Special Needs

SPRED stands for Special Religious Education and is an agency of the Archdiocese of Chicago that assists parishes in welcoming children and adults with developmental disabilities or learning problems. At the heart of the SPRED process is the belief that God’s love for us is discovered in relationships. Children and their friends (those volunteers who are in a one-on-one relationship with a child or adult) meet to hear the Word, to pray in sacred space, and to share fellowship and food.

Our SPRED process works with young adults 17-21 years of age and is supported by the Knights of Columbus from St. John’s Parish. If you have a child or know of an adult that would benefit from this process, please call the Office of Religious Education at 630.837.6500 X58 for further information or you may go to the official Archdiocesan website for SPRED, www.spred.org.

Adults and children enrolled in the SPRED Process are prepared for the sacraments each according to his/her individual needs. An interview with the SPRED chairperson and the family is required before the celebration of a sacrament for our SPRED friends.