Religion Kindergarten

Required Textbooks:

• Who Am I? Kindergarten Student Book (Image of God Series)
• Who Am I? Kindergarten Student Workbook A
• Who Am I? Kindergarten Student Workbook B

The Who Am I? series stresses the dignity of each individual as a person made in the image of God.  The material in each lesson revolves around fundamentals of our Faith stated in terms young children can understand and remember.  Activity worksheets can be used after the lesson to aid the child’s retention of the story and to help the child relate all the beauty of these truths to his daily life.

In this course, students will study religion using the kindergarten text Who Am I? to explore the great gift of being a person created in God’s image and likeness.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 1st Grade

Required Textbook: Faith and Life Online Grade 1 – Our Heavenly Father

In this course, the students are introduced to the Holy Trinity through studying the development of salvation history and presentations on God the Father, the life of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Students are also introduced to God’s plan and their participation in God’s family, which includes Mary, the angels, and the saints. The emphasis of the first-grade curriculum is for students to grow to know, love, and trust God.

Theme:

Introduction to the Holy Trinity through presentations on God the Father, the life of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God’s plan of salvation and our part in that plan. Acquaints children with Mary, angels, and the saints. Children learn basic prayers.

Sequence:

• 1-8: The Old Testament, God our Creator; our home in Heaven lost through original sin; the world prepares for the Savior.
• 9-21: The Incarnation, life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus.
• 22-28: The Holy Spirit, the Church, and Mary our mother.

Aim:

To introduce first-grade students to the Church’s faith regarding the Triune God, the life of Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the life of prayer, with a special emphasis on growing to know, love, and trust God.

Live classes will meet weekly, 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (see the posted Academic Schedule for holidays) on the same day and time each week, for a one-hour-live class. At that class the tutor will: explain the assignment for the coming week; answer your questions and perhaps pose some; note and address any problems or difficulties noticed in the prior week’s work; and lead a brief discussion of the topic at hand. These are rather informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 2nd Grade

Required Textbook: Faith and Life Online Grade 2: Jesus Our Life

In this course, the students are prepared for the sacraments of Penance and First Holy Communion through studying the development of salvation history. As students learn about God’s plan of love and mercy, they begin to understand that these sacraments are God’s gift to us and that they too are part of God’s loving plan. Special emphasis is given to preparation for and reception of these sacraments, as well as learning about the Mass.

Theme:

Preparation for the first reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion, with the law of God and salvation history as background. The lesson emphasizes God’s mercy and love. Covers Creation, the Covenant with Moses, the Ten Commandments, Redemption, Forgiveness of Sins, and the Mass.

Sequence:

• 1-16: God teaches us through his law; we obey through love.
• 17-23: We find forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ sacrifice.
• 24-34: We prepare for life in Heaven by reception of Jesus in the Eucharist and our life in the Church.

Aim:

To prepare second-grade students for the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, and to help them appreciate God’s love for them shown in these two sacraments. Students will learn how to receive the Sacrament of Confession, the order of the Mass, and the basics of prayer.

Live classes will meet weekly, 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (see the posted Academic Schedule for holidays) on the same day and time each week, for a one-hour-live class. At that class the tutor will: explain the assignment for the coming week; answer your questions and perhaps pose some; note and address any problems or difficulties noticed in the prior week’s work; and lead a brief discussion of the topic at hand. These are rather informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 3rd Grade

Required Textbook: Faith and Life Series, Grade Three: Our Life with Jesus

In this text, students will explore God’s plan of salvation, from Creation, the Incarnation, and Redemption to the Birth of the Church at Pentecost.  Special emphasis is given to our life in the Church, including the great beauty and value of Confession and reception of Holy Communion at Mass.  The aim of the text is to show third-grade students that they belong to God’s chosen people; that the child’s family is an important part of God’s family found in the Church; and to help students grow in their relationship with God through prayer and love for His divine law.

In this course, students will learn about the great truths of our Catholic faith that are so central to leading a life of holiness.  Through the study of salvation history and the life of Christ, they will come to understand more clearly the loving plans of God for His Creation and for each one of us.

Theme:

God’s plan of salvation, from creation to the Incarnation and Redemption to the birth of the Church at Pentecost and our life in the Church. Special emphasis on the importance of Confession, Communion and the Mass.

