Religious Education
Sacred Heart Church Punahou
Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. ~ CCC 2226
Purpose
The teaching of the Catholic Church holds that parents are the primary and most important educators in the faith formation of their children. By enrolling your child in the Religious Education program at Sacred Heart Church Punahou, you are committing to accompany your child on their spiritual journey, helping them build a relationship with Jesus and His Church.
As primary educators of faith, parents should already be following church teachings at home. Our role is to support you as a Catholic parent and assist you in your commitment to raise your children in the traditions of the Catholic Church. Our program aims to supplement and enhance, not replace, the religious education you provide at home. Together, we form a partnership in fostering and developing your child's faith and relationship with God.
The expectations are as follows:
Weekly Instruction: We will provide weekly instruction in the faith, which you will reinforce at home.
Liturgical Opportunities: We will offer opportunities for your child to experience God in prayer, and you will support this by regularly bringing them to Saturday evening or Sunday Mass.
Parent Meetings: We will hold parent meetings, which you will make every effort to attend. Additionally, parent prayer services, retreats, and faith formation classes may be offered throughout the year.
Working together, we aim to strengthen your child's faith and spiritual growth.
Message from our Pastor
Aloha Parents and Students,
Welcome back to another year of Faith Formation! We are excited to continue learning and sharing with you the riches and traditions of our Catholic Faith. Above all, our focus and goals as a parish will be to give you tools to help you in your call to “Witness to Jesus.” and be a faithful steward of the gospel. This cannot be done alone and therefore it is all our responsibility to learn, teach, and apply what Christ teaches in his gospel.
I wish to thank our parish catechists who have dedicated their time, talent, and treasure to teaching the faith and most importantly showing us how to live the faith.
I cannot stress enough the important role that parents and guardians play in the faith formation and sacramental prep and catechesis for their children. There is an image of the family unit being the “Domestic Church,” meaning, that your homes are meant to be little churches where you pray, worship and study Godʻs holy Word. We hope that we can give you what you need so that your Domestic Church can become active and thrive in the faith of Christ.
“Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”
St. Francis of Assisi
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Father EJ Resinto
Pastor
Message from our Parochial Vicar
Director of Religious Education
Dear Parents and Students,
“Faith seeking understanding” (St. Anselm). If we do not understand, we cannot truly love. This saying highlights the vital role of knowledge as a foundation for fostering love, and this principle applies to many aspects of life, including the study of the Catechism.
Living out our faith and practicing it well is impossible if we do not understand God and the Church. One cannot love God without knowing Him. Conversely, we can say that without love, there is no desire to understand. It's a simple truth of life: when we love someone, we naturally want to learn more about them; when we are passionate about something, we pay attention and strive to understand it better. This illustrates the reciprocal relationship between knowledge and love, a dynamic we've all experienced in some way.
In today’s world, where various sects and heresies challenge the pure faith of the Church and attempt to draw Catholics away, a solid foundation in the Catechism is essential. Without it, how can we resist these temptations? And if we don't actively seek to understand the Catechism, how can we confidently proclaim our faith like the Apostle Paul, who said, "I know whom I have believed" (2 Timothy 1:12)? and we know "What do Catholics believe?" (Pope Saint Paul II).
The responsibility to learn the Catechism rests on all of us, including you and me. Catechism classes for the youth are available at our parish, Sacred Heart Church, Punahou, and they are waiting for you to sign up and deepen your understanding.
I warmly invite you to join the Catechism classes at our parish. Together, we can grow in our knowledge of the faith, increase our love for God, and better understand the One who has given us faith and salvation. Remember, salvation is free but it is not cheap, and we all want to be saved!
Mahalo,
Father Francis Hai Pham
Parochial Vicar, Director of Religious Education