During the COVID-19 pandemic, classes for 2020-2021 were conducted remotely.
Classes have been mainly in-person for 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, though a few weeks of classes
were conducted remotely in January 2022 during the omicron variant surge
and one class was canceled in December 2023 out of caution.
We are excited to offer in-person classes in 2025-2026!
Registration for 2025-2026 will open soon!
Please check back on this page in May.
Notes before Registration:
Our classes are intended as comprehensive faith formation for school-age children not attending a Catholic school. Families are invited and expected to keep children in classes from year to year, not just for preparation for sacraments (First Reconciliation and First Communion in 2nd Grade or above and Confirmation in 8th Grade or above). Our program seeks to help children and their families grow in relationship with Jesus over time. And there is so much richness of our Catholic faith traditions to learn and experience, beyond preparing for the sacraments! Within that larger structure, there are processes of two years of preparation for sacraments and for welcoming new students into age-appropriate classes. Details are further down this page.
If a student’s family lives farther away (for example, outside the nearby zip codes of 60625, 60618, 60613 and 60640), please consider whether our parish’s classes are the best choice for the family. There may be a parish closer to home which the family would find it easier to be more involved in for worship (Sunday and holy day Masses) and events beyond classes (fun community events, performing service to those in need, receiving social services) to truly grow in discipleship and be connected to a parish community. Our city’s parish communities have evolved and changed over the years as parishes have restructured and neighborhoods have changed, so a church which once felt unwelcoming may now feel welcoming or may now offer Mass in additional languages or styles. There is also the consideration of what happens when there is bad weather or the family car breaks down and it becomes harder to get across town to class. You are still welcome to register for our classes if you decide after careful consideration that Queen of Apostles is your best option, and especially if you are already coming on Sundays for Mass at one of our parish’s churches. To investigate your options, visit the Parish Finder for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Or for a personalized recommendation, please contact Ms. Rachel Hohner at 312-857-6782.
Sunday K-7 Religious Education (CCD) Classes
including First Communion Preparation and 1st Year only of Confirmation Preparation
intended for students in Kindergarten through 7th Grade,
or students in 8th Grade and High School beginning their Confirmation Preparation
Registration Fees (per Family): $25 early registration until July 1st ($50 late registration after July 1st)
CCD Tuition (per Child): $150 for the first or only child, $75 for each additional child
Fees & Tuition Payable Online via GiveCentral * Calendar of Classes (available in August)
Classes will begin Sunday, September 7, 2025 and continue through Sunday, May 3, 2026
10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Sundays in Queen of Angels School, 4520 N. Western Ave.
Summer Fellowship Events TBD
Mandatory Parent Meeting TBD (probably in October) at Queen of Angels Church, 2330 W. Sunnyside
Retreat for All Students in 7th Grade and above on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at Queen of Angels Church, 2330 W. Sunnyside
Monday (2nd Year) Confirmation Prep
the 2nd year only of Confirmation Preparation
for qualifying students in 8th Grade and above
Sacrament Fee $125 per child, no other registration fees or tuition
Fees Payable Online via GiveCentral
Detailed calendars (available in August)
Christian Service component: Ideas for Service * Parish Service Calendar (link to come)
Classes will begin in September 2025 and continue until the Masses of Confirmation in Spring 2026 (date TBD by bishop)
6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mondays in Mission Hall at the Parish Center, 4412 N. Western Ave.
Initial Class for Students with their Parents TBD in September 2025 at Queen of Angels Church, 2330 W. Sunnyside
Class for Students with Parents and Sponsors TBD in Fall 2025 at St. Matthias Church, 2310 W. Ainslie
Retreat 1 for Students Only on Saturday, November 15, 2026 at Queen of Angels Church, 2330 W. Sunnyside
Retreat 2 for Students with Parents and Sponsors TBD in February 2026 at St. Matthias Church, 2310 W. Ainslie
Thank you for your cooperation in making this a wonderful year of growing in discipleship for our students.
We offer comprehensive Religious Education for students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade. Each year builds upon one another in a spiral curriculum with different themes carried throughout the year.
- Kindergarten: God Loves Us – Catholic basics, the Church year
- Level 1: God Is Good – Jesus is God’s best gift to us
- Level 2: God Cares for Us – sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
- Level 3: We Believe – the Creed, the Paschal Mystery, and Catholic devotions
- Level 4: God Guides Us – moral life in the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes
- Level 5: We Worship – liturgy and the seven sacraments
- Level 6: God Calls a People – Old Testament Scripture and the roots of the sacraments
- Level 7 (First Year Confirmation Prep): Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life – New Testament Scripture and teachings of Jesus for Christian moral life
- Level 8 (Second Year Confirmation Prep): Confirmed in the Spirit – sacrament of Confirmation and spiritual life in the Church
While we expect that children will return consistently year after year to build upon what they have already learned and continue to grow in discipleship, we realize that this is not always possible. Within the framework of our Religious Education program are options for sacrament-only preparation according to the needs of each individual family, or for taking a year off to focus on some crisis in the family.
The Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion (Eucharist) involve 2 years of study and preparation. We understand that families may begin Religious Education classes for their children at different ages, and so we offer several different tracks for preparing for these sacraments.
- If entering in 1st or 2nd Grade, or returning after Kindergarten:
- First Year: Level 1
- Second Year: Level 2, with First Reconciliation (late January or early February) and First Holy Communion (late April or early May)
- If entering in 3rd or 4th Grade:
- First Year: Level 3
- Second Year: Level 4, with First Reconciliation (late January or early February) and First Holy Communion (late April or early May)
- If entering in 5th or 6th Grade:
- First Year: Level 5 or Level 6, depending on the age/grade
- Second Year: Level 6 or Level 7 , depending on the age/grade, plus an additional class until 12:30 p.m. on 9 Sundays, January through April (“Special Sacraments”), with First Reconciliation (late January or early February) and First Communion (late April or early May)
- If entering in 7th Grade or above: see below and speak with the Coordinator for details.
- The earliest a student can receive these sacraments is in Level 2 after completing Level 1. Therefore, Kindergarten Religious Education can be a great experience for your child, but it is not a class which counts toward sacrament preparation.
- Summer enrichment experiences such as Totus Tuus likewise do not normally count toward sacrament preparation, but may help to launch a student’s re-entry into faith formation after a gap in their religious education.
These tracks are a general path for guiding students toward sacramental readiness. Whether a student in these levels is sufficiently prepared to receive these sacraments at the aimed-for time will depend on class attendance and demonstrating an appropriate understanding of the concepts involved. If you have concerns about class attendance due to a custody situation, health issue, learning needs, or ongoing schedule conflicts, please contact the Coordinator or your child’s teacher as soon as possible so that alternate arrangements can be made for instruction.
The Sacrament of Confirmation also involves 2 years of study and preparation.
- The first required year is Level 7 on Sundays, or 7th Grade Religion instruction in a Catholic school. The curriculum centers on building a relationship with Jesus and exploring New Testament Scripture as well as moral education for living in Christ.
- The second year, called Confirmation Prep, is held on Monday evenings for approximately 6-7 months, September through March. It is open to students who have completed Level 7 or are in 8th Grade in the parish school. This final set of classes is the immediate preparation for the sacrament and involves Christian service, 2 retreats, Parent and Sponsor evenings, discussion groups and guest speakers. Most class material is presented during Religion class within the school day for 8th Grade students in Queen of Angels School and St. Matthias School.
- Students are expected to already have prepared for and received their First Communion and First Reconciliation before entering 2nd Year classes for Confirmation on Monday evenings. There is not time during the Monday classes to prepare for additional sacraments. If there is a special circumstance where a student has somehow not received First Communion or First Reconciliation but is otherwise eligible for 2nd Year Confirmation Prep, please contact the coordinator to discuss making special arrangements.
- In the years when it is held, students from both years may participate in Holy Fire, an evangelization event and experience of the larger Church with music, witness talks, media presentations, different forms of prayer, and Mass.
- In Fall 2020, Holy Fire was not held. Instead, students participated locally in a virtual retreat to reflect on the meaning of the Mass.
- In Fall 2021, Holy Fire was a virtual experience only.
- In Fall 2022, Holy Fire was back in-person at Credit Union 1 Arena (formerly UIC Pavilion) on October 14 & 15, 2022. However, it was announced that in the future Holy Fire would only be held every 2 years, so that each 2-year Confirmation Prep group of students could experience it once.
- In Fall 2023, Holy Fire was not held. Instead, our students participated in a locally organized “Rise Up” retreat with students from both years of Confirmation Prep in attendance. “Rise Up” had small group activities, media presentations, guest speakers, music, living Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic Adoration, and a closing Mass. “Rise Up” was on a weekday when Catholic Schools were in session but CPS happened to have a non-holiday, non-attendance day for students.
- In Fall 2024, Holy Fire was held on only one day, Saturday, November 2, 2024, which was less convenient for parishes with Catholic Schools. A small group represented our parish at Holy Fire. So that more students could attend, we again held the “Rise Up” retreat in our own parish with students from Religious Education and both Catholic schools, on Election Day, a weekday when Catholic Schools were in session but CPS had a non-attendance day for students.
- In 2025-2026, there will not be a Holy Fire event. Our parish has invited NET Ministries to come and give separate retreats to our 1st Year and 2nd Year Confirmation Prep students. The 1st Year retreat will be on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The 2nd Year retreat will be on Saturday, November 15, 2025. We expect these retreats to involve students from Religious Education and both of our Catholic Schools.
Older students including those already in high school are invited to participate if they have not already received sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion (Eucharist), or Confirmation. Please contact the Religious Education staff for exact placement, which takes into account the student’s grade level and any previous enrollment at Queen of Apostles or another Catholic parish or school. We aim to respect the dignity of each student by permitting them to attend classes and Masses with their peer groups so they can experience age-appropriate instruction and sacramental liturgies.
Contact Ms. Rachel Hohner, Coordinator of Religious Education, at the remote Religious Education Office number 312-857-6782, or call the parish office at (773) 539-7510 for more information.