**********************
You can contact
the Parish Office
via e-mail at
sjncc@bellsouth.net.
If you would like to comment
or make e-file submissions
for
the
website, you can e-mail
jps4x4@earthlink.net.
SJN staff and volunteers will
attempt to update this site as
often as possible. Please advise
us of any changes that may be
required. Thank you and God Bless.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Director — Connie Milligan
Faith Formation Secretary -- Sondra Skibbe
Program Assistant -- Bonita Bryson
Special Needs -- Sue Rebich
RCIA Director -- Donna Rayle
Confirmation Directory -- Donna Tarney
The Religious Education Office Hours are 9 am-3 pm, Monday - Friday).
Children’s “Liturgy of the Word” Team SJN Youth Group
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
(RCIA)
*** Protecting God's Children
for Adults (training & information) ***
Religious Education News
TIME CHANGE FOR 11 A.M. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SESSIONS — The time for the 11 a.m. Religious Education sessions has been changed to 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Sundays. The adjustment was made because the 10 a.m. Mass frequently is longer than an hour; thus, many students are in class for as little as 30 minutes. Hopefully, the extra 15 minutes will allow the full hour required for class time. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
WEDNESDAYS WITH DEACON JOHN — Would you like to grow in your faith and get to know fellow parishioners? Join Deacon John’s group for study and discussion about varied topics, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoons in Austin Hall. Baby sitting is available in the Nursery, in the Parish Hall.
CATECHIST ENRICHMENT DAY — The Southern Region of the Diocese of Charlotte will conduct an enrichment day for those who teach or assist in our programs and Bible Studies. The program is at 9 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 1) at St. Matthew Church. A number of workshops will be offered, including Hispanic workshops. All are welcome. The cost is $10, which includes Mass (celebrated by Bishop Jugis), a keynote address by Dr. Carol Eipers, workshops, refreshments and lunch. SJN Religious Education will sponsor current SJN teachers. Call (704) 535-4197 if you plan to attend.
Reconciliation/First Eucharist Required Parents’ Meeting -- There is a required meeting for PARENTS of students preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. This meeting is required by the Diocese of Charlotte and St. John Neumann Church. The meeting will be from 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16th, in the Parish Hall. Cathy Gilligan, an expert on sacraments and canon law, will present the theological update, and Connie will cover the Second-Grade calendar, requirements, expectations, etc.
SJN Youth Group Is Under Way The Youth Group of St. John Neumann has started its meetings on Sunday nights — at 7 p.m. in the Parish Hall. All rising ninth to 12th-graders are invited to attend. Come check out all the great things planned for you by our Teen Board. See Matt Tarney, Rebecca Reiher, Alexis Fisher, Tim Wagner or Leanne Wahl for details. Come on — we need you to make this our best year ever!
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES BEGAN this past Sunday— Classes for SJN Religious Education begin this weekend. Class placements were mailed earlier this month. Please contact the office with questions 704-535-4197.
CATECHIST ENRICHMENT DAY — The Southern Region of the Diocese of Charlotte will conduct an enrichment day for those who teach or assist in our programs and Bible Studies. The program is scheduled for Sat, Oct 1st at 9AM at St. Matthew Church near Ballantyne. A number of workshops will be offered, including Hispanic workshops. All are welcome. The cost is $10, which includes Mass (celebrated by Bishop Jugis), a keynote address by Dr. Carol Eipers, workshops, refreshments and lunch. SJN Religious Education will sponsor current SJN teachers. Call (704) 535-4197 if you plan to attend.
Reconciliation/First Eucharist Required Parents’ Meeting -- There is a required meeting for PARENTS of students preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. This meeting is required by the Diocese of Charlotte and St. John Neumann Church. The meeting will be from 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16th, in the Parish Hall. Cathy Gilligan, an expert on sacraments and canon law, will present the theological update, and Connie will cover the Second-Grade calendar, requirements, expectations, etc.
| Can You Identify the Book That These Reviews Describe?
Two books that I believe all Catholics should have are the Holy Bible and
this..... Reading this book will deepen your understanding of the relationship between the Church and Scriptures, and the “why’s” behind the “what’s” of how we practice our faith. It is a must-have book for all Catholic families, in order to better understand and fully embrace the Faith. It’s the faith that we practice, profess, and love. How can you not like it? It is a loving teaching document, brightly ringing with both clarity and enthusiasm for its subject, the Catholic Church. “A sure and certain standard for the teaching of the faith.” — Pope John Paul II Join us from 10 a.m.-noon Monday mornings, as we learn to apply the truths of our Faith to our daily lives, by studying and reflecting on a summary of “The Catechism of the Catholic Church.” Babysitting is provided. We will use “The Catechism Handbook” and accompanying workbook by Fr. Oscar Lukefahr, C.M. The cost is $5. You also will need “The Catechism of the Catholic Church” and a Catholic Bible, available at bookstores. Call Sandra, (704) 841-7562, to register and reserve a copy of the handbook and workbook. Or you can e-mail sstclair2@carolina.rr.com. |
SJN WELCOMES ALL OF GOD’S CHILDREN into our programs. Sue Rebich, a Special Needs professional and catechist, works with parents and children to incorporate persons with disabilities into Faith Formation programs best-suited to individual needs. Please call Sue, at (704) 545-0242, or the Religious Ed office, (704) 535-4197, to inquire about how to register your child.
