Faith Formation for Grades 1 – 12
Registration for the 2026 – 2027 Faith Formation is now open! There are changes to our faith formation schedule. Click here to read the new information prior to registering.
Purpose and Mission
The purpose and mission of our Faith Formation Program is to assist parents with the responsibility they accepted at the time of their child’s baptism to teach their children the knowledge and practice of the Catholic Faith. We believe the holiness a child experiences and cultivates begins in the home long before they come to the parish for faith formation classes. Parish Faith Formation assists and supports parents and families in this remarkable task.
Emphasis on Prayer
Weekly Mass attendance and daily prayer as a family is at the heart of our faith and the root of our Faith Formation program. The importance of prayer is continually emphasized, and specific prayers of the Catholic Church are introduced in the appropriate grade. All classes will begin and end with a prayer. Please pray with your children daily, at the beginning and end of every day, and before meals.
Faith Formation Class Schedule
Sunday
- 10:30 – 11:45am
- 12:15 – 1:30pm*
- 5 – 6:15pm
Monday
- 6 – 7:15pm
Tuesday
- 6 – 7:15pm*
*The Sunday 12:15pm and Tuesday 6pm sessions will have bilingual support for parents and students. At these sessions, grades 1 -3 will be taught in Spanish, with bilingual support. Grades 4 – 12 will be taught in English.
We are making a few adjustments to our session choices to allow for a more targeted program that encourages lifelong faith formation. Continuing faith formation and sacramental preparation for typical-grade students will be offered at all sessions.
Students beginning sacramental preparation in non-typical years will be grouped together at the Sunday 12:15pm and 5pm sessions to allow for more specific formation. (Some high schoolers will be grouped together at the Sunday 10:30am session.) The chart below shows the sessions that will be available for each grade level and the registration form will walk you through your session choices.
Contact Marie Gemperline (grades 1 – 8) and Miguel DeAngel (grades 9 – 12) with any questions.
Faith Formation Curriculum
Our classroom curriculum for grades 1 – 8 will follow Our Sunday Visitor’s Alive in Christ. This program invites children to hear God’s invitation to a personal relationship through His Word, helps them discover and learn the Church’s teaching in precise theological language, and teaches them how to live as Catholic disciples.
Monthly Parent Sessions
“Parenting on the Highway to Heaven”
Raising our children in the Catholic faith can feel challenging at times – our culture doesn’t always support our beliefs; kids can ask tough questions that we may not know how to answer; we may struggle with our faith; or our own faith formation was years ago. Our regular parent meetings will address these concerns, provide parent formation, and offer practical advice on how to live our faith in our homes.
These monthly parent meetings will be held during all faith formation class times and are open and encouraged for all parents. Regular attendance is required for Sacramental Preparation Parents. A full calendar of the meetings will be available soon.
The first meeting, required for all parents, will be held September 27 – 29 during your student’s class time. All sessions will be held during class time.
General Information
Birth and Baptismal Certificates
- We require a copy of both the birth and baptismal certificate of every student in our Faith Formation program.
- To participate in Sacramental Preparation, the child’s certificates must be turned in by the deadline.
- Certificates are due by September 30, 2026 to office@gs-cc.org.
Sacramental Preparation
Sacrament programs require two years of preparation for First Reconciliation and Communion, and Confirmation.
- Students usually begin First Reconciliation and Communion preparation in 1st grade and receive Reconciliation and Eucharist for the first time at the end of their 2nd grade year.
- Confirmation preparation usually begins in 7th grade and students are confirmed in the fall of their freshman year.
- If your child is beginning sacramental preparation in a non-typical year, they will join a cohort at the Sunday 12:15pm or Sunday 5pm session (or 10:30am session for some high schoolers) to allow for more specific formation.
Contact the Faith Formation Team with any questions about sacramental preparation.
