August 31, 2023

 

Dear Families of Connellsville and Dunbar, greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

      I am Deacon John Torres, and I am serving here at the partner parishes of Immaculate Conception, Saint Rita, Saint John, and Saint Aloysius. It is a joy and a privilege to be part of this wonderful community of faith. I am writing to you to invite you to participate in the 2023-2024 Faith Formation Program for your children.

      The Faith Formation Program is a great opportunity for your children to grow in their knowledge and love of God, to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, and to become active members of the Church. The program consists of different levels according to the age and grade of your children. Each level has its own schedule, curriculum, and activities that are designed to help your children learn and live their faith.

      I apologize for being late on this announcement, but as you all know, we do not have a Director of Religious Education right now, but the Diocese is working on that. That is the reason why we are focusing, at this moment, only on the first half of the year. We hope to have a new Director soon and to resume the full program as soon as possible.

      In the meantime, I ask for your cooperation and support in enrolling your children in the Faith Formation Program and encouraging them to attend regularly. The program is not only a requirement for receiving the sacraments, but also a way of nurturing your children’s spiritual growth and development.

      Here are the details of the Faith Formation Program for the first half of the year:

Elementary Faith Formation (Grades 1-5)

     This level is for children who are in grades 1 to 5. The sessions will be on Saturdays, from 9:00 – 11:00 am at Conn Area Catholic School. The dates for the first half of the program are:

• September 30

• October 14

• October 28

• November 4 (Back-to-back due to Thanksgiving Holiday)

• November 18

• December 2

• December 16

     Please note that to be a candidate for First Holy Communion, the child must attend Faith Formation in grades 1 and 2 unless they attend Catholic School.

     For the 2nd graders who will make their First Communion, there is a mandatory meeting for the kids and parents for Sacramental Preparation, on the first Sunday of every month after 9:00 am Mass in Saint Aloysius. After Mass we will meet downstairs. The dates are:

• October 1

• November 5

• December 3

     These meetings are mandatory regardless of which school they attend.

     First Reconciliation will take place at Saint Aloysius on December 9 at 10:00 am.

Middle School (Grades 6-7) and High School (Grades 8-12) Youth Group

This level is for youth who are in grades 6 to 12. The meetings will be on Wednesdays, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the Saint Rita School Building. The dates are:

• September 27 – Opening Mass at St. Rita (after Mass, meet at the school)

• October 11

• October 18 (Back-to-back due to Clergy convocation retreat on Oct. 25th)

• November 1 – All Saints Mass at St. Rita at 6:30pm (after Mass, meet at the school)

• November 15

• November 29

• December 13 – Christmas party

     Grades 6-7 will be in the Middle-School group and meet in one room. Grades 8-12 will be in the Senior High group and meet in another room.

     Please note that to be considered a candidate for Confirmation, they must attend Youth Group in grades 6, 7, and 8 unless they attend a Catholic School.

     Confirmation and First Communion will take place in the spring and more information on that will be given at the appropriate time.

     I hope that you will join us in this Faith Formation Program and help your children grow in their faith. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

May God bless you and your families,

​

Deacon John Torres

jtorres@dioceseofgreensburg.org

724-628-6840 ext. 107