Our Mission

To support each family member's growth on their faith journey with Christ through prayer, encounter and accompaniment. 
 
Family Formation: (Levels 1 - 5):

Children AND parents receive twice monthly formation sessions on the first and third Sunday every month. Level 1 & level 2 will leave the church following the homily to have their own session.

Following the Mass, levels 3-5 will meet in the church hall in small groups, while parents stay in the church for a short discussion led by the priest. Our formation sessions for children and parents coincide with the Sunday Gospel, giving families the opportunity to continue the conversation with one another at home. Our faith formation puts emphasis on the role of parents as the first witnesses of the faith and is designed for students aged 6-11.

CYM  (Comprehensive Youth Ministry) Beyond: Grades 6-12:

CYM BEYOND (Comprehensive Youth Ministry) is a program to faithfully minister, guide, and journey alongside our youth and as they enter Immediate Confirmation Preparation and particularly after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. CYM begins in 6th grade and continues through 12th grade.

CYM page coming soon...

Immediate Confirmation Preparation:

All students, including those in Catholic school, must participate in Immediate Confirmation Preparation at St. Michael church or his/her own home parish.

Immediate Confirmation Preparation is an 8-10 weeks bi-weekly instruction using the Chosen Program focusing on the details of the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Chosen, by Ascension Press, is a Confirmation program that is robust & exciting and provides a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Faith, offering a complete system of catechesis and evangelization.

Sessions will be held on the 2^nd & 4^th Sundays from September – January, from 10:45-11:45am, (same time as CYM) in the meeting rooms off the Parish Hall.

The preparation process will also include Eucharistic Adoration, the celebration of Reconciliation, retreats, and workshops. Students & parents are also required to attend monthly meetings to hear witness talks on selected topics. 

Throughout the Confirmation process, students will get the opportunity to reflect on how to live out the commitment they make to Christ in Confirmation while reviewing key concepts of the faith through prayer, scripture, and service.

For more details on our Immediate Confirmation Preparation, please click here.

Parents:

To enhance our support for parents on their own faith journey, they will have twice monthly discussions on the 1st and 3rd Sunday with the priest at the same time as the children in levels 1-5. 
Parents with students in the Immediate Confirmation Preparation will join them for the monthly witness talks. These opportunities are to help parents grow in their own faith, and develop the knowledge & understanding needed to have further discussions at home as a family. 

Our Faith Formation sessions have a spiral approach in which learning builds upon previous years of experience and knowledge. Therefore, if a child has missed one or more years of faith formation instruction the child might be placed in a different level best suited for his/her understanding. This placement may depend on formal, written or verbal assessments given by the office and the evaluation of the particular circumstances of the child.
 
In addition to the Family Formation sessions, our office supports the parish community by encouraging the active participation of our families in the celebration of Sunday Eucharist, other liturgies and devotions, faith formation activities, parish events, and community service projects throughout the year.