Faith Formation
Sacraments
Founded by Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, our Church was born. Right from the beginning, the first Christians reflected, meditated, studied, and argued -at times quite violently – on the meaning of the words and deeds of Jesus Christ. What should we make of the instruction: forgive your brother not seven but seventy times seven? How might we understand the proclamation: this bread is my body and this wine my blood? And what sense could we make out of the incarnation – when the divine is confined in the human body, eternity is trapped in the finite and the immortal be subjected to death?
Doctrines and teachings, hence, were developed and defined. Since then, we have begun to profess that our God is one being yet three persons. Jesus Christ is one person yet two beings. The Holy Spirit is truly God. There are seven sacraments. And our church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic…. Moreover, we profess that God, in loving us, has crossed over the threshold of the divine to touch and embrace us. We, in loving God, must break through our human boundary, reach out and hold on tightly to the gentle hands of God. We are to have a relationship with God. We are to live with God and in God.
Baptism
To enable new parents, godparents and the parish to experience the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism to the fullest, we have designed a preparation experience that will present the history, theology, symbols and ritual of the Sacrament of Baptism. We will explore the importance of community, family traditions and your personal faith journey, as well as take you step by step through the celebration ritual.
Please contact the Parish Office for a registration form and a schedule of the available dates.
Eucharist
Is your child ready to experience Jesus as, “the Bread of Life”? Are they ready to join us as we gather as a family around the table each week to celebrate the Eucharist?
Preparation for the reception of the sacrament takes place within our ur Core Curriculum sessions of Formation on Wednesday evenings. he sessions will introduce children to the communal aspect of Eucharist as well and the celebration of Jesus’ gift of himself to us and how that changes us forever. During a morning retreat, we will enhance your child’s understanding of sacrament by focusing on how we experience the Eucharistic celebration during the Mass.
For more information and a schedule of the classes see the Formation Catalog online or contact Molly Wisdom at the Parish Office.
2021 Instructions for Receiving FIrst Eucharist
Reconciliation
In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus provides us with a way of being reconciled to God, to those we’ve hurt, to those who have hurt us and to be strengthened in our connection to God’s entire family. This is more than symbolic; it is spiritual reality expressed through ritual. Preparation for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is currently in transition.
Children in the First Grade should participate in Formation Session VI; children in the Second and Fourth Grades should participate in Formation Sessions II, IV & VI. During the Formation classes, students will be provided with an understanding of the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the concept of sin, the daily examination of conscience and prayer. The celebrations dates will be announced during the Formation year.
For more information and a schedule of the classes see the Formation Catalog online or contact Molly Wisdom at the Parish Office.
Confirmation
Are you ready to experience being sealed with the Holy Spirit? Are you ready to experience the laying on of hands? Are you ready to use the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit to spread the message of the Gospel? Then you are ready to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation! Students preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation are required to participate in Core Curriculum sessions for grade 8.
All Candidates are required to attend the Middle School Retreat, the Confirmation Immersion Retreat and perform a number of Christian Service hours. A Sponsor is chosen; this should be someone who will be a role model of faith as well as a companion on the Candidates faith journey (sponsors are welcome and encouraged to attend the classes with the Candidates).
For more information and a schedule of classes see the Faith Formation form and calendar online or contact Molly Wisdom at the Parish Office.
Marriage
Marriage is a lifelong and faithful covenant between a man and a woman. Couples planning to be married are required to attend formal preparation classes. Our preparation sessions give couples the opportunity to understand and respect their marriage as a sacrament by offering insight on how they can nourish and nurture this sacrament for a lifetime. Couples are also offered insight into effective marital communication, facing changes gracefully, establishing spiritual and emotional intimacy, finances and blending families.
Pre-Cana preparation opportunities are available Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The weekend covers both the Sacramental Preparation and the Pre-Cana/Marriage Mentoring. Please contact the Parish Office for a registration form.
*Please note that any couples who were not married in the Roman Catholic Church but would like to bring their marriage into the Church are encouraged to call the Parish Office for information on Marriage Convalidation.*
R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Do you have questions about the Roman Catholic Faith? Do you find yourself wanting to attend Mass without knowing why? Are you married to a Catholic and wish to share the faith with them? Is the Holy Spirit calling you? Do you hunger for the Eucharist offered at the Table of the Lord? The process of Initiation begins with the question, “Am I called to share this faith?”
RCIA describes a process in which men and women are guided and cared for as they awaken in faith and are gradually introduced to the Catholic way of life. This is accomplished within a series of carefully planned stages, marked by liturgical rites, celebrated in the presence of the whole community, in which new Catholics embark on and join us in a continuing and deepening conversion into faith and discipleship. The goal of the RCIA is to provide an intellectual and spiritual framework in which an individual’s conversion experience can be understood and supported by our faith community. The RCIA process is facilitated in several different ways.
We invite participants to attend classes specifically designed to introduce them to the Catholic faith. These classes are held during our Faith Formation sessions. We support the spiritual component of the journey with group dialog, sponsor involvement and regular Dismissals (which occur during Mass and focus on breaking open the Word of God). The participants are asked to attend three retreats during the year which focus on discernment and renewal. All periods of the process are marked with celebrations within our faith community encouraging participants to make this community their own and enter into it fully.
For more information please contact Molly Wisdom at the Parish Office.