Religious Education

St. William of York Catholic Church
Office of Religious Education
3130 Jefferson Davis Highway
Stafford, Virginia 22554

Office Hours and Staff

Director of Religious Education -
Mr. James Benisek
Confirmation Coordinator - Mrs. Monika Felock
Administration - Mrs. Eileen Williamson
Email: reoffice@swoycc.org
Telephone: (540) 659-5705
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Dear Parents,

May the Lord give you His peace!

Welcome to St. William of York Religious Education Program. We are glad to be of assistance to you as you share our Catholic faith with your child(ren).

All Religious Education classes will be held on Sundays.
Classes will be held Sunday morning for grades K-6th, and on Sunday evenings for all Confirmation Preparation classes and Special Sacrament classes for high school students who need to receive First Penance and/or First Communion (7th-12th grades). Special Sacraments classes for students grades 3rd-6th who need to be prepared for First Penance and/or First Eucharist will be offered Sunday mornings.

Class Schedule

SESSION I

SUNDAY MORNING
8:45AM – 10:05AM
Grades K-6

SESSION II

SUNDAY MORNING
10:45AM-12:05PM
Grades K-6

SESSION III

SUNDAY EVENING
6:30PM-8:15PM
Confirmation Preparation Grades 7-12, SP. Sacr. III &IV

Reminders:

The classes Sunday morning have been scheduled in such a way as to allow the children to attend Mass with their families. The children’s participation in Religious Education classes does not fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation. It is suggested that those in the first session could attend Mass at 10:30, while the second session could attend the 12:15 Mass.
Please do not equate Mass attendance with class attendance. Learning about Jesus and being with Jesus in the Eucharistic Celebration is NOT the same. The Church reminds us that the Mass is “the source and summit” of all the Catholic Christian life. Let us communicate this to our children by our actions.
Please be prompt in dropping off before classes and picking up children at the end of the session. Keep us informed each time you are going to be late or if someone else is picking up your child(ren).
Parents must come into the building to pick up their children. This is important for the safety and security of all the children and it enables the parents and catechists to know one another. All school age children should be registered in the Religious Education program and attend classes as scheduled unless other arrangements have been made with the parents and DRE for their instruction and faith formation.

The students’ regular attendance is indispensable. Please do not take your child out for sports or other things that are not emergencies. When you do, it teaches that these things are more important than their religious formation. Try to schedule events around Religious Education classes and Mass on Sundays and holy days. Going to Confession regularly is also crucial to their faith formation.
When picking up your child(ren) early for emergencies, please stop in the R.E. Office to sign out.

If a student has missed one or more grades of Religious Education she/he will be placed in a class that will help them acquire the knowledge of their faith that they have missed. This may mean that they will be placed a grade behind their public school grade. The curriculum in each grade is important to create a foundation upon which to build their faith. Also, if they do not attend all grades, the reception of Confirmation may be delayed.

If a student has missed one or more grades of Religious Education she/he will be placed in a class that will help them acquire the knowledge of their faith that they have missed. This may mean that they will be placed a grade behind their public school grade. The curriculum in each grade is important to create a foundation upon which to build their faith. Also, if they do not attend all grades, the reception of Confirmation may be delayed.

Home study is an option for other students for serious reasons such as health needs. If you believe your child has such needs please present them to the DRE and everything possible will be done to assist in each situation.

Students in grades 6 and 7 will be given a Basic Faith test at the end of the year, which will help determine their readiness for Confirmation Preparation. The test consists of: the Apostles Creed, the seven sacraments, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, the theological and moral virtues, the seven capital sins, the Ten Commandments, the Two Great Commandments, the Mass and the liturgical year. They will also be tested for knowledge of basic Catholic prayers such as the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, and Act of Contrition.

The tuition for all grades (except kindergarten is $ 60.00) is $70.00 per child. This fee helps to defray the cost of the student-parent folders, textbooks, utilities, and other expenses incurred by the Religious Education program.
The sacramental fee is:

First Penance $22.50
First Eucharist $22.50
Confirmation I $17.50
Confirmation II $17.50

If any family is experiencing financial difficulties and is unable to pay the tuition promptly or in full, please contact the DRE. Tuition may be paid in installments if necessary. No child will ever be refused faith formation because of financial problems. Any information will be kept strictly confidential.

Please obtain the following supplies for each of your children in the Religious Education program:

A book bag in which R.E. books and supplies are regularly kept
Grades K-4: several sharpened pencils, crayons and a glue stick
Grades 5-6: several pens, colored pencils, crayons or markers
Sunday evening classes (gr.7-11): notebook and several pens

The main textbooks presently used in our program are the Ignatius Press Faith and Life Series. Each child is given a Student-Parent folder in which can be found a calendar and curriculum guide in case the child misses class. Please refer to this calendar throughout the year.

A note about emergency closings: We follow the Stafford County Public Schools calendar. Please listen to the local radio stations WBQB 101.5 or WFLS 93.3 for closings due to inclement weather.

Please remember that our catechists are giving of their time and talent to help strengthen the faith of your child(ren). Not all of them are professional teachers but they strive to give of themselves to carry on the mission of Christ in our parish.
If you have a concern or question regarding R.E. class you may speak with the catechist or call the Religious Education Office.
We are always looking for help in our Religious Education program. If you would like to share in Christ’s mission to preach the Gospel to our young people as a catechist, classroom assistant, hall monitor or the like, contact the Religious Education Office.
Thank you for your attention and support in these matters. Please feel free to stop in the Office or call with any questions or concerns.

God bless you,
The Religious Education Staff