ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND MASS REGULARLY WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
CCD (CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2025-2026
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION will be Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 10:00 am at Holy Rosary Church. Practice will be Friday, April 24, 2026, at 6:00 pm. Fr. Nelson Javier, TOR will hear Confessions during practice. Our Prayerful Congratulations to Theresa Benlota, Hudson Clancy, Darcy Hamilton, Kinsleigh Hoover, Trent Martynuska, Maria Nguyen, Brielle Sweeney, and Cory Winter.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION - On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, our 9th, 10th, and 11th Grade Students will be Confirmed by Bishop Mark L. Bartchak at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament . Our Prayerful Congratulations to Brayden Andros, Riley Ferguson, Hannah Homan, Alec Layton, Dale Miller, Talan Palladini, Quinn Phillips, our 11th Graders; Andrew Burke and Kate Seidel, our 10th Graders; and Anna Hileman and Dominic Picciotti, our 9th Graders..
CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES & SPONSORS are asked to go to St. Therese of the Child Jesus school from 9:00 am - 10:30 am to practice on April 12. The Rite of Sending Forth for the Confirmation Candidates will be held Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Holy Rosary Church during the 11:00 am Mass. We will line up in the church hall downstairs or outside if it is nice. Please arrive no later than 10:40 am. If the Sponsor cannot attend, a parent or adult must accompany the candidate.
2026 CONFIRMATION - Practice will be Monday, April 13, at 6:00 pm at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Candidates and Sponsors are to report to the basement and sit at your assigned table and check in with Suzanne Barry. If your family members are altar servers, they are to report to the nave of the Cathedral upstairs. If there are any sponsors who cannot use the stairs, please let Suzanne Barry know as soon as possible. Confirmation is Tuesday, April 14th at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Candidates and Sponsors MUST be in the basement of the Cathedral by 6:00 pm. If your family members are Ministers of Hospitality, they are to go upstairs in the nave of the church and ask for Jeanne Thompson. She will assign you an entrance and give you programs. =========================================================== FIRST HOLY COMMUNION CANDIDATES - There will be a mandatory session for the First Holy Communion candidates on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 6:15 pm in Saint Mark's School. A parent must accompany their child. Banners will be distributed at this time. Cathy Vorndran will be the facilitator. Please use the alley entrance. Thank You, Suzanne L. Barry, DRE.
CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES - Please have all your paperwork turned in by Sunday, March 29, 2026.
CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES 2026 - Congratulations to our Confirmation candidates who hosted a Mardi Gras on 2-22-26 for the Religious Education students at Father Kelley Hall. It was their service project, which is a requirement for Confirmation. The candidates planned everything under the direction of our mentors (Shelly Frank, Gina DeRubeis & Barb Kowalski). The candidates decided what food and drinks to serve; they arrived an hour early to unload vehicles and set everything up; they welcomed the students, we had an opening prayer, played lots of games that the candidates were in charge of; then we gathered in our prayer circle and they introduced their saint name they chose and explained why they picked that saint; then lead us in Lenten Trivia; after a closing prayer the students were dismissed and the candidates cleaned everything up and packed up the cars. Thank you, candidates and mentors, for a job well done! Fr. Nelson and Fr. Norris stopped in to join in on all the fun, too!
CAMP ZACCHAEUS - JULY 19 - 24, 2026 is for Youth entering Grades 4-9 in the Fall of 2026. For more information or a registration brochure, contact Francine Swope at 814 317-2646.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION - The following children made their First Reconciliation on December 6, 2025, at Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Church. Please keep these children in your prayers as they prepare for their First Eucharist: Theresa Benlota, Hudson Clancy, Darcy Hamilton, Kinsleigh Hoover, Trent Martynuska, Maria Nguyen, Brielle Sweeney, Cory Winter.
TEACHER’S PRAYER Lord, I know I have a responsibility to teach children about You. Please help me every step of the way. I pray that I can answer all questions posed to me by the students and I ask you to guide me to instill in the young people a love of God, respect for themselves and others, and a continuing exercise of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, thus changing from bad to good all their thoughts and deeds. Amen.
Director of Religious Education Suzanne Barry Catechists 1st Grade – Cindy Petucci 2nd Grade – Cathy Vorndran 9th, 10th, 11th Grades – Cathy Tellish Substitute Catechists Theresa Picciotti Gary Caldwell
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION BAKE SALE The Annual Sale was a huge success thanks to our wonderful bakers and buyers! We profited $723.50! Father Nelson, the students, teachers and DRE are most appreciative. The money will provide for needed materials, the Senior High Youth Conference (SHYCON), the Junior High Youth Day, Mardi Gras, etc. THANK YOU EVERYONE AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR HELP!
HOLY ROSARY & SAINT MARK’S RELIGIOUS EDUCATION will be held at St. Therese of the Child Jesus School. We begin Sunday 9-7-25. Classes are 9AM - 10:20AM. Open House at the school is scheduled as follows: Sunday, August 17th & 24th from 9:15AM-10AM and Saturday August 23rd from 3PM-5PM. Please use the ramp door. The reasons for relocating are as follows: Maintaining teachers, low enrollment, off-street parking, classrooms are larger and appealing, use of Fr. Kelly Hall and the school will be locked. Suzanne Barry will continue to be the DRE for Holy Rosary & St Mark parishes and will be at St Therese every Sunday. The pastor and DRE at St. Therese are Fr. Brian Norris and Mary Beth Schmidhamer. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact Fr. Nelson Javier, TOR, or Suzanne Barry. Thank you!
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CONGRATULATIONS TO HOLY ROSARY AND SAINT MARK’S 2025 GRADUATING SENIORS Your Parish Family wishes you “Good Luck and God’s Blessings” in all your future endeavors. “May you always feel God’s presence in your life.” Parishioners are asked to keep these young people in your prayers. Congratulations to: Alexandra Dickson, Lia Sankey, Raider Evans.
2025 FIRST HOLY COMMUNION was Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 10:00 am at Holy Rosary. Our Prayerful Congratulations toMother, Emilie Hileman and Daughter, Alexa Hileman.
CONFIRMATION – Congratulations to Evan Burke, Anthony Kowalski, Marina Rose Petucci and Logan Shannon who received the Sacrament of Confirmation on May 13, 2025, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, confirmed by Bishop Mark L. Bartchak. Please consider being a part of special ministries, like Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers.
Prayerful Thanks to our Director of Religious Education, Suzanne Barry and Teachers: Cathy Tellish, Cathy Vorndran, Nick Leberfinger, Dan Phillips and to the Substitute Teachers: Gary Caldwell, Theresa Picciotto, Linda Skelley. God Bless You.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – Mardi Gras was enjoyed by all. Grades 6th through 11th arrived early to set up and the 1st through 5th graders decorated their prize bags. Everyone gathered and prayed the meal prayer and enjoyed fresh donuts and beverages. The high school students ran the games, and the Confirmation Candidates announced their Confirmation name and why they chose that name and then talked about their saint. The Mardi Gras ended with a prayer circle discussing upcoming Lenten journeys and prayer offerings. Thanks to everyone who made Mardi Gras special.
SAINT MARK’S CHILDREN ENVELOPES – Envelopes were given out to the children. It would be good habit for them to get into supporting their church by putting an envelope in the collection basket every week. It doesn’t have to be much, just something.
2024-2025 The time for the Religious Education Classes will be 9:15 am until 10:40 am. These are our teachers. Director of Religious Education – Suzanne Barry 1st Grade – Cindy Petucci 2nd Grade – Cathy Vorndran 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades – Nick Leberfinger 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades – Dan Phillips 9th, 10th, and 11th Grades – Cathy Tellish Substitute Teachers: Gary Caldwell Theresa Picciotto Linda Skelley
TEACHER’S PRAYER Lord, I know I have a responsibility to teach children about You. Please help me every step of the way. I pray that I can answer all questions posed to me by the students and I ask you to guide me to instill in the young people a love of God, respect for themselves and others, and a continuing exercise of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, thus changing from bad to good all their thoughts and deeds. Amen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ STUDENT’S PRAYER Lord, I know I have a lot to learn about you and about how to live my life. I come to you with my concerns. When I feel lonely because no one seems to care; when I get angry because life seems so unfair; when I feel closed in by pressures to succeed, accomplish, and excel; when I get confused about what is right and when I am afraid, take my hand and walk with me. Amen. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------