Religious Education Program

Faith is a gift that we must care for and nourish at all times

Volunteers are needed throughout the year. Interested in volunteering? Please call the Parish Office.

RCIA/OCIA:

Please check out our RCIA / OCIA page: Becoming Catholic - RCIA

If you would like information about the Roman Catholic faith, please visit the Diocesan website at https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/Becoming-Catholic/ or visit our webpage: https://sje1.org/faith-formation/opportunities-online-learning

Sacraments & Catechesis:

The Diocese now requires that Birth Certificates as well as Baptismal Certificates are on file with the Parish Office for ALL Sacraments. We ask that these forms are turned in to the Parish Office by December 31st to ensure that all Sacraments are recorded correctly and in a timely manner. The Religious Ed Office is expecting to process approximately over 250 Sacraments this school year alone. Your help in this manner will greatly help all of us in the Parish Office. Thank you!

Reminder: there is a minimum of 2 years or 3 years for children's Sacramental prep - depending on previous catechesis and knowledge of the Faith. Please do not skip years - a building should be built on a strong foundation and so should Faith!

Which Faith building stone would one leave out: Our Lord, The Trinity, the Sacraments, Prayers, the Ten Commandments, the Bible/Sacred Scripture, the Eucharist, the Mass, the Beatitudes, Our Holy Mother and the Rosary, the Creed, the Apostles, Redemption, Mercy, Grace, and so much more. Faith is only as strong as it is built!

Religious Ed Registration:

Religious Ed Registrations for 2024-2025 School Year began at the end of April.

For those Homeschooling in all subjects: We won’t know who you are or be aware of your intentions for your children receiving Sacraments if you do not register with the Religious Ed Office each year. No Sacramental packets will be mailed to you if you do not register.
In-person Religious Ed classes will begin Sunday, August 18th and Monday, August 19th.
Register by Friday, August 9th to ensure your child is assigned to a class for the first day of classes.
The Religious Ed Office will be unavailable the following week to prepare for our first week of classes.
There will be a Parent Meeting held the first week of classes starting 15 minutes after the beginning of each Session.
These classes for grades K thru 8 are held in 3 sessions:
- Session A: Sunday mornings 9:15am to 10:30am
- Session B: Sunday mornings 11am to 12:15pm
- Session C: Monday late afternoons 5pm to 6:15pm
Volunteers needed. We also have some openings for catechists, co-catechists, classroom aides, and substitutes for the upcoming year. Please prayerfully consider helping us share our Catholic faith with our parish children. If you are interested, please email Sherin Murphy at [email protected]
To Register, please download the following appropriate registration form, complete it and return it to the Religious Ed Office:
- 2024-2025 RE Registration Form - Classes - Please note that early discount fees no longer apply
- 2024-2025 RE Registration Form - Homeschool

New Cell Phone Policy - updated 9/6/2023

Inclement Weather and Cancellations

In case of inclement weather, please check your emails, the parish website at www.sje1.org.For Monday evening sessions, the RE program will follow Fauquier County Schools’ After School Cancellations.

DRAFT of 2024-2025 Calendar for RE Classes:

Confirmation 2025:

Mark your calendars! We have a date for Confirmation: Wednesday, May 21, 2025, beginning at 7pm. Practice will be held the night before at 6pm, beginning in Mercy Hall and finish in the church.
REMINDER: Please make sure that a copy of your Baptismal Certificate is on file with the RE Office.
Please make sure a copy of your child's Birth Certificate is on file with the Parish Office for ALL Sacraments per Diocesan policy.
Need to remember when paperwork is due or need a form? Just look to the links on the left (coming soon)
The following are now past due:
- Confirmation Registrations (C1-C4),
- Parent Interview (C5),
- Baptismal Certificate,
- Birth Certificate,
- Spiritual Exercises:
  - Stations of the Cross (C6),
  - Eucharistic Adoration (C7),
- Service Hour Log Form (C8), and
- Service Hour Experience Journals for each type of Service (C9)
- Completed Novena to the Holy Spirit (C10)
- Family Rosary (C11)
- Saint Report (C12)
REMINDER Once again:
- Please make sure that a copy of your Baptismal Certificate is on file with the RE Office.
- Please make sure a copy of your child's Birth Certificate is on file with the Parish Office for ALL Sacraments per Diocesan policy.
The Spiritual Exercises Binder is located in the vestibule of the church for you to sign off the items when you have completed them.
Confirmation Packets for those seeking to begin the process to receive the Sacrament in the Spring of 2026 will be available in mid September for all 7th graders registered with RE and the school.

Have you picked a Saint yet? Has your Saint picked you?

Have you decided on a Sponsor yet? Please see the Guidelines below for choosing a Sponsor.
Don’t forget to Pray!

Need Help Picking a Sponsor?

What are Sponsors?

Sponsors are witnesses to the Catholic faith who will pledge support of those who are to be baptized into the faith or who are seeking full membership into the Church through the sacrament of Confirmation.

What do Sponsors do and what are the Guidelines for picking one?

The Sponsor is to see that the person confirmed in the faith of the Catholic Church acts as a true witness to Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations connected with this membership.

They must provide a Sponsor Certificate. They MUST be a practicing Catholic. The Sponsor should contact the Church where he/she is currently registered to request a Sponsor Certificate.

A parent may NOT be a sponsor.

Please note, a lapsed Catholic CANNOT serve as a Sponsor.

A Catholic married outside the church may NOT be a sponsor for Confirmation.

Again, a Sponsor MUST be a practicing Catholic, MUST be up-to-date on all his/her sacraments, MUST be at least 16 years of age, MUST attend Mass weekly, and if married, must be married in the Catholic Church.

Help shape the Church's Future

Do you want to do a good deed? Teach the young!
Do you want to perform a holy act? Teach the young!
Do you want to do a holy thing? Teach the young!
Truly, now and for the future, among holy things, this is the holiest. ~ Saint John Bosco

Serving as a classroom assistant or catechist is a wonderful opportunity to build up the Church by guiding children and young people on their faith-journey.

If you're interested in volunteering, with children in any capacity, you must first become fully compliant with the Diocese of Arlington through their Office of Protection of Children and Young People (OPCYP). Contact the Parish Office at 540 347-2922 for the OPCYP Liasion.

There are two parts involved with becoming compliant:

First, all must have a background check. Here are the links.
https://secure4.arlingtondiocese.org/OPCYP_Application/Volunteer_Home.aspx The first form is the CPS form. It will need to be copied back to back and notarized and returned to the Parish Office.
Second, all are required to attend a VIRTUS class which requires signing up ahead of time. Here is the link for the class: www.virtus.org Click on "First Time Registrant - Diocese of Arlington".

If you have any questions, please contact the Parish Office at 540 347-2922 for the OPCYP Liasion.

Thanks so much for volunteering at St. John's!

To volunteer as a classroom assistant or catechist, please email Sherin Murphy at [email protected]

Confirmation Packet

After registering with Religious Ed or St. John's school, the complete Confirmation packet is made available in September to the student who is preferrrably in the 7th grade. Confirmation Prep covers a minimum of two years and those Confirmed are typically in grades 8 through 12 depending on when they begin the process. The forms below are for those who have received the packet, but may have misplaced the needed form(s).