RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Use these links for information on the following:
Religious Education Class Schedule	Teen Catechetical Program Schedule	RCIA calendar & syllabus

THE PARISH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM:
WHO ARE WE?

PHILOSOPHY
Our Lady of the Snows Religious Education seeks to provide a program that fosters the spiritual development of each child. We try to deepen the awareness of God’s presence in the lives of the children so that they may respond to this presence in prayer and service to others. We accept God as the beginning and end of life, Christ the center of our life, and the gospel as the source guiding our lives through the Holy Spirit. Parents and teachers alike have a mandate from God to work together to provide the knowledge of our faith.

ENROLLMENT
The Religious Education Program enrolls approximately 300 Public School children in grades Pre-K through High School. We strive to have no more than 15 children in one class; therefore, depending on the registration we may have one, two or three classes on each grade level. There are 21 Pre-K through eighth grade classes that meet on Sunday mornings from 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM. Classes are in session from September through May. The Teen Catechetical Program meets twice a month from October through April on Wednesday evenings from 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM. Children with special needs who have difficulty functioning in a regular classroom are taught on a one-to-one basis on Sunday morning or Wednesday evening.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION STAFF & FACULTY
Mrs. Regina Moreno has been Director of Religious Education at Our Lady of the Snows for the past thirteen years and is also the Parish Pastoral Associate. She is a New York State certified teacher with a Master’s in Education from Queens College and a Master’s in Theology from St. John’s University. She is a member of the National Association of Parish Catechetical Directors, a Supervisor and Mentor for the Pastoral Institute, a Master Teacher for Diocesan Catechist Certification, a member of the Diaconate Candidacy Wives Committee, Director of the Baptism Preparation Program at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish along with her Deacon husband, Secretary for the School Board at Our Lady of Lourdes, a presenter in the Diocesan Pre-Cana Program, a VIRTUS facilitator for the “Protecting God’s Children” program and a Faculty Member for Liturgical Ministry Training in the Diocese of Brooklyn. Her responsibilities in the parish include: Religious Education, Liturgical Ministers, Safe Environment, Liturgy. Aside from the Director and the Secretary, Mrs. Esther Liberto, all who work in the Religious Education Center are volunteers. They are indeed a very special group of people who deserve our respect and admiration for giving of their time and talents to serve God and the children of this parish. Many have taken forty-hour Basic Certification courses. Some have even gone for Intermediate and Advanced Certification! Our Catechists have been teaching anywhere from 1-34 years. Their combined teaching experience amounts to more than 225 years! We are very grateful for their service, for without them there would be no religious education program. Twenty-three Catechists and ten substitute teachers serve the Parish Religious Education Program along with fifteen teens who serve as either classroom assistants or office help. Several ladies also help us out in the office and at special events. Parental involvement is encouraged.

INSTRUCTION
Pre-K through eighth grade uses a series by RCL/Benziger called “Faith First”. Second graders preparing for the Sacrament of First Eucharist receive an additional text from Sadlier called “We Believe and Celebrate: First Communion” and eighth graders preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation utilize an RCL text called “Confirmation”. The Teen Catechetical program uses weekly handouts from Liguori’s “Journey of Faith for Teens”. All of these materials have been approved by the Bishops of the United States and are in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Report Cards are distributed in January and May.

SACRAMENTS
All children are required to have a minimum of two years of instruction before they can receive the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation. All Sacramental celebrations at Our Lady of the Snows incorporate both the school children and the children from the Religious Education Program. The Sacrament of First Penance is celebrated on a Saturday in January at either 11am or 1pm. First Communion is celebrated during the 12:30pm Sunday Mass on either the last Sunday in April or on the first two Sundays in May. The Sacrament of Confirmation is administered by the Diocesan Bishop in May of the eighth grade after two years of preparation that includes monthly Homily Reports and community service. Most of our Confirmation candidates fulfill their service by volunteering at Parker Jewish Institute for Healthcare & Rehabilitation in New Hyde Park. Students in grades three through eight have the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation with their class two times per year.

FAMILY LITURGIES
In a special way, parents and guardians serve as the primary educators and witnesses to their children of the Catholic faith. In an effort to assist parents in this most important task we have established family-centered Masses that provide prayerful and liturgical experiences for our second graders and their parents as they prepare to receive the Sacraments of First Penance and First Eucharist. These “Proximate Preparation Masses” are mandatory for second graders and their parents and are held at the 9:30am Mass once a month between October and December and again from February to March for a total of five Masses. As a further means of bringing families together and building Christian community among our families we hold “Children’s Liturgy of the Word” Masses on the first Sunday of the month from September - December and again from February - May. These Masses help the children to experience the Word of God in an enjoyable and meaningful way on their own level.

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA)
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or RCIA is a journey of faith that welcomes adults into our faith community. Those who have never been baptized, those baptized in another Christian religion, or those baptized Catholic, but who need the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation are welcome. The journey typically lasts about two years. The group utilizes “Journey of Faith” handouts that cover belief and practice, sacraments, prayer, liturgy and Catholic lifestyle in conjunction with The Word Into Life which is a guide for group reflection on the Sunday Scriptures. Classes meet once a week. The “team” consists of Catechists and Parish Pastoral Staff. Parish appointed Sponsors journey with the candidates.

ADULT CONFIRMATION
For those adults who have been baptized Catholic and have already received their First Holy Communion, but for one reason or another were never Confirmed we offer a program sponsored by the parishes of our cluster that will prepare you to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Any questions or concerns? Care to volunteer?
Please call us at (718) 347-3511
Email: rel.ed@olsnows.org

Mrs. Regina Moreno, MS, MA
Pastoral Associate and Director of Religious Education

Esther Liberto
Secretary

The following information is available online: