St. Joseph Catholic School
Strong Academics in the Catholic Tradition Since 1897
St. Joseph Catholic School • 10 North Long Street • Farmington, MO
phone 573-756-6312 • fax 573-756-0738
Prayer
Relationship with God finds many expressions. Each school day includes prayer time: traditional Catholic prayers, rosary, litanies, study of lives of the saints, journaling and meditation; sacred music and art and “anointing the goodness” are examples of varieties of prayer. This Sacred time is in addition to religion classes and Masses. Students participate in weekly Eucharistic adoration and monthly First Friday benediction. During the Lenten season, students attend Stations of the Cross including a presentation of the Living Stations by our seventh and eight grades.
"All parents desire to give their children the BEST education possible. At St. Joseph's
we strive not only to give the child the best education, but to nurture the very purpose
of their being... to love God with all of their heart, mind and soul!"
Fr. Rickey Valleroy, pastor
Mass
Liturgies are the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed. At the same time, they are the fountain from which all the Church’s graces flow. The aim and object of apostolic works are that all who are made children of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and to eat the Lord’s Supper (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). St. Joseph Catholic School is committed to offering quality, faith-filled liturgies for the children of St. Joseph Catholic School.
St. Joseph Catholic School students participate in grade-level appropriate liturgies. Classes take turns planning and preparing for weekly Masses and participating in the choir. All-school Mass is celebrated on Fridays to continue the devotion to Our Lord. Families are invited to join our students for Mass each Friday at 8:05 a.m.
Special liturgical seasons are observed and celebrated within the school: Stations of the Cross, prayer services, rosary, May crowning, blessing of throats, and sacramental celebrations of reconciliation. Parental participation is encouraged.
Sacramental Preparation
Sacraments are special signs given to us by Jesus through which we share in God's life and love. Participation in Catholic sacraments is a very special and sacred event that is essential to our identity as a Catholic School. Sacrament preparation involves our parents, teachers, the Director of Religious Education and the Principal, and the priests of the parish. Preparation includes theology, celebration and practices of each sacrament.
It is the Archdiocesan policy that Sacramental Celebration be planned and executed as PARISH CELEBRATIONS with both Elementary and Parish School of Religion children.
Reconciliation
Students in second grade receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in December. As students prepare for the sacrament, they review the Ten Commandments, discuss God’s forgiveness, and learn the meaning of absolution, conscience, contrition, penance, sin, and grace.
Eucharist
As Catholics, we are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ and to follow in his ways. Just as Christ fed the hungry, clothed the naked, healed the sick, and welcomed the stranger, we are called to follow His example. Our participation in the Eucharist confirms this mission.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that "those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it, Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body; the Church" (CCC, 1396). "If one member of the body suffers, all members of the body suffer" (1 Corinthians 12:26). Thus by the Eucharist we are committed to serve the poor (CCC, 1397). Christ tells us that "those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them" (John 6:56).
Our students and faculty participate in Mass and receive the Eucharist each Friday at our school Mass. Students in second grade prepare to receive their First Eucharist in the spring. As they prepare for the Sacrament, they discuss the Last Supper, the parts of the Mass, and the Blessed Sacrament.
Confirmation
Preparation for this sacrament is ongoing with more intense preparation during the seventh and eighth grades. In order for a teen to receive Confirmation in the eighth grade, he or she completes the program that includes a Confirmation retreat, service hours, research on a saint, a reflection paper, a letter to the Pastor stating her or his desire to be confirmed, and an interview with parish staff or other community leaders. Parents, sponsors, teachers, priests, the principal, and the Catholic community all have significant roles in this preparation.
The immediate preparation begins in April of the seventh grade year with a candidate/parent meeting. At this meeting, the Confirmation Handbook containing details of preparation, service projects, forms, and celebration are distributed to the candidate and parents.
During the eighth grade year, more immediate preparation for Confirmation begins; it gradually becomes more intensive as the parish celebration approaches.
During the autumn retreat, those students who wish to become candidates for Confirmation are asked to sign the Confirmation candidate poster during the Liturgy.
The date for Confirmation is set by the Archbishop or Bishop each year.
