July 11, 2008

To Parents/Guardians of the Youth of St. Joseph Catholic Church:

Whoa!  Summer is quickly passing us by.   I can’t believe we’ve already begun planning for next school year’s faith formation program.   Where does the time go?  Currently, I am starting my third of year of serving this parish, and I could not be more excited or happy.   It has been a joy and an honor to serve you and your family.  Thank you for all of the support that you have given me this past year in our time of transition. 

As many of you know, we have hired a new Coordinator of Confirmation and Youth Ministry.  Her name is Stephanie Crowley, and I can’t wait for you all to meet her.  She truly does radiate Jesus’ love and kindness.  I have had the pleasure of serving a community with Stephanie before and am excited to do it again.  I truly believe great things are in store for the future of our youth programs. Can you tell I am pumped??

Here’s a brief word about our current programs:

Sunday School (Preschool 10:30am-11:40am and Kindergarten – Grade 3 9:15am-10:15am in the education center): This program is all about the basics.  More detailed information about the program and a calendar will be emailed to you after you register.  We prepare all of our second graders for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist throughout the school year.  First Reconciliation is 1/31/09 at 10am and First Eucharist is at 2pm on both 4/25/09 and 4/26/09. 

Wednesday Night Faith Formation (Grade 4-Grade 8 from 6:30-7:45pm in the Education Center):  On Wednesday nights, we focus on giving our students different kinds of Faith Formation experiences throughout the year.  In 4th and 8th grade, we integrate a program called Bible Partners, which helps give kids the tools to effectively use the Bible.  We focus on developing a prayer life in 5th grade, learning about Catholic Social Teaching in 6th grade, and the History of the Catholic Church in 7th grade.   More detailed information about the program and a calendar will be emailed to you after you register.

Confirmation Preparation (High School students, typically 9th and 10th grade from 6:30-7:45pm in the Education Center):  Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is such an exciting and formative time in life!  Through this sacrament, we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit to go out and proclaim the Gospel!  In order to prepare for such a great endeavor, our Confirmation program seeks to inspire our Confirmation candidates to grow in their relationship with Our Lord and His Church.  This is done through a variety of requirements, from retreats and service opportunities to Confirmation classes which seek to answer the most basic questions about what it means to be Catholic and to live our lives for Christ.  Class registration and an explanation of the requirements for Confirmation will take place at our orientation meetings in August (please see additional flyer regarding Confirmation).  Come, Holy Spirit!

We need many volunteers to make these programs work (like 65 catechists!).  Please consider sharing your faith, talent, and time with our youth!   Please fill-out the volunteer round-up sheet located on the back of the registration form.  Thank you for volunteering.

Yours in Christ,