Sequence:

• 1-7: The Old Testament covenant with God.
• 8-14: Obedience through love of God and his laws. In Confession we meet Jesus in his mercy.
• 15-25: The life of Jesus and Jesus in the sacrifice of the Mass.
• 26-30: Our part in the Church born of the Holy Spirit; our relationship with Mary and the Communion of Saints.

Aim:

To show third-grade students that they belong to God’s chosen people and that the child’s family is an important part of God’s family, the Church. Also, to encourage prayer and love for God’s law.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 4th Grade

Required Textbook:  Faith and Life Series, Grade Four: Jesus Our Guide

In this text, students will explore God’s plan to save His people from sin through Salvation History, and how we participate in this great plan.  Students will also learn and discover the many ways God helps us in our pilgrimage on earth as we journey to Heaven through His word, His law, and His Church.  The aim of the text is to help fourth-grade students to come to understand their purpose and goal in life, and to see God’s plan in the context of history and society to lead us all to Heaven, our true and eternal Home.

In this course, students will grow in their understanding of God through the study of salvation history.  By these means, they will come to know God’s plan for man and the relationship He desires to share with the human family through His gift of the Church.  Students will be shown the road to loving the Church as the true means God has provided to shelter and guide us on our pilgrimage to heaven.

Theme:

God’s plan to save his people from sin (Salvation History), how we participate in that plan, and the many ways God helps us in our pilgrimage on earth to Heaven through his word, his law, and his Church.

Sequence:

• C. Before Christ
• 1-14: The fall and the first murder. The sin and suffering of mankind. God chooses his people and their leaders.
• D. In the Year of Our Lord
• 15-30: History changes when Jesus the King comes. Through grace, especially in the sacraments, we receive the strength to do good.

Aim:

To help fourth-grade students understand their purpose and goal in life, and to see God’s plan in history and society to lead us all to Heaven, our true, eternal home.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 5th Grade

Required Textbook: Credo I Believe

In this course, students will come to know the beautiful truths of the Catholic Faith through a journey into salvation history and the Profession of Faith. Each component of the Creed will be discussed and explored so that students can discover the truths which God has revealed to us, and thereby come to love these truths as a priceless gift from Our Lord Himself.

Theme:

A thorough study of the articles of the Creed as the basic belief of our Catholic faith, with a special emphasis on careful understanding of definitions through the words of the Gospels, and the prophets, and the prayers of the Church.

Sequence:

• Unit 1: God the Father of All. The Old Testament and mankind’s participation in and loss of God’s life.
• Unit 2: God the Son, the Redeemer. The fulfillment of God’s plan in Christ, God and Man.
• Unit 3: God, the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier. Our call to holiness and witness in the Church.

Aim:

To help fifth-grade students acquire a solid knowledge of God and his Church through the understanding of the Creed we profess, and the distinguished truths of our faith from errors that lead away from the love of God.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 6th Grade

Required Textbook:  Faith and Life Series, Grade Six: Following Christ

In this text, students will discover the blueprint for a life of love.  The adventure of such a life is found in the law of God (especially in the Ten Commandments), united with a profound relationship with Jesus, especially through His Living Presence in the Holy Mass.  Further, in this book, the interaction of the challenges of God’s law and His gifts of grace that help us fulfill His law play a central role.  The aim of this text is to help sixth-grade students learn to love the moral law as Christ did and to cherish and love the Mass as our best prayer to God, especially through the cultivation of a special reverence and love for Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

In this course, students will learn about the Christian call to lead a life of love in obedience to God’s law through the constant help of His grace, which is especially received through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  Students will attain a deeper understanding of the Most Holy Eucharist through the study of typology in the Passover Feast and the Last Supper.  The course concludes with a study of the Last Things in light of God’s merciful love and the Christian hope for the glory of heaven.

Theme:

The blueprint for a life of love: the law of God, especially in the Ten Commandments, and the presence of Jesus in the Holy Mass. The interaction of the challenges of God’s law and his gifts of grace that help us fulfill his law.

Sequence:

• Part 1: The Ten Commandments. Forming the conscience and increasing closeness to God.
• Part 2: The Holy Mass. An emphasis on the Real Presence and Christ’s sacrifice and explanation of the parts of the Mass.
• Part 3: The Last Things. Death and God’s judgment of us, with an emphasis on the great happiness of Heaven.

