Welcome to the Website of the Education Department!

Activities of The Education Department for the Catholic Diocese of Helsinki, Finland:

• evaluation and development of Religious Education
• development of teaching materials for RE in schools and for catechesis
  
• co-operation with parishes concerning clubs, camps and catechetical formation
  
• providing education and monitoring the work of RE teachers and catechists
• promotion of ecumenical and interfaith co-operation and involvement in the society
  
• international relations concerning education and catechesis
  
• promotion of catholic culture

 Contact Information

email: opetus@katolinen.fi

mob: +358505440871

Part-Time Project assistant
Yrjö Rosendal
opetus@katolinen.fi

Address: Kuusitie 6, 00270 Helsinki

Director
Osmo Vartiainen
mob: +358505440871
osmo.vartiainen@katolinen.fi

Bank Account: IBAN FI15 1745 3000 0207 37, BIC NDEAFIHH

The Education Department is a Curial Department within

The Diocesan Services for Education and Communication, the board of which consists of: the Bishop +Teemu Sippo SCJ, Vicar General  Raimo Goyarrola,dir. of Dep. of Communications Marko tervaportti, dir. of Publishing Katri tenhunen and dir. of Education Osmo Vartiainen

Religious Education (RE) at school

• All catholic children have a lawful right to Religious Education based on Catholic Curricula
• They should not attend classes teaching according to curricula of other christian denominations or in ethics (ET), when catholic RE is available
• The municipality has an obligation to arrange for education in a pupil’s own religion, when requested by at least three pupils’ parents per municipality. IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR PARENTS TO EXPRESS THEIR DESIRE FOR RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTIONS IN THE CATHOLIC RELIGION FOR THEIR CHILD WHEN REGISTERING THEIR CHILD IN SCHOOL

In principal, Catholic RE is arranged for every pupil either at his/her own school or at a school within a reasonable vicinity from either school or home.

Sometimes, especially outside the greater Helsinki area or major cities, religion classes compensating for the school classes are arranged by necessity, separately by local Parish in co-operation with the Education Department and local teachers of RE.

Catechesis for First Communion and Confirmatoin at parish

Each parish arranges courses for the preparation for the reception of the Sacraments. The instruction presupposes the participation in RE at school (or compensatory education). Preparation courses at parishes for First Holy Communion is usually given to children age 10 (grade 3 at school) and preparation for Confirmation to children age 13-15 (grades 7-9).

For additional information contact your parish!

Parents

Parents are the first and foremost educators of their own children, also in the matters of faith.

The Second Vatican Council Document, Declaration on Christian Education, states, among other things, “All people of every race, condition and age, since they enjoy the dignity of a human being, have an inalienable right to an education that is in keeping with their ultimate goal, their ability, their sex and culture and tradition of their country, and also in harmony with their fraternal association with other peoples in the fostering of true unity and peace on earth. For a true education aims at the formation of the human person in the pursuit of his/her ultimate end and of the good of the societies of which he/she is a member, and in whose obligations, as an adult he/she will share.”

In this task, however, parents need the support of the whole society. The duty of educating also belongs to the Church. The mission of the Church is to announce the way to salvation to all people. The Church as a Mother has the responsibility of educating its members and guiding them to union with Christ. In this way, their lives are filled with the Spirit of Christ.