(Faith Formation / Religious Education)
“You may dazzle the mind with a thousand brilliant discoveries of natural science; you may open new worlds of knowledge which were never dreamed of before; yet, if you have not developed in the soul of the pupil strong habits of virtue which will sustain her in the struggle of life, you have not educated her, but only put in her hand a powerful instrument of self-destruction.”
~ Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
Sacramental Preparation Classes at the Church of the Holy Rosary
Registration for the 2026-2027 semester is now open.
Please read through the following before registering.
Holy Rosary’s religious education program is designed and maintained under the direction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. We seek to provide children with a thorough understanding of the Catholic faith that is relevant for the age and maturity of the students and a necessary component for them to grow in the virtues of faith, hope and love. Through instruction, exercises, activities, and worship, our Religious Education program provides children with valuable experiences and promotes their growth in mind and heart to be Christian disciples.
For more on the importance of Religious Education for your child, click HERE.
Effective September 2026, the Church of the Holy Rosary only offers Religious Education classes for the purpose of preparing children for the Sacrament of First Holy Communion and/or for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Unlike previous years, there are no classes for children who have received First Holy Communion, but are not yet eligible for Confirmation.
The Church of the Holy Rosary reserves the right to determine if a student has the necessary maturity and knowledge to receive a Sacrament.
First Holy Communion Preparation
First Holy Communion participation takes two years of preparation. This is a requirement of the Archdiocese of Newark. If your child is registering for First Holy Communion Preparation for the first time with our Parish, you MUST provide a copy of your child’s Baptismal Certificate. (The Baptismal Certificate should be scanned and emailed to holyrosary@aol.com immediately after completing the online registration form in the link below.)
Children may register as early as first grade, provided they reach at least the age of seven by May of their second year of preparation. The Holy Roman Catholic Church considers seven years old as “the age of reason.” Therefore, children who are under the age of seven at the time of the First Holy Communion ceremony (held in the month of May of their second-year of preparation) will not be eligible to receive the Sacrament. Also, please note that the Sacrament of First Reconciliation (“Confession”) is a prerequisite for First Holy Communion, and is part of the second year of preparation they will receive from our Parish.
Confirmation Preparation
Confirmation preparation takes two years of preparation. This is a requirement of the Archdiocese of Newark. If your child is registering for Confirmation Preparation for the first time with our Parish, you MUST include a copy of your child’s Baptismal Certificate and First Holy Communion Certificate. (Both Certificates should be scanned and emailed to holyrosary@aol.com immediately after completing the online registration form in the link below.)
Children must be between the ages of 13 and 16 for Confirmation in our Parish. Children over the age of 16 are considered adults, and must receive training for Confirmation through our OCIA program. The Confirmation ceremony is held in May or June of their second-year of preparation. Also, please note that the Sacrament of Reconciliation (“Confession”), and attendance at a Confirmation Retreat held in the Parish Center, are both prerequisites for Confirmation.
Your child will also need a Confirmation sponsor. A sponsor is someone who is willing to help a child in their catechesis, as well as in their lifelong spiritual formation, and bears witness to the child’s Confirmation. To see the requirements for a Confirmation Sponsor, click HERE.
Children attending a Roman Catholic Elementary or High School
Children who attend a Roman Catholic elementary or high school are not required to attend Religious Education classes at our Parish. In order for such children to receive either the Sacrament of First Holy Communion or the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Church of the Holy Rosary, we must receive a letter from an authority at the child’s Catholic School attesting to the fact that your child is prepared and ready to make the respective Sacrament.
Schedule of Classes
Classes are held weekly in the Parish Center at 26 Edgewater Place beginning Sunday, September 13, 2026 and ending Sunday, May 2, 2027. Children are expected to gather in the Parish Center Chapel no later than 9:15am, as classes promptly start at 9:30am and run to 10:45am. Frequent class absences may cause your child to miss the number of classes required by the Archdiocese of Newark, and require them to repeat the year.
Classes conclude at 10:45am specifically so you can take your child(ren) to the 11:00am Mass. Children grow in faith, virtue, respect and values by weekly attendance at Mass with their families and with continual learning of our Roman Catholic faith.
Click HERE for the 2026-27 Class Schedule.
To Register for Sacramental Preparation Classes
All students must complete an application each year, even if they are returning students. The registration form, and the required tuition, MUST be submitted BEFORE classes begin on September 13, 2026. (We cannot process a registration on Sunday morning and place your child in class the same day. Doing so will only delay their start date by at least a week.) Late admissions after October 1st will not be accepted because your child will miss the number of classes required by the Archdiocese of Newark.
You can pay the applicable tuition fee (see the box below) electronically by clicking HERE. In the alternative, you may pay by check payable to the Church of the Holy Rosary and mailed to 365 Undercliff Avenue, Edgewater, NJ 07020. Cash tuition is not accepted. Tuition must be received before classes begin.
Families must be registered and active parishioners in order to enroll their child(ren) in our Religious Education program.
Click HERE to access the online registration form. You must complete a separate registration form for each child being registered.
CCD Tuition Fee Schedule for 2026-2027
Registrations Returned BEFORE September 1: $100 per child / $150 for two or more children
Registrations Returned AFTER September 1: $200 per child / $250 for two or more children
The Role of Parents and Teachers in a Child’s Religious Education
You are your child’s first teacher in the school of life and faith. Please join in our mission by:
Attending Mass each Sunday with your child
Praying daily with your child and as a family
Promoting regular attendance at Faith Formation classes
Asking your children what they learned after each Faith Formation class
Sharing your faith in your own way
The role of the teachers in the CCD program is not to replace the role of the parent as the primary educators in the faith, but rather complement and build upon those principles that should be taught at home. Parental instruction and support of this program is mandatory throughout the Religious Education program as parents are the first teachers of their children throughout their lives.
Children grow in faith, virtue, respect and values by weekly attendance at Mass with their families and with continual learning of our Roman Catholic faith.
Parents are strongly encouraged to read the Parent’s Handbook by clicking HERE. A hard copy of the Handbook is available upon request.
Church of the Holy Rosary, Edgewater, NJ 