FIRST RECONCILIATION & FIRST EUCHARIST PREPARATION

2nd graders and older  |  $60 per child

Sessions will be on Saturdays at 9 am in our school auditorium. A parent/guardian must attend all sessions with his/her child. Please remember to wear masks and remain 6 feet away from others not in your household. If we have more than 30 students register, we will offer multiple time slots to accommodate social distancing requirements.

All parents are expected to attend our parent orientation session on September 30 at 7 pm in the church.

ARCHDIOCESAN REQUIREMENTS:

Canon (church) Law states that you must be a registered parish family to receive sacraments here. If you are not registered, please register or obtain a letter of permission from the pastor at your cur­rent Catholic parish and make an appointment with Fr. R.J.

If your child was not Baptized at St. Thomas More Church, you will need to request the church of baptism to send us a NEW baptism certificate dated within this 2020-2021 preparation year. 

REGISTER FOR FIRST RECONCILIATION/EUCHARIST
 

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION

9th-12th graders  |  $100 per candidate

This year, STM will be partnering with our neighbors at Saint Peter Claver Catholic Church in delivering our Confirmation program. Sessions will be on Sundays at 12-2 pm in our school auditorium. Sessions will include attendance at Mass (sometimes with parents/guardians and/or sponsors), community-building lunch time, prayer, and learning. 

All parents are expected to attend our parent orientation session on September 30 at 7 pm in the church.

Confirmation is the final Sacrament of Initiation and continues the process of full initiation in the Church, begun at baptism. It is important that each candidate makes the choice to participate in this process of learning and reflection on living a life of faith and service in the Church. 

CONFIRMATION CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

Confirmation candidates are to engage in 10 hours of service with the poor. Direct service to the marginalized is an essential component of our Catholic faith and of our STM community. Our desire is to put our youth into contact with those who are on the margins and to have a meaningful interaction where both parties are changed forever. Examples of direct service include: serving meals at the Dorothy Day Center, working at STM’s Free Store, working at a senior center, Loaves and Fishes, tutoring kids after school, etc. 

In addition to the service hour requirement, we have added a new liturgical ministry requirement. We ask that all Confirmation candidates volunteer to serve at our weekend liturgies as an acolyte, Eucharistic minister, lector, singer, usher, or livestream operator. You may choose your desired ministries on the registration form.

We will be organizing a retreat for our Confirmation candidates in February or March of 2022 (exact date TBD). Candidates will also be strongly encouraged to participate in the Archdiocesan Youth Day which will take place in October or November (exact date TBD). Both dates will be announced at the parent orientation on September 30.

ARCHDIOCESAN REQUIREMENTS:

Canon (church) Law states that you must be a registered parish family to receive sacraments here. If you are not registered, please register or obtain a letter of permission from the pastor at your cur­rent Catholic parish and make an appointment with Fr. R.J.

If your child was not Baptized at St. Thomas More Church, you will need to request the church of baptism to send us a NEW baptism certificate dated within this 2021-2022 preparation year. 

REGISTER FOR CONFIRMATION
   

CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

3-6 year olds  |  $50 per child

This program is not currently being offered, as we are seeking volunteers to become trained facilitators for this program. Please contact Fr. R.J. Fichtinger at rjfichtinger@morecommunity.org or call the parish office if you are interested in volunteering.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a program that uses the Montessori model of education to engage the entire child – body, mind and spirit – with the mysteries of our faith. It nurtures a close personal relationship between the child and the Good Shepherd by encouraging imaginative play with the symbols of our faith as they are experienced in Church scripture, sacraments and liturgy. Our trained Catechists and Support Personnel provide guidance through a carefully prepared curriculum for each session in the STM Preschool, as well as close monitoring and support for the individual child as they engage in the various activities.  

Each session lasts about 50-60 minutes, with the child(ren) being delivered to the STM Preschool just before Mass begins and picked up immediately after Mass.
    

FAMILY FAITH FORMATION

1st-5th graders  |  $40 per child

(This program is not currently being offered)

This program is not currently being offered, as we are seeking volunteers to become trained facilitators for this program.

Our hope is to provide families and children meaningful opportunity to grow in their faith and share with one another fellowship and community. To that end, we are kooking for an adult volunteer who might be interested in leading this program and developing the curriculum to be used throughout the year. Please contact Fr. R.J. Fichtinger at rjfichtinger@morecommunity.org or call the parish office if you are interested in volunteering.