The Parish School of Religion (PSR) in our parish is an important component of Family and Community Life ministries. Our PSR is a community-based ministry grounded in partnership with parents, as the primary educators and role models for their children's faith formation and ongoing development of Catholic life and discipleship. We encourage and welcome our parents/guardians to join us in their children's classes.
Formerly known to many as "Catechism" or "CCD," the PSR at St. John the Baptist Church - Edgard offers children in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade who are enrolled in non-Catholic academic schools the opportunity for formal religious education that incorporates both formal classes and a variety of faith formation activities involving students and their families at home and within the church community. In collaboration with the Archdiocese of New Orleans, our volunteer teachers/catechists engage in professional development for both required initiation and ongoing learning. Volunteer staff in our PSR provide critical support to our teachers and students. Engaged with our parish youth, our teachers and staff also complete required training, background checks, and annual updates in Safe Environment practices for the protection of children and vulnerable persons.
For full details and ongoing updates for our Parish School of Religion, please click here: Parish School of Religion (Grades K-12).
Contact Person:
Cindy Thomas, Director of Religious Education
Parishioners who are interested in becoming involved in the PSR as a teacher/catechist or volunteer support staff should contact the Director of Religious Education through the Parish Office to learn more and to indicate their specific interest (Telephone: 985-497-3412, Email: [email protected]).
Youth ministry programs are developed to target typically two age groups: Middle School (Grades 5-7) and High School (Grades 8-12). Sometimes youth ministry programs also are incorporated with a Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), of which our church parish had many, many years ago, but not currently. These types of programs focus on spiritual, cultural, leadership, service, social, and recreational needs of our youth in the middle school and high school grade groups. To date and within our church parish, there have been occasional opportunities to participate in youth ministry activities, mostly through our Parish School of Religion and participation in activities sponsored by other church parishes or our Archdiocese. More recently, some individuals have expressed an interest in returning to a more fully developed and robust youth ministry for the children in our parish.
Beginning with our 2024-25 Parish School of Religion, Mrs. Heidi G. Lewis will serve as our parish Youth Ministry Director. Thank you, Heidi!! Collaboration with neighboring WestBank church parishes is already underway. Our children have already participated in one local event and the annual Youth Conference sponsored by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. We look forward to participation and engagement of our Catholic Youth with their peers in the other participating parishes. Parents of interested youth should contact the Parish Office to ensure that they are included in the upcoming activities.
Web links to additional resources are shown below for engaging and supporting our middle school and high school-aged parishioners:
Parishioners who are interested in becoming involved in youth ministry activities (e.g., participant, adult facilitator/mentor, adult leader), are encouraged to contact the Parish Office (Telephone: 985-497-3412, Email: [email protected]). Hearing from interested individuals will facilitate assessing the need, scope, and options for further developing this ministry for members of our church community. Note: Individuals who have already indicated an interest in this ministry through their Parish Registration will be contacted in the near future.
A Young Adult Ministry program typically targets the 18 to 39-year-old age group. A variety of social, cultural, and faith activities are included in this type of ministry. Specifically, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops defines young adults as follows:
Persons in their late teens, twenties, and thirties who represent diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, educational, vocational, social, political, and spiritual backgrounds. They are college students, workers, and professionals; they are persons in military service; they are single, married, divorced, or widowed; they are with or without children; they are newcomers in search of a better life.
While our church parish does not currently have a formal Young Adult Ministry, there are a variety of existing opportunities within our Archdiocese. Information about activities and events sponsored by the Office of Young Adult Ministry, Archdiocese of New Orleans can be explored via this link, in and around our region and including college campus ministries, and other links to informational resources. We encourage you to explore these opportunities and use what you learn to share your needs and interests with us to strengthen such ministry activities within our church parish and/or in partnership with neighboring parishes. One resource to consider for exploring meaningful activities is available here: USCCB Ideas for Ministry to Young Adults.
In the meantime, please contact the Parish Office to express your interest in either participating or developing in an Young Adult Ministry program (Telephone: 985-497-3412, Email: [email protected]).