The Religious Education program at St. Michael Parish offers all children a strong background in their Catholic faith and works to augment what parents teach at home and when they bring their children to Mass. Though parents are the primary catechists for their children, St. Michael's Religious Education staff and volunteers strive to support our families in creating a strong, faith-based foundation on which our children can fall back as they grow and face life's joys and challenges.

All classes meet on Sundays, as follows.

Grades 1-5 meet weekly. Parents have a choice between

• Session I from 8:45 - 9:45 am or Session II from 11:15 am - 12:15 pm

• Session II from 11:15 am - 12:15 pm or Session III from 5 - 6 pm.

The online Registration Form can be found here. Please note that additional, grade-specific information including certain events is available by selecting your child's grade on the left sidebar.   



The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, so we do encourage all families to keep Holy the Sabbath, and attend Mass each weekend as a family, either at one of our three services (4 pm Saturday or Sunday morning at 7:30 or 10), or at a service at another nearby parish. There are many local Mass times to choose from to accommodate your busy schedule.

The St. Michael Parish Religious Ed program is designed to build upon what the child has learned each year, thereby giving them a solid foundation of their Catholic faith. Our goal is to prepare them for the Sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Confirmation. If your ultimate goal is to ensure that your child participates in the Sacraments, they MUST be enrolled at each grade level. If time constraints or schedule create a conflict, please feel free to contact the Religious Ed office to discuss home-schooling so that all material is covered.

Grade 3, 4 and 5

Grades K, 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 use Sadlier's "We Believe" program.

Grade 2 - SACRAMENT YEAR

Please note that the First Communion Sacramental program is a TWO-year program, in which Grade 1 lays the groundwork for the important second grade preparation year for the great sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Please be sure to enroll your 1st grade student in our Religious Ed program if you wish them to make their First Holy Communion in the spring of Grade 2.

Children in Grade 2 will continue to prepare for their First Penance (the Sacrament of Reconciliation) and their First Holy Communion. They will learn how the Holy Spirit helps us to make good decisions but when we make mistakes, God's mercy is endless, and we can start with a clean slate and extra strength through the Sacrament of Reconciliation! They will learn that we receive Jesus through the Eucharist, our spiritual nourishment!

Two mandatory retreats — one covering Reconciliation and one covering the Eucharist — are held at the Parish Hall during the child's Grade 2 year. They will also be our very special guests at the May Procession and the Crowning of Mary, held on Mother's Day weekend. It gives them an additional opportunity to wear their beautiful First Communion outfits after their big day.

If your child was not baptized at Saint Michael Parish, please furnish us with a copy of his or her baptismal certificate by October 1 of their Grade 2 year. Ideally, copies of Baptismal Certificates are provided upon enrollment.

Grade 6

Grade 7, 8, 9 - CONFIRMATION PREPARATION

CONFIRMATION PROGRAM DETAILS

The Archdiocese of Boston has mandated that the 2-year Confirmation Preparation Program be transitioned from 8th and 9th grades to 7th and 8th grades. 

To make this transition, we will have both 7th and 8th grade classes taking Confirmation 1 this year and the 9th grade class taking Confirmation 2. The 9th grade class will be using Pflaum program, which they used for Confirmation 1 last year. The new program that we will be using for Confirmation 1 this year and Confirmation 2 next year will  be the Sadlier programs as described below.

We will be using the Sadlier, One Faith, One God, Junior High program for Confirmation 1.

The current 7th and 8th grade classes will be taking the same program Sadlier, One Faith, One God, Junior High program (2024-2025, Confirmation 1) and for the second year (2025-2026), they will take the Sadlier, Confirmation Preparation program, Junior High program (2025-2026, Confirmation 2) and receive their Confirmation in September of 2026.

"Finding God" Program for Children with Different Learning Abilities

St. Michael Parish offers a wonderful program for the children of our parish community who have special needs. Loyola Press's "Finding God" makes use of beautifully designed instructional tools and colorful hands-on materials to help the children understand the tenets of our faith.