Family Faith Formation
Karie Ferrell, Director of Faith Formation
Our program (PreK-High School) is a family-centered program offering two options to meet the needs of your family. We use the Finding God textbook series from Loyola Press to help families integrate the rites and traditions of the Catholic Faith into their daily lives and raise awareness that the life of the Church is in our homes, our workplaces, the life of our communities, in the world.
Our Parish Responds to the Corona Virus Pandemic
As of June 29, Saint Mary’s is in Phase 2 of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s phased reopening plan. This is the first Sunday we will be celebrating a public mass, but this is just a beginning. Guidelines restrict public participation to 45 people and require strict social distancing, use of PPE, and cleaning protocols.
We have received the guidelines for celebrating First Communion. Parents of children who have been waiting to celebrate their First Communion this spring will be notified as soon as our Pastoral Staff and Reopening Leadership Team meet to discuss & make plans.
The Parish Center is CLOSED until further notice. The pastoral staff is working from home until further notice, but I am still available to you by phone and email.
2020-2021 PROGRAM YEAR INFORMATION
Registration Opens July 1, 2020
Traditional Classroom Program: This fall all classes will meet in virtual classrooms until we are able to gather together safely. The times, catechists, textbooks will be the same so that the transition back to physical classroom will be smooth.
Sunday Morning Program: Classes for children, preschool
through 6th Grade, who attend public or secular private
schools. Classes meet Sunday Mornings mid-September to May.
Session A: Preschool through 2nd Grade, 9:15-10:30 a.m.
Session B: 3rd Grade through 6th Grade: 10:45 a.m.-Noon
Monday Night Junior High & High School Programs: Classes for
adolescents, 7th and 8th Grades and High School, who attend
public or secular private schools. Classes meet Monday
Evenings mid-September to May in the Parish Center
Class Sessions: 7th and 8th Grades, High School, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
At-Home Program: The At-Home model is designed for parents who want to be more intimately involved with their children’s faith formation by working in cooperation with the Parish Religious Education Program within the context of their family home life.
Unit Kickoff Sessions gather families together in physical or
virtual meetings to introduce the unit theme and encourage
connection between families and parish.
Parents act as teachers of the weekly lessons at home using the
same textbooks as our traditional program and lesson plans
modified for parents use.
Sacramental Preparation: All the children of our parish, whether they participate in our religious education program or attend our parish school, Pope John XXIII, come together with their families to prepare to celebrate the sacraments.
First Reconciliation & First Communion: A 2-year process – 1st
through 2nd Grade is the usual age for preparation.
Confirmation: A 2-year process – 7th through 8th Grade is the
usual age for preparation.
Older children and teens are integrated into both of these programs; no matter what age they begin, we have a program for your children.
