Catholic Education

Our parish offers a vibrant religious education program for students from Kindergarten through Confirmation. Regular classes are held 2-3 times each month in the St. Philip's parish hall on Sunday mornings from 9:45 - 11:00 a.m. followed by 11:15 mass throughout our CCD school year. 

Class schedule for 2023-2024: click here.

With recent changes to the recommended confirmation age, we are starting a 2-year confirmation program for children as young as 10 so they can be prepared for confirmation by 12 or 13.

The religious education program is run by volunteers, and parent involvement is greatly appreciated.  Anyone wishing to aid in the classroom, provide snacks for the children, or help organize larger events (such as the Christmas play, May procession, summer day on the river), please contact the office, or contact your child's teacher.  Note:  Children from other parishes are welcome to join our program


Guidelines for our Religious Education Program

  1. Please read all emails you receive concerning our program all the way through and respond as needed.
  2.  Best ages for receiving the sacraments: at least 7-8 years old for First Communion and Reconciliation; any time during junior high school for Confirmation. Both these sacraments require 2 consecutive years of classes before receiving them
  3. Regular attendance at Mass is an essential part of showing your child what being a Catholic is about.  The 2 or 3 monthly class meetings are re-enforced and made more meaningful to children by attending Sunday Mass with their family and friends. We don’t keep track of your child’s Mass attendance (like some parishes do), but we strongly encourage it.
  4. We take your child's religious education seriously and hope you will make every effort to see that your child attends class.  For that reason we keep attendance.  If your child is not attending regularly, expect us to contact you.  We care. If a child has missed a number of classes, we will do everything to help the child catch up.  This may mean taking some work home to do with parents.
  5. Generally we don’t give compulsory homework except on rare occasions in preparation for sacraments.
  6. Children from other parishes are welcome to join our program.

Registration Information

Registration is in September. Classes start 9/24/2023.
Below is a link to our registration form.  Please download, complete and return it along with a check made out to St. Philip Catholic Church to the Parish Office at P.O. Box 339, Occidental, CA  95465.

Click here for the registration form

Tuition Information

$60 for the first child enrolled 
$30 for each additional child

In case of a financial hardship, we may have scholarships available.
Please contact the Office for details.

Contact Information

CCD Director, Jolene Corcoran