Religious Education (K-8)

Welcome to St. John Paul the Great Religious Education

Congratulations on your generous and loving decision to provide your child with Roman Catholic Religious Education at St. John Paul the Great! It is a great privilege and honor for us to be entrusted with assisting you as “Primary Educators—First Catechists” of the faith, to help bring your children into a deeper understanding and knowledge of the teachings of the Catholic Church. The Church has always spoken of the need for parishes assisting the parents as the primary educators of the faith. [See CCC 1656, Code of Canon Law 774 P 2 & 776 Familiaris Consortio 36, 39, 40 Gravissimum Educationis 3]

WELCOME to St. John Paul the Great Roman Catholic Parish's Religious Education and Faith Formation program for 2023-2024! We sincerely hope everyone had a wonderful and restful summer. We look forward to working with you and your kids, and we hope it will be a motivating and enlightening year for everyone. One of our objectives is to support the formation of solid Catholic families where children experience the blessings of following Jesus Christ and learn the tenets of our faith from their parents' example of living a Christian life.

We are happy to have you as a part of our program and promise to work closely with you and your child to support the spiritual development of the entire domestic family.

First Day of Class

Grades K-8th

Classes for the 2023 Faith Formation year will begin in early November for grades K-8th from 8:30-9:45am at St. John Paul the Great Academy (formerly known as St. Peter/St. Francis School), 360 Prospect St. Torrington, CT 06790. We meet weekly, followed by Family Mass at St. Francis Church at 10:00am.

Confirmation

Our Confirmation preparation is for students in Grades 9-12. Contact Lina Calabrese, Director of Faith Formation, at 860-485-3126 or youthministersjp@gmail.com, if you have any questions on registrations, class information, or Confirmation requirements. Visit our Confirmation webpage for additional information Confirmation Program (High School).

Important Sacrament Preparation Dates

First Holy Communion

DateTimePlaceEvent
Sat, Apr 6

9:00-11:00amSt. Peter HallFirst Communion Retreat
Thu, May 2
6:00-7:30pmSt. Peter ChurchFirst Holy Communion Rehearsal *Child ONLY
Fri, May 36:00-7:30pmSt. Peter ChurchFirst Holy Communion Rehearsal *Child & Adult
Sat, May 4 10:00am St. Peter Church First Holy Communion Mass
Sun, May 5 10:00am St. Francis Church First Holy Communion Mass for non-traditional 2nd grade students

First Reconciliation

DateTimePlaceEvent
Fri, Apr 26

6:00-7:30pmSt. Francis ChurchFirst Reconciliation Retreat *Parents to accompany child
Sat, Apr 279:30-11:30amSt. Francis ChurchFirst Reconciliation