St. Anthony of Padua Parish1359 Acushnet Avenue • New Bedford, MA • 02746

Phone: 508.993.1691 • Fax: 508.999.4775www.saintanthonynewbedford.com

Father Edward A. Murphy, Pastor

August 2012

Dear Parents of Students in the CCD Program,

I am very happy that you are planning to enroll your child in our CCD program. I write this cover letter to the registration form, to provide you with information about our program, answer some commonly asked questions, and communicate very clearly the expectations we have for you and your child.

I would like, first, to let you know of some of the fundamental aspects of our program:

• Our CCD program is a 52-week program — The most important part of your child’s instruction, like every Catholic’s, happens at Mass, where Jesus speaks to us in Sacred Scripture and offers us his body and blood as our spiritual nourishment on earth. Just like every faithful, practicing Catholic, your child is expected to attend Mass every Sunday of the year and every holy day of obligation — preferably with you.

• Weekly Gospel Homework — There is a “Gospel homework sheet” prepared for every Sunday and holy day that your child is expected to fill out and bring with him or her to Mass and place in the appropriate box in the sacristy. Not only will this help your child to apply Jesus’ words to his or her life, but it will also provide us with a steady sign of their progress and faithfulness to the obligations of the faith.

• Check in — Your child should check at 8:15 am in the parish hall by turning in the Gospel homework. Then there will be Mass at 8:30 (where your child should sit with you, or, if unaccompanied, with teachers and other students). After Mass, they will have a chance to get a brief breakfast in the Church hall and go to the restrooms. Formal classes will be held from 9:30-11:15. You can pick-up your children at 11:15 am at the Nye Street side of the school.

• Day of Recollection — Each class will have a Day of Recollection given by the their teachers and the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate in the parish Church on one Saturday throughout the year. These recollections are listed on the CCD schedule. These Days of Recollection will end with a Mass, so they will take the place of the 8:30 am Mass and CCD classes for students in that grade for that weekend. These will be an important means by which the students grow in the art of prayer.

• Full Family Catechesis — Like the past three years, we will have four sessions of the popular “full-family catechesis” that will take the place of ordinary CCD classes for those given Sunday. After the 8:30 Mass, we will have these sessions in the parish hall for students together with their family members on particular themes relevant for families. The point of these sessions is to help encourage the ongoing growth in faith for the students at home. The dates are on the schedule. At least one parent/guardian must be present with the child.

• Prayer Sheets — In order for your son or daughter to enter a grade, they will need to know the corresponding level of prayers on the prayer sheets given out in past years and available on our parish website. Students entering second grade must know the level one prayers (the Our Father, Hail Mary, Act of Contrition, etc.); students entering third grade must know the level one and two prayers (the prayers of the Mass); students entering grades five and above must know the first three levels (the third level are basically the prayers of the Rosary). Please help them to learn them by heart and to understand their meaning.

• Combined classes — In order to maximize the skills of our teachers and give the students a better classroom experience with more students, we are going to be combining grades 3 & 4,

grades 5 & 6, and grades 7 & 8. There will still be single-grade classrooms for grades 1 and 2. In terms of the curriculum in the combined classes, this year we will be following the upper grade in the Faith and Life series this year (so 4rd, 6th and 8th grade books); next year, like last year, we will use the other year (3th, 5th, and 7th) so that the students will still cover the entire curriculum over the course of their religious formation here.

• Ninth Grade Confirmation Program — Mrs. Green and Mrs. Marshall will be leading the Confirmation class this year. Classes will take place mainly on certain Saturday’s from 9:30am-12:30pm. It will focus on making the faith “practical” for them. Those with students in the ninth grade (or in high school ages who haven’t been confirmed) should also get a copy of the letter to parents of Confirmation students. A prerequisite for students in the 9th grade program is graduation from a Catholic school or participation in our 8th grade CCD program.

Please fill out the registration sheet that is attached and turn it into the sacristy before or after Mass, to the parish office by mail or by visiting between 9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday, or by giving it to me, Miss Jocelyn Trindade, your CCD coordinator. All registration sheets should be turned in by September 16th. The registration fee is $50 per child, which includes books and all other associated costs. If a family is in dire financial need, they are encouraged to approach me to request a fee reduction.

If your child was not baptized at St. Anthony’s, then you will need to obtain for us and include with the registration a copy of his or her baptismal certificate. (If you turned in such a certificate in a previous year of CCD here at the parish, then you do not need to do it again this year). If you are registering your child for the first time, you should begin filling out now the Gospel homework with your child each week, in preparation for CCD classes. These sheets can be obtained in the sacristy.

If you have any questions, you may see me after Mass on Sunday, email me (jocelyn@saintanthonynewbedford.com) or call me at the Parish Office. The catechists and I are all looking forward to working with you to help your child grow more and more as a disciple of Jesus this year!

In Christ,

Miss Jocelyn Trindade