Faith Formation

Sacramental Preparation

First Communion instruction takes place in the second grade.

Confirmation instruction takes place in the eighth grade. Confirmation prep is a one-year program. Confirmation preparation is given here at Immaculate Conception while the pre-confirmation retreat and the Confirmation Rite will take place at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Newton, Iowa.

In addition to religious instruction, students will receive yearly, safe environment training. This information is age-specific. This information is given by parents who, upon completion, return their completed form to the office. An aggregate of the completed and non-completed information will then be sent to the diocese for use in their documentation for the annual review according to the Bishops' Charter.

Occasionally throughout the year, there will be additional activities in which the students may participate. In the past some of the activities have included, St. Francis's blessing of pets, visiting a local corn maze, and a mid-winter skiing trip. These activities vary by year and interest.

Critical Note

It is important to remember that parents are the first and best teachers of faith to their children. Students will often bring home activities that are to be completed with the family. This is important for several reasons but the two most important are:

Our time with the students amounts to about 40 hours per year. That is not a lot of time. The lessons the catechists teach must be reinforced by the family if they are to be impactful. Children are wonderful mimics. If they see their older brothers and sisters and parents living and practicing their faith, they are much more likely to do the same. If they don't have the example, it can be almost guaranteed they won't have any interest in their Catholic faith.

Religious education provides good teaching, however, it is in no way a substitute for attending Mass. Mass is where we interact and connect with God with Christ. Mass is where they experience the presence of God in the congregation, in the Word, and the Eucharist. If asked, it would be more beneficial for students and their families to come to Mass weekly than attend religious education. This is especially important for those in sacramental preparation years.

The religious education program at Immaculate Conception runs in the church hall from October to the end of April on Wednesday evenings, from 6:15 PM to 7:30 PM. Classes are available for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Often, classes are combined to enhance the effectiveness of instruction. We desire to have a catechist and an aide in each classroom.