The St. Francis de Sales Religious Education Program is unique in the Archdiocese of New York because we have "Sunday School." The families attend Sunday Mass with their students, then go to the Parish Hall for "group time." Pre-class activities include the students learning hymns they will be singing with the congregation during Mass and having snacks while enjoying some brief socializing time. Afterward, the children join their respective teachers in the classrooms. All the teachers undergo training, and several are certified by the Archdiocese to teach in our program. They are all certified through the State Registry to work with children.

During the year, the students have suggested and implemented programs to serve their community. One project collects food donations for the area Food Pantry to honor the canonization of Mother Teresa to sainthood. In the three years the collection box has been on the altar, parishioners have made generous donations of food, and the box has rarely been empty! The students have also collected school supplies for a school in the Florida Panhandle destroyed in last year's hurricane.

Our students and their families truly embody the meaning of Christ's call to service and community both here and elsewhere!