Religious Education, Grades K to 5
Mission Statement
The mission of the catechetical program of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church of Honolulu, Hawaii is to help all participants and their families develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to live out their Roman Catholic faith in ways that draw others to Christ and the Church.
We seek to carry out this mission through catechesis, sacramental preparation, liturgy, and service.
Parish Catechetical Program Objectives
(Excerpts from the National Directory for Catechesis (NDC, 2005)
To present a comprehensive and systematic formation in the faith, that integrates knowledge of the faith with living the faith;
To center on initiation into the life of the Triune God;
To be appropriate to the age level, maturity, circumstances, language and ethnic background of each participant;
To involve all members of the parish community, particularly the parents;
To focus on the symbols, rituals, and prayers of the Church;
To enable the believers to live out their faith in their everyday life.
Guidelines and Requirements
Eligibilty
To enroll in the program, students and their families must registered parishioners of the St. Elizabeth Catholic Parish, and must be baptized according to the Rite of the Roman Catholic Church.
If student is not baptized, please contact the Parish Office to make arrangements for the child to receive the Sacrament.
If baptized in a another Christian denomination, a public profession of Faith is required in order to officially enroll the student as member of the Catholic Church.
A copy of the baptismal certificate (BC) is required to be registered. If baptized in the St. Elizabeth Catholic Parish, BC will not be required.
Registration Fees and Forms
Completion of the Student Registration Form is required for new or returning student.
Registration fee is $25.00 per child.
Non-registered parishioners will be assessed an additional $50.00.
No child will be turned away due to inability to pay the registration fee. If fee is beyond the family’s ability to pay, please make arrangements with the Pastor or the Director of Religious Education (DRE).
Contact Us
For more information, please contact --
Sister Meristella Umdor, MSMHC
Director of Religious Education
Youth Minister-C
Class Structure & Meeting Times
The St. Elizabeth Catholic Church provides religious education opportunity for children of all ages.
Primary & Intermediate Levels
Pre-Kindergarten / Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2 - Sacramental Preparation (see program description below)
Grades 3 to 5
Classes are held every Saturday
from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
IMPORTANT:
Kindly submit completed application forms and fees directly to Sister Meristella or to designated RE volunteers. Please DO NOT send completed forms and supporting documents via email.
What is Sacramental Preparation?
The seven Sacraments are instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ and are administered by the Church. These sacraments are (1) Baptism, (2) Confirmation, (3) Eucharist (Holy Communion), (4) Reconciliation (Confession), (5) Marriage, (6) Holy Orders (ordination to the priesthood or diaconate), and (7) Anointing of the Sick (formerly called Extreme Unction or the Last Rites).
It is important that a person must go through a period of preparation to ensure that he/she understands the meaning of the sacraments.
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
CCC 1212 The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity."3
Baptism
CCC 1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua),1 and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.”2
Attendance to the preparation sessions is a MUST for parents and godparents. These sessions are held every other month.
Penance & Reconciliation
CCC 1422-1424 It is called the Sacrament of Penance, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Sacrament of Forgiveness, the sacrament of Confession, and the Sacrament of Conversion.
CCC 1425-1426, 1484 Since the new life of grace received in Baptism does not abolish the weakness of human nature nor the inclination to sin (that is, concupiscence), Christ instituted this sacrament for the conversion of the baptized who have been separated from him by sin.
This Sacrament is for baptized children, and is received before their First holy Communion and Confirmation. Parents are highly encouraged to support their children to go to confession regularly, and to speak of God's love and mercy.
Holy Communion
The Holy Eucharist is the Source and Summit of the Christian Life.
CCC 1322-1323, 1409 The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory. Thus he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
Catechetical preparation is of paramount importance before receiving the Sacrament. Catechetical instructions are provided through the Religious Education Program, which the child must attend for one (1) year.
Confirmation
The particular gift of the Sacrament of Confirmation is the Gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not that we are without the Holy Spirit prior to Confirmation. In the Sacrament of Baptism, we become “temples of the Holy Spirit.” But in Confirmation, the Holy Spirit is given with a new fullness, especially to equip the Christian to carry on the work of Christ in the world. (Source: Cathedral Parish, https://www.isthmuscatholic.org/sacraments/confirmation/ )
In preparation for the reception of this Sacrament, child must be
Validly baptized Catholic;
Properly instructed or catechized;
Capable of renewing their Baptismal Vows.