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Welcome to Faith Formation!
WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE!
REGISTRATION FOR 26/27
Opens 5/26 at 11:00 am, click the button for more information and the registration form!
Read below about our program!
Elementary Faith Formation (K–5)
Growing Together in Faith, Building a Parish Home
Our Elementary Faith Formation program helps children grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through Scripture, prayer, sacramental understanding, and participation in parish life. Each year builds upon the last, helping children develop a strong Catholic foundation rooted in faith, love, and community.
Through age-appropriate lessons, engaging activities, prayer, and fellowship, children are invited to encounter Christ in a joyful and meaningful way. More than simply learning about the faith, students discover that the Church is a family where they are known, loved, and called to belong.
Parents are the primary educators of their children in the faith, and this program is designed to support and strengthen family life at home. Families are encouraged to participate regularly in Sunday Mass, pray together, and continue faith conversations throughout the week.
Together, we seek to help every child grow in confidence, wonder, and friendship with Jesus Christ.
"Let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." — Matthew 19:14
First Holy Communion
First Communion Faith Formation Preparation This program is for those who are baptized, in 2nd grade or older, and participated in faith formation in the previous academic year.
The purpose of our First Communion program is to enhance the foundations of the young people's faith, and prepare them to receive the Eucharist.
Part of this program is First Reconciliation. That is their First Confession. With that comes learning about the 10 Commandments, the Examination of Conscience, the steps of Confession, and the prayers that could become their Penance! We will also be teaching why we need to go to Confession: to receive Jesus into a clean soul!
Further than First Reconciliation we learn about the True Presence of Jesus Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist! We have high expectations of the kids receiving First Communion, and part of that is Mass behavior. At their First Communion, the students will sit with their classmates, not their families. We expect that they know how to behave in the church! (Obviously kids are kids, but they should know the basics of being reverent) The best way for them to learn what to do in Mass is by attending frequently. Catholics are always expected to attend Mass every Sunday, but it is even more important for the kids this year to begin to understand what is happening in the Mass!
Whether your child attends Faith Formation, St. Mark Catholic School, or is Homeschooled, the expectations are the same for everyone. But so is the excitement for this very special year of your child's life!
Confirmation
Be Sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit
Confirmation is a sacred step in the life of a Catholic Christian! Through this sacrament, candidates are strengthened by the Holy Spirit and called to live boldly as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Our Confirmation program invites young people into a deeper relationship with Christ through prayer, catechesis, service, retreat experiences, and participation in the sacramental life of the Church. This preparation is not simply about completing requirements, but about growing in faith and learning to live as active members of the Body of Christ.
Candidates are expected to attend formation sessions faithfully, participate in a Confirmation retreat, complete service hours, choose a practicing Catholic sponsor, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and participate regularly in Sunday Mass.
Confirmation is not the end of faith formation — it is the beginning of a lifelong journey with the Holy Spirit.
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." — 2 Timothy 1:7
Going deeper...
EDGE
Middle School Youth Ministry
Encounter. Grow. Decide. Engage.
EDGE is a middle school youth ministry designed to help teens encounter Jesus Christ, grow in their Catholic faith, and build authentic friendships rooted in community and discipleship.
Middle school is a pivotal time in a young person’s life as they begin asking deeper questions about identity, purpose, and faith. EDGE creates a welcoming environment where teens can explore those questions honestly while discovering the love of Christ through dynamic teaching, prayer, worship, sacraments, service, retreats, and fellowship.
More than simply attending a program, teens are invited into a community where faith becomes personal and lived. Through consistent participation, prayer, and meaningful relationships, students are encouraged to take ownership of their faith and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Parents play an essential role in this journey through regular Sunday Mass attendance, prayer, and ongoing conversations about faith at home.
EDGE exists to help young people encounter Christ in a way that transforms not only what they know about Him, but how they live.
"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word and conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." — 1 Timothy 4:12
Leading teens closer to christ
LIFE TEEN
High School Youth Ministry
Your Faith. Your Life. Your Choice.
Life Teen is a high school youth ministry created to help teens encounter Jesus Christ, grow in their Catholic faith, and develop a personal relationship with Him that lasts beyond graduation.
High school brings new pressures, deeper questions, and important decisions about identity, purpose, and belief. Life Teen provides a welcoming and authentic community where teens can explore those questions honestly while being challenged to live their faith with conviction and courage.
Through dynamic teaching, worship, Eucharistic Adoration, prayer, retreats, service opportunities, and small-group community, teens are invited to move beyond simply knowing about the faith and begin living it intentionally in everyday life.
Life Teen encourages teens to participate consistently, receive the sacraments regularly, develop a personal prayer life, and become witnesses to Christ in their schools, friendships, and families.
Parents remain essential partners in the journey of faith through regular Sunday Mass attendance, prayer, and authentic witness at home.
The goal of Life Teen is not simply to help teens make it through high school, but to help them become lifelong disciples who know who they are in Christ and are prepared to live their faith confidently in the world.
"I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." — John 10:10
When are the Faith Formation Classes?
K-5 Classes
Grade level Faith Formation, First Communion and Sacramental Pathways
Sundays:
3:15 - 4:30 pm
6:15 - 7:30 pm
Mondays:
4:30 - 5:45 pm
6:15 - 7:30 pm
EDGE
Middle School Youth Ministry One Year of EDGE is required for receiving Confirmation.
Sundays:
3:15 - 4:30 pm
Mondays:
6:15 - 7:30 pm
Confirmation
Sacrament Preparation classes - second year of prep
Sundays:
6:15 - 7:30
Tuesdays:
6:15 - 7:30
Life Teen
High School Youth Ministry
The Life Teen schedule is ever-changing with the year, but they meet most Sunday Evenings 6:15 - 8:00 pm
Follow @stmarkncyouth on instagram for updates!
Reach out to Gus with questions!
If you have any questions, please email:
Meet the Team
Special Circumstances:
If you are moving to the area and were enrolled in the current year of Faith Formation at your previous parish, please reach out to our team.
If your child is in 1st grade or 7th grade and is not currently enrolled in Faith Formation, please reach out for solutions to ensure that your child can receive First Communion or Confirmation on time.
If your child is older than 2nd grade or 8th grade and have not received First Communion or Confirmation, and is not enrolled in Faith Formation currently, you will have to register them for our next year of Faith Formation. Registration opens in the late Spring.
If your child is not baptized, and older than 7, they will have to enter our OCIA program. Information about that is on our OCIA PAGE HERE. If your child is not baptized and younger than 7, please schedule a baptism for them ASAP! Contact Emily Bixler to do so.
If your child attends Catholic School, they do not have to be in our Faith Formation program to receive a Sacrament. You will have to fill out our Sacrament Form in the year of their Sacrament to ensure you receive all of our communications.
If you Home School your child, and do their faith formation at home, your child does not have to attend our Faith Formation program. You will have to fill out our Sacrament Form in the year of their Sacrament to ensure you receive all of our communications. More information about Home School can be found by clicking the button below.
Meet the Team
