The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (C.C.D.), an organization formed to provide the systematic presentation of the Catholic Faith in catechetical form to children, youth, and adults, reflects a practice and undertaking that appear to have been in the Church from her beginnings.  This derives from the very mouth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who instructed His Apostles to preach His Good News to every creature (Mark 16:15) and to teach and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

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Although catechetical work in the Church always and regularly continued, there were times in the Church's history when it was not as intensive and complete as it should have been. The 14th through the 16th centuries was such a time.

 

At the Council of Trent (1545-1563), the Council Fathers realized that one of the factors which caused many Catholics to fall away from the faith and to join one of the new sects or denominations invented by the numerous Protestant personages of that era was the poor state of their catechetical training and their inability, given their religious ignorance and sometimes religious illiteracy, to refute the doctrinal errors and moral falsehoods being spread among them.  This is why, after that Council, Pope Saint Pius V issued a new Catechism, containing the Council's teachings to provide correct religious instruction for children, youth, and adults in accord with Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

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The C.C.D. program at Divine Mercy Parish continues the distinctly Catholic tradition of providing correct religious instruction for children, youth, and adults in accord with Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.  

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Please reference the C.C.D. (Religious Education) page for more information about the current Religious Education program at Divine Mercy Parish.