Details for Regular Sessions
Arrival: Parents and students arrive in the courtyard between the school and the Parish Center; students will be received by the director or catechesis from there.
Dismissal: Parents must wait for children in the courtyard between the school and the Parish Center; please do not enter the courtyard directly in front of the Parish Center – we need space for student dismissal.
Session 1: 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Session 2: 11:45 am to 1:15 pm
STUDENTS ARRIVING AFTER 10:00 AM OR 11:45 AM WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE.
October Reminders
- Sunday 10/4/26: No Class
- Sunday 10/11/26: Confirmation 2 parents meeting in the Parish Center. Pick one session: 10:30 am (with Spanish translations) or 12:15 pm
- Saturday 10/17/26: Confirmation 1 & 2 trip to Diocesan Youth Day (see details in the Confirmation Tab below)
- Sunday 10/25/26: Communion 2 parents meeting in the Parish Center. Pick one session: 10:30 am (with Spanish translations) or 12:15 pm
See the Complete Preps Calendar for 2026-27
News
- Family Catechesis October 2026 English and Spanish
- Family Catechesis Sept 2026 - Spanish
- Family Catechesis Sept 2026 - English
- 2026 Youth Day Consent Form and Instructions
- 9-27-26 Confirmation 1 News
- 9-27-26 Confirmation 2 News
PREP'S OFFICE HOURS
Sundays: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm.
On Thursdays and Saturdays, office visits are by appointment only. Please call, text, or email: (718) 456-0301 or preps@rcmatthias.com.
For all urgent matters, please contact the rectory office.
Parent Handbook
General Information
St. Matthias Parish offers religion classes for students who do not attend Catholic Schools. Our program is designed to form the faith and educate the whole family. We welcome parents to actively participate in our instructions and stay involved in the activities of our program. We love to see the whole community to grow in faith together.
Giving a child proper faith formation and knowledge of our Catholic Faith is the responsibility of each parent. It is recommended that children in Catholic families attend religious instruction continuously from 1st through 8th grade.
The Diocese of Brooklyn requires that each child attends at least two years of religious instruction before receiving First Penance and Eucharist and two years before receiving Confirmation. All children must be at least in 2nd grade to receive the sacrament of Communion and at least in 8th grade to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Also, children ages 7 through 10 who have not yet been baptized must enter the Order of Christian Initiation adopted for Children (OCIA). They will receive their Baptism and First Holy Communion after the first two years of preparation and attend an additional two years of Confirmation preparation at age 12 and 13, or later.
Youth 11 years of age or older and who were not yet baptized must attend three consecutive years of sacramental preparation and will receive all three sacraments (Baptism, Communion and Confirmation) at the end of the 3rd year.
Registration
2026-2027 Schedule
- 10:00 am to 11:30 am (to accommodate families attending 9:00 am Polish Mass and 11:45 am Spanish Mass)
- 11:45 am to 1:15 pm (to accommodate families attending 10:30 am English Mass)
What to prepare for the registration:
- All families who wish to attend our classes must first register in the parish (if you are not a registered St. Matthias Parishioner, please contact the rectory at 718-821-6447)
- If this is your first time registering for classes at St. Matthias you will need your childs birth certificate and certificates for all received sacraments (baptism and communion)
- Your personal information, information about your childs current school, emergency contact, and your childs doctors contact.
- Registration fee: 1st two children pay $150 each; child 3+ pay $100 per child (example: a family with 5 children pays $300 for child 1 and 2 and $300 for child 3, 4 and 5; a total of $600) Fee can be paid in cash at the rectory or during the in-person registration, check, money order or credit card using the online payment system.
Interested in Joining our Team?
Our Parish Religious Education Program (PREPs) is looking for catechists. No experience is necessary - we will provide all the tools and training. If you like working with students in grades 1 through 12, you will be a great fit for our program.
By joining our catechetical ministry, you will become part of an energetic group of Christ followers who love the Lord and St. Matthias Parish.
If you would like to find out more information, please email us at preps@rcmatthias.com or call us at (718) 456-0301.
Resources for Catholic Families
