Children's Faith Formation

PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN (AGE 4+)

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Mission: Little children are very receptive to receiving the love that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has for them. This program provides a solid foundation for a life filled with a loving and lasting relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
 
Program Description: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based program that leads children into a deep relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The hands-on material in the classroom (which is referred to as the Atrium) truly engages children in exploring the mystical truths of our Catholic faith. Once they have been introduced to the material they are “free” to work with the materials internalizing the truths to the fullest.
 
Meeting Times: Wednesdays, 6:00-7:30 pm

FIRST GRADE THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE

As a Catholic Formation Program rooted in Scripture and Tradition, we have three goals for our Program:

1. To invite families to grow together as a community of believers, growing their gifts into the Body of Christ and full participation in the Catholic way of life.

2. To prepare young people for full and educated participation in Catholic liturgy and prayer, through the study of scripture and the lectionary in preparation for each Sunday’s liturgy.

3. To grow young people and their families in their knowledge and active participation in the Catholic tradition through appropriate grade level developmental knowledge and practice of their Catholic faith.

We gather in the church as a whole community of children, catechists, and parents to share in a story that connects with the theme of the Sunday Gospel. The Gospel is proclaimed, and the children reflect on the Gospel values being taught and how they might work to grow in their everyday lives. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend. The children are then dismissed to class with their catechists.

Meeting Times: Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

CATECHISTS AND CO-CATECHISTS

First Grade through Junior High - Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – Pre-School & Kindergarten

A Catechist is one who hands on the faith and teachings of the Church. St. Bridget Parish assists parents in this important role by offering faith formation sessions for the children of our parish. We are looking for men, women, and youth who are willing to share and teach the faith, and engage in discussions with our young parishioners in a classroom setting using the finest Catechetical resources available. It's not about how much you know about the faith, but how you live it in your daily life. Catechists are provided with ongoing formation. The time commitment is 1 ½ hours, September – early May, during class time, plus advance preparation at home to prepare a lesson plan.

Co-Catechists assist the Catechist in the classroom with the lesson plan, classroom details, and if needed leads the class in absence of the Catechist.

Contact Bernadette Smith, Faith Formation Coordinator for more information:
faithformation@stbridget.org or 480-924-9111

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL (VBS)

2024 Date: June 10 - 14 

Mission: To provide a week long faith experience centered on a Christian theme, learning about God's love for us through song, dance, games, and stories.

Program Description: VBS is normally scheduled the 2nd week in June. We meet in Collins Hall every morning to worship through song and dance. We introduce the lesson for the day and break into small crews of 5 or 6 children. The crews are led by teen mentors who rotate their crews through 5 different sessions lead by catechists. Children learn to be disciples of Jesus through Bible stories, science, songs, games and service.

Contact Bernadette Smith, Faith Formation Coordinator for more information:
faithformation@stbridget.org or 480-924-9111

ADVENT FAIRE

Families gather to grow in community by sharing in a soup potluck as we celebrate the new liturgical year.  We learn about the traditions and liturgies of Advent for both home and church.  Families are encouraged to incorporate new traditions and enhance this beautiful time of preparation for Christmas.

LENT / HOLY WEEK FAIRE

Faith Formation families come together for a simple supper as we begin our journey through Lent and Holy Week. We experience activities and learn new traditions to help us prepare for the Resurrection by examining the liturgies of Lent and the Easter Triduum.