Category Archives: Faith Formation News

May Faith Formation Update

May is traditionally celebrated as a month dedicated to our blessed mother. Click here to read a fantastic article about this monthly  celebration of Mary!  As a family, come up with a plan to grow in love of our Blessed Mother.

Congratulations to our 2nd graders who have and who are preparing to receive their 1st Eucharist, and to our confirmation candidates who will receive the sacrament of confirmation on Thursday May 3rd!

In a couple of weeks you will be receiving information regarding registration for the 2018-2019 faith formation year. One thing you will notice is that our faith formation program is now called “Breakthrough Faith Formation”! In scripture there are numerous times that God “broke through” in someone’s life. Their lives gained new meaning, a new identity, a new mission, with a clear destination. Well our faith formation program will be a place where our students, catechists, and families will Encounter the love of God, Engage with our faith, and learn how to Witness/Share our faith with others! It will be a time and space for God to Breakthrough into our lives! Next year is going to be EPIC!

Mark Your Calendars! Please consider participating in St. Mary’s Corpus Christi Procession on June 3. Procession starts at 2pm at Tyburn Academy and moves to St. Mary’s Church! Celebrate Jesus in His amazing gift in the Eucharist!

 

Faith Formation News for May

***NEW***EDGE Middle School Youth Group (6th, 7th, 8th Grades)

            You have spoken! We have listened!

May 7- 7:00pm-8:30pm –St. Alphonsus Gym

May 21- 7:00pm-8:30pm – St. Alphonsus Gym

 

EMMAUS High School Youth Group

            Sundays from 6:00pm-7:30pm in Youth Room in St. Joseph School unless otherwise noted!

May Schedule

6- Who is Mary and why is she my mother? (***Meet at St. Francis Church) Taco Night for Cinco de mayo!

13- Mother’s Day! The importance of Mothers!  

17- 5:30pm Holy Hour at St. Hyacinths followed by food, fellowship and fun!

20- Feast of Pentecost! 5pm Mass! Living in the Spirit!

27- Memorial Day! No Meeting

Monthly Session

Saturday May 5- Topic: People of Spirit! Location: CFL

Sunday June 3- Participation in St. Mary’s Eucharistic Procession! 2pm-4pm

Adult Faith Formation

The Bread of Life: Foundations of a Eucharistic Spirituality Dr..Matthew Kuhner, will offer eight spiritual talks at St Mary's Church Hall leading up to the Feast of Corpus Christi. The talks will explore the foundational ways in which the Eucharistic encounter can take root in our lives, shaping our spirituality, our work, and our relationships. The talks will be given over four consecutive Wednesdays beginning May 9th. There will be 2 one hour talks given each Wednesday starting at 10:30 AM with Eucharistic Adoration and lunch break between the talks. A free lunch will be provided to those who sign up for lunch by calling St Mary's 252 9545 at least 24 hours prior to each Wednesday. 

 

 

Technology and Faith

OFFICIAL APP OF MASSTIMES.ORG!

The purpose of the Mass Times ministry is to help Catholics get to Mass by helping them find churches and worship times worldwide. We do this by hosting and sharing the most comprehensive database of Catholic churches and worship times in existence. Dioceses, parishes, and many volunteers help us keep the database current. We also host the masstimes.org website that our visitors use to search for Mass times.

 

 

Monthly Sessions Update

The May monthly session will be on Saturday May 5th from 6pm-8pm at Champions For Life. We are going to watch the movie, Joseph King of Dreams. 

Attention 6, 7, and 8th graders! Attached is a flyer for our new middle school youth group, EDGE (click here to view the flyer as a PDF). All 6, 7, and 8th graders are invited to participate in this dynamic faith filled program. Attendance at one of the May EDGE meetings will suffice for the monthly session. Beginning in September the EDGE program will be one of the options for middle school (6-8) catechesis. 

The last monthly session will be a family event on Sunday June 3rd. All families are invited to participate in St. Mary's 150th Anniversary Eucharistic Procession from Tyburn Academy to St. Mary's Church. Procession starts at 2pm at Tyburn. Procession ends at St. Mary's with Benediction, roughly around 4pm. Rain or Shine! 

