Elementary Level (Pre-K through 6th grade)
Our textbooks are: God Made Everything, a comprehensive pre-school and kindergarten program and Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts for grades 1-6. based on a curriculum that integrates the fundamental themes of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This comprehensive program provides sound doctrine, Scripture, Tradition, and prayer through experiential activities that make these essential lessons part of a lifelong practice of faith. As children are introduced to and revisit concepts and vocabulary from one year to the next, their knowledge and experience both broaden and deepen.
The God's Gift series also used for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist sacramental preparation sessions. This sacramental preparation program offers meaningful experiences that pass on the truth and beauty of our Catholic faith and of the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist to children and their families. These fully integrated programs engage children’s hearts and minds through prayer opportunities, interactive elements, beautiful commissioned artwork, and practical parent resources.
Junior High Level (7th and 8th grade)
Seventh and eighth graders face many important decisions about school, interactions with family, friends, interests they want to pursue, and faith. Finding God reaches young people where they are in this critical stage of their lives and provides in-depth support for teachers, catechists, and their parents. By engaging young people’s minds, hearts, and souls, Finding God helps them know their faith, grow in faith and go in faith.
Eighth grade examines the Creed with the texts Mystery of God as the summary of our faith, and Morality: Life in Christ leads young people to study and apply principles of Catholic morality.
High School Level (9th grade through 12th grade)
The Youth Ministry vision is to bring youth closer to Christ by fostering a personal relationship with Him and His Church. We strive to accomplish this through Wednesday night Family Faith Formation sessions, also known as Youth Nights. The format is presented with all of grades 9-12 meeting together in a large group in the Upper Room of Madonna Hall. We follow a four-part program of Gather, Proclaim, Break and Send with fun games, interesting teachings, inspiring group discussions, and experiential prayer.
We cover the following topics throughout a four year period: Scripture, the Person of Jesus, the Mission of Jesus, the Church, the Sacraments, and Life in Christ.
In addition to the Youth Nights, we have many opportunities to pray together and play together through weekend retreats, conferences, summer camps, Christian concerts, social events, service projects, and leadership opportunities.
Circle of Grace is a program with provides faith-based safe environment lessons for all children and young people in kindergarten through the 12th grades. This annual program is an ongoing endeavor to offer one grade-specific lesson each year to help children and youth develop the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from sexual abuse. Catholic schools have separate but comparable guidelines to demonstrate age-appropriate safe environment content. They may use the Sacred & Safe program to satisfy this mandate.
Registration for Family Faith Formation is going on now for all interested parishioners, ages Pre-K4 through adult. Everyone is invited to participate. All regular FFF sessions for Pre-K4 through high school youth are on Wednesdays from 6 pm to 7:30 pm (Pre-K4 through 5th are released at 7:15 pm) in Madonna Hall.
If you have any questions please contact the Coordinator of Children's Faith Formation, Rachel Hinojosa at 409-925-3579 ext 208 or rhinojosa@ololchurch.org