Christian Formation (CCD) Grades 4K - 6th
This is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Christian Formation is a lifelong process that begins with Christian parents passing on the Catholic Faith to their children. The Church teaches that while parents are the primary moral and spiritual educators of their children, our responsibility as a parish is to support and assist parents in this most important role – evangelists of their families.
The Church reminds us that the role of forming a child in the Faith is of such importance that it must be undertaken with the utmost care and diligence. The School of Christian Formation at St. Mary’s seeks to offer your child a solid formation in the Catholic Faith so that he or she will have both the knowledge and the skills necessary to become a faithful and fruitful disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please note that sacramental preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation is a two-year program.
2026-2027 CCD Registration
Religious education classes are available from the age of 4 until confirmation (typically age 14). We will be opening up registration for the new year soon. The classes begin in September and run until the end of April/beginning of May. These classes are for both children seeking to get the sacraments of first Communion and confirmation as well as those continuing to learn about their faith during the in-between years. We have a policy of 2 years of formation to receive the sacraments, and typically First Communion happens in the 2nd grade and confirmation happens in the 8th grade.
Children who are 6 and younger do not need classes to be baptized. But once a child turns 7, they are required to attend 2 years of classes to be baptized, and they will receive all the sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil.
The registration fee for classes is $50 per student and a maximum of $150 per family. These fees help recover some of the cost to the parish for books and materials given to the children. If your family cannot afford this fee, the parish offers financial assistance so the children can still attend CCD.
To receive notification when registration is open, please sign up to receive messages through Flocknote here:
For any other questions, you can email Mr. Derrick Huestis, Director of Religious Ed at dhuestis@charlestondiocese.org.