Aim:

To help sixth-grade students learn to love the moral law as Christ did and to cherish and love the Mass as our best prayer to God, and especially to revere and adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 7th Grade

Required Textbook: Faith and Life Series, Grade Seven: The Life of Grace

Text Description: In this text, students will explore how grace is our link with God, and His gift to us to bring us to Himself in the profound joy of eternal life.  An especial emphasis is placed on the transmission of grace through the Seven Sacraments, and on God’s loving gifts of the Incarnation, of the Church, and of the Revelation of Himself through the prophets.  Students will also discover the special role of grace in the development of the virtues.  The aim of this text is to help seventh-grade students to come to treasure the Sacraments as indispensable to a full Christian life of love and truth, founded on the gifts of reason and faith.

In this course, students will learn about God’s loving gift of Divine Revelation, which He offers to mankind through Creation, the Prophets, the Incarnation, and the Church.  This course especially focuses on the role of grace in the Seven Sacraments and in the development of the virtues.  Continually deepening their love of the Lord, students will discover how it is precisely through grace that man finds true union with God and a share in His eternal life.

Theme:

Grace as our link with God, his gift to us to bring us to Himself and his eternal life, with an emphasis on transmission of grace through the seven sacraments and on God’s loving gifts of revelation, of himself through the prophets, the Incarnation, and the Church. The role of grace in developing the virtues.

Sequence:

• Part 1: God Reveals Himself. The revelation of God through creation, the prophets, and to the chosen people.
• Part 2: God becomes Man. Jesus, true God and true Man, Priest and Sacrifice.
• Part 3: God Shares His Life. The operation of grace in our lives, in developing the virtues especially through each sacrament.

Aim:

To help seventh-grade students treasure the sacraments as indispensable to a full Christian life of love and truth. To understand how grace works and its relation to practicing the virtues, and to appreciate our gifts of reason and faith.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 8th Grade

Required Textbook:  Faith and Life Series, Grade Eight: Our Life in the Church

In this text, students will delve into the rich history of the Church.  Students will learn of Her founding by Christ, Her birth in the Holy Spirit, the marks of the One, True Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the role of the Saints.  They will also get to explore the structure of the Church according to Jesus’ plan, discovering the beautiful role of the Magisterium, the Clergy, the Religious, and the Laity up to the present.  The aim of this text is to help eighth-grade students come to know and love the Church as Christ’s Body, and to be strengthened to respond to the teaching of the Magisterium as the sure Voice of Jesus, so that young people may be equipped through their lives in the Church to face the confusion and secularism of modern-day society as they seek their own vocations according to God’s plan.

In this course, students will explore in depth the rich history of the Church.  We will dive into Christ’s founding of the Church, Her birth and life in the Holy Spirit, the marks of the one true Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the Saints, and the role of religious communities in the Church’s history.  Students will encounter the beautiful structure of the hierarchy of the Church, discovering the role Christ established in His institution of the Magisterium and the Clergy, as well as the essential roles fulfilled by religious and laity as members of the Body of Christ.  Continuing further on this joyful journey, students will come to know and love the Church as Christ’s Body, guiding them to a deeper understanding of their life in the Church and a more profound realization that the Magisterium is the sure voice of Jesus.  With these truths, students will be strengthened to live out the call to holiness and guide each student to seek his specific vocation in the fullness of God’s plan.

Theme:

The history of the Church — its founding by Christ, its birth in the Holy Spirit, the marks of the one, true Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the saints and the role of the religious and laity up to the present. The structure of the Church Jesus planned, the role of the Magisterium, the clergy, the religious and the laity and our own vocations.

Sequence:

• Part 1: The Church. Christ’s plan for the Church’s structure and its necessary attributes; the Church’s teaching authority. The early Church: Martyrs, Fathers, Saints and Mary.
• Part 2: The Christian in the World. Religious and laity, Holy Orders, Marriage, and family life; call to holiness.
• Part 3: The Last Things. Death, Judgment, the end of the world.

