Foundations & Family Circles

Foundation Classes & Family Circles

Starting in 1st grade, we provide seven years of Faith Foundation Classes that take students from First Communion through Confirmation. We believe parents are their children's most important teachers, so in addition to Foundations Classes led by catechists, we help parents lead Family Circles, in which they conduct weekly lessons with their children as well.

Foundations Classes

Our Lady Queen of Peace provides seven years of Faith Foundation classes. Students begin the program in 1st grade, and it takes them from First Communion through Confirmation. These classes are led by Parish catechists and take place at the church throughout the school year.

2023-24 Class Schedule

* The exact schedule/dates for classes will be provided to all registered families during the Info session. See below.
* To enroll in First Communion, students must first complete Year 1; and to enroll in Confirmation, students must first complete Year 6.
* Year 1 typically begins in 1st grade, Year 2 in 2nd grade, etc. Please reach out if your child requires an adjustment to this.

Registration
Classes for the 2023-24 school year have reached capacity. Please reach out to Cecilia Lopez at clopez@olqpva.org for help looking into additional options for Religious Education this year.

Start & End Dates
Classes start and end on the following dates:

Family Mass
A monthly Family Mass, starting at 4:00pm, follows Saturday afternoon classes. Exact schedule will be provided at Info Session.

Weekly Connection on Zoom
For all monthly classes, catechists also hold a 15-20 minute Zoom session each week. They check-in with students, build relationships and discuss Faith Formation lessons being completed at home through Family Circles (see more info below). Each catechist will determine the time for their class's Zoom sessions.

Information Session
All families are required to attend an in-person info session before classes begin. We will email all registered families by August to provide a few dates for these sessions . Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you and your children soon.

Cost of the Program
We charge a fee during registration to cover the cost of materials for our programs. In Years 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, it is $50 per child. First Communion is $100 per child and Confirmation is $150 per child. There is also a $10 discount for each additional child that is enrolled per family. All families should have the opportunity to participate, so if there is a need for scholarships please contact Cecilia Lopez Oetgen (clopez@olqpva.org).

Family Circles

Faith is a gift from God. It is knowledge born of love. And who better to teach children that knowledge born of love than their parents.

Family Circles
Family Circles is a family based faith formation program in which parents commit to spending twenty-four hours each year instructing, modeling, guiding, and sharing lessons of faith with their children. The Faith Formation team will support parents and provide materials including Finding God resources and other lesson guides. This program compliments Foundations Classes and runs during the school year as well. Catechists also check in with students on Zoom each week to provide support (see above).

Neighborhood Circles
We also encourage parish families to team together if they choose to form a Neighborhood Circle. In a Neighborhood Circle, parents come together to conduct lessons and integrate activities for their children.

Information Session
As mentioned above, all families are required to attend an in-person family info session. Once registered, we will provide a few dates that you can choose from. This session outlines the Circle structure, objectives, safety procedures, best practices, commitment, and reporting system. Each family will receive family friendly textbooks, detailed learning objectives, and teaching guides at the session.

Please Contact us with any questions:
Cecilia Lopez Oetgen clopez@olqpva.org
Faith Formation Director