Catechism Club
Catholic Kids’ Catechism Club—commonly called Catechism Club or CKCC—offers an active and engaging approach to children’s faith formation. Children encounter Sacred Scripture, learn the teachings and practices of the Catholic Church, grow in prayer, and discover how faith shapes everyday life. Sessions combine age-appropriate instruction with discussion, movement, and shared experiences.
About Catechism Club
Where: St. John Mary Vianney Campus, Downstairs
When: Sundays, Oct-Apr
Cost: $80 for one child; $160 for two or more children
Early Birds
Ages 3 – Kindergarten*
Sundays 9:00 – 9:45AM (during 9AM Mass)
Our youngest children begin by learning about the Mass and listening to the Gospel in a form suited to their age.
During the first part of each session, children explore the principal parts, objects, gestures, and ministries of the Mass through demonstration and imaginative participation. They then gather for a lesson based upon the Gospel proclaimed at Sunday Mass.
The Early Birds use the Seeds curriculum from Pflaum Gospel Weeklies. Children bring home a lesson leaflet each week so that parents can revisit the Gospel and continue the conversation at home.
* Children must be potty-trained and at least 3 years old by September 15th
During the first part of each session, children become familiar with the church’s sacred space and the principal parts of the Mass. Through demonstration, role-playing, prayer, movement, and conversation, they explore:
- the altar, ambo, sacred vessels, and other objects used during Mass;
- the roles of the priest, deacon, altar servers, readers, and congregation;
- the principal movements and responses of the liturgy;
- Catholic gestures and simple prayers; and
- the seasons, colors, and celebrations of the Church year.
During the second part of the session, children hear and explore the Gospel proclaimed at Sunday Mass. Early Birds uses the Seeds curriculum from Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, which presents the Gospel through age-appropriate stories, conversation, music, movement, and hands-on activities.
Each child brings home a lesson leaflet so that parents can revisit the Gospel, pray together, and continue the conversation during the week.
The purpose is to help children recognize that the Mass is their worship too and to begin connecting the words of Jesus with their own lives.
[Learn More about Pflaum Gospel Weeklies - Seeds]
Grade-Level Clubhouses
Grades 1 - 5
Sundays 9:55 – 10:55AM
Children in Grades 1–5 gather first as a larger club and then work in grade-level groups called clubhouses.
Sessions ordinarily begin with Sacred Scripture and an opening challenge. Children then explore their grade-level lesson through discussion, activities, games, prayer, and practical applications of the faith.
The curriculum is based upon Discover! Finding Faith in Life from Saint Mary’s Press. The Catholic Children’s Bible stands at the center of the program, helping children learn how to find, read, understand, and respond to the Word of God.
Children in Grades 1–5 use Discover! Finding Faith in Life, a Scripture-centered curriculum from Saint Mary’s Press.
The Catholic Children’s Bible serves as the principal text. Children learn how to locate biblical passages, listen attentively to the Word of God, understand its meaning, and apply it to Catholic belief and daily life.
Each lesson connects Scripture with the four principal dimensions of Catholic formation:
- Believe: what Catholics profess as true;
- Celebrate: how Christ gives grace through the Church’s worship and sacraments;
- Live: how disciples of Jesus are called to act; and
- Pray: how we grow in friendship with God.
Lessons also incorporate activities, discussion, prayer, Catholic social teaching, the saints, and the seasons of the liturgical year.
At Catechism Club, children first gather as a larger group and then enter grade-level clubhouses. Challenges, games, service projects, and parish experiences help children carry what they learn beyond the classroom and into Christian life.
Grade 1: God
Children encounter God as Creator and loving Father. They learn that every person is made in God’s image and explore creation, prayer, the Kingdom of God, and their place within His family, the Church.
Grade 2: Jesus
Children concentrate upon the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus and His continuing presence within the Church. Particular attention is given to forgiveness, the Mass, Penance, and the Holy Eucharist.
Grade 2 formation supports preparation for First Penance and First Holy Communion, but it does not replace the parish family’s additional First Sacraments preparation.
Grade 3: The Church
Children learn that Jesus continues His saving mission through the Catholic Church. They explore the Church as the Body of Christ, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the communion of saints, the sacraments, and the different ways members of the Church serve one another.
Grade 4: Covenant and Christian Life
Children explore the biblical meaning of covenant and God’s invitation to live in faithful relationship with Him. Particular attention is given to conscience, virtue, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Works of Mercy, and Christian responsibility within the Body of Christ.
Grade 5: The Sacraments
Children study the seven sacraments as encounters with Jesus Christ and gifts of His grace. They consider how each sacrament is celebrated, what it signifies and accomplishes, and how the sacramental life forms Catholics for holiness and mission.
[Learn More about Discover! Finding Faith in Life]
What Families Should Know
- Children attend one Catechism Club session each week.
- Regular attendance is important because lessons build upon one another.
- Catechism Club supports, but does not replace, participation in Sunday Mass. Families are highly encouraged to attend Mass together before or after Catechism Club.
- Children should bring their program materials to each session as directed.
- Parents should review take-home materials and speak with their children about what they are learning.
- Annual schedules include some special events that may occur outside the ordinary meeting time.
Preparing for First Communion
Children preparing for First Penance and First Holy Communion remain enrolled in their regular Clubhouse (typically grade 2) while completing the parish family’s additional First Sacraments preparation sessions.
[schedule]
Parents may indicate their child’s interest in First Communion when completing the annual Faith Formation registration. You will then be contacted to proceed with preparation.