Research is nearly unanimous on this point: parents matter most in shaping the religious lives of their children. (Dean, Almost Christian)

The GIFT Program: Generations in Faith Together

GIFT: Generations in Faith Together is our intergenerational, family-based faith formation program. GIFT is scheduled on Sundays,  between September and May, approximately two times per month and is held from 11:00 am to 12:15 pm.  Snacks are provided. 

All families with children in kindergarten through eighth grade are invited to register for and attend GIFT. If a child is preparing for First Holy Communion, GIFT participation in addition to the sacramental preparation process is required. 

Our GIFT curriculum focuses on the Bible. We’ll be using a series called Faith Stories to guide our sessions. This curriculum is organized in a three-year cycle similar to that of our liturgical year. The year one of Faith Stories, is called God Calls and introduces the Creator God and Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament). The second year, is called Jesus Lives and presents the Gospel stories – the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And year three, is called Spirit With Us and will illustrate the work of the Spirit with stories from the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the lives of the saints and modern believers. We are beginning the cycle again this year, in 2024-2025, with God Calls. 

To register your family for GIFT, First Communion or Confirmation preparation, or our Youth Ministry programs, Register Here.

The GIFT fee is $200 per family annually. If your family has a child who is preparing for First Communion, add $80 per child. If your family has a child in our MSYM program, the fee is $120 for the first child, and $60 for each additional child.  If you have a young person preparing for Confirmation Year 1, the fee is $80, Confirmation Year 2, the fee is $120. If you wish to make your payment online, click here for the secure donation portal.

With GIFT at the center of our faith formation programming, other opportunities are available as well. Descriptions of these programs, processes and events will follow:

• Breaking Open the Word for Adults
• Bible Study for Adults
• RCIA: Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
• Racial Justice Series
• High School Youth Ministry
• Middle School Youth Ministry
• Reconciliation and First Communion Preparation for 2nd to 9th Graders
• Confirmation Preparation for 9th to 12th Graders

To read more about our programs and for a complete calendar of all the meeting times and events, view the Faith Formation Handbook. For more information or registration information, please contact Sabrina Harper.  

Safe Environment

Each year, we act in accordance with national mandates implemented in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People for fingerprinting and/or background checks of all catechists and volunteers who have regular contact with young people. Also, all catechists and volunteers are required to complete an online course called, “Protecting God’s Children” before they begin their ministry and is renewed every three years.

Also, each year children will be guided through the “Empowering God’s Children Program” designed for specific age groups which provide a theme that introduces and builds on the basic concepts of the Teaching Boundaries and Safety Guide. The material is developmentally appropriate for each age group and includes content and activities that reinforce the message.

More information about these programs and materials will be made available to families in the fall.

Additional Program Info

Teaching children our Catholic Prayers and Practices are one of the ways we pass on our faith. Here is a list of Prayers & Practices for Kindergarten – High School.