EDUCATION: RELIGION CLASSES AND ENRICHMENT FOR ALL
It is a pastor's responsibility to provide instruction in the Catholic faith to his people. This is accomplished institutionally through the parish sponsorship of both St. Alphonsus Parish School and the parish Religious Education programs for all ages.
Adults and Teens
The family is where foundational instruction in the Catholic faith takes place every day. This is what is meant by the teaching that parents are the primary teachers of their children in the faith. The parish cooperates with parents, providing educational programs which support, but do not replace, parental faith formation responsibilities. As explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents." (CCC 2226)
As the Church sees it, religious education is to be directed above all to adults, and ongoing education in the faith is to be a life-long part of one's Catholic life. What we learned as children and adolescents needs to grow to fit our adult intellectual and spiritual needs. Like most parishes, we have provided a variety of opportunities for adults to grow in their faith: study groups, Bible studies, sacramental preparation, library, audio and videotapes, newspapers, pamphlets, and other materials. We welcome suggestions for study.
Notices are on the parish website, in the weekly parish bulletin, and on the bulletin boards at church entrances. Generally we try to avoid fee requirements to participate in classes, although the cost of instructional materials or honorariums for visiting lecturers 
may be passed on to participants.
St.A.Y, Jr. High Youth Group
This new and constantly evolving program is targeted at all middle school teens, Grades 7 through 8, regardless of where they attend school. StAY is a place for younger teens to develop healthy friendships and grow in the Catholic faith together. This is accomplished through youth nights of Christ centered music, teaching and prayer, pizza and game nights, youth retreats, service and outreach opportunities, faith focused peer support and role modeling, and lots of good old fashioned fun. Currently still in its infancy, this program and the future Sr. High program, will require a great deal of parental support to be successful.
For more information on how you can help this important ministry, please contact Tim Simunds, the PA for Youth Ministry in the parish office at 206-784-6464.
Children
§1. When a child attends a Catholic school, we entrust him or her to systematic, daily teaching in the Catholic faith, and immersion in the Catholic atmosphere that supports it. St. Alphonsus School has a long tradition of encouraging the educational, personal, and spiritual development of children while maintaining high academic standards. Though structured, this means of formation does not replace parental faith formation responsibilities.
St. Alphonsus School is committed to:
To enroll your child at St. Alphonsus School pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, contact the school office at 206-782-4363. You will be invited to meet with the principal to discuss school policies and admission standards and to receive all applicable paperwork.
§2. Parents who do not send their children to Catholic schools are still responsible in conscience, by a promise made at the baptism of their children, for providing their children with Catholic religious instruction. The parish offers religious education classes to support parents in keeping these baptismal promises.
There is no tuition requirement for parish religious education classes; however donations of $15 per student can help offset the rising costs of student materials. All donations are welcome and greatly appreciated, especially in this economically difficult time.
§3. Children who cannot come to programs still need to learn their Faith, and parents are still obligated to see to their children's religious instruction. Parents experiencing difficulty with program schedules should have a conversation with the PA for Faith Formation to map out ways for this education to take place within the family with the assistance of the parish. There are many forms of home learning available today, not least of which are computer-assisted programming, games, books and other resources.