Faith Formation for Children and Teens

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Faith Formation registration for children ages 3-17 will begin on August 26. Classes/meetings will begin the week of September 20th, with parent meetings scheduled the prior week. Most of the formation will be virtual. We have made this decision due to the current governmental restrictions on in-person instruction. While some schools have applied for waivers to allow in-person instruction, we don’t know if we could apply, and even if we could, the regulations are very burdensome.

Teaching the children the faith is one of the most important things we do as a family of parish families. Staff and volunteers will be working hard to make sure this will be done without putting too much of a burden on parents. Parents are the first teachers of their children in the ways of faith, but we understand that parents are in different situations regarding their own faith journey and the time and competence they have to teach the faith.

Below is a brief preview of what to expect. More information will be provided on August 26.

  1. Children Ages 3-5: These are eligible for our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, which WILL be in person. We are able to comply with state COVID guidelines regarding daycare.

  2. First to Fifth Graders: Instruction will be via an interactive online learning platform with oversight and support from staff and volunteers. It will be the Faith & Life curriculum we have been using for many years.

  3. Middle Schoolers: Kenneth will lead ZOOM sessions about every other week. He will be adapting his previous methods to an online format, with a mix of large and small group interaction.

  4. Teens: Youth Nights and Confirmation Classes will be via ZOOM. Teens are also eligible to participate in an alternate program which we call Discipleship Groups. These small groups are led by a trained adult mentor. It may be possible for some of these meetings to take place in person.

We are aware of the limitations of virtual learning and the need for real human contact. We may be scheduling supplemental, non-mandatory, in-person events, as conditions allow. Thank you for your patience and understanding.