Greetings St. Francis of Assisi families,

Here is the registration for 2026-27 Religious Formation classes. Please register your children for the school grade they will attend in the fall and let me know what their sacramental needs are. Sacramental preparation is required (by the Diocese of Joliet) to be a two-year program. We offer Kindergarten classes (combined with Grade 1) but Kindergarten does not count as a year of formation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion. If your child is over the age of seven and has not been baptized, our O.C.I.C. (Order of Christian Initiation for Children) is available.

Preparation for the Sacraments of 1st Reconciliation and 1st Communion (six lessons each) is done at home with parents while children attend their weekly grade-level classes on campus.

Please register your children as soon as you can so that plans can be shifted, if necessary, based on enrollment and catechist availability. For Kindergarten through 6th grade families who enjoyed the flexibility of home-based learning, it will remain an option with weekly teaching instructions being sent to parents and returned assessments being used to track lesson completion.

Classes will begin the week of September 21st

Please indicate your preference(s) for your child(ren) on the registration form. Assignments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of registration forms and payment. Sessions without catechists by September 1st will be canceled. Combining grades (based on the curriculum) is an option as well.

This program depends on volunteers who are willing to share their faith with the children.

We are going to try to offer all the grades at each session, but we need nearly 40 catechists to fully populate the program. Parents, please consider being a catechist, co-catechist or substitute. You don't have to know everything in order to teach. Our curriculum provides rich teaching resources that catechists have been very satisfied with, and many say that they've learned something themselves by teaching. There is a $100 tuition discount for catechists. If you can help, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can get you ready.

The Religious Education office has been directed to require payment of tuition and fees at the time of registration.

I am looking forward to accompanying your family on your journey of faith. Please watch for my emails as I try to keep you all in the loop. The best way to reach me is via email: lwaqner@stfrancisbb.org.

May God Bless your families,

Liz Jesse Wagner

Director of Religious Formation