CCD classes ( not a religious thread )

[Papa Deuce]

Just a question... does yours have a rule that says if you miss more than 2 days you can't "graduate"?

The girl around the corner has missed 3 days in a year and she was told she now needs to go another year before her 1st Communion.

 

[Motherofboys]

Just a question... does yours have a rule that says if you miss more than 2 days you can't "graduate"?

The girl around the corner has missed 3 days in a year and she was told she now needs to go another year before her 1st Communion.

Yes, the religious ed program at our chuch has an attendance policy and they are enforcing it much more this year. Apparently our diocese has a minimum number of classes that a child must attend in order to receive their sacrament.

They are really strict on the confirmation prep, parents or sponsors must attend 6 mandatory classes with their child or it's a no-go. They are also starting to be less lenient with "home school" religious ed.

My son was a year late with his communion, we were changing churches, etc. It wasn't a big deal, he was just a little taller than the other kids

 

[Bayoumama]

Our diocese is getting strict also. I am a religion teacher and we have to send home paperwork to have the child cover the chapter at home, have the parent sign and return the paper and if they do this, it is not considered a missed class. I think they can only miss 3 classes.

 

[DWGal210]

My cousins' church has this. Their oldest is 16 (now he's in the pre-confirmation process, I think) and he can't miss any more than 2 classes a year. If he misses more than that, he has to start over again. I'm not sure what kind of things they excuse, like sickness, and if that still counts as your absences. I am pretty sure they are classes twice a month on Sunday nights.

 

[Rora]

I think it depends on where you are in your CCD classes. I think they have stricter rules for special years- Reconciliation, 1st Communion, Confirmation, etc.

 

[cruisnfamily]

At our church, it only applies to 2nd grade(1st communion) and 7th grade(confirmation) and the rule is no more than 3 absences.

I personally suspect though that that is not a hard and fast rule. I think you could have a meeting with the director and get around it if circumstances warranted. I believe the point is for the child to take the class seriously and attend more often than not. If you had a legitimate excuse I feel certain they would let you graduate but if you were just blowing off the classes I don't think they would.

 

[DWGal210]

(To add to my last post)

When my brothers were confirmed, they went through the RCIA class at church and not the confirmation class for the high school kids. They were both so busy, my parents knew they would miss more than 2 classes (for legitimate reasons) and so didn't want to hassle with it. They were both confirmed just fine.

 

[VAN]

Yes, for the children preparing for a sacrament (Eucharist, Confirmation, etc). They have mandatory parent meetings at the beginning of the year where they spell out the expectations of the parents regarding attendance, participation in retreats, service projects, journals, etc.

I have assisted with the classes for Confirmation and have seen those who have a conflict with their travel soccer, etc. and don't have the "time" to devote to completing the requirements. Not sure what happened in these cases as the parents met privately with the director of the program.

So, yes, our church has these requirements; however, they are clearly communicated at the "mandatory" parent meetings for those preparing for a sacrament.

 

[padams]

Child can miss 3 classes at our local church.

 

[mom2travel]

DD made her Communion about a year and a half ago - I don't recall hearing about issues due to missing classes, but that could just be because it didn't apply to us because she didn't miss. I do know our Parish is strict about enforcing the 2-years of prep rule. So to make First Holy Communion in 2nd grade, needed to be enrolled for both first and second grade. A friend's son had to wait until 3rd grade to make Communion because she hadn't signed him up in 1st.

Also, DS is in 9th grade which is a required prep year for making his Confirmation in 10th grade. He is allowed 4 absences this year. He was really sick a couple weeks ago and missed class; I checked with the program director and was told that does not count as an absence.

Our kids' classes meet usually 3 times a month

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Its very strictly enforced for the communion and confimation years. Yep! And that's why DD goes to Catholic school because its one less thing I have to do (okay, not the real reason but definitely a nice side benefit).

 

[Papa Deuce]

Ok, I was only about 6 or 7.... so who knows what I am remembering correctly... but I sure don't think there was much "mandatory", 40 years ago...

 

[MELISAZACK]

My son missed 10 one year and even though his test scores and understanding were right on target they failed him.. this was on his 4th grade year.. now not only did they want him to repeat the year at 200.00 they wanted me to pay 350.00 for a summer bible school and said it was mandatory plus I had to attend class at a cost!!! WTH.. needless to say he never rtn'd. I told him if he wants to finish as an adult that is his choice but it seemed to me they were more into making money then caring about what the kids learned.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Years of CCD classes as a child and several years teaching CCD as an adult at different parishes, and I never encountered one that would refuse a child their sacrement because of absences. Doesn't surprise me, though. To Meliszack - I was shocked at your post. The most we ever paid was a nominal fee for a workbook. You have a right to be mad. That's outrageous!

 

[tazdev3225]

I mknow that the churches in my area have mandatory attendance even the week or two after they receive communion. I don't understand after the fact. I only know this because I coach my DGS's baseball team and we have forfeited a game 2 years in a row because we didn't have enough boys to field a team.

 

[maelstrom]

I don't recall having an attendance requirement for religion class, but we had to attend church every weekend during the school year in 7th and 8th grade in order to make Confirmation at the end of 8th grade and we were only allowed two absences (I made sure to miss the long Easter and Palm Sunday masses).

 

[Donnainnj]

$200 We paid the early discounted price of $60, would have been $85 if we paid later. They also allow the families that attend church weekly to send their children to a 2 week summer program instead of during the school year during non-sacrament years.

Oh, and to the original poster, we are allowed 2 days out also, but I think if there was a medical reason it would be excused.
Donna

 

[QueenRocks]

I've lurked here for a while and just recently registered, so here's my first post. Our church has an attendance policy; I believe it is 3 days you can't miss, however I've never heard it being enforced. There is also a 2 year committment for 1st communion and confirmation; you have to attend 1st and 2nd grade, and 10th and 11th grade. The classes are on Tuesday nights, and for the high school kids preparing for confirmation who participate in sports, this can be a problem if their school has a game that night. There is also a mandatory parent meeting for 1st communion and confirmation. For the confirmation meeting, they addressed the high schoolers participating in sports and said that they could miss for a game, but not practice. Many parents only send their kids to CCD for 1st and 2nd grade and 10th and 11th grade just so they can receive their sacraments. My kids have been every year and miss very few classes, so I would be very upset if they told me my child could not receive their sacrament because they missed more than 3.

Like I said before, I've never heard it happen. Case in point, my friend's son was told his classes for the 11th grade were being taught by Brother Tobias. He went to the Tobias room instead; this is the same room he had as a 10th grader. So he spent the entire year in the wrong class; I guess he didn't notice that the material was the same. They found out towards the end of the year that he had been in the wrong class. They confirmed him anyway that year; his mom said she would never get him to go again the next year.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

1st communion and confirmation years are more attendance focused.

They do have mandatory sessions and parents are expected to take attendance more seriously.

I like a more strict policy--but common sense must prevail.

There was one student a year or two ago where I overheard the 2nd grade teacher speaking the Religious Ed director. The child was in jeopardy b/c they didn't go much at all. At that issue, it becomes an issue of whether the child understands that particular sacrament. And if they don't, they shouldn't be receiving it.

I do know that the Catholic Church does indeed permit you to homeschool religious ed (i.e. the parish or diocese may try to say that you can't do that--but you can!).

So as long as the child is up on their stuff, then attendance shouldn't matter.

The issue is that most parents are not doing the idependent study route and thus the attendence is important.

But I've never heard of a specific policy that boots you from consideration after so few absences.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Thanks for all the responses, but please don't turn this into a religious thread.. This was simply a procedural question.... Just trying to follow the DIS rules.