Faith Formation at St. Michael Parish

• Older children in level 8 (Confirmation II) participate in the small group session starting at 9:45 am in the school and are dismissed in time to participate in the 11:30 am Mass.
• The NET program for older teens to be prepared for Confirmation meets about twice a month according to a specific schedule distributed in late summer/early fall.

• Monthly Family Sessions: these sessions are part of the calendar for Levels K-6. Once a month (usually on the first Sunday of the month) families participate in the 9:30 am Mass and then stay in Church for a short presentation followed by refreshments in the Church Hall (on ‘Coffee Sunday’ weeks). These sessions are a mandatory part of the calendar, NOT optional sessions. On these weeks, Confirmation I candidates meet after Mass for Confirmation service work.

Please note that the Faith Formation program is open to registered parish families (you give regularly using either church envelopes or WeShare Electronic Giving). If you are new to the parish, please register with the parish BEFORE you register children for Faith Formation. See the Parish Registration tab at the top of the St. Michael Parish home page. You will begin receiving donation envelopes in about 3 weeks.   

• First, please print, read and sign the Faith Formation Covenant (in English or Spanish). This is to be returned to the Faith Formation office at 8 Church St., Netcong.  If you do not have a printer, please stop by the office to pick up a copy.  (In Spanish, here)
• Second, please read the Faith Formation Policy Guidelines here (In Spanish, here)
• Third, please register/re-register your child(ren) by filling out the electronic form here.  
• If you prefer to register your children in person, please contact the office.

NOTES: New Registrations

If your child is new to the program, we need a copy of the baptismal certificate at the time of registration  (can be mailed, or dropped off during office hours).  Registrations will NOT be completed without the baptismal certificate. (If child was baptized at St. Michael we need the approximate date of baptism.)

• If your child is transferring from another parish Faith Formation program, please obtain a letter from that parish documenting child’s participation in the program.
• For new registrations for children older than first grade: After we receive the registration and all supporting documents (baptismal certificate or date, signed Covenant and transfer papers (from prior parish, if applicable), we will contact you with information about the (grade) level /program your child will enter in September.

 If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at the Faith Formation office   

The mission of the Faith Formation program at St. Michael parish is to assist parents and families with the faith development and formation of their children in the Parish Church setting.
 
The Church teaches that parents are the primary religious educators of their children.  This is so essential that the Church recognizes that each family is, in fact, a small ‘domestic church’. It is in the home, within the bonds of family, that children first learn about God and about faith. The role of the Faith Formation program is to assist parents in this holy responsibility to lead their family members into a more committed, lifelong relationship with the Lord Jesus and knowledge of our Catholic faith in this local church in Netcong.
 
We must always remember that faith is not a matter of acquiring a good religious vocabulary. Rather, faith is relationship with Jesus. In the Faith Formation program, we help the young people come to know Jesus through prayer, through God’s Word (Scripture) and through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist (Mass) and Reconciliation. The heart of the Faith Formation program is weekly celebration of the Eucharist (Mass) by all families.
 
Faith Formation at St. Michael parish is also more than sacramental preparation. It is preparation for life. Our sequential (K-Confirmation) program is designed to impart Christian values and knowledge that will aid young people and teens as they make choices throughout their lives, helping them to become peace-filled and joyful Christians who know Jesus and respond willingly to all that He calls them to be and do on their journey through life.  
 
Please keep our parish Catechists in your prayers throughout the year as they work tirelessly to prepare our children’s minds and hearts to be open to God, always trusting that God will be able to reveal Himself and draw them to Himself.