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• Religious Education
• RCIA (click to go to RCIA)

Religious Education

St. Mary's Religious Education programs consist of two groups:
Grades 1 through 5     -and-     Grades 6, 7, and 8.

Classes for Grades 1 through 5 are held Sunday mornings from 9:00 - 10:15 am, using a lectionary curriculum, along with Catholic Identity.  We follow the school calendar.

Classes for Grades 6, 7, and 8 meet for two hours once a month, usually on a Sunday from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm and follow a youth ministry model incorporating education, spiritual, social and service components. We follow the school calendar.

The Sacramental Programs are also under the direction of the Religious Education Office.  We have restored the order of sacraments, so any child who presents themselves for First Eucharist will also receive their Confirmation.  This is usually in the 2nd grade. 

First Penance is celebrated at the 4th grade level, or sooner per parent request.

If a parent presents a child for Baptism at the age of 7 or above we offer the RCIC process.  This process is a weekly program that is lectionary based.  (Click the RCIA button to read more about this process.)

For all our programs, parents must be registered in our parish. All students who wish to participate in CYO programs must attend Religious Education or attend Catholic School.

We prepare and celebrate the Sacrament of Penance, Eucharist and Confirmation each school year under the direction of the Religious Education Office.  Sacraments are celebrated according to readiness of the student.  One of the criteria for readiness is that the child complete one year of Religious Education classes BEFORE preparation begins.

If you have any questions concerning our Religious Education program at St. Mary's feel free to contact the Religious Education Office at 734-5220.

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)

The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a carefully designed process for persons:

• Never baptized
• Baptized in another faith but interested in Catholicism
• Baptized Catholic but not presently involved in Church life
• Baptized Catholic but not confirmed or had little religious instruction

RCIA begins in September and will conclude with the welcoming of our new Catholic members at Easter Vigil.

If you or someone you know may be interested in learning more about the Catholic religion you may contact the rectory or David Biviano, RCIA coordinator at 733-5254 for information.

We also invite any children (first grade and up) who may wish to be received into the Catholic Church to inquire about the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC), which is offered here at St. Mary's.  Parents should contact Donna Bennett at 734-5220.

Youth Group - Grades 9 through 12

MISSION STATEMENT
To bring God's light to others through our words and our actions,
To encourage participation in Parish life and to display Christian behavior through community service.

Every High School student is welcome to join St. Mary's Youth Group - check us out! If you are interested in joining or would like to know more there are a few options for you. You can email Anne at Anne@GingerbreadNY.com , text Anne at 481-3452, or contact Burt at Burt@Beebe1.com or text him at 481-3787. Whatever works for you, works for us!

NEXT GATHERING: Summer cookout- Saturday, July 24th, 6-10 pm at the Mason's house. This is a gathering for current members and those interested in joining us in September. Contact Anne Beebe at 481-3452 or email Anne@GingerbreadNY.com for more details.

YOUTH GROUP IS NOW ON FACEBOOK...CLICK HERE!
You can view our entries without joining Facebook!

The Smile Train is chugging along strong. As of August 8, 2010 (Week 98):

$21,988.78 has been donated, THAT'S 87 SURGERIES!!

Our two-year church project chosen is...SMILE TRAIN, an organization that arranges cleft lip and palate surgeries for those in poor developed countries who could not afford the $250 for the surgery. Their mission also includes training doctors and medical professionals. Just like our last project all we ask from our parishioners is to drop change in the collection banks, which are wooden trains that were made by Steve Milford, and can be found at all the entrances. Imagine, your change and make a change in someone's smile! Our two-year goal is 100 surgeries, or $25,000. Please help us reach our goal by dropping your coins or bills into the Smile Trains before leaving church every Sunday.

This year Smile Train will operate on its 500,000th patient. Having trouble visualizing that?

• If they all held hands, they would form a human chain that would be longer than 400 MILES.
• If they all lived together in one city, they would comprise a city bigger than BOSTON.
• If they all stood on each other's shoulders, they would stand taller than 1650 EMPIRE STATE BUILDINGS.
• If they all sat in football stadiums, they would fill every stadium used for Super Bowls over the past 11 YEARS.

Can you imagine what life would be like if you could never smile? If you could never speak or eat properly? If you could never play with other children? If you could never go to school or hold a job?

This nightmare is what life is like for millions of children with cleft lip and cleft palate. From the day they are born until the day they die, children with clefts face incredible hardship and heartache. Other children tease and torment them. Society shuns them. And sometimes even their own families abandon them. but it doesn't have to be this way.

The good news is that every child suffering with a cleft can be helped. All it takes is a little surgery that lasts as little as 45 minutes and costs as little as $250. That is what Smile Train does.

Check out their website for more information regarding their organization. www.SmileTrain.org.