Religious Education   |   Baptism   |   Marriage   |   First Holy Communion   |   Confirmation

Religious Education

A complete program of religious education is offered at St. John’s each Sunday morning during the school year for children in the first grade through young adults in the ninth grade, preparing for Confirmation. A minimal fee of $50.00 per child is requested to pay for books and supplies. All classes are offered on Sundays beginning at 8:30 AM and ending by 9:45 AM, in time for the 10:00 AM Family Mass. Please register your child during the summer prior to the opening of the school year in September. For more information, please call the rectory and speak with Mrs. Kristen Cassidy, our Directress of Religious Education, at (203) 324-1553, ext. 10, or email her at kismith11@yahoo.com

Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism is the sacrament that washes us free from Adam’s Original Sin, and by which we become the adopted sons and daughters of God and members of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. Parents who wish to baptize their child at St. John’s must be registered members of this parish. Godparents, or sponsors, must be Catholics who have received their Confirmation, and who practice their faith at least by regular attendance at Sunday Mass in their respective parishes. Those who are ineligible to serve as Godparents include: Catholics who are divorced and remarried outside the Catholic Church; Catholics who have left the Church or joined another religious community; Catholics who do not regularly at least attend Sunday Mass. Godparents must obtain from their parish priest a Sponsor’s Certificate, that attests to their regular practice of the Catholic faith. Baptisms are celebrated individually at a time and date mutually convenient for the priest and parents. Please call the rectory and speak with the parish secretary to register for Baptism and to schedule a mandatory pre-Baptismal meeting with one of our priests.

Marriage
Our Lord established Marriage as a sacrament, by which human love is raised to the high purpose of being a vehicle for the salvation of the married couple. By imitating Our Lord’s charity for us: a man and woman "lay down their lives for their friend", for the happiness of the beloved spouse here on earth and in eternity. Romantic human love is perfected to Christian charity, whereby the husband and wife set aside their self-interest for the betterment and happiness of the other. Not all couples should be married, as is witnessed by the high divorce rate in our country. To assist in the preparation for marriage, St. John’s requires that the couple meet with one of the parish priests monthly for at least six months prior to the hoped for wedding. Either the bride or groom must be a registered member of St. John’s in order to be married here. The high number of weddings celebrated annually at St. John’s precludes the acceptance of couples from outside the parish. Sunday weddings are not permitted.

Couples wishing to marry must meet the following criteria: either the bride or groom must be a baptized Catholic and a registered parishioner at St. John's. Neither can have been married before unless a Church annulment has already been obtained. If both parties are Catholic, they must be willing to actively practice their Catholic faith, at least by regular attendance at Sunday Mass. Couples living together before marriage should seriously consider separating during the six-month preparation period.

Please call the rectory and speak with one of the priests for further information or to begin the preparation for your wedding.

First Holy Communion
First Holy Communion for children is part of the Religious Education Program described above. A complete program of religious education is offered at St. John’s each Sunday morning during the school year for children preparing for their First Holy Communion. A minimal fee of $50.00 per child is requested to pay for books and supplies. All classes are offered on Sundays, September through May, beginning at 8:30 AM and ending by 9:45 AM, in time for the 10:00 AM Family Mass. Please register your child during the summer prior to the opening of the school year in September. For more information, please call the rectory and speak with Mrs. Kristen Cassidy, our Directress of Religious Education, at (203) 324-1553, ext. 14, or email her at kismith11@yahoo.com

For Adults who have not yet made their First Communion, please call one of our priests for private instruction.