St. James PSR Curriculum

The curriculum of all PSR programs centers on God's good news revealed in Jesus Christ through Sacred Scriptures and Tradition, Catholic doctrine and morality, the Church's Liturgy, and the community and lived experiences of the faithful. The Catholic Christian message is presented faithfully and in its entirety, while adapted to the capacity of the learners. The religious education curriculum respects the hierarchy and interrelationship of truths, as guided by the Magisterium.

Through religious education, the Church seeks to enable persons to hear the message of hope contained in the Gospel and to base their love and service of God and neighbor upon this message. Catechists provide appropriate affective and cognitive learning situations to help learners experience their Catholic heritage and grown in faith. Through the witness and teaching of priests, administrators, catechists, family, and the entire parish community, all can come to discover what it means to live a life of prayer, community, and service reflective of the gospel message.

We, as a Parish have reflected the Church's evangelizing mission and its own local situation, and adopted the religious goals for the various ages and need of our students.

Curriculum planning is an ongoing process of developing, implementing, evaluation, and redesigning the priorities for what learners should know, be able to do, and value as a result of the religious education program and as appropriate for various age levels, using the Archdiocesan Religion Curriculum Standards as a benchmark.

1. To make known the person of Christ and His message of salvation, including the mysteries of the Trinity - God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the Catholic Church; the sacraments; worship and prayer; Sacred Scripture; the life of grace, the moral life; evangelization and building the Kingdom of God, Mary and the saints; death, judgment, and eternity.

2. To create a Christian environment that will assist children and youth in understanding and experiencing the Church as faith community, so that they will grow in their personal relationship and intimacy with Jesus; be knowledgeable of their faith, and integrate these beliefs and traditions into their personal lives to bring forth the Kingdom of God in the world.

3. To prepare young people for full and active participation in the liturgy and to develop in them an appreciation for individual and communal prayer.

4. To contribute to the young person's formation of conscience, both personal and social, in light of the moral teachings of the Church.

5. To instill in children and youth a sense of mission evangelization, and a concern for others that lead to Christians service and Christian action for justice.

6. To foster a sense of vocation in young people, eager to live out their baptismal commitment according to their calling.

7. To encourage and complement parents who bear the primary responsibility for the religious education of their children.

8. To insist the children understand the importance of attending Mass on Sunday.