Middle School

As children grow into teenagers, their spiritual needs also increase, and their questions become more complex. To respond to this stage in a child's life, our program addresses both the intellectual components and the lived experience of the faith. All of our students cooperate and learn in a large group, but breakout sessions and activites help students apply their learning in a meaningful and applicable way. Our program runs on a three year cycle of curriculum to cover a wide range of topics for today's middle schooler to become a saint.

Middle schoolers from both St. Elizabeth and St. James gather on Wednesday evenings where they begin class in the church in front of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Our students pray Vespers (see additional information in the tab below) and are blessed during Benediction. Then, there's a combination of games, lessons, and activities for whatever that week's topic is. The evening concludes with Compline (see additional information in the tab below). Registration opens May 16th and closes August 15th! Contact our Director of Religious Education, Louisa Postlewait, at [email protected] with questions!

One of the most unique aspects of our middle and high school program is the extent to which prayer is incorporated into each class that we have. Every class begins with Adoration and Benediction to center our students around Jesus in the Eucharist. Additionally, our students learn to pray the Divine Office (also known as the Liturgy of the Hours).

Priests and religious pray the Liturgy of the Hours, an extension of the Holy Mass, daily, but many laity never learned how to join in this prayer. The Divine Office splits the day up into different "hours," and each hour has a set of prayers, Scripture readings, and Psalms. The last two hours of the Divine Office are Vespers (Evening Prayer) and Compline (Night Prayer). The Divine Office is a wonderful way to remember God throughout the day, and it can be prayed alone or, as we do in class, in a group. When praying in a group, there are two groups that alternate the reading of each paragraph, creating an interactive prayer experience.

Our students download iBreviary onto their phones or utilize printed versions of the prayers (since the prayers change daily) to bookend our class with this magnificent prayer. Join our teens in praying the Divine Office to make your daily lives more Scriptural and filled with the Lord's presence.

The faithful rejoice over all who come home to Holy Mother Church! Because of the multi-faceted needs of a preteen coupled with different backgrounds and experiences of each person, the process for converting to Catholicism looks different from person to person. If your son or daughter is coming into Catholicism, either from another faith tradition or from no faith background, contact Louisa Postlewait, our Director of Religious Education, at [email protected] for specifics on the process and a plan of action for their journey. We welcome and encourage preteens in this stage of life to join our religious education program in addition to their conversion process.

Your children are in good hands! All of our teachers have extensive knowledge in Catholicism and catechizing teens. Our team alternate in teaching lessons, leading prayers, and facilitating small groups. They are a resource for both you and your children as we journey toward Heaven together. If you or someone you know would like to help our team in some way, contact Louisa Postlewait at [email protected] Take a look below to meet all of our current catechists:

Ms. Louisa Postlewait: Louisa is our Director of Religious Education, but each Wednesday she works right in the classroom, both developing and teaching lessons. She has taught preschool and kindergarten all the way through college ministry and RCIA, and she is a firm believer that snacks are a necessary part of any good program.

Father Sean Granger: Father Sean is our dedicated and hard-working pastor at both St. Elizabeth and St. James. He makes our class Adoration and Benediction possible, and he is a ready resource for all of our students. He is proof that some superheroes actually do wear capes.

Mr. Jan Anderson: Jan has been a parishioner at St. Elizabeth for years, and you may have seen him assisting the servers as an MC during Mass. He converted to the Catholic faith after experiencing a number of different Protestant churches, including being an Anglican deacon. Additionally, he's quite the history buff, and as someone who majored in music theory, he's our resident song bird.

One of the most meaningful ways that a young man can serve his parish is as an altar server. There are so many elements to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and servers not only help the priest focus on the Word of God and the Blessed Sacrament (instead of all the details), but they add emphasis and reverence to the Mass as a whole. We know that young men that serve routinely in Mass are more likely to consider a vocation to the priesthood, and in a time of priest shortages, we want to give young men every opportunity to answer God's call.

Our servers are all trained by Father Sean Granger prior to serving in a Mass. As part of their training, they learn about all of the sacred objects they will use as well as many elements of Catholic tradition and history. Our servers assist in weekend Masses, funerals, weddings, and other special liturgies, as they are available and scheduled.

If you know of a young man 4th grade or older that is curious about serving, contact Louisa Postlewait, our Director of Religious Education, at [email protected] for more information.

Middle schoolers have reached an age of Christian charity, meaning they are able to serve more independently from their parents. Preteens have a remarkable ability to give of their time, talent, and treasure to spread God's love in the world. If your preteen is looking for ways that they can serve their community or our parishes, contact Louisa Postlewait at [email protected] for different options or ideas!