Importance of Faith Formation
The mission of the Catholic Church is to bring the message of Jesus to all people. 
 
When parents present their child to the Church for Baptism, they accept the responsibility of training him or her in the practice of the Catholic faith. It is the duty of the parents, with the help of the Godparents, to teach their child to keep God’s commandments as Jesus taught us, loving God and neighbor.
 
As a parent, you are the first teacher of your child.  Your child will learn from you what is important about our faith. Before they reach school age they have already learned from you the importance of unconditional love, and the concepts of right, wrong and forgiveness—some of the foundations of our faith. In addition, attending weekend Mass, bedtime prayers, traditions such as using an Advent wreath, saying the rosary, Lenten sacrificing, saying grace before meals, etc. all teach your child very important lessons at an early age.
 
Corpus Christi Parish is here to support you in the important endeavor of forming your child’s faith.  One way we do this is to provide Faith Formation programs at many levels of development.  There are several session opportunities within our program for children in grades K-5.
 
Faith Formation Grades K-5
Students in our programs will experience doctrine, scripture, and the liturgical seasons of our Catholic faith from trained volunteers using approved text books and materials. The beliefs of our faith are reinforced for our children as they grow, develop and mature.
 
We offer several options of sessions/formats to meet the various needs of today’s families:

• Sunday Morning Classes
  • Classes are held on Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:45AM at our Faith Formation Center in Winslow. Students are grouped by age and instruction is led by trained catechists.
• Monday Afternoon Classes
  • This is a multi-age session led by an experienced catechist and an assistant from 3:00-4:30PM at the Alfond Youth Center in Waterville. Students have the option of riding the bus from their elementary schools to the Alfond Center for the session.
•  Family Life Program
  • This program meets once each month from 3:00-5:00PM at Notre Dame Church and is designed for the entire family. Parents, together with their children, participate in these sessions that consist of varied lessons activities, and projects.
• Home-based Formation
  • If you prefer to teach your child at home we are happy to provide you with materials and support.

 
Preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion

Sacramental Preparation is an important function of the Faith Formation program. In accordance with our Bishop and Diocese, our preparation program for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion is a 2-year process. 

Year I:  In the first year students learn the basis of our Catholic Faith and are introduced to the Sacraments. 
Year II:  In the second year of Sacramental Preparation, children study the Sacraments in more depts. After an appropriate period of prayer and study, during this second year, students celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Holy Eucharist. We believe that this is a vital period in the faith development of our young people, in need of specialized and focused preparation. Receiving 3 Sacraments within a is an exciting time but also challenging time—one that demands extra formation. It is therefore, our expectation that students are enrolled and regularly attending classes for the entire 2 years of this program.

For more information please contact the Parish Office, 872-2281.