Middle School Info.

Dear friends, Welcome to our Wednesday program for middle school children (6th through 8th grade). St. Edwin parish gladly receives families and children who find fulfillment in belonging to a local Catholic-Christian community, look forward each Sunday to the celebration of the Eucharist and seek to be formed in the faith we hold dear. There are a number of reasons children are enrolled in this program. At this level, the first is for those who have already received their sacraments but want to continue their faith and friendship building among their peers. We allow these fifth-graders to join. The second reason is for students who still need to make their First Holy Communion. The third is for those who have not yet been baptized, to begin an extended program culminating in the reception of all three Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil after three years. Our middle school program has a distinctively biblical character: all the students receive their own bible, place tabs to mark the different books, and from there begin exploring the content of the Old and New Testaments, the History of Salvation and God’s plan for humanity. Our young people have responded positively and with enthusiasm to this approach. The program is fourfold: 1) Sunday Mass, even in the summer season when we do not have classes. Participation in the Eucharist forms the foundation of our program and all that we do here as a parish. Over the time of instruction each family completes five quarters (four months each) with at least 75% attendance. Find out how to strategize, so as not to arrive at the end of a quarter without the required attendance here.* 2) Weekly Classes, September through May, under the direction of our dedicated and knowledgeable catechists. 3) “Learning,” which includes knowing the prayers and other important components of our faith. You can find the material here. 4) Service by the parents at the various events held throughout the year. It is a great way to get to know the other parishioners. The middle-schoolers, having arrived at a certain age and level of ability, are welcome to jump in and help out as well. Click here for more information. You may track your progress in these four areas here.* We divide our program into quarters, each one being four months. Students begin the second Wednesday in September of year one, and complete the program the Wednesday before our San Isidro Spring Festival in May of year two. The whole program is twenty months, or five quarters. Sacraments are received during the Easter season once the requirements have been met. Classes will be held from 4:45pm to 6:15pm starting in September of 2024, due to the Albuquerque Public Schools’ schedule changes at the elementary level. Something new! We have integrated choir singing into our program, the last half hour of class, about twice a month. You can see the various dates as well as vacations on the “Master Calendar” of this site. We invite you to refer to it often! Feel free to apply any time at the office. Once you get the ok we will start the enrollment process using our online form. You can find a list of the documents to gather for the office here. We ask only a small, non- refundable fee for processing your information. Stop by; we look forward to seeing you! *To successfully complete our program, parents with their children must be committed to regularly attending Sunday Mass.