Aim:

To help eighth-grade students know and love the Church as Christ’s Body and respond to the teaching of the Magisterium as the sure voice of Jesus, so that young people may be strengthened through their lives in the Church to face the confusion and secularism of modern-day society.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 9th Grade

Required Textbook:  Introduction to Catholicism, 2nd Edition, by James Socias

An introduction to the teachings of the Catholic Church and an in-depth explanation of what it means to be Catholic. The Universal Call to Holiness is the main theme throughout the book. Topics include the Blessed Trinity, the Church, the Creed, Sacred Scripture, the Seven Sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and the lives of the Saints.

Introduction to Catholicism, 2nd Edition, contains the same Catholic teaching found in the popular original textbook, with expanded topics.  Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this text covers the basic tenets of the Faith and what it means to be Catholic; to include an additional 200+ pages, a new design layout, and additional pieces of full-color liturgical art.

This textbook, one of four in the Didache Complete Course Series, is used by high schools, home school groups, RCIA, and is also suitable for anyone looking to broaden their Faith knowledge.

Twenty-five chapters, topics include:

• The Holy Catholic Church
• The Blessed Trinity
• The Paschal Mystery
• The Blessed Virgin Mary
• The Sacraments and Prayer
• Christian Morality and the Universal Call to Holiness
• Social Doctrine

In this course, students will study the beautiful truths and tenets of the Catholic Faith as a firm foundation to their growth in closeness to Our Lord.  Sharing with students the structure and wisdom of The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the first of the Didache series guides students to a broad and comprehensive vision of the beauty of our Catholic faith.  In this way, students will receive the strength they need to live out their call to holiness in this world.

This textbook is published with ecclesiastical approval from the Archdiocese of Chicago.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 10th Grade

Required Textbook: Understanding the Scripture by Scott Hahn

This textbook by Dr. Scott Hahn presents a Catholic approach to Scripture, highlighting the theme of covenant. Tracing a path through salvation history, the book explains the various books of the Bible and the importance of each event in salvation history. Understanding the Scriptures will provide an understanding of Sacred Scripture so critical to the Catholic Faith. The course involves a thorough examination of the history of salvation as presented in Sacred Scripture, which finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. It studies Divine Revelation through its sources in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. An excellent resource for biblical studies.  The course presents a Catholic approach to Scripture, highlighting the theme of covenant. Tracing a path through salvation history, the book explains the various books of the Bible and the importance of each event in salvation history. Understanding the Scriptures will provide an understanding of Sacred Scripture so critical to the Catholic Faith.

This textbook is published with ecclesiastical approval from the Archdiocese of Chicago, and it has been granted conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catechism.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 11th Grade

Required Textbook: The History of the Church by Peter V. Armenio

This course presents the story of God’s intervention into human history from the Incarnation until the present day. It emphasizes God as the Lord of history and his actions that demonstrate his love for his People.  The textbook is an excellent resource for anyone seeking to know more about the history of the Catholic Church. The comprehensive history of the Catholic Church includes every major event in the Church’s history from the life of her founder, Jesus Christ, to the present day. This text places the Church in her context throughout history and explains the role that the Church and her leaders have played in the shaping of history for better and worse.  This textbook is published with ecclesiastical approval from the Archdiocese of Chicago, and it has been granted conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catechism.

Complete with maps, timelines, sidebars, paintings, and photographs, The History of the Church is a critical historical resource for Catholic and non-Catholic historians alike.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.

Religion 12th Grade

Required Textbook: Our Moral Life in Christ by Peter V. Armenio

A detailed study of the moral life in Christ-based on his teachings in the Gospels, the Ten Commandments, and the Beatitudes-which enable Christians, with God’s grace, to imitate the life of Christ in their lives, to make correct moral decisions, and to spread the Kingdom of God on earth in their journey toward eternal salvation. This book presents the life of Christ and his teachings as the basis of moral theology. This book examines the moral principles necessary to live the Christian life, which is focused on imitating Christ and promoting the Kingdom of God.  It presents a thorough overview of a moral theology not only to be studied but also to be lived according to the will of God.

This textbook is published with ecclesiastical approval from the Archdiocese of Chicago, and it has been granted conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catechism.

These live classes will meet weekly for 30 weeks, beginning the first week of September (please see the posted Academic Calendar for holidays) on the same day and time each week for a one-hour live class.  At each class, the tutor will: lead a brief discussion on the reading for the week; explain the assignment for the coming week; and answer any questions or concerns the students may have from the previous week’s lesson.  These classes are designed to be somewhat informal and friendly live tutoring sessions.