Registration for the summer and next year will be mailed home in the next couple of weeks. This summer is the completion of last summer. The registration is for you to pick the session (July or August). If you paid last summer then you do not need to pay for this summer. 

April Faith Formation Update

Hello Families,

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Alleluia! He is risen! He is truly risen! Alleluia!

The Easter Season—beginning on Easter Sunday and continuing for 50 days—is an opportunity for us to cultivate a spirit that defines who we are as Christians. So what does living the spirit of the Easter season mean in practical terms? Here are three concrete suggestions.

Live with Joy

Joy is a deep-down gladness that cannot be taken away, even in the midst of sorrow. The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus teach us that suffering is transformed through faith in the Risen Christ. With this faith, we are able to hold on to an enduring sense of joy even in the midst of the sadness we experience from the loss of a loved one, a failure to achieve an important goal, or a setback during recovery from an illness.

Live without Fear

The Resurrection teaches us that God can overcome anything, even death. When the Risen Christ appears to the women at the tomb and later to his disciples, his first words are “Do not be afraid!” (Mt 28:5,10) These words speak to our hearts, helping us cope with the fear from the loss of a job, a serious illness, or a crumbling relationship. Our faith allows us to trust that God can overcome our most serious problems.

Live with New Eyes

Easter means to live with a sense of newness.  Just as the return of spring lifts our spirits and makes us feel like the whole world is new, the Resurrection of Jesus makes “all things new.” (Rev. 21:5) The Easter spirit is a spirit of renewal that enables us to show up at work with a positive attitude, to renew relationships that have been taken for granted, and to express appreciation and affection to those closest to us. It means to see the world through new eyes—God´s eyes.

We can use these 50 days to cultivate an Easter spirit that enables us to be truly Christian: embracing joy, living without fear, and seeing the world again—as if for the first time. (2018 Loyola Press)

You are all in my prayers!

In the peace of Christ,

Carlo Stebbings

 

Faith Formation News for April

 

Sunday and Monday Faith Formation Classes

Sunday- two more classes left, Sunday April 8 and 15

Monday- Last class is Monday April 9

 

Confirmation

Year 1- Last Class Sunday April 8th! Parent meeting at 12:00pm!

Year 2- Sponsor/Candidate Session– Sunday April 15th-3-6pm at St.

               Alphonsus. We will attend the 5pm mass together!

            Confirmation Rehearsal– Monday April 30th– 7pm at St. Mary’s,

          Candidate and sponsor need to attend. If sponsor cannot attend a

          parent needs to attend. Arrive by 6:45pm!

            Confirmation- Thursday May 3rd, 7pm at St. Mary’s. Arrive by

 6:30pm!

 

***NEW***EDGE Middle School Youth Group (6th, 7th, 8th Grades)

            You have spoken! We have listened!

Our middle school youth group will begin meeting this month!

April 17- 7:00pm-8:30pm –St. Alphonsus Parish Center

April 24- 7:00pm-8:30pm – St. Alphonsus Parish Center

 

EMMAUS High School Youth Group

            Sundays from 6:00pm-7:30pm at CFL unless otherwise noted!

April Schedule

1 – Happy Easter! No Meeting!

8 –   Divine Mercy Sunday! What is Mercy?

15 – Peace be With You! How to be people of Peace.

22 – It’s Ok to be a sheep because we have Jesus

29 – 5pm mass at St. Aphonsus! Meeting at St. Alphonsus! Topic: Remaining in the Lord

 

1st Communion

            Wednesdays: April 4, 11, 18

           Thursdays: April 5, 12, 19

 

Monthly Sessions

            Saturday April 7- Topic: Living Easter Everyday! Location: CFL

            Saturday May 5- Topic: People of Spirit! Location: CFL

            Sunday June 3- Participation in St. Mary’s Eucharistic Procession!

 

Faith in the Family

In the Easter Gospel we hear about how the disciples found the tomb empty three days after Jesus' death. We are also told that they do not yet understand the Scriptures or that Jesus had been raised from the dead. That understanding gradually unfolded for the disciples as they began to experience the risen Lord. Similarly, our understanding of Jesus' Resurrection unfolds for us throughout our lives. In the weeks ahead, we will hear how the first disciples moved from confusion, doubt, and skepticism to faith. Their experience can teach us how we too might receive this gift of faith from God.

