Saint Stephen Catholic Parish Faith Formation CHILDRENS FAITH FORMATION Children in public schools, grades 1 thru 8 meet in the Parish Office on Monday afternoons through the school year to be educated in the Catholic faith. They are prepared for First Holy Communion and Confirmation by volunteers with teaching skills and a sound knowledge of Catholic teaching. Goals The goals of the Faith Formation at St. Stephen's are: Ongoing conversion to Jesus Christ Full participation in the life of the Catholic Church To foster community among the students, their families and the parish community Program Overview St. Stephen's welcomes all children and youth, baptized or not, to participate in the catechetical program. Hours and Location: Ages 3-6: St. Stephen's offers a special Liturgy of the Word on Sunday morning during the 9:30 Mass from September through May. Grades 1-8 Catechesis is offered on Monday afternoons between 4:00pm to 5:15pm. All classes are held at the Parish Office, 451 Eucalyptus Drive. The new school year for 2011-2012 will begin on new school year will begin on Monday, September 12, at 4:00 p.m. Grade Level Themes Grade 1 Jesus; a foundation year before 1st Communion Grade 2 Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist Grade 3 Church and Community Grade 4 The Beatitudes and the Commandments Grade 5 The Sacraments Grade 6 Scripture Grades 7/8 The Creed, Sacraments, Church History and Morality Fees: (Registration fees help us to recover the cost of textbooks, classroom materials) $65.00 for one child $110.00 for two children $150.00 for three or more $30.00 each child receiving a sacrament (First Communion or Confirmation) in 2011-2012 Add $10.00 for each child if your family is not registered and attending church at St. Stephen Parish After August 31, a late fee of $20.00 per child will be added to the tuition. Check payable to St. Stephen Parish No child will be turned away because of financial need - Please contact us to inquire about scholarship. Please contact Veronica Wong for information regarding scholarships. Everyone is entitled to catechesis regardless of their ability to pay the fees. Important Information: In conformity with Archdiocesan regulations, your child must participate in two years of faith formation before he/she can receive First Communion. Likewise, he/she must complete Grade 6 and Grade 7 Faith Formation Program to enter Grade 8 for Confirmation preparation. Registration St. Stephen is now accepting registrations for 2011-2012 school year. You can down load registration forms from this site and send them to Veronica Wong together with a photocopy of your child's Baptismal Certificate. For further information, please contact Veronica Wong at St. Stephen's Parish Office, 415-681-2444, extension 27. Faith Formation Forms Faith Formation Registration Package Emergency Information Form Some pages are provided in 'pdf' format. To view 'pdf' pages, you will need Adobe Reader (Version 5.0.5 or higher), installed. Download it for free, here. Contact: Veronica Wong (Pastoral Associate - Faith Formation & RCIA) - (415) 681-2444 ext. 27 or vwong-ststephen@att.net CHILDREN'S LITURGY OF THE WORD Children ages 3-6 are dismissed after the Opening Prayer to read and discuss the Gospel in a way which is meaningful to them. They separate into groups and work on an art project or worksheet that supports the Gospel they have just read. They return to Mass after the general Intercessions. Contact: Veronica Wong (Pastoral Associate - Faith Formation & RCIA) - (415) 681-2444 ext. 27 or vwong-ststephen@att.net RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA) RCIA is a nine-month process to help people who are seeking to experience, understand and consciously choose to follow Jesus Christ within the Catholic tradition. While this program is primarily for those considering receiving the Sacraments (Baptism and/or Confirmation and Eucharist), there are a variety of ways for Confirmed Catholics to participate in and assist the process - as sponsors, prayer partners, hospitality, event-planning etc. Contact: Veronica Wong (Pastoral Associate - Faith Formation & RCIA) (415) 681-2444 ext. 27 or vwong-ststephen@att.net YOUTH GROUP The St. Stephen Youth Group encourages teenagers of the parish to continue their dedication and enthusiasm in our community through social activities, community related service and fundraising events. The Youth Group strives to be a meaningful and significant voice in the parish family. Christian Fernandez has served as Youth Minister for over 10 years by involving the Group in rummage sales, making sandwiches for the poor, open gyms, movie nights, lock-ins, youth Masses and their annual ski trip to Lake Tahoe. Our Youth Group meets once or twice a week, usually on Tuesdays and Sundays. Contact: Christian Fernandez - cafernandez15@hotmail.com