Below are links to additional information relating to the Saint James PREP program.
- Contact PREP Office
- Volunteers
- Welcome Letter (English and Spanish)
- Registration (English and Spanish)
- SPRED (Special Religious Development for parish children with disabilities)
- 2024-2025 Calendars (English and Spanish)
- Weather Guidelines
- Vacation Bible School
Mission Statement
Saint James Parish Religious Education Programs (PREP) share in the mission of the Catholic Church in the following ways:
To promote worship of God in Spirit and Truth particularly through the celebration of the sacraments with particular emphasis on the Eucharist.
To create and nourish Christian Community in the family, in the life of the parish and in society as a whole.
To proclaim in word and deed the Good News of Jesus Christ to all persons, inviting those in our community to share our faith and our mission.
To teach the saving message of Christ so that all believers may come to a deeper understanding, conversion and personal witness to Christ.
To serve our brothers and sisters particularly the poor and needy by generous acts of charity while promoting issues of peace and justice.
Contact The Religious Education Office
Summer hours are 9:30am-noon Monday through Friday or by appointment. Once PREP begins in September, the Parish Religious Education Program’s office hours are:
- Monday and Wednesday through Friday-9:30am – 12:00noon
- Tuesdays-2:30pm – 8:30pm
Phone: 703-533-1182 x104
Address: 830 W. Broad Street Falls Church, VA 22046 (at Saint James Catholic School)
Email: [email protected]
Volunteers
If there is anyone who feels they might like to help in any way, please feel free to do so. We can never have too many volunteers! Every year, family emergencies can develop and there is always a need for someone to fill in, even if it is temporarily. If you feel that you would like to help as a catechist, catechist’s assistant, office personnel, safety patrol, song leader, or with a special needs student, please do not hesitate to contact Sister Regina at 703-533-1182 ext. 103 or [email protected].
Welcome letters for 2024-2025 are posted below / Las cartas de bienvenida para 2024-25 se publican a continuación.
Registration Forms 2024-2025 / Formularios de Inscripción 2024-25
New families are invited to call the Religious Education office at 703-533-1182 x104 to register. Re-registration forms have been sent to current families. Please call the office if you have any questions.
Parental permission form must be returned with the registration form along with a copy of the birth certificate and baptismal certificate for each child registered.
We are accepting registrations for new students. Classes are held on Tuesday afternoons (4:45pm-6:00pm) and evenings (7:00pm-8:15pm).
Please note: In order for your child(ren) to begin Parish Religious Education Classes (PREP) on Tuesday, September 17th, your registration form must be in the PREP Office no later than Saturday, August 31st. The children of those families who register after August 31st will be contacted by the Religious Education Office as to when they will begin and where their classroom will be.
The schedule will be as follows:
- On September 17 – ONLY Grades Kinder, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 8th report to Msgr. Heller Hall.
- On September 24 – ONLY Grades 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and Special Sacraments 1 and 2 report to Msgr. Heller Hall.
- On October 1 – ALL CLASSES report to their assigned classrooms including students who registered AFTER August 31, 2024.
In addition to your child’s birth certificate, you will need to provide a
- baptismal certificate if your child was not baptized at Saint James.
- check or cash for tuition ($140 for one child/$190 for two or more children).
- letter from the school or parish program if your child was in another Catholic School or Religious Education Program.
- Tuesday Classes (English)
- Clases de español los domingos
SPRED (Special Religious Development) 2024-25
The Disability Inclusion Committee, in cooperation with our Parish Religious Education Program (PREP), is offering a Special Religious Development (SPRED) Program this fall for all Saint James parishioners who have children with disabilities (ages 5-18 years old) who have not yet received the sacraments.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED—We are looking for teenage and adult volunteers who would like to be partnered with a child during the class to assist with activities. Classes will be held on Sundays starting September 15th from 10:15am-11:00am. Sessions will run from mid-September through early December and again in mid-January through May.
Adults must be Virtus-compliant through the Arlington Diocese which includes a background check. If you need assistance with this, please contact Kara Rider at [email protected].
If you are interested in volunteering or registering a child, please contact Tina Schellman at [email protected] or Sister Regina Rosarii McLallen, IHM, Director of PREP, at [email protected].
Weather Guidelines
For inclement weather, Saint James PREP follows the City of Falls Church Public Schools.