Religious Education

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

Welcome to the first year of Religious Education in Sts. Louis & Zelie Martin Parish! We are honored to continue to work with you on the religious education of your children, and we look forward to seeing your family in the Fall. The goal of our program is to pass on the essential elements and traditions of our Catholic faith to our children and to help them incorporate these teachings in to their daily lives. The mission is to form a new generation of Catholics who know and love Jesus Christ and live as his disciples in the community of the Catholic Church. 

Some parents believe that the only purpose of Religious Education is to prepare their children for the Sacraments of Communion or Confirmation. It is our job to inform all families that faith formation is for the child’s ENTIRE LIFE - we never stop learning about God. Here at Sts. Louis & Zelie Martin Parish’s Religious Education Program it is for grades one through Confirmation Two. EACH YEAR builds on the last. EACH YEARis an important step in your child’s growth in faith. Your children cannot become the future generation of the church without knowing what their faith is and how to live it. We ask that ALL parents enroll their children in EVERY YEAR and EVERY GRADE not just sacrament years. 

Important Program Information Diocesan/Parish Policies 

  1. Baptismal Records ‐ All new students must have a copy of their Baptismal Certificate on file in our office. If you were baptized in the parish before the merger then you will have to contact the Archdiocesan Archives office at https://www.bostoncatholic.org/archives/
  2. Two Year Sacrament Preparation ‐ Students are required to complete two years of sacramental preparation before receiving the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation. If your child has not attended First Grade, then your child MUST attend tutoring classes for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. 
  3. Communication– Please be sure to provide us with your email address if you have one. Most of the information we distribute regarding our program is done via email. If you do not have an email account, I encourage you to get one. Yahoo and Gmail both offer free email services. 
    • Sts. Louis & Zelie Martin Parish Website: stsmartinparish.org contains helpful information about our program and our parish activities. It also has links to all the necessary paperwork for registration. 

We are here to serve you and your children if you have any questions, please contact me, Adam Dupre, at adupre@stsmartinparish.org 

  1. Family Participation – We invite all families to participate in our parish and give the children and your family a sense of belonging and community. Religious Education is about all of us, as members of the Church family, learning together, witnessing and growing in our faith together. 
  2. Mass Attendance – Parents are the primary educators of their children in all learning,
    including faith formation. Parents serve as role models of faith for their children at home
    by treating others with kindness and respect, by encouraging regular class attendance and by praying together. They are also role models in church by participating with their children at Mass on a regular basis. The Spirit of God gathers us together as God’s family when we attend the celebration of the Eucharist and teaches, nourishes and strengthens us to be good followers of Jesus. 

The New Program:

Our new program of Religious Education is going to take place in three locations. The location of the elementary school program from grades 1-8 will take place at St. Theresa’s School at 192 Summer St in Somerville. The program there will run from 10:00am to 11:15am following the 9am Mass at St. Catherine’s Church. 

The Confirmation program for grades 9 & 10 will take place at St. Ann School 50 Thurston St in Somerville. Classes will run from 9-10:10am and then it is expected that students will attend the 10:15am Mass. 

The supplemental class at St. Joseph’s Church will run on Tuesday Evenings from 6:30-7:30pm. This class is intended for those who find it difficult to make it to classes on Sundays because of athletic involvements. However, the obligation to attend Mass is still in force for the child and family. Once you are registered for this class you cannot opt to change. 

Lastly, catechists are called to echo God’s word. I want to thank our dedicated catechists who teach Jesus’ Gospel and help the children grow in faith and love of God and His holy Church. God gives us amazing grace when we answer His call to carry on the joyful mission to teach as Jesus did. Our volunteers are one of the greatest assets we have, and we are very grateful for the gifts of their time, talent and treasure. Do you feel called to be a messenger for Christ? We welcome parents and teens to be catechists or helpers in our Religious Education. If you would like to help, please email me and I will contact you regarding all the opportunities we have available. 

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me at adupre@stsmartinparish.org or 617-666-2087

God bless, 

Adam Dupré
Director of Faith Formation 

Click Here for Registration Document

Click Here for the Sunday Grades 1-8 Schedule

Click Here for the Sunday Confirmation Schedule

Click Here for the Tuesday Confirmation Schedule

Click Here for the Tuesday First Communion Schedule