Guidance to Parents for Home Catechesis in Faith Development

The Rite of Baptism declares that parents are “the first educators of their children in the ways of faith; may they also be the best, bearing witness to their faith, in what they say and do.” In the Faith Development Department we hope to give parents support in this task.

The Diocese of Raleigh has published Faith Development Guidelines which govern both parish and home-based Faith Development. The Diocese also publishes specific Guidelines for Home Catechesis. These Guidelines say that children should follow a program of Liturgical Catechesis, in which the Sunday Scriptures are the basis of Faith Development. Children should be taught in accordance with their needs and styles of learning at different ages and stages of development. What they should learn falls into four categories:

• The Word of God, including Revelation, Scripture and Doctrine
• Worship, including the Mass, the Sacraments, Prayer, and the Liturgical year
• Christian Community, including Faith and Identity, Personal Growth, Relationships and the Church
• Discipleship, including Justice and Peace, Morality and Christian Lifestyles

The Diocese has guidelines for Faith Development for children of different ages, for what they need to know and understand, including vocabulary, prayer, liturgical gestures and symbols, and key Scripture passages. As children mature, they also need to experience Christian service and leadership, and develop discerning and critical attitudes towards the world in which they will take their places.

Here are the guidelines for different ages:

Pre-K to 2nd Grade
3rd to 5th Grade
6th to 8th Grade
9th to 12th Grade

The Diocese and St. Thomas More parish also have the following guidelines and expectations of Home Schooling parents:

• Register your children with the Home Catechesis program at St. Thomas More parish
• Pay the registration fees ($25 per family per year), which defray the cost of the children’s books
• Meet at least once a week with their children to engage in Catechesis
• Please follow the Elementary Faith Development calendar of weekly lessons and themes
• Follow the Raleigh Diocese Faith Development Guidelines, covering all topics in a balanced way within each period of a child’s stages of development (Primary, Intermediate, Junior Youth, Senior Youth)
• Follow the “Faith First Legacy” program for Elementary aged children, adding other materials as necessary
• Cooperate with the St. Thomas More Parish Faith Development staff, and participate in parent and family events
• Work closely with the parish when preparing children for the sacraments or Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation
• Participate in Catechist Formation opportunities, especially Into the Fields
• Communicate wishes, needs and concerns to the Director of Elementary Faith Development at the parish

The parish promises to support the parents by: 

• Recognizing and supporting their rights and prerogatives as the first educators of their children
• Communicating all necessary information about Faith Development programs
• Providing “Faith First – At Home Family Guide” to all parents and other materials as necessary
• Providing materials, support and Retreats for children preparing for the sacraments
• Providing catechist training opportunities for parents
• Inviting Home Catechesis families to parents meetings and family events within the parish

We hope and trust that your witness of faith to your children will be blessed by God, and will bear fruit in the faith and goodness of your children, as they are nourished by the Word of God, and the love and good example of their families and friends.

Jim Hynes
Director of Elementary and Adult Faith Formation
942-6237