Program Description

Blest Are We: Faith in Action is a thematic program that invites all learners to explore and grow in Faith, Word, and Action. The series is offered by RCL Benzinger, one of several Catholic publishers approved and recommended by the Office of Evangelization & Catechesis in the Diocese of Des Moines. Each grade level theme has five units with four chapters correlated to the four pillars of the Catechism: 

• What Catholics Believe 
• How Catholics Worship 
• How Catholics Live 
• How Catholics Pray 

Format and Content

Grade 1: Introduction to the Holy Trinity. Units include Our Church Community, Our Loving God, God's Son Jesus, The Holy Spirit, Jesus Church of Followers. Participating in Grade 1 sessions is a pre-requisite to Grade 2 sessions and preparing to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.

Grade 2: The Catholic Church as a Eucharistic Community. Units include We Gather as Believers, We Ask God's Forgiveness (preparing for Penance & Reconciliation), We Celebrate the Word of God, We Celebrate the Gift of Eucharist (preparing for First Holy Communion), We Go in Peace.

Grade 3: Introduction to the Catholic Church, its Structure, and Core Beliefs. Units include The Church is One, The Church is Holy, The Church is Catholic, The Church is Apostolic, The Church Has a Mission to the World.

Grade 4: Moral Teachings of the Catholic Church. Units include The Goodness of God, Jesus is the Son of God, The Holy Spirit, The Church, Social Justice. Themes focus on the moral teaching of the Catholic Church. 

Grade 5: The Sacraments. Units include God's Gift of Life, Baptism & Confirmation, The Eucharist, Reconciliation & Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders & Matrimony.

Family Faith Evenings: During 2022 -2023 school year, we hope to offer two intergenerational sessions to complement Blest Are We: Faith in Action, and to support and offer resources to parents as primary faith formators of their children.
 

Home Study Option

Families who have chosen the home study option for their child(ren) in 1st-5th grade will receive:

• a copy of the student workbook for their child's grade
• account login information to access digital resources for their child's grade through the Flourish website associated with our Blest Are We: Faith in Action curriculum

Online Access

Our Blest Are We: Faith in Action curriculum for 1st-5th graders includes online resources available to families. Whether your child is attending sessions in person or you have chosen our home study option, please explore the Flourish website! In addition to a digital copy of your child’s workbook, the site also has a wide variety of free Catholic faith resources, such as discovery and prayer activities for seasons like Advent and Lent, saints stories, virtual tours of cathedrals around the world and much more!

To access your child’s online account 

1. Go to  https://www.flourishkh.com/ 
2. Click on LOGIN in the upper right corner 
3. Enter in lower case the first letter of your child’s first name followed by your child’s last name (in some cases where we had duplicates, you may need to enter the first two letters of your your child’s first name) 
4. The password for everyone is Faith 
5. The PIN for everyone is 50263

Sessions

Grades 1 - 5 meet weekly during the faith formation year, with breaks for holidays that align with local school districts and Catholic Church holy days. Additional parent information meetings and parent/child sacramental preparation sessions may also be part of the formation year. Please see the Faith Formation Handbook 2022-23 for specific dates, and watch for emails throughout the year from the Faith Formation Office. Session times are:

Mondays
4:30-5:30pm
5:45-6:45pm

Wednesdays
4:30-5:30pm
5:45-6:45pm

Calendar 2022-23

Catechist Resources

As a catechist --if a log-in code is needed, please contact [email protected]
 

Grade 1 Resources

Grade 2 Resources

Grade 3 Resources

Grade 4 Resources

Grade 5 Resources

Internal Forms

Click on the document title to view and print.

Parish Ministry Application