St. Mary’s Faith Formation programs provide a fun, engaging faith education for children and youth in pre-K (age 4) through 12th grade. These programs are scheduled to begin in November and will be led by Melissa Wilkinson, our Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation & Youth Ministry. REGISTRATION CLOSES MONDAY, OCTOBER 31.
Each age group has meeting times and themes/topics. Additionally, there is a family Faith Formation for those who wish to attend with their children. More information on program and offerings can be found below or on the St. Mary's website.
Faith Formation Offerings
FILM: This year, the Faith Formation program for students in 5th grade is titled Falling in Love with Mass (FILM). Classes will meet on Sunday evening from 5:45 to 7:00 pm. Upon drop-off at the school, and some fellowship time, the class will head over together to the Church to learn and explore. ​ The objective of the program is for students to gain an understanding and appreciation of the Catholic Mass and the church at St. Mary’s. Topics will include: the liturgical year; the statues, relics, and pictures at St. Mary’s; the Stations of the Cross, and much more. There will be ample hands-on opportunities to explore all facets of what happens at Mass from greeting to live streaming. Students will be able to shadow adults who are serving at Mass and be given the opportunity to try out many of the ministries. Altar server training will be a part of this program. This year we are accepting online registration for our program through our website. Our class schedule is located on our St. Mary's website at: Faith Formation Schedule Grade 5-12
Cost: $60
GPS: This year, our Faith Formation program for students in 6th grade will occur on Sunday evenings from 5:45 to 7:00 pm and will begin with fellowship. Our program, titled God's Plan in Scripture (GPS), is designed to take students on an amazing journey through the Bible with a focus on stories from the Old Testament. Students will discover how the people, places, and events of the Bible come together to reveal the remarkable story of our Catholic Faith. The program covers the main people, places, and events of salvation history as recorded in the Bible. Our objective of this year's program is for students to develop awareness and to deepen their understanding that the Bible is a collection of stories, teachings, and events inspired by God and written for our benefit. Class sessions will vary from week to week and will include a mix of narrative stories and engaging hands-on activities. Videos, skits, and plays will be interspersed throughout the year. Students will also participate in a class service project of their choice! All students will receive their own Catholic Youth Bible, Great Adventure Bible Tabs and a carrying case so they can practice their new skills at home too. Cost: $60 The Chosen: This year, our Faith Formation program for students in grades 7 through 12 will occur on Sunday evenings from 5:45 to 7:00 pm and will begin with fellowship. The focus of our program will be centered around The Chosen which is a multi season drama series about the life and ministry of Jesus. Each episode tells a story about Jesus, often shown through the eyes of those who met and followed him as his disciples. The objective of this year's program is for students to better understand Jesus, as he lived, to show Jesus in a way that is more personal, intimate, immediate, and relatable so students can better understand the importance of what he was trying to teach, and to learn more about the people who encountered Jesus and ultimately became his disciples. Class sessions will vary from week to week and will include watching episodes of The Chosen, breaking away in small groups for reflection and discussion, and comparing episodes of The Chosen, as presented, to similar biblical references and stories. Students will also participate in a class service project of their choice! All students will receive their own Catholic Youth Bible, Great Adventure Bible Tabs and a carrying case so they can dive deeper into what they’re learning at home too. Cost: $60 First Eucharist: Our First Reconciliation and First Eucharist prep will be held on Wednesday evenings at 4PM and will be led by SMSA’s Miss Anne Casola. These second grade students are also encouraged to participate in our Faith Finders at either the 8:30 or 11:15 Masses. Cost: $80 ​ Family Faith Formation: Our 2022-2023 program for families beginning November 9th on every other Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:15 pm. Our program will be a combination of prayer and discussion/reflection of monthly Gospel Readings and Father Scott's weekly Homilies. Cost: $75 per family
Faith Finders: Our program for children in grades kindergarten through 4, titled Faith Finders, will occur on Sunday mornings during the 8:30 and 11:15 am Masses. After Opening Prayer, children attending Mass with their families will be invited to join me in the Parish Meeting Room to listen to a more kid friendly reading of the Gospel, participate in a short discussion/reflection of its message, and discuss/reflect how its message relates to them. This will be followed by a brief related activity before the children are asked to re-join their families (to occur before the Offertory). Our goal is for kids to strive to attend 25 sessions throughout the calendar year. We are asking families to register; however, there is no fee to register. Cost: Free to all parishioners RCIC: Rite of Christian Initiation for Children Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC) will be offered during the Family Faith Formation meeting time. This is intended for children, not baptized as infants or who are baptized but have not received any formal catechesis, who have attained the use of reason (age 7 +) and are of catechetical age. This will be led by our RCIA Coordinator, Jean Paul. Cost: $75 per family