catechists who introduce the topic for the month to them. Parents and children then work together at home during the following few weeks to dig deeper into the topic. Parents are given ample support through the monthly meetings, published resources and parish catechetical leaders.

What resources are available to help me?  
In addition to the monthly meetings, our text publisher provides a line-by-line lesson plan, which even parents with no religious background can use comfortably. Loyola Press also offers interactive chapter reviews for each session, which help provide feedback on your child’s learning retention. The Religious Education department is always available with additional resources or to answer questions as needed, and the monthly sessions allow parents to network, discuss and share.

Can I work with other families in the program to help “share the load?”  
We encourage families to meet and work with other families with children of similar ages. Pairings like this help provide a community for the children in their learning and ease the time burdens for families!

2023-2024 Family Catechesis Schedule

 

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to faith formation based on the educational principles of Maria Montessori. It was started in Rome by Sofia Cavalletti (a Hebrew Scripture scholar) and Gianna Gobbi (a Montessori directress) and has spread to several countries throughout the world. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is divided into three age levels: Level I (3-6 years old), Level II (6-9 years old) and Level III (9-12 years old). 

The children are instructed in the faith in a room called the atrium, which was originally the space in the church in which the catechumens were prepared for their full reception into the church. It is in the atrium that the children learn about different aspects of liturgy and scripture in a way that is appropriate to their age and developmental level. 
 
Saint Pius X opened a Level I atrium in the fall of 2004, a Level II atrium in the fall of 2005 and a Level III atrium in the fall of 2006. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd requires the gifts of an entire community to thrive.

2023-2024 After-School Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Schedule

Volunteer Information: 
Interested in volunteering as a catechist or catechist aide?
 

Click here to learn more

Under the patronage of St. Angela Merici, the Children of St. Angela Merici is a program designed to meet the religious education and faith formation needs of children and adults with disabilities and other special needs. Using a hands-on approach to learning, the program is dedicated to providing our students access to the fullness of the faith in all its richness. The class content is custom-tailored to the needs and abilities of each child, and the catechist/aide-to-student ratio is almost one-to-one to facilitate better learning.

We offer three levels of our program:

Level I: Sacramental Preparation
             
Level II: Liturgical Year and Life in the Church
                
Level III: Confirmation Preparation

We are committed to meeting the faith formation needs of our students and to providing them with an opportunity to come to know God more deeply, especially through Scripture, the Sacraments and the Church Year.

2023-2024 Children of St. Angela Merici Class Schedule

Volunteer Information: 
Interested in volunteering as a catechist?

Click here to learn more

Saint Pius X offers home school religious education opportunities in accordance with the diocesan homeschooling statutes (found HERE). Parents may choose to home school for a number of reasons: scheduling conflicts with CCD and CGS, a chance to be more involved in your child's religious education and adaptation for special needs. Our Religious Education department seeks to serve families with curriculum support, catechist enrichment, parish sacramental opportunities and more.

Parents who wish to home school their children are asked to meet with Robby Kiley, director of religious education, prior to the beginning of the school year. Especially with some diocesan curriculum standards changing this year, it is important to check in with the Religious Education Department in order to ensure that we are meeting all of the diocesan requirements.

Please call our office: (574) 272-8462, ext. 117, if you have any questions.