Religious Education

Registration for 
Religious Education Classes 2025-2026 
opens june 2025!

If your child(ren) is at a public or non-parochial school, or is homeschooled, this program provides the religion class and faith formation for your child(ren)! We also welcome kids attending a Catholic school for further faith formation and fun opportunities to grow closer to God. The school year begins in fall and concludes when they receive their sacrament(s) in spring.

Sacramental Preparation for baptized children begin at age 7, starting with First Reconciliation and First Communion. 
Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is offered for children in 7th through 12th grade.

All Saints Day, 2019

May Crowning, 2021

Home Resources for you!

Many families are looking for ways to jump-start faith formation and spiritual engagement. While there are many wonderful websites and tools available, we have compiled a small list of resources you can use to bring the excitement and energy of our faith home. 

According to St. John Paul II, "The family is the domestic church... the home is the Church in miniature." Now is our opportunity to dive into the faith formation of our children and families at home.

• MagnifiKid!: A great resource booklet with full text of each Mass for kids! Subscribe or pick up a free copy on your way into church.
• Children's Liturgy of the Word with Heidi Witte
• Lenten Resources for Teens: Check out these resources to help enrich your Lenten faith experience!
• Pray the rosary! Let Catholic Central's hosts guide you each day:
  • Glorious Mysteries: (Sundays and Wednesdays) Glorious Mysteries Guided Rosary
  • Joyful Mysteries: (Mondays and Saturdays) Joyful Mysteries Guided Rosary
  • Sorrowful Mysteries: (Tuesdays and Fridays) Sorrowful Mysteries Guided Rosary
  • Luminous Mysteries: (Thursdays) Luminous Mysteries Guided Rosary
• LifeTeen YouTube Channel: This channel is full of resources and chats to continue growing in faith: 
• Enjoy Nature! Go for a walk on your own, as a family, or with a friend or two and pray or meditate outside.

Questions?

Holy Cross Parish celebrates our First Communicants, June 5, 2021!
Please continue to pray for these wonderful children!

Vacation Bible School Update:

Please check out our Vacation Bible School page, as we have new VBS events each summer.

Jump to Vacation Bible School Page.

Thank You:

Religious Education Catechists: We have been meeting during the summer to prepare lessons and the curriculum for our Religious Education classes. Thank you so much to those adults and teens who are giving of their time and talents to pass our faith on to our children!

It is an honor to work with you and your families while you grow in your faith together! We love working together to help our children embrace their faith! Please let us know how we can best support you and your children as they mature in their Catholic understanding! ~Andrea Swanson~

(Director of Religious Education) [email protected] (503) 206-8069

From "Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World:""Why do you think children have to go to Catechesis (religious education)?" - Ana Maria, age 10, from Brazil "You go to catechism to get to know Jesus better! If you have a friend, you enjoy being with him and getting to know him better. You enjoy being with your friend, playing together and getting to know his family, his life, where he was born, and where he lives. This is a good thing. Religious education classes help you get to know your friend Jesus better and his great family, the Church." - Pope Francis, as a response to Ana Maria