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About Blessed Sacrament School of Religion
The School of Religion exists to provide sacramental preparation (First Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation - and in some cases, Baptism for students who were not baptized as infants) as well as continuous, on-going Religious Formation for students in Kindergarten through 8th grades. The Blessed Sacrament Parish Religious Education program strives to communicate the Person and message of Jesus Christ in the context of the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The goal of the School of Religion is to "put students not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ." (General Directory for Catechesis, #80) In order for this to be effective, the parents are always considered the first and primary catechists (or teachers) of their children. The Religious Education program can only be a complement and support to their efforts at home. In no way is the School of Religion meant to take the place of our weekly obligation to attend Sunday Mass, whereby we receive the living and true God, Jesus Christ, in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist.
"Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God." -Luke 18:15-17
We warmly welcome children of all ages and abilities for sacramental preparation! Please do not feel put off if your child is older and has not received the sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and/or Confirmation. Moreover, we offer inclusion (as well as individual, one on one, catechesis upon request) for students with special needs. Every child is welcome here at Blessed Sacrament.
SCHOOL OF RELIGION 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEARThese are unprecedented times for all of us.I wanted to share with you some important information regarding the School of Religion at Blessed Sacrament this Fall.The Diocese has asked that our sessions not begin until October of 2020.Due to the uncertainty regarding school openings and the restrictions placed upon us to Covid 19 the following will be in place for Fall (October-December) 2020:1. ALL SOR CLASSES WILL BE ON-LINE.There are several reasons for online classes:1. With a very fluid situation I felt consistency is vital. I did not want to start the year with in class sessions and then at a moments notice have to change to online learning.Since SOR will begin in October, starting on-line allows for consistency until the New Year.2. When the school rooms are used there must be 2 hours between cleanings and building occupancy. It is not possible to have that much time for cleaning especially on Tuesdays. It would mean an even later start for Tuesday classes.3. In fairness I did not want to have in person classes available for some sessions (Sundays) and not for others (Tuesdays)SIGN UP INFORMATIONBelow you will find a link for online registration as well as a required permission slip for Online learning from the Archdiocese of Washington. In order to process your registration and officially enroll you BOTH the registration form and the PERMISSION slip must be completed.1. You are asked to sign up for an in-person time slot of Sunday Morning or Tuesday afternoon, even though classes will be held on-line in the Fall.This is to assure that if in-person classes take place (January-May 2021), we will know where to place your child. Therefore, please bear in mind that these Sunday morning or Tuesday afternoon time slots are NOT necessarily when the catechists will conduct their sessions. The exact day and time of your child's online session will be an agreement between the catechist and all families in your child's class.3. Online classes will be shorter for younger children.4. In-person classes will be smaller due to social distancing (when they resume).4. The MASS SCHEDULE of the Parish has changed. There is one Mass at 10:00 AM (This replaces the 9:00 AM and the 10:30 AM Masses.)5. In addition to the registration link attached, there is also a Diocesan Permission Slip for participation in online classes. You must sign and return the Permission for every child before they can attend virtual classes. Permission Slips can be emailed back to me at jbaily@blessedsacramentdc.org.
6. You will notice our fee structure is different, IF and WHEN we are allowed to resume in person classes there will be an additional charge for cleaning supplies and instructional materials which the Catechists use for in-person classes.7. We will provide all registered families with their course materials for at home learning as well as information about how to access the on-line classes. The dates for course materials distribution will be announced at a later date.8. ALL OF THE ABOVE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED UPON CDC GUIDANCE AND LOCAL GOV'T DECISIONS.SOR REGISTRATION LINK 2020-2021:ONLINE RESOURCES: Our Sunday Visitor
The link below provides access to webinars and other online activities for ALL grade levels. This is a way for students to continue their Religious Education during this time.
https://reply.osv.com/Allelu_OnlineResources?utm_campaign=CURR_EML_2020_COVID-19_Allelu%20Customer%20Support%20-%20RESEND&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elqTrackId=F5EE05FECA093D6983939BAFF31D2F96&elq=08c4b36e73fe4e7abc00469cc327276c&elqaid=4381&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=3278
The Prayer of St. Francis de Sales
Be at peace.
Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;
rather look to them with full hope as they arise.
God, whose very own you are,
will deliver you from out of them.
He has kept you hitherto,
and He will lead you safely through all things;
and when you cannot stand it,
God will bury you in his arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
the same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you then and everyday.
He will either shield you from suffering,
or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace,
and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
Amen
**CONFIRMATION UPDATE**
SEE CONFIRMATION LINK UNDER SACRAMENTS FOR 2020-2021 UPDATES
Class ScheduleAll classes take place ONLINE (for the first semester-Starting in October, and MAY return to in-person, depending on CDC Guidelines. Classes usually would take place in Blessed Sacrament School.
Classes are:
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Sundays: 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Pre-K - 8th grade.
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Tuesdays: 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. K - 8th grade.
Volunteer to be a SOR Catechist, Co-Catechist or aide
TO LEARN MORE about becoming a teacher or aide for the School of Religion, please click here.
TO SIGN UP as a catechist or aide, scroll down to fill out the form below, please click here.
Office of Religious Formation Staff
Jane Baily, Director of Religious Education
jbaily@blessedsacramentdc.org
202.449.3989
Rosalie Days, Coordinator for Baptism & First Communion Prep
rdays@blessedsacramentdc.org
202.449.4618
James Strahota, Faith Formation & Finance Assistant
jstrahota@blessedsacramentdc.org
202.449.3986 -
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School of Religion Textbooks
You can find out more about the book your child will be using in the School of Religion this year. Check out these websites for scope and sequences, parent pages, activities you can do at home, and online prayer experiences.
- "Pre-Kindergarten": "Little Disciples" a new classroom based cirriculum based upon the ALLELU Pre-school Program from Our Sunday Visitor
- Kindergarten: "Call to Faith" from Our Sunday Visitor
- 1-8 Grade: "Alive in Christ" Faith Formation program from Our Sunday Visitor
- 8th Grade Confirmation Program: In addition to the "Alive in Christ" text mentioned above the candidates also use "Confirmed in the Spirit" from Loyola Press
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Additional Resources
Top 10 Ways to Parent Your Child in the Faith
Catholic Online Resources for Parents
Parent Guides for Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization
Grade Level Glossaries:
Kindergarten Glossary
1st Grade Glossary
2nd Grade Glossary
3rd Grade Glossary
4th Grade Glossary
5th Grade Glossary
6th Grade Glossary
7th Grade Glossary
8th Grade Glossary
