
Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church
Religious Formation
REGISTRATION FOR OUR PARISH 2022-2023 SCHOOL OF RELIGION YEAR is NOW CLOSED. Did you miss the opportunity to register your children for our School of Religion? Please contact Angie at: olpdsor@olpresentationmd.org
You may also be interested in our Parent Handbook which has the school year calendar w/ important dates like sacramental lectures, 8th grade retreat, school-wide Confession and in-session days.
SCHOOL-YEAR RESOURCES:
OLP Catholic Books' Award Book List
Loyola Press Sunday Connection
Welcome to our parish Religious Formation page. Our Lady of the Presentation offers two main ways for parish families to receive faith instruction for their children. Parents can choose to send their children to our parish School of Religion (SOR) or to our regional Catholic elementary school, Mary of Nazareth. Both offer programs for children in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade.
SCHOOL OF RELIGION: Our Lady of the Presentation parish offers a K-8 School of Religion program which focuses on bringing students into an encounter with Christ through education and application in the classroom. This ministry prepares children for receiving the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation as part of a two year program (Please see the sacramental headings above for more info on this two year program requirement.). We are blessed with over 70 children enrolled in our program every year.
VOLUNTEERING: Please consider joining our dedicated volunteer catechists and their assistants by sharing your time and your faith joyfully. If you have a Montessori background and are interested in volunteering as a teacher or assistant in our CGS Montessori classroom environment, please contact the director at: olpdsor@olpresentationmd.org. You can also submit your contact info on the main page of our parish website by scrolling to the bottom right-hand side. Thank you!
CURRICULA: Over the past few years, our Parish has sought to develop a teaching environment in the rectory called an Atrium which is suitable for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) courses. For our School of Religion (SOR), we now offer a hybrid of 'traditional' Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes in elementary school classrooms and CGS classes in the new atrium. The classes are split depending on grade. Grades K-2 are CGS classes, and the other classes are traditional CCD classes. See more information about our programs below.
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LOYOLA PRESS is our main curriculum for our 3rd -8th grade programs. For information, go to Christ Our Life to be taken directly to the Parent/Student section. There is an abundance of information, so please give yourself 20-30 minutes to become familiar with what is available.
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THE CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD method came about through the work of two Roman Catholic laywomen in Rome: Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi. They were inspired by the educational principles of Maria Montessori, also a Catholic. The program is specifically designed for children to experience and learn the life of Christ in the Church through Sacred Scripture, Prayer and Liturgy in a unique space called the Atrium. Children will work with three dimensional objects crafted to highlight parables, Christ's life, the Land of Israel, liturgical objects and more. Catechists certified in the program spend 90 hours on each level before reaching certification. You can learn more about CGS at: http://www.cgsusa.org. Click here to read what the National CGS recommends for atrium at home
OLP's GOOD SHEPHERD VIDEO LIBRARY: We have begun to record video lessons based on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd method. Initially begun to educate students and train teachers during the pandemic when it is sometimes hard to meet in person, all are encouraged to view them! Many find these mini-videos provide a good meditational beginning to prayer and are often used in retreat settings. Those titles highlighted in purple are actively linked to our parish YouTube page. Watch Our Lady of the Presentation's Video Library grow!
Some Suggestions for Watching These Videos (with your Children):
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Choose an uninterrupted 15-20 minutes;
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Set a peaceful ambience by lighting a candle, setting a Bible nearby, snuggling w/ your child on the couch;
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Remind your children this is an opportunity to encounter Christ Jesus, the very same Jesus they will meet on their First Holy Communion Day!
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All of these suggestions will help you to enter into the presentation w/ your child. Listen to their responses. We are always delighted to see how the Holy Spirit works in and through all but especially children during these presentations!
ARTICLES OF THE MASS
BAPTISM
Baptism: Two Moments (Level I)
CELEBRATIONS
Empty Tomb
EUCHARISTIC GESTURES AND PRAYERS
Healing of Centurion's Servant
Synthesis of the Gesture of Peace and Breaking of the Bread
INFANCY NARRATIVES
LAND OF ISRAEL
Land of Israel: Mountains, Waterways and Deserts
MYSTERY OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Eucharistic Presence of the Good Shepherd
KINGDOM PARABLES
MAXIMS and MORAL PARABLES
(Part of First Reconciliation Sacramental Preparation)
Parable of the Forgiving Father
Parable of the Forgiving Father: Segway to the Rite of Reconciliation
Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Parable of the Insistent Friend
MESSIANIC PROPHECIES
Prophecy of the Star and the Scepter
PASCHAL MYSTERY
Mystery of Life and Death (Grain of Wheat)
RESURRECTION NARRATIVES
SACRAMENTS
THE HOLY BIBLE
The Bible in Different Languages
Youth Group
Our Lady of the Presentation combines with St. Mary's Catholic Church in Barnesville to form our high school youth group! Youth Group meets Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30pm at St. Mary's Pavilion in Barnesville. We provide dinner. Afterwards, there is a half hour of social time followed by a lesson/discussion. There are also service opportunities, and youth group outings throughout the year.
Contact our youth minister from OLP, Dee Jordan, at deejordan0520@gmail.com to join the email list!
