“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
3 John 1:4
Our Family Faith Formation Program, When Families Gather, is open to all children entering grades 1-6 in September. It is a 3-part program and meets monthly from September to May.
The program consists of 3 monthly components:
· Teaching the faith topics at home using the student book, online textbook and videos or attending weekly classes, Tuesday afternoons 4PM - 5PM
· A large group family gathering; we will meet either in the Church or the Parish Center.
· A family faith based activity or service project for your children to complete together.
Teaching the faith topics using the student books:
We use the curriculum Adventure Catechism for grades 1-5. There are 30 chapters in the book which are divided into 4 main sections:
· Profession of Faith
· Celebration of the Christian Ministry
· Life in Christ
· Christian Prayer
The chapters are very short and include one theme per chapter.
For grade 6, we use Alive In Christ which is published by Our Sunday Visitor.
You will have 2 choices to complete the grade level curriculum.
· Book option - the parent will read the book with the child and complete the activity at the end of each chapter. Each chapter is 4-5 pages and includes a preview page, theme of the chapter and the Activity page. There will be a few short assessment questions, all done online.
· Catechist option: your child can attend weekly classes (holiday weeks are excluded) taught by a Catechist on Tuesdays from 4-5PM. You will receive the schedule in September.
Class sizes are limited and registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Please carefully consider this commitment before you register your child for this option.
Family Gatherings
At the parent meeting, you will receive a list of gatherings for the school year. There are 4 required sessions/Masses to attend and then you will choose 4 more from the list of sessions/gatherings. Please choose the options that work best for your family.
The Schedule for the monthly Family Gatherings:
For Masses: 9:30 AM or 6:30 PM
In person monthly Family Gatherings:
Sunday morning 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Monday evening 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
In January, we will once again host the virtual baking session with Sarah Shutrop:
Sunday afternoon 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM through Zoom
Monday evening 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM through Zoom
Family Activities:
At the parent meeting, we will give you a list of activities or service projects to consider doing as a family. We will also give directions on how to fulfill this requirement.
Registration Fees
We offer a family registration fee if you have children in the Faith Formation Program for grades 1-6 and the Jr. High Program for grades 7 & 8.
Confirmation is a separation program/registration fee.
Please indicate on the registration form if you have a child in grades 7 & 8.
Registration is separate for the Jr. High Program.
Program Fees are as follows:
1 child = $200
2 children = $275
3 or more children = $350
Sacrament Preparation
Children in grade 2 will prepare to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist this year. First Reconciliation is celebrated in January and First Eucharist is celebrated in April and May. This is a 2 year-process so children must complete grade 1 before they begin to prepare for the Sacraments.
Sacrament fees are as follows:
1 child = $125
2 or more children = $200
Empowering God’s Children
The Archdiocese of Newark is continuing to offer Empowering God’s Children workshops for children in grades 1-8. This program focuses on keeping children safe.
Dates for these workshops will be available soon and will be offered as part of the program curriculum.
Please contact the Religious Education office if you have any questions regarding the When Families Gather program or the registration process. If you are new to the parish or have a rising 1st grader, please contact us for more information. We require a student registration form and a copy of your child’s Baptism Certificate in order to complete the registration process. All families must be registered with our parish in order to register for any of the Faith Formation classes.
We look forward to enjoying your faith journey with your family this year!
Cathy Hunt, Parish Catechetical Leader
Pat McGarvie, Asst. Parish Catechetical Leader
201-444-0211
Registration Link for the When Families Gather Program: Click here to register
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