St. Mary Catholic Church

Director of Religious Education

Dear Reader,

St. Paul once said "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things." (Ephesians 3:8)

The very core of a Religious Education program at any parish is to help children seek out the mystery of Christ, the central message of the Christian Gospel. All doctrines, all teachings, all homilies and messages come back to, at its very center, Jesus Christ, who died so that we may live.

I became a Catholic because the fullness of this mystery is not found in any other place than the Church that Jesus founded some 2,000 years ago. I became a Catechist because of my love for passing this mystery on to others. A religious education program is important because it helps impart the mysteries of the faith to a new generation and if it is successful the children who pass through the program will not only be rooted in the teachings of the faith, but will have grown through the sacraments to a deep relationship with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In the Catholic Church the religious education of children remains the primary responsibility of parents, however a religious education program can help parents in this task. This year at St. Mary Catholic Church we have over 210 students and 21 catechists. If you are a member of our parish it is important your children be registered and attend classes in our religious education program (or register for homeschooling) unless they attend St. Mary School in preparation for the sacraments.

Our office is here to help you in any way we can. Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments.

In Christ,

Adam Janke
Director of Religious Education