St. Edward's offers a fully comprehensive faith formation program that facilitates both the spiritual awareness and personal relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit, for children and youth of all ages.  Just as with natural human development, a child’s spiritual development is crucial for them to become well-formed Catholic Christians.  Each child’s spiritual development as a Catholic Christian begins at home with their parents.  Parents serve as their child’s primary model for faith.  This includes praying together at home and attending Mass each Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation.  This is how a child’s Primal Faith is developed…in the home.  The stages of faith shown below occur as the child grows and begins to think for themselves, ask questions, and observe the world around them.  These stages of spiritual development are: Imaginative, Literal, Conventional, and Personal.  It is important that your children be enrolled in Growing in Faith each year from first grade through Confirmation as each year builds on the previous one.  After Confirmation youth are invited to join the youth leadership team known as the Round Table.  We have developed a FIVE-TIER Faith Formation program centered on the stages of faith development in all ages.

 

Faith development also requires participation in the community of faith, the body of Christ.  This includes not only attendance at a monthly faith formation small group, but also liturgical events at the church including the Opening Mass for the Faith Formation Year, an Advent Prayer Service, an Ash Wednesday service, and youth-led Living Stations of the Cross during Lent.  Service is another component to well-rounded faith development.  Opportunities for service will also be part of our faith formation program.

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Examples of Service Opportunities:

• Weekend Masses and other Liturgical Ministries

• Rake and Bake at rectory and homes of elderly parishioners

• Captain Community Human Services

• Soup Kitchen

• Knights of Columbus

• ASPCA / Mohawk Humane Society

• Jazzy Sun Birthdays

• Children’s Liturgy 

• Youth Ensemble

• Local Food Pantries

• Schenectady Mission (youth service retreat)

• Winter Break Food Drive & Transportation to Food Pantries

• Easter Egg Hunt

• Our House

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Each year in our program builds upon the last, we looking forward to having your children and youth enrolled in our Growing in Faith program each year.