FAITH FORMATION

The mission of Faith Formation is to teach Catholic beliefs, traditions and values as well as to provide ministerial support, formation and training in the context of deepening spirituality. 

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM AND MARRIAGE 

Father Kevin Bryan, Pastor 

Baptism Preparation for Parents and Godparents One-time preparation class for parents and godparents having a child baptized. Call the Parish Office to register for classes.

-Marriage Preparation for Couples Preparing for Marriage Preparation for couples who will marry in the following months. Contact the Parish Office. 

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS 


RCIA Meets September though Easter for adults interested in joining or finding out more about the Catholic faith. 

YOUTH MINISTRY 

Jennifer Shelton, Coordinator

Wednesday Night YM Gathering
Our youth ministry coordinator and leaders provide an amazing ministry designed to inspire our 7th-12th graders to live out their faith vibrantly! Watch the bulletin and social media for dates, times upcoming events.
-Retreats, acts-of-service, lock-ins, and other special events These are all part of this dynamic ministry. 

ALTAR SERVER TRAINING 

Sister Lydia Falzon, Coordinator

Altar Server for Adults and Youth
Training is needed to become an altar server. Contact Sister Lydia if you are interested.   

ADULT EDUCATION FOR ALL AGED ADULTS 

Sherri Powers, Coordinator 


-MEN’S PRAYER GROUP - Sunday mornings 10-10:45
-WOMEN’S BOOK GROUP - Sunday mornings 10-10:45
-SEASONAL SHARE/PRAYER SCRIPTURE STUDY
Group or individual bible study share programs are offered throughout the year. Watch the bulletin and social media for times and dates. 

RE News

Regina Bennett

With Covid19 this year, we have not been in-person many times since we began in August. But we have tried to gather with Zoom classes. Our volunteer catechists have jumped in and learned how to Zoom using their own phones and computers. Or they have emailed classroom work home to the children in their class.  

RE has switched to Sunday gatherings at 6pm instead of Wednesday. Youth Ministry will follow at 7pm. Many opportunities will be possible on Sunday evenings for implementing formation.

Confirmation Mass is February 14, 2021. Planning for this Mass is underway. 

April 3rd is Easter Sunday. No class that evening. That is also Spring break week so we will not have class on April 10. April 25 will be First Communion and the last day of RE.

YOUNG DISCIPLES FAITH FORMATION FOR CHILDREN PRE-SCHOOL TO 12TH GRADE

Regina Bennett, Coordinator

Wednesday Night Religious Education Classes 

For our young parishioners who wish to study and share their faith with others their own age. Volunteer catechists lead the instruction and share groups. September-April for grades Preschool-12. 7-8 PM.   

Sacramental prep for First Reconciliation and Communion is also held on Wednesday nights during the school year. If your child needs this preparation, please call the Faith Formation Office.

RCIA for Children 

For children 2nd grade to 12th grade who have not received their sacraments or have any formal religious education. Together with other children they journey, studying their catholic faith, from the month of September to the Easter Vigil-receiving their sacraments.  

Gather the Children 

Children grades K - 4 are invited to attend Gather each Sunday morning during the 10am Mass. Mass readings, Homily, and prayers are presented at an age appropriate level. Children are invited to gather at the piano during the opening song with the teachers. They will return during the Offertory.


Children's Choir

Elementary School aged students are invited to attend Choir. Practice is before RE on Wednesday. Periodically the choir sings at Mass on the weekend.   

VBS and 4th,5th,6th Grade Lock-In 

Vacation Bible School is offered for children ages Pre-school-3rd grade during the summer months. 

Lock-in Opportunities for these grades to gather and participate in fellowship, prayer, worship, and acts-of service events.    

Catechist Training 


-Catechist Certification Training-for adults wanting to become catechists.
-Baptism Instructor Training for who instruct parents and godparents with a child being baptized.
-Marriage Preparation Couple-to-Couple-Training for couples involved in journeying with other couples through their marriage prep. 

Understanding the Bible

By Mary Elizabeth Sperry,
Associate Director for Utilization of the New American Bible.
The Bible is all around us. People hear Scripture readings in church. We have Good Samaritan (Luke 10) laws, welcome home the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), and look for the Promised Land (Exodus 3, Hebrews 11). Some biblical passages have become popular maxims, such as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12)," "Thou shalt not steal (Exodus 20:15), and "love thy neighbor" (Matthew 22:39).
Today's Catholic is called to take an intelligent, spiritual approach to the bible.
Listed here are 10 points for fruitful Scripture reading.

1

Bible reading is for Catholics.

The Church encourages Catholics to make reading the Bible part of their daily prayer lives. Reading these inspired words, people grow deeper in their relationship with God and come to understand their place in the community God has called them to in himself.

2

Prayer is the beginning and the end. 

Reading the Bible is not like reading a novel or a history book. It should begin with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to the Word of God. Scripture reading should end with a prayer that this Word will bear fruit in our lives, helping us to become holier and more faithful people.

3

Get the whole story! When selecting a Bible, look for a Catholic edition.

A Catholic edition will include the Church's complete list of sacred books along with introductions and notes for understanding the text. A Catholic edition will have an imprimatur notice on the back of the title page. An imprimatur indicates that the book is free of errors in Catholic doctrine.

4

The Bible isn't a book. It's a library. 

The Bible is a collection of 73 books written over the course of many centuries. The books include royal history, prophecy, poetry, challenging letters to struggling new faith communities, and believers' accounts of the preaching and passion of Jesus. Knowing the genre of the book you are reading will help you understand the literary tools the author is using and the meaning the author is trying to convey.

5

Know what the Bible is – and what it isn't.

The Bible is the story of God's relationship with the people he has called to himself. It is not intended to be read as history text, a science book, or a political manifesto. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation.

6

The sum is greater than the parts.

Read the Bible in context. What happens before and after – even in other books – helps us to understand the true meaning of the text.

7

The Old relates to the New.

The Old Testament and the New Testament shed light on each other. While we read the Old Testament in light of the death and resurrection of Jesus, it has its own value as well. Together, these testaments help us to understand God's plan for human beings.

8

You do not read alone.

By reading and reflecting on Sacred Scripture, Catholics join those faithful men and women who have taken God's Word to heart and put it into practice in their lives. We read the Bible within the tradition of the Church to benefit from the holiness and wisdom of all the faithful.

9

What is God saying to me?

The Bible is not addressed only to long-dead people in a faraway land. It is addressed to each of us in our own unique situations. When we read, we need to understand what the text says and how the faithful have understood its meaning in the past. In light of this understanding, we then ask: What is God saying to me?

10

Reading isn't enough.

 If Scripture remains just words on a page, our work is not done. We need to meditate on the message and put it into action in our lives. Only then can the word be "living and effective."(Hebrews 4:12).