NOTE: The Diocese of Charlotte and SJN require that sacramental students must attend religious education in a recognized Catholic institution (parish or Catholic school) for two years prior to the year of celebration of the Sacrament. This applies to the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. This means a student must attend Kindergarten and first grade before entering the SJN Second Grade, and a student must attend grades 6 and 7 before entering into the SJN Confirmation year. All SJN students (including Catholic school students) must attend ALL classes and related activities for both Eucharist (grade 2) and Confirmation (grade 8 and older).
Religious Education
: 3 & 4-Year-Old Co-Op Program Details
Classes for children ages 3 and 4 (by Oct. 16, 2005)
will be the “Co-Op” style for the coming school year. Parents will rotate
teaching responsibilities. There will be support, materials, and instructions
for the parents — to make this an EASY, fun thing to do with your children.
Classes will meet on Sundays during the 10 a.m. Mass. The Co-Op follows the same
schedule as the Religious Education schedule. Cost is $30 a child.
To register, contact Ann Henderson, at (704) 573-4767 or at
jhenderson61@carolina.rr.com, or get a registration form at the Religious
Education office. NOTE: Registration for 3– and 4-year-olds is separate from the
registration for other Religious Education classes.
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS are needed to help serve as hosts of the monthly SJN Junior Youth Social. If you can come one Saturday night a month and hang out with our 6th-8th graders, please call Irene Kilzer, (704) 545-4590. Parents also can help out.
ATTENTION, TEENS : If you, or someone you know, has not received the Sacrament of Confirmation, please read on … Here at St. john Neumann Church, we have a program for teens who wish to be confirmed in the Catholic faith. It is a two-year program designed to renew knowledge of Catholic traditions and practices and revive the spiritual journey of the participant. This class will meet from 7-8:15 p.m. on Sunday evenings, beginning in the fall. Please stop by the church office to pick up an enrollment form, or contact Donna Tarney for information, at (704) 535-4197.
“Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks your for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence … “ (1 Pet 3:15-16)
Here are two important policies regarding the St. John Neumann Religious
Education program:
Attendance at Classes
To assure quality faith
formation, the Diocese of Charlotte and St. John Neumann Church require that
students enrolled in non-sacramental years attend at least 80 percent of the
total number of classes offered. That means students in SJN Grades K, 1, 3, 4, 5
and 6 may have no more than four excused absences.
The requirement for
sacramental years (Grades 2, 7 and 8, and CIC) is 100 percent attendance, unless
a student is excused for illness, family emergency or unusual circumstances.
Excessive absences in sacramental years will
necessitate the student having to wait until the following religious education
year to re-enter the process. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Drop-Off, Pick-Up
For students from
Preschool-Grade 6 (and RCIC and Special Needs): A parent (not a sibling) must
bring his/her child to the classroom and sign the student in. A parent must come
to the classroom to sign the student out. If a parent needs a sibling or another
parent for drop-off or pick-up, the parent must submit in writing a request to
do so — and that person must sign the student in and out. The teacher keeps the
written request. No child can be dropped off or picked up without a signature.
For Pre-Confirmation and
Confirmation:
Pick-up is “carpool” style, at the front doors of the Church.
Teachers will escort classes to the front doors. Students may
NOT walk to a
parked car. Parents may come inside the building to get the child. To release
students to anyone other than a parent (in carpools), the name(s) must be
submitted by the parent in writing to the teacher.
"Protecting
God’s Children"
The Diocese of Charlotte requires all volunteers 18 years and
older who work with children, teens and/or the elderly to attend “Protecting
God’s Children,” a workshop on prevention of sexual abuse. This includes all
Vacation Bible School volunteers, coaches, scout leaders who meet in a church
setting, catechists (teachers), assistant catechists, and office volunteers,
nursery wo0rkers, Co-Op parents, and those who visit the hospital.
For more information, please contact Terri at the Human Resources Office of the Diocese of Charlotte, (704) 370-3338. Due to the sensitivity of the subject, children should NOT attend, and there is NO child care provided. If you have not attended a workshop, please do so, as soon as possible. The workshop is excellent for anyone who works with children and teens, or is a parent. Advance registration is required.
You can register in any of three ways:
>> Contact the host parish.
>> Register online at
www.virtus.org and click “Registration”.
>> Contact the Diocese of Charlotte’s Human
Resource Dept at (704) 370-3338, or
visit the diocesan Website
www.charlottediocese.org.
Those available in the Charlotte area are:
Sept. 28 — St. Mark Church,
Stumptown Road, Huntersville 7-10 p.m.
Nov. 2 — St. Luke Church, Lawyers Road, Mint Hill; 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Jan. 21 — St. Mark Church; 9 a.m.-noon.
>> For
follow-up informational 'training' bulletins on relevant topics of abuse
and discrimination, instructions can be found in this attached
document after Diocesan approval. Prior seminar participants can
sign-up at
www.virtusonline.org.
|
IMPORTANT SAFETY REGULATIONS NOTE FOR PARENTS Safety is a major concern for everyone, including the St. John Neumann
community. The SJN Religious Education
department has the following policy outlined
for child safety: |