Gather your family members and ask them to share what they know about the events that happened in the days after Jesus' crucifixion. Invite your family to imagine that they are among Jesus' first disciples. Read together today's Gospel, John 20:1-9. Reflect together on the Gospel with questions such as these: If you had been among the first disciples who heard that the stone had been removed from Jesus' tomb and that Jesus' body was no longer there, what would you think? What did Mary of Magdala, Simon Peter, and the disciple whom Jesus loved think had happened? Recall that this experience is the first indication Jesus' disciples have that he is risen. Throughout the Easter season, we will learn more about how the disciples came to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

Pray together using today's psalm, Psalm 118: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”

 

Technology and Faith

Knowing that most if not everyone has a smart phone, there are some fantastic and FREE catholic apps. Another great app is the Catholic Mega App. Check it out! It’s a great way of using technology to help us grow in faith. 

 

 

March 3rd Monthly Session @ St. Mary’s Church

    For the children that participated in the Summer Program, the March Monthly Session will be held Saturday, March 3rd, from 5:30-8:00pm at Saint Mary's Church.  We will be starting with the 5:30 Mass and ending with Stations of the Cross. Click on the flyer to see more details.  Sign up for this session here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c084faaa82ca7ff2-family

    Remember, they need to attend five of the nine sessions, and unlike last year the parents do not need to attend. I hope to see all your children there.

    To view the rest of the dates, click here.   If you have any questions, contact Carlo Stebbings at 315-252-3439 or [email protected].

    Thank you and God bless.

    

February 3rd Monthly Session at CFL Sports Center

    For the children that participated in the Summer Program, the February Monthly Session will be held Saturday, February 3rd, from 6-8 pm at Champions for Life Sports Center.  We will be going over another fruit of the Holy Spirit and exploring what embracing that fruit can do in our lives.  The flyer hints at some of what you can expect. 

    Remember, they need to attend five of the nine sessions, and unlike last year the parents do not need to attend. I hope to see all your children there.

    To view the rest of the dates, click here.   If you have any questions, contact Carlo Stebbings at 315-252-3439 or [email protected].

    Thank you and God bless.

    

December 2nd Monthly Session at CFL Sports Center

For the children that participated in the Summer Program, the December Monthly Session will be held Saturday, December 2nd, from 6-8:30 pm at Champions for Life Sports Center. This session will be running until 8:30 so we can finish the movie. We will be going over another fruit of the Holy Spirit and exploring what embracing that fruit can do in our lives.  The flyer hints at some of what you can expect. 

Remember, they need to attend six of the ten sessions, and unlike last year the parents do not need to attend. I hope to see all your children there.

To view the rest of the dates, click here.   If you have any questions, contact Dan Tome at 315-252-3439 or [email protected].

Thank you and God bless.

November 4th Monthly Session at CFL Sports Center

For the children that participated in the Summer Program, the November Monthly Session will be held Saturday, November 4th, from 6-8 pm at Champions for Life Sports Center.  We will be going over another fruit of the Holy Spirit and exploring what embracing that fruit can do in our lives.  The flyer hints at some of what you can expect. 

Remember, they need to attend six of the ten sessions, and unlike last year the parents do not need to attend. I hope to see all your children there.

To view the rest of the dates, click here.   If you have any questions, contact Dan Tome at 315-252-3439 or [email protected].

Thank you and God bless.

October 7th Monthly Session at CFL Sports Center

For the children that participated in the Summer Program, the October Monthly Session will be held this Saturday, October 7th, from 6-8 pm at Champions for Life Sports Center.  We will be going over another fruit of the Holy Spirit and exploring what embracing that fruit can do in our lives.  The flyer hints at some of what you can expect. 

Remember, they need to attend six of the ten sessions, and unlike last year the parents do not need to attend.  I hope to see all your children there.  

Thank you and God bless.

Faith Formation Notifications and Updates

Auburn Faith Formation is now on Remind.  News, updates and cancellations will be sent straight to you via this

You can join a class on the website with class codes below or text: 81010 with the following class codes

 Confirmation Program @Conf1719
 Summer Program @Summer2k17
 Sunday Morning Program @SMP1718
 Monday Afternoon Program @MAP1718
 First Penance/First Communion @Fpfc1718