Faith Formation, Grades 4 - 10

Bridges to Faith (Grades 4 & 5)
Youth in grades 4-5 are invited to join us for a fantastic faith formation program based on the basic beliefs and traditions of the Catholic Church, as explained in the Bridges to Faith curriculum.  Bridges to Faith is an engaging and easy-to-follow program that is designed to encourage children to learn the basics of our Catholic faith while developing a prayerful relationship with God. Bridges to Faith meets our children wherever they are on their faith journey and encourages them to pursue a faith-filled life according to the Four Pillars of our faith: the Creed, the Sacraments, Prayer, and Moral Life.

All sessions take place on Sunday mornings from 830am - 920am in the Blessed Sacrament School.

Session dates: October 15th (Parent & Child Session), November 19th, December 17th, January 21st, February 11th, March 17th, and April 7th.

Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Welcome to The Rock!  
Our middle school Faith Formation program is for those youth currently enrolled in grades 6-8 who do not attend a Catholic or parochial school. Our mission is to provide youth and their families with access to the basic elements of our faith to help foster a continually developing faith life at home. Our faith formation sessions work to encourage youth to continue the classroom conversations in a broader sense at home, with family and friends.

All sessions take place on Sunday evenings from 6pm to 8pm on the St. Mary's campus (in St. Mary Church, St. Mary Hall, and The Rock Youth Ministry Center).

Session Dates: October 22nd, November 12th, December 10th, January 21st, Febraury 4th, March 17th

Program Details
Formal Instruction:  Each month youth will explore the traditions and practices of the Catholic faith through age-appropriate activities and lesson plans designed to spark conversation and a deeper with relationship with God.  Grades 6 and 8 will explore the key elements of our faith through the use of Joe Paprocki’s Called to Be Catholic curriculum: Grade 6 will focus on Scripture & Tradition, The Trinity, Jesus, and The Church, while Grade 8 will focus primarily on the Sacraments, exploring each sacrament in depth in order to understand their importance in the life of the Church, but will also explore the topics of living a Moral Life, and Serving Others.  Both grades 6 and 8 will also examine Prayer.  Grade 7 will discover the Mass and through the use of Altaration, a curriculum created to engage preteens and teens in the Mystery of the Mass, with its rich traditions and symbolism, youth will grow a new appreciation for this weekly Sunday commitment.

Service-based opportunities:  Our faith calls us to follow Jesus Christ’s example and serve others as He did during his ministry on Earth.  Throughout the program year, youth (and their families) will be called upon to complete service to others through involvement in various opportunities offered by the parishes.  Program participants will be required to participate in one (1) service opportunities which benefit the parishes (ex. Joining the Youth Lector Program or helping at a parish event) and one (1) which benefits the greater community (ex. Joining the monthly Teen Baking Ministry which benefits the Pine Street Inn shelter guests or volunteering at an outside organization of your choice). See Service Program & Opportunities section below for more service options.

Confirmation Program (Grades 9 & 10)
The Confirmation program in the Walpole Catholic Collaborative is a 2-year program for 9^th & 10^th grade high school students and includes both academic and service-based requirements to be completed prior to receiving the sacrament in 10^th Grade (or above). 

Year One (Grade 9)
Youth enrolled in a public high school for the 9^th grade are required to attend the in-person academic sessions and retreat, and complete service requirements.  Youth who attend a Catholic high school are not required to attend the in-person sessions but are still obligated to complete our service requirements and attend the 9^th grade retreat if they intend to receive the sacrament of Confirmation with us in 10^th grade. 
Academic requirements: in-person sessions will be held twice a month on Sunday nights, led by Deacon Joe Brindley, Chaplain at Blessed Sacrament School.
Service Requirements: youth must complete two (2) Service to Parish, and two (2) Service to Community projects or opportunities prior to the end of the program year.  Verification will be requested for each completed service opportunity, via a provided Google form.

All sessions take place in St. Mary Church on Sunday evenings from 6pm - 8pm.

Session dates: September 17th (Parent & Candidate Session), October 15th & 29th, November 5th & 19th, December 3rd & 17th, January 7th & 28th, February 11th, March 3rd & 24th.

A full day retreat is scheduled for Saturday, April 6th, 2024 (time and location TBD).

Year Two (10^th grade and above)
Youth enrolled in a public or Catholic high school for 10^th grade or above are required to attend the in-person academic sessions and retreat, complete online academic modules, and complete service requirements. The Year Two program is a hybrid of four (4) in-person sessions and ten (10) online academic modules, a full day retreat, and a Sponsor-Candidate Night.

Sessions take place on Sunday evenings from 6pm - 8pm in St. Mary's Hall, unless noted below.

Session dates: September 17th (Parent & Candidate Session), October 15th, November 4th (Saturday--Full Day Retreat) December 3rd, January 6th (Saturday--Full Day of Service).

Sponsor & Candidate Night (includes rehearsal): Wednesday, January 17th, 2024 (for those who choose to receive Confimration at Saint Mary Parish) and Thursday, January 18th, 2024 (for those who choose to receive Confirmation at Blessed Sacrament Parish).

Confirmation Celebrations: scheduled for Friday, January 19th at 5pm at St. Mary Parish and Saturday, January 20th at 10:30am and 12:30pm at Blessed Sacrament Parish with Bishop Robert Reed.  

Academic requirements: Called to Mercy: Confirming Young People for a Mission of Witness.  Four (4) monthly in-person sessions where youth will explore how to put into practice the elements introduced in the ten (10) online interactive modules, along with one (1) full day spiritual retreat and one (1) Sponsor-Candidate session. Called to Mercy is a Confirmation program that helps young people come to recognize the encounter or mercy in their lives, deepens their initiation into a community of mercy—the Church, and inspires them to show mercy towards others—to be witnesses of mercy in their daily lives.

Service Requirements:  Youth must complete two (2) Service to Parish, and two (2) Service to Community projects or opportunities prior to the celebration of Confirmation.  Verification will be requested for each completed service opportunity, via a provided Google form.

For a list of our current service to Parish and Community available options, click here or please see our "Service Opportunities for Youth" menu option (located in the side bar menu above).