Faith Formation

Sacred Heart Catholic School has as its primary goal the continuous formation of the Christian person. Every day at Sacred Heart Catholic School begins with a school-wide prayer. Beginning in elementary grades, students are involved in the weekly school masses, Holy Days of Obligation, and other religious ceremonies. During the month of October, students pray portions of the rosary in each class. There is a Faith Formation column in the monthly school newsletter.

This Is Our Faith Early Childhood Program is used for PreK-3 and PreK–4. Blest Are We religion textbooks are used for grades K-8 as well as the Benziger Family Life Series Guidance Program, which focuses on personal growth and self-understanding, Catholic Christian sexuality, and social living. Students in grades 5 through 12 attend retreats to help them go deeper into their faith.

Christian formation continues throughout high school Theology courses, guided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' curriculum framework. Theology I (Freshmen) surveys Sacred Scriptures: the revelation of God to the Jewish people; Covenant; Tradition; Prophets; Wisdom; Incarnation; Gospels; Resurrection; Salvation, Faith, and Mission.

Theology I (Freshmen)- This is a two-semester course on the Sacred Scriptures. We are first going to discuss how we know there is a God, who He is, and how He reveals Himself to us through the Scriptures. We start with a focus on the Torah and the Wisdom Books. Students will learn about the major people, events, and themes of the Old Testament. They will understand the major divisions of the OT: Law, History, Wisdom, and Prophecy. Students will study the Hebrew people and how God prepared them for the coming of Jesus Christ. Then, we are going to discuss the New Testament, with a special focus on the person of Jesus Christ, His Incarnation, public ministry, and His saving work. Students will learn the different but similar goals of the 4 Gospel writers and how each of the Gospels hold an essential piece of the most important story in the Bible — that of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Matthew connected Jesus to the history and prophecy of Israel, Mark connected Him to the common person, Luke connected Him to the sciences, and John spoke of Jesus in the theological and poetic. We will also discuss the early Church as described in the Acts of the Apostles as well as the significant impact of the Apostle Paul, especially in his letter to the Romans. Finally, we will look at how the Book of Revelation speaks of the End Things (Heaven, Hell, Death, and Judgement) and how it portrays the Mass. By the end of this course, students should feel comfortable locating, reading, and understanding Biblical passages.

Theology II (Sophomores) — This is a 2-semester course on the history and life of the Catholic Church. During the first semester, we will study the history of the Church from the time of Jesus Christ until the First Vatican Council. We will take a special focus on Christ as the foundation of the Church, how the Church responded to an ever-changing world, and the forming of the structures of the Church as we know it today. During the second semester, we will be discussing the history of the Church from the Industrial Revolution until the present day. Then, we will discuss the 4 Marks of the Church (One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic), the necessity and theology of the Church, and the structure of the Church.

Theology III and IV (Juniors and Seniors) — The Juniors and Seniors will be taking 4 semester-long courses during their Junior and Senior years:

a. Sacraments — This is a one-semester course on the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. We will examine all 7 Sacraments, both their matter and form. The Sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation will be explored as the Sacraments that feed the Christian’s soul throughout their life. We will place particular emphasis on the Sacrament of Confirmation as the Junior class prepares for their reception of it and the Sacraments of Holy Orders and Marriage as the Senior class begins to discern their vocation. Students will learn why we need each Sacrament, its effects and graces, how Jesus instituted it, and what makes it valid. We will briefly cover the Liturgy and Sacramentals that the Church offers us, as well as the concepts of popular piety and the “primacy of the liturgy.”

b. Morality — This is a one-semester course on Morality. We will examine Morality through many lenses, but most especially the Golden Man. We will also discuss The Covenants between God and Men, the Decalogue (10 Commandments), the Beatitudes, Sermon on the Mount, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, the Cardinal and Theological Virtues, and the 7 Deadly Vices. Theological and philosophical arguments for Christian Morality will be offered as well as practical application and support in building a moral life.

c. Catholic Social Teaching — This is a one-semester course on Catholic Social Teaching. The history of CST will be presented (Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, Gaudium et Spes, etc.). The 7 themes of Catholic Social Teaching will be examined in both theological discussion and how it is applicable to modern-day political and social issues. The 7 themes of CST are 1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person, 2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation, 3. Rights and Responsibilities, 4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, 5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, 6. Solidarity, and 7. Care for God's Creation.

d. Christian Living- This is a one-semester course on different topics that have to do with living a Christian lifestyle. We are going to be discussing several different issues that have to do with this broad category through the lens of C.S. Lewis’ masterpiece The Four Loves. We will discuss how we can be tempted to be distracted by the world in many different ways. Theological arguments against abuse of these things and practical ways to overcome them will be offered. The Theology of the Body as laid out by Pope Saint John Paul II will be covered as it regards body image, self-perception, sexual attraction and the sexual act. Theological and psychological arguments for the unitive (love) and procreative (life) ends of sex will be presented. Deficiencies of the sexual act in many different forms will also be discussed.. The Christian idea of what it means to be a man or woman will also be discussed. Finally, the students will learn more about the 4 vocations (Single, Married, Priesthood, and Consecrated Life) and how to discern how God is calling them to love and be loved.