Religion

As part of a Catholic educational community, the focus of the Religion Department at Totino-Grace High School is the ministry of the Word and Sacrament in a Church of Scripture and Tradition. We invite and challenge students to make their faith living, conscious, and active through the light of instruction. Throughout our curriculum, we strive to enrich the faith life of students at their particular stage of development, complementing the role of religious education in the parish and family, while realizing that growth in personal faith is a lifelong process.
 
The Religion Department:
• Teaches and catechizes through a four-year comprehensive program
• Uses curriculum and instruction that are rooted in Scripture and Tradition of the Church as articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the USCCB's Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework
• Reflects a Lasallian spirit illuminated by the Second Vatican Council
• Respects all students’ religious traditions
• Challenges students to grow in intellect, spirit, community and service

EIGHT SEMESTER CREDITS ARE REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION

Grade 9: Introduction to the Bible and Living in Jesus Christ
Grade 10: The Paschal Mystery and Sacraments 
Grade 11: Christian Morality and Junior Religion Elective
Grade 12: Contemporary Catholicism and Senior Religion Elective

Freshman Requirements

Introduction to the bible

The purpose of this course is to give students a general knowledge and appreciation of the Sacred Scriptures. Through their study of the Bible they will come to encounter the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. In the course they will learn about the Bible, authored by God through Inspiration, and its value to people throughout the world. Students will continue to learn how to read the Bible and will become familiar with the major sections of the Bible and the books included in each section. Students will pay particular attention to the Gospels, where they may grow to know and love Jesus Christ more personally.
Freshman Requirement 1 semester - 1 credit

Living in jesus christ

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the mystery of Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. In this course students will understand that Jesus Christ is the ultimate Revelation to us from God. In learning about who he is, the students will also learn who he calls them to be.
Freshman Requirement 1 semester - 1 credit

Sophomore Requirements

SACRAMENTS

Sacraments are privileged encounters with Jesus Christ.  The purpose of this course is to help students understand that they can encounter Christ today in a full and real way and through the sacraments, and especially through the Eucharist.  Students will examine each of the sacraments in detail so as to learn how they may encounter Christ throughout life.
Sophomore Requirement 1 semester - 1 credit

the paschal mystery

The Mission of Jesus Christ is also called the Paschal Mystery.  The purpose of this course is to help students understand all that God has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ.  Students will learn that for all eternity, God has planned for us to share eternal happiness with him, which is accomplished through the redemption Christ won for us through the Paschal Mystery: Jesus' life, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and glorification.  Students will learn that they share in this redemption in and through Jesus Christ.  They will also be introduced to what it means to be a disciple of Christ and what life as a disciple entails.
Sophomore Requirement 1 semester - 1 credit

Junior Requirement

CHRISTIAN MORALITY

This course will provide a basic survey of the Christian moral tradition. Basic moral concepts of good and evil, virtue and vice, sin and forgiveness, and freedom and responsibility will be covered in detail. Current topics in Catholic Christian morality with special attention to Christian sexuality will constitute a portion of the course.
Junior Requirement 1 semester - 1 credit

Senior Requirement

CONTEMPORARY CATHOLICISM

This required course presents an overview of the Roman Catholic Church’s tradition of responding to the needs of the modern world. With particular attention paid to the work and vision of a Vatican II church and the Catholic Social Teachings, students will apply the message of Jesus and the church’s 2000-year history of ecclesiology: creating and living out the Kingdom of God. During this course, students will be invited to stretch their awareness, to deepen their consciousness, and to test their own views and those prevalent in society. The first half of the semester provides a foundation of the Mission and Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church. During the second half of the semester, students will examine key issues connected to living out the Gospel values of being Christ in the world to our sisters and brothers most in need.
Senior Requirement 1 semester - 1 credit

Junior and Senior Electives

honors PHILOSOPHY OF GOD

This honors course is a survey of the history of western philosophy, particularly focused on the philosophical attempts to explain the origins and purpose of the universe and the philosophical “proofs” for the existence of God. The first quarter of the course will take a historical perspective through the reading of the novel Sophie’s World. The second quarter will examine God’s existence and two practical applications of faith in God, Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and Pope John Paul II’s Crossing the Threshold of Hope. The student taking this course will come away with a deeper knowledge and appreciation of philosophy and its importance for being able to better understand the basic principles of Catholic Christian theology.
Note: This course is especially recommended for those planning to take Honors Introduction to Theology as Seniors.
Junior/Senior Elective 1 semester - 1 credit

CHURCH HISTORY

This elective course in Church History is built upon, but not confined to, material introduced in the second semester of ninth grade. The purpose of this course is to examine how the Church has grown from a few believers to a worldwide institution. This course seeks to illuminate those issues and personalities that helped or hindered such growth. Furthermore, this course will examine the establishment of the Catholic Church in the United States and the role of the student in that ongoing history.
Junior/Senior Elective 1 semester - 1 credit

STUDIES IN SPIRITUALITY

One of the tasks of every Christian is to develop a life of prayer and meditation. To this end, this course will examine the spiritual lives of some of the great saints and mystics as well as contemporary spiritual practices. It seeks to provide a foundation in the Catholic tradition and give students some practical help in exploring their own spirituality. The course will include reading, writing, journaling, and meditation.
Junior/Senior Elective 1 semester - 1 credit

WORLD RELIGIONS

This course introduces the subject of religion through a comparative study of the primary forms of religious expression, such as sacred community, rites, symbols, and stories. These themes will be analyzed within the context of each of the major religious traditions of the world. This study will allow the students to compare a wide range of religious phenomena from many different religious traditions. It will also help the students appreciate the uniqueness of their own Christian/Catholic tradition as well as deepen their own commitment to the tradition.
Junior/Senior Elective 1 semester - 1 credit

SACRED SCRIPTURE

Building on scriptural lessons from previous courses, students will further investigate the principles for understanding and interpreting Scripture.  Through their studies, students will appreciate the purpose and religious significance of Scripture in the Jewish and Christian traditions and recognize the unity of the narrative throughout the Old and New Testaments. Students will immerse themselves in Sacred Scripture and make connections between their learning and their personal faith lives.
Junior/Senior Elective 1 semester - 1 credit

Senior Electives

CALL TO DIscipleship

This course is designed to aid students in facing the challenges of young adulthood so that they can shape a future that is worthy of their potential and responsive to the demands of the Gospel call to build the kingdom and to love God, self and neighbor. The student will examine the tasks of young adulthood and will examine lifestyle issues and vocational choices in light of the Gospels and the Christian tradition. While the course is directed toward the future, both immediate and distant, many of the concepts will aid the student in the present.
Senior Elective 1 semester - 1 credit

HONORS INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY

This honors course is for students with a heightened interest in religious topics. Students explore their knowledge of theology and read various theological books and materials to broaden their understandings of our Catholic-Christian tradition and what we believe. Because college credit may be earned through this course, students are expected to read and discuss at a college level as well as write a research paper on a topic chosen by the individual student.
Note: Qualified students may take this course for college credit through St. Mary's University of Minnesota.
Prerequisite: Student interest, self-motivation, and theological curiosity
Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
Senior Elective 1 semester - 1 credit