Pastor’s Corner — August 9th, 2026
Fall Faith Formation
As I mentioned last week, registration is now open for all Pre-K through 12th grade Faith Formation programs which will begin the week of September 20, including Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Ignite, Young Church, First Communion preparation and Confirmation preparation. Here is a note from Marissa Dawson, our Director of Youth & Family Discipleship about our programs and ways you can get involved. I encourage all of you to prayerfully consider how you can support these important ministries at our parish.
REGISTER YOUR CHILDREN FOR FAITH FORMATION THIS YEAR
With a new school year just around the corner, we invite you to register your children for faith formation at St. Patrick this Fall. Our Youth Discipleship team has been at work preparing this year’s opportunities for your children to grow in faith. See the program highlights on this page for a brief description, or for more details and online registration, visit: www.stpatrickcatholicparish.org/fall2026
JOIN US ON MISSION & GET INVOLVED
As you may recall, our parish mission statement is: “We exist to form Spirit-filled missionary disciples of Jesus for the glory of the Father”. To that end, we are very intentional at St. Pats about offering formation programs that help children encounter God’s love, develop personal relationships with Jesus, and embrace the teachings of our faith through prayer and action. Of course, none of this is possible without the work of the Holy Spirit, and we believe that one way the Lord provides for this mission is through you–that is, by the Holy Spirit working in and through the members of our parish family.
With that in mind, we invite you to prayerfully consider sharing your time and presence this year with one of our PreK-12 ministries. There are a number of ways to get involved and every volunteer expands our capacity to help God’s children know His love and grow as His disciples! Our biggest volunteer needs for the 2026-27 school year are as follows:
• CGS: Catechists, Catechist Assistants, Hall Monitors (contact Michelle Rooney)
• Ignite: Hall Monitors (contact Sam Ekblad)
• Young Church: Core Team/Small Group Leaders (contact Sam Ekblad)
YOUTH FORMATION PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), Grades PreK-6: CGS is a Montessori-based catechetical program built around the Atrium, which is a prayerful, sacred space in which children encounter Scripture and liturgy through hands-on materials and “works”. In CGS, children grow in a personal relationship with God at their own pace, guided by wonder and exploration.
Word of Life Home Study, Grades K-6: For families who want to weave faith formation into everyday life at home, the Word of Life study offers flexibility around your family’s schedule and grade-specific formation materials for parents and children to grow together.
Ignite, Grades 4-6: Ignite is our youth ministry for 4th–6th graders, meeting Sundays from 3:00 to 4:30 PM. Ignite helps older elementary students encounter Jesus and build friendships with other young disciples through games, worship, teachings, and small group discussion.
Young Church, Grades 7-12: Young Church is our youth ministry for 7th-12th graders, meeting Sundays from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. Young Church invites teens into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ within a community of peers and adult mentors. Young Church nights begin in community with food, games, and worship. Later, middle school and high school youth divide for separate teachings and grade-specific small groups.
Preparation for Sacraments: We offer preparation for the following Sacraments and grade levels. For specific details about these programs, visit the youth formation registration page of the parish website:
• First Reconciliation & First Communion: 2nd graders may begin this Fall
• Confirmation: 7th-11th graders may begin this Fall
• Youth OCIA: Baptism preparation for any child over the age of 6, and/or First Communion preparation for those older than 2nd grade. In some circumstances, this will also include Confirmation.
Questions about registration or volunteering?
Our Youth Discipleship team is happy to help!
Marissa Dawson–Director of Youth & Family Discipleship
mdawson@stpatchurch.org, 810-229-9863 Ext. 215
Michelle Rooney—CGS & Sacramental Prep Coordinator
mrooney@stpatchurch.org, 810-229-9863 Ext. 216
Sam Ekblad—Coordinator of Youth Discipleship
sekblad@stpatchurch.org, 810-229-9863 Ext. 220
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias