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Religious Education / Spiritual Development
The Religious Education programs at Our Lady Queen of Peace are designed to teach children how to recognize, understand, and respond to God's love as authentic Catholic Christians. Our primary objective is to bring Jesus back to the kitchen table by supporting and facilitating our parents as first teachers of the faith. We offer a variety of programs to meet the developmental needs of our church community. Contact: Katie Remedios, Religious Education Director, 703-979-5580, kremedios@olqpva.org
Children's Faith FormationGroup Studies - "Family Circles" Individual Studies - "Home Based"
Catholic Foundations Children's Liturgy of the Word - (CLW) takes place during 3 of the Sunday Masses (9:30, 11:15, and 1:00pm Spanish). Children ages 4-10 are invited to listen and reflect on the Sunday Gospel in child friendly language. The children leave the main sanctuary and proceed to our Children's Chapel where they experience the Gospel, Profession of Faith, and General Intercessions before returning to join their church community for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Family Mass - is a special Children's Liturgy which follows the monthly Review Session (5pm on the first Saturday of each month). Open to everyone, this Mass allows the children to participate fully in a Liturgy by serving as lectors, greeters, ushers, gift bearers, Family Mass choir members and musicians. The homily is directed to the children.  Christmas gifts for the homeless Enrichment Activities: in addition to our Religious Education classes, a variety of activities and opportunities have been created to support children and families in their faith journey. Please check the parish calendar for the date and times of each event:
Faith Formation for AdultsParish adults are invited to explore and grow in their faith life by participating in any of the following programs: (please check the parish calendar for times and locations) Catholic Foundations Class - during this class, a specific topic is presented by one of our clergy, followed by interactive discussion. This class takes place on the first Saturday of each month from 4-5pm in the Founders Room. Salvation History Class - (October - January) this class meets once per month to discuss the history of the Catholic Church from Genesis to present day. Originally designed to assist the parents of our Confirmandi with at home discussions, this informative class is open to all adult parishioners. Bible Studies - Get to know the Bible by attending a series of Saturday workshops offered during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Watch the bulletin for details. Theology on Tap - two opportunities per month are offered for small groups to meet informally and discuss matters of faith. Parish Theologians facilitate these casual group conversations around a table at a neighborhood pub. The same program is offered for students in grades 11 and 12. Intergenerational Activities - These activities are designed to engage the whole community, regardless of age. Opportunities for service and reflection are offered throughout the year to provide experiences of practiced faith. Together we glean vegetables from local farms to feed the poor of our community, watch "movies with a moral" and share our insights, bake holidays pies to accompany food baskets, knit scarves for the cold, and bake cookies for the imprisoned.
Sacramental PreparationBaptism - The blessings of Baptism, the ritual elements of the sacrament, and the spiritual significance of those elements are explored and explained in a comfortable gathering of parents a few weeks prior to the celebration. We prefer to celebrate Baptism in community and conveniently schedule weekly Baptisms on a rotating basis at the 5:30pm Vigil Mass, the 9:30am and 11:15 am Sunday morning Masses. First Communion - Our First Communion program has been developed to facilitate and support our parents as "first and best teachers of the faith", enabling them to prepare their children at home for the sacrament of First Holy Communion. This program is a part of our family based model of religious education. Each family receives family friendly textbooks, clearly defined and detailed learning objectives, and actual teaching guides to help you teach the material to your child. This material will include; vocabulary, prayers, home lesson plans and even time management charts to keep you on schedule. During the course of the program, the children will attend a series of four Saturday Workshops, to review, reinforce, and evaluate student understanding. A mentor program has been established to assist families who would like additional instructional support. The First Communion program begins in October and concludes with the celebration of the sacrament in June. Confirmation - The confirmation program of Our Lady Queen of Peace is a one year course of study, with student preparation beginning in February and concluding with the celebration of the sacrament in the spring of the following year. The program is open to any student in grade 7, 13 years of age or older. Our program is defined and developed through four specific stages of instruction: Getting to Know My Church, Getting to Know Myself, Getting to Know My Community, and Understanding the Sacrament. Each stage of instruction is also complimented and supported by student workshops, service projects, and social activities. Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults - The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a process for welcoming new members into the Roman Catholic Church. The RCIA is a community journey leading to a transformation of mind and spirit; a personal journey in which participants re-examine their relationship with God. Guided by the Gospel and encouraged by the welcome of church members, newcomers find their place in the community of believers. The program meets once per week beginning in September, and concludes with the celebration of the sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil Mass. "Water into Wine" - Marriage Preparation - Water into Wine is a marriage preparation program offered to engaged couples three weekends per year. The program consists of talks and workshops presented over a day and a half by a team of married couples on such topics as Children, Daily Living, Life Challenges, and more. In addition, meals and snacks are provided during the weekends by a team of hospitality couples. New volunteers are welcome to join us as presenting couples or as part of the hospitality team.
