Faith Formation Programs
Introduction
The mission statement for the Faith Formation programs of St. John Neumann Parish embodies the four-fold purpose of formation and education in the Christian faith, namely:
To provide an atmosphere in which the gospel message is proclaimed, community in Christ is experienced, service to our sisters and brothers is the norm, and thanksgiving and worship of our God is cultivated. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Renewing our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, Washington, D.C., 2005)
Our commitment is to support the family’s life-long relationship with God in the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.
The most important element in our program is the family. At your child’s Baptism, you committed to instructing your child in the Catholic faith. Through your guidance and example, your child comes to know the love and concern God has for him or her. Family cooperation and support is essential in opening the hearts and minds of your child to God.
It is the desire of the Faith Formation Office to work with parents, children and catechists to support ongoing growth in faith.
To download the 2011-2012 Faith Formation Registration Forms please click on the links below:
Faith Formation Registration Form Grades 1-8 2012
Faith Formation Registration Form High School 2012
Adult and Family Faith Formation
Catechesis aims to bring about in the believer an ever more mature faith in Jesus Christ, a deeper knowledge and love of his person and message, and a firm commitment to follow him. – General Directory for Catechesis, no. 82.
Catechesis leads people to enter the mystery of Christ, to encounter him and to discover themselves and the meaning of their lives in him. – National Directory for Catechesis, p.55.
The aim of catechesis is to build up the Body of Christ, the Church. St. John Neumann adult and family formation programs offer sessions to expand understanding and nourish faith through the Scriptures and Sacred Tradition. Bible Study and other programs are scheduled throughout the year. Consult the weekly parish bulletin or the monthly Faith Formation calendar/newsletter for dates and times.
Faith Formation for Children
Christ calls all the faithful to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world and to hand his message on to successive generations by professing, living, and celebrating the faith in Liturgy and prayer. –National Directory for Catechesis, p. 41.
The Faith Formation Programs for children at St. John Neumann Parish are designed to nurture an ever-growing, life-long relationship with God. They offer support for ongoing growth in the child’s life with God. The programs are designed for children in grades pre-K through high school. They feature innovative, age-appropriate faith learning and life application. Content is based on Scripture, Liturgy, the Sacraments and Sacred Tradition. At the heart of the programs is liturgy and prayer. The programs encourage our children and youth to rely on their faith as they live in a world that does not always share gospel values.
Our programs stress that formation is a life-long process and that catechesis is the responsibility of the whole faith community. The whole community (parents and family, priests, and catechists) is called to pass on the faith through faith-sharing with the children and witness of daily life, as well as to participate, as fully as possible, in the Sunday liturgy.
To contact the Director of Faith Formation for Children call: Cathy Trawinski 657-0200 x 210 email: dre@sjnc.org
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a program for the faith and spiritual formation of the child. The focus of the program is to deepen the child’s existing relationship with God; to encourage the formation of a personal prayer life; to participate fully in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church; and to develop a deeper understanding of Catholic identity and tradition. This is accomplished through the use of materials, prayer, song, listening to the Word of God, and giving the child time to work with the materials provided.
All lessons are presented using Montessori methods which encourage the child to work with a variety of easily accessible materials.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is based upon principles of the Montessori method of: 1. the prepared environment;
2. child-directed activity;
3. adult as servant and observer.
Level One encourages children ages 3-6 to develop their innate potential for a faith-filled relationship with God. They encounter Jesus, the Good Shepherd who loves them, cares for them, and knows them by name. Catechesis includes Scripture, Mass gestures, prayers, artwork and music. Level One is for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children.
Level Two continues the principles and goals for children in grades 1-3 who have completed Level One. Level Two helps further the child’s relationship with Christ and the Catholic faith. Level Two also helps the child prepare for first reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.
To view the CGS program on our website click here: SJNC CGS webpage
To contact the coordinator for CGS call: Helen Silva 657-0200 x 217 email: cgs@sjnc.org
Children’s Catechumenate – Christian Initiation of Children who have
Reached Catechetical Age (7 years old or older)
The Christian initiation of these children requires both a conversion that is personal and somewhat developed, in proportion to their age, and the assistance of the education they need. –The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, “The Christian Initiation of Children Who Have Reached Catechetical Age”, p. 155.
1. This is a two year program for children who were not baptized as infants,
who have attained the age of reason, are of catechetical age, and who will
participate in the Rite of Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
2. Children will attend weekly age-appropriate classes and special monthly
family preparations sessions.
3. Children will celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil of their second year.
First year participants will attend age-appropriate classes with children who are already baptized, and have celebrated First Eucharist, or are preparing to celebrate Confirmation.
The second year classes emphasize the child’s relationship with God, and their life within the body of Christ, the Church. The child is accompanied on their journey by a sponsor. All sponsors must fulfill diocesan requirements.
During the two years, special sessions are held to help children, families and sponsors prepare for the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation.
Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation takes place during the Easter Vigil of the second year. The children then begin a period of reflection on the initiation process called mystagogy where they reflect on the sacraments celebrated and continue to grow in their faith.
Sacramental Preparation for First Eucharist
The Liturgical life of the Church revolves around the sacraments, with the Eucharist at the center. Catechesis for the Eucharist recognizes it as the heart of Christian life for the whole Church, for the dioceses, and parishes, and for each individual Christian. –National Directory for Catechesis, pp. 113 and 124.
