Due to Covid-19, every aspect of Parish Ministry is being rethought.  This year for Religious Education is no exception.  Through consultation with catechists and our Pastor, we will be moving to a combination of at-home and in-person opportunities.  Our catechists will meet once a month to prepare Family Packets that can be picked up or arranged for porch drop-off on the First Sunday of the Month.  Family Packets will include materials for the Family as a whole to use and discuss their faith as well as individual materials that are age appropriate for each child.  

Our first Family Packet pick-up will be October 4.  Registrations are being collected and families can register at any time.  We will also be hosting monthly Zoom calls for parents, an in-person gathering related to the family materials, and on-going support as needed.  Our catechists are getting creative and thinking outside the box so that our young people and families are still being provided opportunities to grow in their faith.

Registration this year will be entirely online.  Please click here or choose the tab to the left to register your family to participate in our Family Packet Program.  Our fee this year is $25 and will be used to offset the cost of materials.  The fee can be dropped off at the Parish Office or put in an envelope marked "RE" and included with your Sunday offering.
 

In an effort to protect our young parishioners, we are required by the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana to have any volunteer who interacts with youth under the age of 18 to fulfill a safe environment pre-requesite.  Our diocesan program, called "Safe and Sacred" is an entirely online platform that allows the individual to complete it at one's own pace.  Once fulfilled, a background check will be submitted (and re-submitted every 3 years).  More information and the online training may be accessed here.  

Additionally, catechists are required to implement a program called "Circle of Grace." This program attempts to teach children about the sacredness of their bodies, relationships, and how to handle when that sacredness has been broken.  Catechists will equip young people with the knowledge and language of recognizing God's love of mind, body, and spirit while rooted in the faith.  More information on "Circle of Grace" may be found here.  

In our best effort  to serve and protect our young parishioners, we also recognize there are times that it may fail. In the event that an individual feels victimized or needs to report an incident, please contact Doris May, Victim Assistance Minister and Head of Pastoral Response Team.  This number is to be used to report concerns regarding abuse, sexual or otherwise, by Church personnel. This number provides pastoral outreach to victims/survivors of child sexual abuse. (765) 464-4988.  More information on reporting incidents can be found on our Diocesan website.