Religious Education and Family Life Program – Secondary
“Catholic education addresses the fundamental human search for meaning: the desire of the person to understand human life as an integration of body, mind, and spirit. Rooted in this vision, Catholic education fosters the search for meaning as a lifelong spiritual and academic quest. The expectations guiding the journey of learning for all students in Catholic schools, therefore, are described not only in terms of knowledge and skills, but necessarily in terms of values, attitudes and actions informed by reason and faith.” Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations, 2011 p. 13).
Guided by the 2016 Religious Education Policy Document , the Secondary PVNC Religious Education program builds on the learning in the grades 1-8 Religious Education and Family Life programs. In grades 9 and 10, open courses are inclusive of all levels of learning and in grade 11 and 12 courses which offer specific preparation for university or college programs are added to the open level courses. Each course reflections five themes: Profession of Faith, Sacred Scripture, Prayer and Sacramental Life, Christian Moral Development, and Family Life. In addition, students are expected to build their Research and Inquiry skills by focusing on one area of the course content in greater detail.
The programs available for use in PVNC secondary schools are listed below along with the course description for each of the courses.
| Grade | Course Summary |
| Grade 9: Discipleship and Culture | This course engages students in the examination of the Christian narrative as revealed in Sacred Scripture. Students are invited to a deeper understanding of both the joy and the demands of living out the call to discipleship as it is described in the Scriptures. Students explore discipleship as encountered in the Sacred Tradition of the Church (Sacraments, Liturgical Year and Church Teaching and Law), as part of their ongoing personal growth and faith understanding. Students explore Catholic rituals, teaching, practice, morals and values, and virtues to facilitate a healthy and covenantal relationship with self, God and with others. Using theological reflection, they are challenged to explore the connections and disconnections of ethical concepts (euthanasia, abortion, sexuality, etc.) between the Church and contemporary culture. The course focuses on encouraging students to know and love by following in the footsteps of Jesus. As they learn of his words and deeds, they discover the importance of prayerfully serving the community to bring about the Reign of God. |
| Grade 10: Christ and Culture | This course both invites and challenges the adolescent to personalize the Gospel values and social justice principles that guide Catholics in understanding their role in shaping culture as disciples of Jesus. Students will explore such foundational topics as: what it means to be human, created in God’s image, what is culture, Christ and culture, living together in solidarity, social justice, prayer and sacrament, friendship and intimacy. Connections between the living Church and contemporary culture are explored in terms of what it means to be a responsible Christian adolescent in a secularized, pluralistic world. |
| Grade 11: World Religions | This course engages students in the examination of world religions, particularly Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Spiritualities and a locally appropriate religious tradition. This is a survey course that will help students understand the basic similarities and differences between the religious traditions so they can interact with others with acceptance and familiarity. We live in a multi-faith global community. With the knowledge of this course, students ought to be able to understand more clearly the world’s religious affairs. |
| Grade 12: Church and Culture | This course enables students to deepen their understanding of how the Church engages contemporary culture with faith and reason, in pursuit of love, justice, and the common good. Students will have opportunity to learn how living the Baptismal vocation to a virtuous life, filled with the joy of the Gospel and nurtured by the sacraments, can transform them and society from within, allowing God to reign in human hearts. Students will also refine research and inquiry skills |