St. John the Baptist

This commission is responsible for all facets of Catholic education for the parish. It implements the goals set by the Pastoral Council.

Education Comission Key Contacts:

Education Commission Programs

The image at the right can be seen at the entrance to St. John the Baptist's new school, constructed in phases starting in the '40's. The first phase was completed in 1950 with this dedication in memory of St. John's early parishioners. The facilities within our Parochial Center serve as a focal gathering place for many of our education programs.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) the process which is designed to assist adults who wish to become members of the Catholic faith, baptized Catholics who have not received the sacraments of Confirmation or Holy Communion, or Catholics who have been away from the Church. Contact Diane Puplava for more information.

Infant Baptisms are celebrated during Sunday Masses five times each year (January, Lent/Easter, June, August and November. Each series is composed of formation sessions for parents and godparents which precede the celebration of each of the three Rites of Baptism.

The sessions are facilitated by the Baptism Ministry Team which is comprised of parents who have recently had children baptized. For more information about the Baptism Ministry or to register, parents should contact Diane Puplava at 219-473-7557 or at dpuplava@sjbcatholicparish.org. To learn more about our Baptism Ministry, visit the Missionaries of the Precious Blood webpage to read an article about our process.

Religious Education/Faith Formation program offers instruction and opportunities for religious experiences, which are provided on a weekly basis from September to May for children in grades one through eight. The program is developmental and offers children enrolled in public school classes an opportunity to become informed on the Catholic teachings and tradition of our church. Sessions are held on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for children in Grades 1 to 5 and on Sundays from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. for children in Grades 6 – 8. All classes are held in the Sacred Heart School building at 1721 LaPorte Avenue.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Children (RCIC) is for children who have not been baptized as infants, are past the age of six, and need to receive special instruction in preparation for the sacraments of initiation. In addition to regular religion classes, the child is enrolled in RCIC for two years. These special sessions are designed for faith formation leading to Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. The sacraments are received at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Sessions are conducted on Wednesdays from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m., October through April.

Sacrament Preparation classes are provided for children who are enrolled in the school or religious education program. They receive two years of religious instruction prior to receiving the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation.

In addition to the preparation received by the children, parents are required to attend scheduled Parent Formation sessions to enable them to assist in their child’s preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.

Liturgy of the Word For Children is offered for children ages four through eight, who are invited to a special sharing of Sunday’s scriptures. The children leave the adult congregation at the 11:00 a.m. Mass to hear and discuss Sunday’s scriptures at their level of understanding. An adult leader guides the children and provides them with some means of retaining and sharing the scripture message others. The children rejoin the congregation at the Offertory.

Summer Vacation Bible School program is held for one week in July. Sessions are conducted from 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday This fun-filled week is spent learning Bible stories, singing songs, making crafts related to the lessons, and enjoying snacks (some of which are even based on the Bible themes!)

LIFE TEEN / Youth Ministry: LIFE TEEN is an international Catholic ministry that serves the Church and leads all teens closer to Christ by providing resources and training that encourage vibrant Eucharistic celebrations and opportunities for teens to grow in their faith.

Beginning on September 18, 2005 LIFE TEEN Masses have been celebrated in church each Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m. followed by a LifeNite, which will offers opportunities for spiritual growth, service and companionship to our High School Students.

LIFE TEEN is 100% Catholic, offering far-reaching ministry programs. Click here to learn more about LIFE TEEN or contact our parish LIFE TEEN representatives.

The Diocese of Gary requires that every adult who has contact with children in parishes, schools and religious education programs attend a safe environment awareness session to learn how to prevent child sexual abuse. Working with VIRTUS, a National Catholic Risk Retention Group, all diocesan parishes and schools provide the PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN program for adults.

All staff members and volunteers at St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish who come in contact with children required to attend a PROTECTING GOD'S CHILDREN session. Sessions are offered at St. John and other parishes in the diocese throughout the year. For more information contact Diane Puplava.

St. John the Baptist Catholic School

Office - 219.659.3042

Fax - 219.473.7553

St. John the Baptist Catholic School is committed to teaching as Jesus did - with compassion and love. The School serves families with children in grades preschool through eighth grade. The enrollment is 475. The average class size is 23 students. The faculty is comprised of 16 full time teachers, plus instructors for physical education, computers, library service, and music. The School is accredited, a member of the National Catholic Education Association and the Indiana Non-public Education Association. Children receive a well-rounded education based on the teachings of the Catholic faith. The School offers various enrichment programs, student services, and athletics.

At right is the sculpture of St. John the Baptist that graces the front wall of the school, created during the second phase of expanison completed in 1955.

We are proud of our school's performance across many criteria. In areas such as ISTEP scores, diversity of student body and quality of the teaching staff, St. John the Baptist performs very well. But don't take our word for it. Visit the Indiana Department of Education website for a wealth of data on how St. John the Baptist School is doing. You'll find everything there from ISTEP scores and comparisons, to details by grade and across demographics, to information about our faculty and staff.

A nostalgic photo of a 1st Grade class from 1956.

Cafeteria offers hot lunches to the school children at St. John’s. We are part of the government school lunch program and are subsidized by the state.

Helping Hands Child Care Program is open to students attending St. John the Baptist Catholic School. This service is available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every school day, and provides a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of activities for children with loving and concerned supervision.

Athletic Department offers girls’ volleyball, boys/girls soccer, girls/boys basketball, girls/boys track; girls/boys cross-country for students grades five through eight. There are also intramural programs for students in first through eighth grade. These include indoor soccer, volleyball and basketball.

School Band provides children the opportunity to learn an instrument and to experience the discipline of playing together in concert on many occasions throughout the year.

School Advisory Board is a consultative board comprised of the Pastor, Principal, one faculty member and six parishioners who assist in formulating and adopting policy and procedures for St. John School. The six parishioner members serve one four-year term.

Home/School Association is an organization, which seeks to further communication and support between parents, administrators, and teachers. All parents are urged to attend the H/SA meetings scheduled during the school year.

Education Commission

St. John the Baptist Catholic School

CYO and St. John School 06/07 Athletic Forms

Education Commission Purpose

Education Comission Key Contacts:

Education Commission Programs