In our Parish Vision Statement, we commit to the following areas of what it means to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ – Worship, Grow, Serve, Connect, and Give. This week highlights the Saint Joseph Religious Education Program, and specifically how it helps us to GROW as both a family of faith and as a parish community. The mission of the Saint Joseph Religious Education Program is to foster the spiritual development of our parish children. The program supplements families’ religious education by teaching the Catholic faith, preparing students to receive the Sacraments, and providing opportunities to develop a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ. As always, Saint Joseph Religious Education classes began the week following Labor Day and will continue through the first week of May. For this 2021-2022 academic year, we were blessed that ALL of these classes returned to an in-person learning environment. However, the format itself of the first through eighth grade classes is now different than it has been in previous years. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the Eucharist is “the source and summit” of the Christian life. Therefore, Mass itself is now a much bigger component of the Saint Joseph Religious Education Program than it has ever been before. As they prepare to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion for the first time, the second grade students are using the “BLESSED” Program from Dynamic Catholic. Additionally, the sixth grade students are working through the “ALPHA Youth” Program with the goal of developing a more personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Similarly, the seventh and eighth grade students are now both using the “CHOSEN” Program from Ascension Press as they prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation. Currently we have a total of 278 students enrolled in the Saint Joseph Religious Education Program. This includes: 18 in the “Sunday School” Program (two-year-old through kindergarten students) 242 in first through eighth grade (we offer two different sessions of each grade on Mondays) 18 in the high school class (offered on Wednesday evenings and open to ALL high school students) Our Coordinator of Religious Education is Mark Rebuck, and he has held this position for the past four years. Including an Administrative Assistant, Lindy Warner, the Saint Joseph Religious Education Program is also comprised of more than 30 volunteers who generously give of their time and effort. These catechists, aides, and helpers work diligently in order to provide the children of our parish with the best Catholic religious education that they possibly can. However, it is essential to remember that the first (and best) catechists of these boys and girls are their own parents and guardians. As always, the Saint Joseph Religious Education Program looks forward to working together with the families of our parish to build disciples for our Lord Jesus Christ through our shared Catholic Faith. For even more information on the Saint Joseph Religious Education Program, please visit the “Religious Education” section of the parish website – https://stjosephmech.org/religious-education.