1. First Eucharist preparation is a two year process.
2. The child is at least seven years of age at the time the sacrament of First Eucharist is celebrated.
3. The child has completed one full year of Catholic faith formation in a parish program or parochial school the year before
beginning the second year of preparation at St. John Neumann Parish.
4. If the parish program or parochial school is other than St. John Neumann Parish, a letter from the parish or school stating that
the child has been in the program or school the previous year must be presented at the time of registration.
5. Parents or guardians are registered members of St. John Neumann Parish.
6. The child is registered in and regularly attends Faith Formation sessions at St. John Neumann Parish.
7. Parents attend special meetings with their child celebrating First Reconciliation and First Eucharist.
8. Children baptized in other faith traditions will make a Profession of Faith and then celebrate First Reconciliation and First
Eucharist.
The two year preparation program to celebrate First Eucharist teaches children about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Active participation in the Sunday Liturgy is required.
To contact the Director of Faith Formation for Children call: Cathy Trawinski 657-0200 x 210 email: dre@sjnc.org
Sacramental Preparation for Confirmation
[The Sacrament of Confirmation celebrates a sharing] in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit among us, the Spirit sent by the Lord upon his apostles at Pentecost and given by them and their successors to the baptized. The promised strength of the Holy Spirit which you are to receive will make you more like Christ and help you to be witnesses to his suffering, death and resurrection. It will strengthen you to be active members of the Church and to build up the Body of Christ in faith and love. –Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 200.
The two year preparation program to celebrate Confirmation teaches our youth about the power of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives.
To contact the Pastoral Associate call: Greg Sinclair 657-0200 x 214 email: dym@sjnc.org
T-3 – The Teen Timeline bible study is scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30pm – 6:45pm throughout the year. All Confirmation I students who were not enrolled in Faith Formation here at St. John Neumann last year are required to enroll in one of the evening sessions in addition to the Sunday classes. Attendance will be accounted for and combined with each student’s Sunday attendance. Any other high school aged youth interested in exploring Scripture may also enroll.
1. Confirmation preparation is a two year process.
2. Students enrolling in the program must be at least in the 9th grade or higher.
3. If a student is registered as a second-year student and has attended a different parish, a letter from the parish must be sent to confirm that he or she has completed the first year of Confirmation preparation.
4. Requirements for Confirmation are:
a. 30 hours of parish/community service per year (a total of 60 hours for the program). If the service is to take place outside of the church, the project must be approved by the Pastoral Associate before beginning the service hours.
b. Students are expected to participate in all weekly classes. Absences
will be reviewed.
c. Participation at the Sunday 5:00pm Mass is required.
d. If a student is disrespectful or disruptive during class and/or Mass, they will be asked to meet with a member of the Faith Formation staff. Continued disrespectful or disruptive behavior may result in a delay of celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, or in mandatory withdrawal from the program until the student demonstrates a readiness to return.
e. Required/mandatory retreats and rallies:
i. First year introductory retreat is a two day, one night fall retreat.
ii. Social Justice Retreat (Homeless Retreat) is a two day, two night retreat and must be completed once within the two year program.
iii. Second year Confirmation Retreat is a three day, two night retreat.
iv. Rallies are held periodically throughout the year
5. The student must have a sponsor for Confirmation as early as possible in the process so that the sponsor journeys with the candidate. Sponsors must provide:
a completed sponsor form;
a letter from his or her parish stating he or she is a practicing Catholic.
Faith Formation Events
Retreats/Reflection Days
During the year, there will be special retreats or days to reflect for those preparing to celebrate Sacrament of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist), First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation. These events will give the participants the opportunity to reflect on their relationship with God, one another, and the larger community. Dates and times will be announced.
Sacramental Preparation Meetings
Celebrating the sacraments of the Church usually occurs in a community setting. In this way the family experiences the community’s support for their child’s journey of faith, and the community of faith experiences itself renewed in the children’s celebration of the sacraments. The sacraments are not an end of preparation; they are a beginning of a new and always growing relationship with God and the Church.
Sacramental preparation will especially help the parents to journey with the child in a celebration and in a new chapter of growth in faith. Dates and times will be announced.
Children’s Celebration of Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation restores our covenant relationship with God that is broken or harmed by sin. Reconciliation frees us of the obstacles that sin creates so we may again celebrate the loving relationship God offers us.
First Reconciliation will be celebrated during Lent of the second year of First Eucharist preparation.
Children’s Celebration of the Eucharist
The celebration of Eucharist helps sustain our relationship with God. Now we are in Christ as Christ is in us.
First Eucharist will be celebrated during the Easter Season of the second year of preparation followed by several weeks of reflecting on and understanding more about the Sacrament during their regularly scheduled classes.
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Welcome to
St. John Neumann Catholic Church
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Click here for latest SJNC Parish Bulletin
Click here for Parish Registration Form
Please print form and bring to parish office.
For change of address or other info, please email parish staff:
assistant@sjnc.org
2575 W. El Campo Grande
North Las Vegas, NV 89031
Phone: (702)657-0200
Fax: (702)648-2327
email: secretary@sjnc.org
Schedule of Liturgies:
Saturday: 4 pm (Vigil)
Sunday: 8 am, 10 am, 12 Noon, and 5 pm
Tuesday-Friday: 8 am
Holy Days: 8 am, 12 noon, 6 pm
Office Hours:
Tuesday-Friday: 8:30 am to 12 noon, and 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday & Monday: Closed
Summer Hours: From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the parish office will be closed at noon on Fridays
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