Growing in Faith Together (G.I.F.T.), our parish program for elementary school children, supports parents in their effort to fulfill the promise they made at their child’s baptism: “to bring him/her up to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor.” We seek to help parents pass the Catholic faith on to their children and make it come alive in their everyday life.
For the 2023-2024 school year, we will return to a fully in-person schedule, with classes taking place on Sundays between the morning Masses (10:15-11:15 a.m.). Children will receive grade-level catechesis from experienced teachers, using the bilingual Finding God curriculum from Loyola Press (All classes are taught in English, but our materials are bilingual for the benefit of families who speak Spanish at home). Classes for adults will be offered at the same time.
According to archdiocesan guidelines, children must have at least two years of faith formation before receiving First Holy Communion. Normally, this occurs in the 1st and 2nd grades—with First Communion at the end of the 2nd grade year—but older children are also welcome to participate.