YOUTH FAITH FORMATION

Although all children in Kindergarten through Grade 8 are welcome and encouraged to attend our Faith Formation Program, their parents must be formally registered in St John Bosco Parish or submit a letter from their proper pastor formally giving his permission for them to attend here. The registration or letter must be submitted this summer before registration is completed. Registered parishioners must be receiving mail from our parish and are expected to be participating at mass and sacraments regularity. It is not sufficient to say that you were baptized or married here or belonged in the past. Call the office at 570-788-1997, ext 3 if you have any questions about your membership or to schedule an appointment to join or rejoin.

CATECHETICAL SUNDAY

Youth Faith Formation Classes for Grades Kindergarten through Grade 8, begin on Sunday, September 10 at 10 AM. Pre-registration is required. Forms are available at the Faith Formation Office or by calling the Youth Faith Formation Director, Maureen Ciavarella, at 570-788-1997, EXT 6. Due to safety concerns, no child will be admitted on that first day without advanced registration. Your cooperation and understanding is appreciated.

OUR FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM

St. John Bosco’s Faith Formation program may be in its summer hiatus, but faith formation is never “over!” FAITH FORMATION involves the entire family, not only our youngsters, so it can truly can be an ongoing practice all year long. Let us share a few ideas!

GO TO MASS! Whether in Conyngham, Sugarloaf, Weston, Florida, Alaska, camping or at the shore, attend Mass every Sunday as a family! Honoring the Sabbath is a great way to keep your family together whether summer, winter, spring, or fall! If you are out of our area simply GOOGLE: “MASS TIMES” and add the city or town where you are at or traveling through and it will tell you the Catholic Churches, Mass times and directions.

VISIT OUR WEB PAGE! Each weekend, resources and links are available for further faith formation, etc.

PARTICIPATE IN C.L.O.W.! Although formal faith formation classes are not held in the summer, we had a very successful Vacation Bible School and almost every Sunday during the 9 am Mass at St. John Bosco Parish we have CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD. We invite our youngsters, age 3 to Grade 5 to join us for a reflection and an activity on the Scripture readings according to their age.

PRAY & SHARE DAILY! Is the whole family at the breakfast table at the same time in the summer? Consider starting breakfast with a prayer or short Bible story. Do you go for a morning walk once or twice a week? Maybe you can pray a decade of the Rosary while you walk. Or walk to Mass! Do your kids enjoy some summer screen time? There are some great Bible story movies from Moses to Jonah to Jesus! However you do it, creating the habit and expectation of starting (or ending) the day drinking in God’s Word is what is important. End each day with a simple prayer and examination of conscience with an Act of Contrition.

REMINDER - PARISH MEMBERSHIP

Although all young people are invited to participate in the Faith Formation Classes held at St. John Bosco Parish (Grades Kindergarten through Grade 8), you are reminded that at least one parent MUST be registered in our parish or if registered in another local Catholic Church, must have the WRITTEN PERMISSION of their Pastor to attend classes here and to receive the Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist or Confirmation.

Please click on each for more info:

2026-2027

Ascension Press Online Journey to Confirmation

Faith Formation Calendar

Faith Formation Family Handbook

Faith Formation Registration

Faith Formation Service Hours Log

Faith Formation Lesson Plans

Decision Point Program

SJB Calendar of Events

Faith Formation Corner 9/6/2026

• The first day of Faith Formation is next weekend, Sunday, September 13th. Classes will meet from 10:00-11:10 AM. NO WALK IN REGISTRATIONS will be permitted. This is for the safety and security of our students and volunteers. Students are expected to arrive on time and remain in class until 11:10.

•  Faith Formation students who were baptized in a parish other than St. John Bosco must have a baptismal certificate on file in the Faith Formation office. If you believe that you have turned one in already, please check with the office. If not, please contact the parish where your child was baptized, and ask for a copy to be sent to us. If your family belongs to another parish other than St John Bosco, we must have a letter stating that your child has permission to attend Faith Formation here at St. John Bosco. Thank you!!

•  Confirmation and First Communion photos are available to be picked up. Please stop by the Faith formation office to pick up your child’s photos.

•  Our first evening Confirmation Class will meet on Sunday, September 20th from 6:00-7:30 PM in Classroom 7. All students receiving Confirmation this school year must attend.

•  Please note that your commitment to enroll your child in our Faith Formation includes a commitment to attend Sunday or Saturday evening mass on a weekly basis, whether it be online or in person. We thank you for your example to your child and our parish community through your own practice of your faith!

WE HAVE A GOOD PROBLEM AT SAINT JOHN BOSCO PARISH!

It’s a good problem to have—we are welcoming new members to Saint John Bosco Parish every week! Many of these new families have young children who will become part of our Parish Youth Faith Formation Program. Our youth program is very active, and it is wonderful to see so many young families joining our parish because they want their children to be actively involved in our Church family.

However, this wonderful growth also brings a challenge. We believe in keeping our Faith Formation classes small so that our catechists can spend more time with each child and do an even better job of sharing the gift of our Catholic faith with the next generation.

This year, we are expecting about 170 children in the Program. We are expecting an especially large Kindergarten and Third Grade classes, and we would like to divide both classes into smaller groups. To make this possible, we need a few individuals, couples, or teams to volunteer as catechists (religion teachers), substitutes, or classroom aides. Classes begin Sunday, September 13, at 10:00 AM and are held on Sundays, except on Holidays/Holy Days.

I ask you to prayerfully and seriously consider volunteering to teach or assist with our Youth Faith Formation Program. You do not have to be an expert or have all the answers. You simply need a willingness to share your faith and help our children grow closer to Jesus and His Church.

Please contact Maureen Ciavarella, our Youth Faith Formation Director, at 570-788-1997, ext. 6, this week. She will be happy to explain the responsibilities and provide you with the books and supplies you will need.

Please don’t let our young children down. They are the future of our Church, and they need people willing to pass on to them the truth and joy of the Good News. Perhaps God is calling you to serve! Will you answer the call?