Religious Education Registration

Welcome to the Religious Education program at St. Mary’s!

Registration for children’s catechism classes for the 2026-2027 session begins on Thursday, June 18th, 2026.

Classes will begin on Thursday, August 13th, 2026.

Catechesis will take place on Thursday evenings, from 5:30-7:00pm. The side doors of the Parish center will be open at 5:15pm.

We offer a variety of programs to fit our community's needs (all ages are as of December 1st, 2026):

Children's catechism classes for ages 6-14
Sacramental preparation for children ages 7+
Children’s service program for Confirmed children ages 9-12

Children’s Religious Education Programs

Our children’s Religious Education Program is a 3-year program. Children who are 6 years old (as of December 1st, 2026) will be placed in the Kindergarten class. Children who are age 7 or older who have never attended catechism classes will begin in the RE Class 1. These are foundational classes and do not include any sacrament preparation. Children with a verifiable catechism history will be placed in RE Class 2 or RE Class 3, depending on their age and previous catechism level. Class 2 includes sacrament preparation for First Reconciliation. Class 3 includes sacrament preparation for Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

Important information about sacraments, based on children’s ages:
No sacraments, aside from Baptism, are received by children younger than age 7. The Church recognizes age 7 as the “age of reason,” when a child can reliably discern right from wrong. First Reconciliation is not received by children younger than 7 years old. There are also no certificates given for First Reconciliation.

Confirmation and First Holy Communion are received by children who are 8 or 9 years old, and who have completed 2 previous years of catechism (three years total). Due to our Diocese’s observance of Restored Order, both of these sacraments are received in the same Mass.

Class Offerings:
RE Kindergarten Class - Foundational class for children who are 6 years old (as of December 1st, 2026). This class DOES NOT include any sacrament preparation.
RE Class 1 - Foundational class for children ages 7 and up who have never attended catechism. This class DOES NOT include any sacrament preparation.
RE Class 2 - Class for children ages 7 and up who have previously attended RE Kindergarten Class or RE Class 1 (or catechism classes at another parish), but who have not received their First Reconciliation, Confirmation, or First Holy Communion (previous attendance must be verified by parish office). This class includes sacrament preparation for children’s First Reconciliation, which will be received in the duration of this class.*
RE Class 3 - Class for children ages 8 and up who have previously completed RE Class 1 or RE Kindergarten Class and RE Class 2, and have received their First Reconciliation. This class includes sacrament preparation for children’s Confirmation and First Holy Communion. Due to our Diocese's observance of Restored Order, Confirmation and First Holy Communion are received together in Spring during this session year.*

*Sacrament preparation requires that children have basic reading and writing abilities.

To see more details about our available programs, please visit the Formation tab on our website.

Registration Information

Registration for this year’s Religious Education program will take place during three in-person events:

Registrations will only be accepted at one of these three events.

Thursday, June 18th, from 5:30-7:00pm

Friday, July 10th, from 3:00-6:00pm

Saturday, July 25th, from 11:00am-1:00pm

Paper registration forms will be available at the registration events. A list of required documents can be found below.

No registrations will be accepted after 1:00pm on Saturday, July 25th.

Documents that will be required at the time of child’s registration

Please review the list below carefully. All required documents must be submitted at the time of registration.

Original documents will be immediately scanned/copied and returned. Copies will be maintained for our records.

Child’s birth certificate, if not baptized
Child’s Baptism certificate, if baptized
Certificates for any other sacraments that the child has received in the Catholic Church.
If your child has started their sacrament preparation at another parish, we will need a letter from that pastor to verify.
- Baptized children who have not attended any formal catechism classes in the last two years will be placed in the Kindergarten class or the R.E. 1 class, depending on age.

Payment:

Children’s Catechism Class Cost (total price for the year):
$60 for one child
$100 for two children
$120 for three or more children

Saints in the Making class (children who are already Confirmed) is:
$20 per child (total price for the year)

(These apply to the children's classes only. There is no cost to attend Youth Bible Study or Order of Christian Initiation for Adults and Teens.)

Online payment is preferred. To pay online, please visit the link below:
https://stmarykingman.flocknote.com/give/25644

Cash payments can be made at the Parish Center during normal business hours.

No family will be turned away for lack of funds. If you require financial assistance, please contact the Religious Education Coordinator (Crystal Palmer) at cpalmer@stmarykingman.com.

Anyone who would like to make an additional financial donation to the Religious Education program at St. Mary's may drop their donation off at the Parish Center during normal business hours or donate online at https://stmarykingman.flocknote.com/give/25644.

Sponsor Requirements (for children, teens, and adults)

Participants who will be receiving their Baptism or Confirmation during this year will need a sponsor who meets the following requirements:

The sponsor must be at least 16 years old, having received Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation, and if applicable, married in the Catholic Church.
In order to function as a role model and support the candidate, the sponsor must be a practicing Catholic, who fully participates in the sacramental life of the Church in living a full and active Catholic life.
The sponsor must be someone other than the mother or father of the candidate. Only one sponsor (godparent) is required, either male or female.
This information must be verified by the sponsor’s local pastor through a letter or email to the Religious Education Coordinator at St. Mary’s.

All sponsor information and documents must be received by the date set by the Religious Education Coordinator.

Special Needs Children

For children and families with special needs, please visit our Resources for Families and Individuals with Special Needs.

Here you will find curriculum options and other resources to help make the Catholic Faith accessible to everyone.