Adult Spirituality and EnrichmentShare the Word Bible Study - Join us for a contemporary study of scripture on the first and third Saturday each month at 9:30 a.m. All are welcome. Contact: Pat Fitzgibbons - 703-960-0178, pfitzgibbons@cox.net Christian Meditation Group - Come, listen to the silence. This group meets every Friday, 10:30 - 11:45 a.m. in the church just prior to daily Mass. All are invited to participate in this ancient prayer form. Contact: Susan Thompson - susanstarrsthompson@juno.com Minkisi - "Lord, send the gift of you Spirit to fill this place, myself and the world." The Minkisi ministry believes that in the Spirit of the Living God we are all people of African descent on a spiritual journey -- called to be healing instruments of God. In April 1997, this ministry began shortly after a parish revival led by Fr. A.J. McKnight, C.S.Sp. A small group of parishioners accepted the retreat director's challenge to continue meeting with others as "Christians under construction." Monthly parish gatherings focus on several aspects of adult faith formation: scripture, contemplative prayer, individual and group reflection, interracial dialogue and social action in the surrounding Nauck community. All are invited to the small group sessions held the first Monday of each month at 7:15 p.m. in the Discussion Room of the Parish Office Building. Nourishing open hearts and spirits, Minkisi also provides leadership in prayer services, in coffee hours and in an annual mini-retreat on the second Saturday of November. Contact: Cecilia Braveboy, jisaac3@verizon.net or 703-979-5389. For more information on our activities, visit the Minkisi Ministry web page. Ujamaa Committee - The name "Ujamaa" means "familyhood", thus, mutual cooperation. Ujamaa responds to the pastoral vision of the universal Church and reflects the special commitment of our parish to remember, reverence and celebrate the faith and gifts of our founders. The committee seeks to bring forth the cultural richness, gifts and skills of Black Catholics and to respond sensitively and forcefully to the needs of African Americans. In addition to cultural and educational events, activities are developed for the whole parish in liturgy, religious training, social justice ministry and leadership training. It is hoped that all members of our multi-cultural parish will contribute and benefit. Contact: Veronica Dabney - 703-698-8290, vdabney@cox.net Men's Spirituality Group - This group of men meet the 4th Saturday morning of each month for discussions on spirituality. Contact: Chris Zinner - 703-794-2216 or chris_zinner@yahoo.com Prayer Group/Grupo de Oración en Español - Everyone is welcome to join this Spanish language, traditional Hispanic prayer and praise group. Contact: Odalis Barrios - obarrios@arlingtonva.us OLQP Book Club - The Book Club gathers once a month on the evening of the third Thursday for an informal discussion of a book, which is chosen by group consensus. If you enjoy group discussions, we welcome you. Contact: Chuck Moran - 703-892-4154, chuckmoran@verizon.net Father Ed Kelly Series & Stone Soup Suppers - The Fr. Ed Kelly Series encourages parishioners to engage in public policy advocacy by informing them on current issues that are close to the heart of the parish. The Stone Soup Suppers create dialogue among parishioners as we face the challenges of a multicultural parish community. These two speaker series programs look for volunteers to help plan events, and help with logistical support such as making soup or donating bread for the suppers, setting up and cleaning up at each event. Contact: Michelle Knight - 703-979-5580, mknight@olqpva.org Engaging Spirituality - Engaging Spirituality is accessible and practical, inviting people to plumb their own depths. It introduces seekers to a breadth of contemporary and ancient wisdom. It moves us out to embrace current social realities from our hearts. Engaging Spirituality seeks a "grounded spirituality" for contemplative-prophetic living today. This course begins each fall. Contact: Michelle Knight - 703-979-5580, mknight@olqpva.org JustFAITH - JustFAITH is a justice-oriented formation process similar to a college course, which integrates personal spirituality with social ministry. JustFAITH allows participants to study and be formed by the justice tradition articulated by Jesus and early Church leaders in Scripture, the Church's historical witness, and Catholic social teaching. Medium used for the course include books, videos, speakers and field trips to visit low income communities. Topics include scriptural imperative for justice, the Church's preferential option for the poor, papal and pastoral statements, consumerism, racism, and causes of growing world poverty. The format of the course is a 30 week seminar which begins in September. Contact: Michelle Knight - 703-979-5580, mknight@olqpva.org OLQP Library - The OLQP library currently houses a collection of over 3,000 volumes relating to religious studies and social justice concerns. In addition, the library subscribes to a number of religious periodicals such as America and The Tablet. The library, which serves as a valuable resource for parishioners and ministries, is located on the lower level of the Ministry Center. Borrowing is based on a self-service honor system and patrons are asked to sign books out and return them in a timely manner. Donations are welcome. Contact: Michal Morsches - 703-256-2726, morsches@mac.com |
Our Lady Queen of Peace2700 South 19th Street |
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