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Faith Formation Volunteers / Catechists

The following are forms required for all Adult Volunteers.  To download, please click on each form.

Volunteer Profile Form

Background Check Policy / Notification and Release Form

Sexual Misconduct Policy and Receipt Form

Code of Ethics and Receipt Form

Attendance at a Protecting God's Children Workshop is required.

To register, click here.

FAITH FORMATION

The purpose of the Faith Formation office is to assist parents in their responsibility to educate their children in the Catholic faith. The parish will do so by providing formal classroom instruction in the ways of the Catholic faith using the Faith and Life Curriculum for children grades Kindergarten through 8th grade.  We will also develop a curriculum for parents to help them with this important job.

The Role of Parents

The Catholic Church considers the parents to be the chief catechists for their children: “Parents above others are obliged to form their children by word and example in faith and in the practice of Christian life; sponsors and those who take the place of parents are bound by an equal obligation.” Code of Canon Law 774-2

Excerpt from the Rite of Baptism of an Infant.  When your child was baptized you took upon yourself the responsibility of teaching them to love and practice the faith.  

Priest or Deacon:   "You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of training him/her in the practice of the Faith. It will be your duty to bring him/her up to keep God's commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor.    Do you clearly understand what you are undertaking?"

Parents:  "We do."

We can never replace the Parents in the carrying out of their responsibility. It is essential to the child's growth and development in the Catholic faith, that the Parents live the life of faith in the home. The effectiveness of the catechetical process radically depends upon this. For example, the children learn in their religious education classes that celebrating the Eucharist on Sunday with the faith community (that is the local parish) is essential to being Catholic.  When parents "sleep in" instead of attending Mass, their actions speak louder than their words. The values of the Parents become the values of the child/ren. The child/ren are then receiving a "mixed message" and statistics demonstrate that it is the Parents' beliefs they will absorb and follow.

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Registration

Only families that are registered members of the parish of St. Vincent de Paul may enroll their children in our program. All students must be registered each year. The registration will take place throughout the summer.  Classes will be filled on a first-come first-serve basis, with no exception.  Payment is due with registration. 

A registration fee is charged to help cover some of the expenses of the Faith Formation Program. The fees are as follows:  $70 for First Child;     $85 for Two Children;    $100 for Three or more.

Please note:

An additional registration form and fee is needed for 1st Sacraments. Contact the FF office for details.  Registration for First Eucharist will take place during the Orientation in August.  Registration for Confirmation is by invitation only.  Please note that preparation for the sacraments requires parental participation.

The registration procedures for Faith Formation are as follows:

1. Download the registration form from this website or obtain the form from the church. 
2. Complete Registration form.
3. Fees must accompany the registration form. Requests are to be made to the Faith Formation office for a fee waiver or special payment arrangements due to financial difficulty. All requests will be kept confidential. 
4. Mail the registration form or deliver it to the parish office Monday–Friday between 9-3pm.  You may also register at the scheduled registration times announced in the bulletin.

To download the registration forms and the FF Calendar, click on the following links. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read these forms.

• Registration Form 2010-2011
• Faith Formation Calendar 2010-2011

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Faith Formation Curriculum

Faith and Life… The following link provides information about the Faith and Life curriculum.  You are welcome to visit the Faith Formation office to review the books your child will be using.  Please call to make an appointment.

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Sacramental Program

Students preparing for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist are involved in a two-year preparation program (typically grades 1 and 2).  Likewise students preparing for Confirmation participate every year Grade 1-8 with the last two years (7th and 8th) being a Diocesan requirement. 

• The Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist – A specific preparation booklet for each sacrament will be distributed at various Parent Meetings. Participation in 2 retreats is mandatory. Guidelines regarding preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are:
• Children in 2nd  grade are eligible for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. Our formal preparation program is held within the 2nd grade year but completion of 1st grade is required.
• For children who are older than the traditional preparation year for a sacrament and have not celebrated that sacrament, special arrangements must be made through the Faith Formation office.

Children will be encouraged to frequent the Sacraments after receiving First Eucharist.  Concerning Reconciliation, CCC #1458 advices us “Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, and let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the spiritual life.”  It is understood that, for the development of a child’s conscience, the opportunity to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) should be offered to him/her by the parents at least monthly. It is imperative to the growing faith life of children to see their parents make use of this wonderful Sacrament as well.

Recognizing that the Eucharist, the real presence of Jesus Christ: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, is the source and summit of the life of the Church, the students will participate in celebrations of the Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration at various seasons of the Church year.  Families and children will be encouraged on many levels through an ongoing catechesis on the Eucharist.  To teach the children the beauty of Adoration, all classes will begin the last class of each month with 5 minutes of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

To Register for 1st Communion the following criterion must be met:

• The child has been baptized in the Catholic Church,
• The child is in second grade or higher,
• The child has participated in at least two years of religious education in either a parish or Catholic school program.
• The child’s family is registered at St. Vincent de Paul parish.

The requirements that need to be met in order to successfully complete this program of Sacramental Preparation include:

• ·Registration Form completed and returned to the Faith Formation Office by Nov. 1.  Click here to download a copy of the registration form. Or, you may pick up a registration form at the parish office.
• ·If the child was not baptized in St. Vincent de Paul, a copy of the child’s Baptism Certificate handed in to the Faith Formation office at the Parents’ Orientation.
• ·Parents and children attend all preparation sessions that will be indicated during orientation
• ·Parents and children commit to home-based preparation time using the books and other materials provided during the preparation sessions, attend Mass every Sunday, and pray together at home.

When is the Orientation Session for the Parents?
Parents must attend the orientation session in December. A definite date will be provided soon.  Check the bulletin and website for more information.  At this session, parents will be given an overview of the Sacramental Preparation Program and a review of the requirements, as well as a chance to ask any and all questions.

• The Sacrament Of Confirmation – Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is on-going after receiving 1st Eucharist. The children must continue to attend Faith Formation every year.   Instructions in Grades 1-8 is a requirement of the Faith Formation Office, and Grades 7 and 8 are mandated by the Diocese.  We require service hours during these last 2 years of preparation. The intent is that the 10 service hours will be completed before Grade 8, in order that the final preparation can be more focused on spiritual preparation.

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Adult Education

For Adults Only…Courses are offered throughout the year. They teach in-depth spirituality and help the community pursue its apostolic vocation and to help those who are searching for Christ.  These classes are highly recommended for all members of the parish.  These sessions are offered during the Faith Formation sessions.

For Catechists Only…There are two retreats offered for catechists to help in their important task of catechizing our children.  One in July and one in January.  Catechists’ workshops will be offered at least once a year.

First Eucharist and Reconciliation retreats, Confirmation preparation sessions... for parents who are assisting their child in preparing to receive one of these sacraments.  Parental participation is mandatory.

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Additional Children's Education

Vacation Bible School… VBS for 2010 is full. Announcements for VBS 2011 will begin next spring.

 Liturgy of the Word for Children... is held during the 9:30 am Mass.  Children will have the opportunity to listen to and break open the Gospel reading on a level that is age-appropriate for them. Typically, an activity or project is included to help reinforce their learning. Children will be dismissed from Mass at the Liturgy of the Word and return during the Offertory.

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