400 - Program Structures

The Value Sought – Good order and the foundation of discipline, is the foundation of the spiritual life.
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401.00      Parishes will provide Faith Formation programming for all the Christian faithful. (Canon 217)

401.10      Parishes will have a Faith Formation program for every child/youth beginning in Preschool and ending in the Twelfth grade.  Registration form sample.

401.11      Faith Formation program models may vary based on local need and the age of the children and youth being served.

401.12      If local needs require the combining of grades, the Faith Formation program will have a written plan which demonstrates how the curriculum is covered.

401.20      All children/youth will have a minimum of 40 contact hours of Faith Formation per year including a minimum of 30 hours of catechetical time. The remaining ten hours must consist of a mix of liturgical celebrations (excluding Sunday Worship), community building activities and service activities.

401.21      Each child’s progress through the Faith Formation program will be tracked through the maintenance of permanent records, either digital or hard copies. Sample Pupil Record Form

402.00      Faith Formation programs will serve the differing educational needs of children/youth in their parish through a determined effort at total inclusion using Individualized Education Plans for each child/youth.

402.10      Faith Formation programs will serve the differing educational needs of adults in their parish through a determined effort at total inclusion.

403.00      Each parish will have a written plan for children who come to the program in need of remedial preparation for one or more sacraments (refer to policy #640.00).

404.00      Parents are to be actively involved in the Faith Formation of their children. They will be invited, consulted and informed of all major activities involving their children.

404.10      Parents will be informed anytime a child is to be taken off church property for activities such as retreats, service projects or community building activities. A signed Youth Confidential Release Form must be obtained for every trip off church property. This form can be obtained at web site:

Youth Confidential Release
Act 175 - Taking kids out of public school for religious events
Act 175: sample letters
Small Group Meetings permission slip

404.11      A record of every trip made off church property is to be kept. This record must clearly demonstrate that the Youth Confidential Release Form was received for each activity. These records should be kept on file at the parish for one year. 
Off-Site Trip Record Form
Volunteer Driver Information Form

404.12      Each Faith Formation program will adhere to the current Guidelines for Use of Photographic Images of Children and Youth with an authorized permission form obtained from parents/guardians. Forms are available at web site: https://www.eriercd.org/Protection-of-Children-and-Youth-Forms.html

405.00      Parishes will actively engage adult parishioners in continuing education concerning the relationship of faith and life and have a written plan for accomplishing this responsibility
Adult Religious Education Checklist

411.00      Parent(s)/guardian(s) will be given a copy of the Parish Religious Education Handbook.  Parent/Student Handbook sample  Click the link for several samples of parent handbooks. Please choose one or search for one to adapt to your parish. These samples are not specific policies of the Diocese of Erie. You must adapt these handbooks to your own parish after cross-checking with the diocesan policies. 

412.00      Catechists will have a Catechist’s Handbook which explains their rights and responsibilities in accordance with diocesan guidelines and parish procedures.

420.00      When, due to diminishing population¹, a religious education program finds it difficult to maintain a traditional schooling model program, the following must be observed: The program must be combined with a neighboring parish religious education program² or an alternative model³ must be initiated in the parish. If the program is to be transferred to another parish, policies 421-423 must be followed.

^1. Policy 420.00 is activated when the following standard is not met: there must be six (6) or more students in at least nine (9) of the grades to continue using the school model program in the parish. This standard is applied to students in grades 1 through 9 only.

^2. If it is not possible to merge with a neighboring religious education program because of prohibitive distance or geographical obstacle, an alternative model must be used in the parish.

^3. Homeschooling is not an appropriate alternative model. The alternative method must be discussed with the Office for Faith Formation prior to its implementation.  (Amended by Bishop Lawrence T. Persico, August 8, 2014.)
Combining RE programs: the policy and its rationale

421.00      Prior to the discontinuation or transfer of the program approval of the Vicar is required. When deemed appropriate by the Vicar, the Diocesan Faith Formation Department will be consulted in an effort to maintain the children’s/youth’s identification with the local parish.