FIRST COMMUNION  (grades 2 & up)
REGISTER IN JANUARY 2023

• Students need to be registered in our Family Formation program or St. James School and have the equivalent of two years of Catholic faith formation prior to receiving the sacrament.
• Students in Grade 2 and up at St. James School will be invited to register for First Communion after the New Year.

CONFIRMATION  (grades 8 and up) REGISTER IN AUGUST 2022

• An invitation to receive Confirmation will be sent to parents whose children completed the equivalent of two years of faith formation instruction through a religious ed. program or enrollment in a Catholic school.
• A 6 week series of classes and a retreat will be offered during the months prior to our date of Confirmation. These classes will begin with a meeting of all parents and candidates in mid-September.

BAPTISM

We welcome students to become members of our Church through Baptism at any age. Contact Deacon Joe Koletar at dnkoletar@diobpt.org.

"As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

NEW for the 2022-23 formation year!
St. James Family Formation

Our primary mission at St. James is to equip families to help their children grow closer to Christ and form disciples. Teaching children our Catholic faith is only a small part of our mission, which we will now ask parents to undertake by working on Gospel Weeklies with their children at home, since parents are the primary witnesses of our faith to their children. Our in-person gatherings will instead serve the purpose of providing opportunities for families to encounter Jesus through the sacraments (Mass and Confession), God's Word (the Bible), family prayer and fellowship with our faith community.

This video from a Catholic parish illustrates well what Family Formation is and why it is a blessing to families and parishes.

PARISH FAMILIES REGIster here

Our twice-monthly in-person requirements for children and their parents are as follows:

• First Sunday of the month Family Mass* at 10:00am, followed by social time outside or in the school gym until 12:00pm. Here parents will receive their Gospel Weeklies for the month to bring home and work on with their children. All students will be assigned to serve at Family Masses as a Greeter, Usher, Reader, Altar Server, Singer or Instrumentalist.
• Family Mass dates for our 2022-23 year are: October 2, November 6, December 4, January 8, February 5, March 5, April 2 and May 7.

• Third Sunday of the month In-Person Parent/Student Gathering** beginning at 9:00am in the school gym and concluding in church after 10:00am Mass. Parents will be asked to attend parent sessions in the school cafeteria while their children are in their session. This is important for parents to receive the formation and encouragement they need to work on Gospel Weeklies at home with their children and grow closer to Christ together as a family.
• In-Person Gathering dates for our 2022-23 year are: October 16, November 20, December 18, January 22, February TBA, March 19 and April 23.

*In January, Family Mass will be the second Sunday. 
**In April the In-Person Parent/Student Gathering will be moved to the fourth Sunday.

Our at-home requirements are as follows:

• Parents spend approximately 30-45 minutes each week completing the Gospel Weekly for the upcoming weekend with their child/children.
• Students who will be receiving First Communion or Confirmation this year or next year must submit online assessments to show they are learning their Catechism at home in preparation for these important sacraments.

• Opportunities for encounters with Christ - provided for both children AND parents through Mass attendance, increasing family prayer and in gathering with our faith community for spiritual and recreational events.
• Family Ambassadors - active, faith-filled adults who will be assigned to work with families to provide support, encouragement and inspiration for parents to increase their time spent bringing their family closer to Jesus.
• Liturgical ministry training for all students in grades 1-7 who will be serving at Family Mass as a Greeter, Usher, Reader, Altar Server, Singer, or Instrumentalist.
• In-person classes for students receiving sacraments (First Communion and Confirmation) during this faith formation year.
• Online registration and payment is available, as well as Parish Center Office hours of 9:00am-3:00pm Monday through Friday for those who want to register in person.
• A $25 discount on tuition will be offered to parents who complete VIRTUS training in the fall of 2022 and prayerfully consider serving as a volunteer in some capacity throughout the year.

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