Here at Our Lady of Sorrows, Catechism classes for children are taught on Sunday mornings at 9:45 am (between the 8:30 am and 11:00 am Masses) for kids in grades 1 - 8.  They are open to any students whose families are registered parishioners, and include Sacramental preparation for First Reconcilation and First Holy Communion (usually taught in the second grade level).

All the classes use the "Faith and Life Series" from Ignatius Press, and the students learn about God, Jesus, our lives with Jesus, how Jesus is our guide, and so much more.

To sign-up your child today for Catechism class, fill out the RE registration form and return it to us at the Parish Office with the registration fee.  For additional questions or information, feel free to call us at the Parish Office at (503) 775-6731.  

Grade 1: Our Heavenly Father

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

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

Goal

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.

Grade 2: Jesus Our Life (First Communion and First Reconciliation included)

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

• Ch. 1-16: God teaches us through his law; we obey through love.
• Ch. 17-23: We find forgiveness of sins through Jesus' sacrifice.
• Ch. 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.

Grade 3: Our Life with Jesus

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

• Ch. 1-7: The Old Testament covenant with God.
• Ch. 8-14: Obedience through love of God and his laws. In Confession we meet Jesus in his mercy.
• Ch. 15-25: The life of Jesus and Jesus in the sacrifice of the Mass.
• Ch. 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.

Grade 4: Jesus Our Guide

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

• B.C. Before Christ
  Ch. 1-14: The fall and the first murder. The sin and suffering of mankind. God chooses his people and their leaders.
• A.D. In the Year of Our Lord
  Ch. 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.

Grade 5: Credo - I Believe​​​​​​​

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.

Grade 6: Following Christ​​​​​​​

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.

Grade 7: The Life of Grace

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.

Grade 8: Our Life in the Church​​​​​​​

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.