Religious Education

St. Michael in Old Town is proud to offer cornerstone religious education program.  The Family Faith Formation program offers a combination of in-class learning as well as at-home learning.  Teaching children about the Catholic faith is first and foremost the privilege and responsibility of parents.  That is the reason we strive to include families in our educational initiatives.  We dedicate ourselves to helping families raise their children in the Catholic faith by promoting lifelong learning and growth in the Four Pillars of Faith: faith-formation, worship, service, and community.  The Family Faith Formation model is designed to give parents the tools, knowledge, and best practices to pass on the faith to their children.  Further, the model allows parents to experience an ever-growing community in the parish, to find support among fellow Catholic parents, and to learn, experience, and grow in their faith along with their children.  Family Faith Formation assists in not only strengthening one’s relationship with Jesus but also within the entire family…even intergenerational!

Family Faith Formation empowers families to deepen their relationship with God, live and learn their faith, share their faith stories, and strengthen their relationships within their families.

The benefits/strength of Family Faith Formation are 1) it reawakens the faith of the whole family; 2) it sparks rich conversation within the family; 3) it affords flexibility & adaptability for busy families; 4) it is proven to be a long-lasting and effective model for children to continue their faith beyond the Kindergarten through 8th grade religious education years; 4) it is fun and engaging for children. 

Classes will begin on September 21, 2025.  In-class learning will be on Sundays from 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM in St. Michael’s Parish Center (1711 N. Cleveland Avenue) with an adjacent parking lot.  Parents are required to be present for pick-up, at which time the catechist will be present.

THE FOUR PILLARS OF FAITH

Faith-Formation

We provide Sunday Religious Education classes for kindergarten through 8th-grade children.  These classes are intended for children currently not attending a Catholic school.  

Our classes meet on Sundays from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM from mid-September to mid-May in the Parish Center of St. Michael Parish (1711 N. Cleveland Avenue).  We offer small class sizes that are led by trained catechists who are mentored by our Director of Religious Education and Lifelong Formation.

Classes are taught using the Finding God series published by Loyola Press.  Finding God emphasizes the topics of God, Jesus, the Church, Sacraments, Morality, and the Saints. 

We will have three weeks of in-person instruction each month. The other week we will have at-home instruction. 

Parents/guardians will be given the log in information for the parent lessons and all of the tools and resources for the at home program. Students will be able to take the books home. Many of these at home activities are designed to be done on phones and one section of them is designed to be done in the car. 
Students (except kindergarten) will have a few small assignments to do at home so they can stay on track with the at home learning. The parent formation we offer is so that parents can learn with the students and work with their students at home. 

It is very important to us that families succeed so you may always contact the Religious Education office with questions you have while working at home.  The Loyola Press website has many resources for parents. We also have a subscription for Formed.org, which has many resources and opportunities for families. We have a Lenten Mission, Scripture Study, Faith Aflame, Theology on Tap, and other opportunities at the parish. 

Worship

The program will include monthly Religious Education Masses where the children can participate as ushers, greeters, and gift-bearers.  These will be followed by family get-togethers with coffee and donuts in our Parish Center.  We will also celebrate the Holy Days of Obligation on the appropriate days with meaningful ways to teach the children and engage them in these important days of worship.  Other worship opportunities will include exposing the children to the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross.  Learning and loving the Order of Mass will be a primary goal for the program.  Regular Mass attendance is expected on Sunday mornings.

Service

Myriad service opportunities will be offered throughout the year for children and families.  Teaching the children to serve, give, and look out for others is an important part of our Religious Education program.  Service projects will include opportunities to help refugees, prisoners, the hungry, and other marginalized people.

Community

Instilling a sense of community for both the children and parents is also an important part of the program. Opportunities for these gatherings will be planned throughout the year.  We like to think, “We’re building a community, not a program.”  Family picnics, potlucks, and regular coffee/donut gatherings after the Religious Education Masses will be planned for continued community-building. 

Reconciliation & Eucharist

Our 1st grade class will be preparing the children for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  
Our 2nd grade class will be preparing the children for the Sacrament of Eucharist (First Holy Communion).  

We will work with your child no matter their age or grade.  While it is preferred that your child was enrolled in religious education classes for kindergarten and 1st grade (since this lays the foundation for preparation for the Sacraments), we will do our best to accommodate your needs based on the circumstances.  We thank you for your understanding of this. 

We also require that children who are preparing for these Sacraments attend classes weekly.  For exceptions, please contact Emily Betz.  An extra fee is incurred for these Sacraments to cover the costs of retreats, materials, and meals. 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation (First grade) will be celebrated on May 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM at St. Michael Church.  Our required Reconciliation retreat will be on April 25, 2026, 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM.

The Sacrament of the Eucharist, First Holy Communion, will be celebrated on May 10, 2026, at 11:00 AM at St. Michael Church.  Our required retreat for the Sacrament of the Eucharist will be held on May 9, 2026, 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM. 

Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated for the 8th graders.  Please note: the Archdiocese of Chicago mandates that each Confirmand must have completed 7th-grade religious education.  Please contact Emily Betz with concerns, questions, etc.  We are here to help you through this process.  The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in May of 2026 at Holy Name Cathedral.  

The Sacrament of Confirmation has a required retreat that will be held at St. Michael on October 25, 2025.  Check in is at 8:30 AM.  Parents are required to be present to sign students out at the time of pick-up, 5:15 PM.  Note: This is a required retreat.
The special Confirmation fee covers retreats, materials, and other Confirmation preparation materials.

Confirmation students (7th and 8th grades) will be altar servers at Sunday Masses from September through May.  They will also have the opportunity to serve at Nuptial Masses and Funeral Masses.

We look forward to your participation in our Religious Education program.  We will faithfully and joyfully assist you, the family, as you accompany your child/children through the beauty of the Catholic faith tradition and all the blessings that are a part of it.  

Tuition and Fees

Please let us know if we can help you get registered.  All registration information and forms are below.  NOTE THAT A REGISTRATION FORM MUST BE COMPLETED TO ENROLL YOUR CHILD IN ST. MICHAEL'S RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM EVEN IF HE/SHE WERE IN THE PROGRAM THE PREVIOUS YEAR(S). 

The fees are as follows:

• Tuition for one child: $375
• Tuition for two children: $475
• Tuition for three children: $575
• Tuition for four or more children: $600
  Last day for early enrollment: August 18, 2025 (a 20% discount from the aforementioned rates)
  
• Technology fee for each child: $25 (collected at orientation on September 21st, payable by check)
• Preparation fee for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion: $100 (collected at orientation on September 21st, payable by check)
• Preparation fee for the Sacrament of Confirmation: $100 (collected at orientation on September 21st, payable by check)

Register for Religious Education