Religion Department

Objective

Through experiences both in and out of the classroom, the Religion Department works cooperatively to educate and encourage the student to know, love, and serve God, to follow Jesus, to love others as Jesus loves us, and to empower others to do the same. Three basic goals stand out: to educate students regarding the twin pillars of the Church of Jesus: Scripture and Tradition, to educate students in the academic and intellectual aspects/realities of the past and present Church (with emphasis on teaching and beliefs), and to nurture in the students a strong Christian spirituality and a life-giving faith.

By virtue of our human dignity and of the gifts of Baptism and Free Will, to have respect for life and all its forms, the department believes that each student must learn to take responsibility for his/her own faith development, becoming an informed critic of his/her own choices and social milieu.

Students are required to take four years of religion. The current sequence of classes is 9th Grade-Sacred Scripture: Old Testament and Sacred Scripture: New Testament; 10th Grade-History of the Catholic Church and Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society; 11th Grade-Responding to the Call of Jesus Christ and Christian Morality and Conscience Formation; 12th Grade-Ecumenical and Interreligious Issues and an elective.