R.E.
Religious Education
Religious Education
At St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, we assist families in their religious, moral, and spiritual growth. We understand and respect that parents are the primary educators of their children, teaching by word and example.
Education and formation in the faith is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give to their child. The Catholic faith has a richness of history, theology, philosophy, and tradition that surpasses every other world religion, and as Catholics we have the privilege and duty to share this richness with our children. In a modern age increasingly hostile to religion, it is vital to take this duty of formation in the faith seriously to truly equip those who will be the future of the Church.
While we know that parents are called to be the primary educators of the faith for their children, we also know that teaching in this way may be very new for many parents. With this in mind, we are focusing on preparing and forming our parents as a cornerstone of our RE program so that they may be confident instructing their children.
In accordance with the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” established by the USCCB each Diocese must establish a Safe Environment Program. This program requires each parish in the diocese to cooperate with parents, civil authorities, educators, and community organizations to provide education and training for children, youth, parents, ministers, educators and others about ways to create and maintain a safe environment for children.
All volunteers and staff are mandated to complete our diocese’s program “Called to Protect” prior to working among our community.
Faith begins at the home. At Baptism, parents make the solemn promise to train their children in the Catholic faith and teach them about Christ. It is vital to any child’s religious education that the lessons they learn about their Catholic faith are lived out at home, by regular attendance of Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and modeling moral lives within the family.
In the Archdiocese of Denver, students are required to complete two consecutive years of Catholic religious instruction prior to receiving a sacrament here at St. John the Baptist.
At the end of your child’s second year of catechesis, they must pass a final end of year assessment to evaluate if they are prepared to receive their sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.
Necessary Documentation:
We encourage families to consider the possibility of partaking in a few service hours with your child – at our St. John’s Food Bank or maybe join our vibrant music ministry! Please see our ministry page here on our website for more ideas.
Enrollment for religious education for the 2024-2025 will open in May and run from May-June.