Faith Formation for Families with Children and Teens

The faith formation program invites parents to a faith journey with their young ones, in order for all to grow in love of Christ and in understanding of our faith, thereby wanting to live as followers of Jesus.

We offer some different Faith Formation options for Families with children and teens:

One with catechist teaching weekly lesson at St. Pius X on Tuesdays 6:15-7:30 pm for Gr 1—7
One with parent teaching weekly lesson at home and family gatherings one Sunday morning a month for community connection and enhancement, for Gr 1 –12.
Please see the descriptions of these offerings below.

One with weekly gatherings called Sunday Youth, a comprehensive Youth Ministry Program for
Gr 6—12

Click on this link for more information about SPX Youth Ministry.

Use this Link to Register for one of these options for 2024-2025.

Family Faith with Weekly Gatherings

We have a model where a catechist assists parents with the teaching of weekly lessons, Grades 1 – 5 in the Parish Center and 6-7 in School.

This weekly program meets on Tuesday evenings Starting Sep 10, 2024.
Grades 1 – 7, September through April.
Time 6:00-7:30 pm
Onsite classes arrival 6 – 6:15 pm and departure 7:15 – 7:30 pm.
Children are dropped off outside and walk in.
Parents come back, park their cars and walk in to pray the Prayer of the Month with their child(ren) and then sign them out.
Click Here for Calendar for 2024-2025.

Family Faith with Monthly Gatherings

We also have a program in which parents teach the weekly classes at home and then the families gather monthly, on Sunday mornings – for enrichment sessions on seasonal topics with other families.

Grades 1 – 12, Monthly Meetings September through April
On Sunday mornings 10:45 am – Noon
Starting with a Parent Meeting in the Parish Center on Sep 15 or Sep 22 at 10:45 am either day.
Click Here for Calendar for 2024-2025.

Curriculum
We use Catechetical textbooks that are approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Grades 1 – 5
Finding God by Loyola Press is our new curriculum for our elementary grades. It is a vibrant and artistic series that incorporates art, music and videos to help pass on an age appropriate understanding of our faith. The goal is to help our young people fall in love with Christ and want to life as followers of Jesus.
Use this link to reach the Finding God website.

Grades 6 – 7
The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers by St. Mary’s Press provides a comprehensive program to foster the faith of young adolescents and help them make the connections between the Catholic faith, their everyday life, and their faith community, which will strengthen their Catholic identity and inspire them to participate more fully in the Church’s mission.
Online Support and Chapter Quizzes at St. Pius X Faith Formation Resources Website

Grades 8 – 12
The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth by St. Mary’s Press is an easy-to-understand and practical guide to all things Catholic. The handbook helps the young person gain the foundational catechesis to present him or herself as a Candidate for Confirmation at the end of 9th grade.
Online Support and Chapter Quizzes at
St. Pius X Faith Formation Resources Website

IMAGES FROM PAST ACTIVITIES

Link to Family Faith Saint Project October 2023

Link to Family Faith Thanksgiving Prayers November 2023

We made Christmas Cards, Paper Snow Flakes and Ornaments for the residents at Rochester Rehabilitation and Nursing.

We prayed Stations of the Cross at a Disc Golf Course

We went to St. Pius X Cemetery to deepen our understanding of our Catholic belief about death and after life,
while we were there we also discovered a little bit about who were buried there.

We went to a Nursing Home in December to Christmas Carol and deliver Christmas Cards we had made for the residents.

We created signs that were placed at the entrances to St. Pius X Church for all who drove by to see and remember that “Life is Sacred” and that we are called to “Celebrate Life.”

We learned to make Snowball Lanterns and created a winter shrine for Our Lady of the Snow – Mary

We went to the Park for a Rosary Prayer Walk and also created Blessing Bags for the Homeless

We spent a morning searching for clues in Scripture – a Scripture Scavenger Hunt

We celebrated Pentecost with a Bonfire, a gathering by the Bell Tower and sending up Prayer Lanterns

Contact Dcn. Johan Engström with questions about program offerings and registration, johan.engstrom@dor.org

Some Outreach Efforts before pandemic
Pumpkins for Heritage Christian Home
In October we reflected on Holiness and the roots of Halloween (All Hallows Eve). We then created designs for the pumpkins that reflect holiness and our Christian faith, and delivered them to the residents.