Faith Formation Overview For All Grades

Faith Formation Overview

Our Mission

To support each family member's growth on their faith journey with Christ through prayer, encounter and accompaniment.

Family Formation: (Levels 1 - 6)

Children AND parents receive twice monthly formation sessions on the first and third Sunday every month. Level 1 & level 2 will leave the church following the homily to have their own lesson. Level 1 will use the Faith & Life series, Our Heavenly Father, and Level 2 will use the Dynamic Catholic series, Blessed, by Matthew Kelly.

Following the Mass, levels 3-6 will meet in the church hall in small groups, while parents stay in the church for a short discussion led by the priest. Our formation sessions for children and parents coincide with the Sunday Gospel, giving families the opportunity to further discuss their lesson with one another at home. Our formation puts emphasis on the role of parents as the first witnesses of the faith and is designed for students aged 6-11.

Confirmation Preparation: (Level 1 & 2)

Candidates will meet twice a month to watch the Chosen program modules and contribute to group discussions.
During the summer months, Level 1 will complete a saint sticker book together with their parents. This saint book allows parents and students to learn about important saints from the time of Christ to the present day while building their own inspirational history book. They will also work through the required Confirmation paperwork laid out on the Confirmation page. Level 2 will complete the required Confirmation paperwork by March 1st.

The preparation process will also include Eucharistic Adoration, the celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation and retreats at the beginning and end of the year. Students & parents are also required to attend monthly meetings to hear witness talks on selected topics.

Throughout the process for Confirmation, students will get the opportunity to reflect on how to live out the commitment they make to Christ in Confirmation while reviewing key concepts of the faith through prayer, scripture, and service.

Confirmation sessions take place on Sunday mornings at 10:45 AM following the 9:45 AM family Mass and before the 12:00 PM Mass. Having the sessions take place between Masses gives families more opportunities to attend Mass together.

For more details on our Confirmation program, please click here.

Parents:

To enhance our support for parents on their own faith journey, they will have twice monthly discussions with the priest at the same time as the children in levels 1-6 (different location). Parents with students in Confirmation prep Level 1 and/or level 2, will join them for the monthly speaker series. These opportunities are to help parents, grow in their own faith, and also to develop the knowledge & understanding needed to have further discussions at home as a family.

Our Faith Formation sessions have a spiral approach in which learning builds upon previous years of experience and knowledge. Therefore, if a child has missed one or more years of formation instruction the child might be placed in a lower level. This placement may depend on formal, written or verbal assessments given by the office and the evaluation of the particular circumstances of the child.

In addition to the Family Formation sessions, our office supports the parish community by encouraging the active participation of our families in the celebration of Sunday Eucharist, other liturgies and devotions, faith formation activities, parish events, and community service projects throughout the year.