Office of Lifelong Faith Formation
3980 Main Street
Amherst, NY 14226
836-6444
msmith@saintbenedicts.com
Dear Parents,
If you have not done so already, please take moment to register for Religious Education at St. Benedict’s parish for the 2013-2014 academic year. Enclosed, please find materials that you need to register your child, or children. Please return the forms and the tuition as soon as possible so we can arrange class lists and obtain the proper number of textbooks and teachers.
We offer two styles of Religious Education on two different days;
one centers on the family, the other in the classroom.
SUNDAY CLASSES – Generations of Faith
All people of all grades and ages are welcome to join
our intergenerational faith sharing program.
Generations of Faith is a wonderful program to strengthen faith in your home, as well as within our larger family of faith, the church! Children and parents gather on nine Sundays throughout the year. Each meeting is three and half hours long, from 9:00 AM – 12:30 AM, which includes a delicious breakfast, prayer, lively discussion and mass! Parents are the first and often the most influential teachers of the faith.
We will meet: September 22, October 20, November 17, December 15,
January 12, February 9, March 16, April 6, May 4
MONDAY CLASSES - Traditional Classroom Instruction
Grades 1-5 meet from 4:00 - 5:15 PM
Grades 6, 7, 8 & 11 meet from 6:45-8:00 PM
(Note: Grades 9 & 10 now meet at St. Leo’s for Confirmation preparation, see
http://www.
We will meet: September: 23, 30 October: 7, 21, 28 November: 4, 25 December 2, 9, 16 January: 6, 13, 27 February: 3, 10, 24 March: 3, 10, 17, 31 April: 7, 28 May: 5, 12
In summary, one engages the whole family in sharing our faith and meets on Sundays, the other program is traditional classroom instruction and meets on Mondays. Sunday gatherings are longer (and include more homework) but only meet once a month. Monday classes are shorter and meet most every Monday during the school year. Families are invited to choose which program they like best.
Transportation: Please note parents will need to arrange for their child's transportation both to and from all classes. To ensure student safety, we request that parents walk their children into the school building and come into the building to pick their children up, especially of students in grades K-5.
Tuition: For St. Benedict’s Parishioners, the tuition for one child is $60, two children $100, three or more is $140. For non-parishioners, the tuition for one child is $80, two children is $140, three or more is $190.
No one will be turned away from the program if they can’t afford the tuition. Tuition is waived for the children of teachers in our program.
Snow: If the Public School is closed due to snow or bad weather, we automatically do not have class.
Sacraments: Information about the Sacramental Programs will go out in another mailing, but for now please note that First Confession for children in 2nd Grade will be held in early March, and First Communion for children in 3rd Grade in early May, and Confirmation in the 10th& 11th Grade will be held sometime in early May).
Office Hours: Please feel free to stop by the Office of Faith Formation before or after all masses on the weekend, or set up a meeting any other day by appointment. The Office is located on the ground floor of the School near the front door, as indicated at the top of this letter, or you may email Matt Smith, the Director of the Office of Lifelong Faith Formation, at msmith@saintbenedicts.com and/or call 836-6444.
Matthew R. Smith
Director of Lifelong Faith Formation
Office of Faith Formation
3980 Main Street
Amherst, NY 14226
(716) 836-6444
msmith@saintbenedicts.com
Saint Benedict
Roman Catholic Church
www.saintbenedicts.com