Faith Formation

Faith Formation Options

Mission: To accompany parents in fully forming initiated children by inviting young people into a relationship with Jesus Christ or deepening an existing relationship with Jesus, 
welcoming young people into the life of the Church, and assisting young people to see and understand 
the role of faith in one’s daily life and in the larger society.
Your child must attend every grade level consecutively for our six-year program in order to receive
the Sacraments in a timely manner with their peers. Each level has specific themes &
objectives that your child will benefit from and need to be learned and focused on in order to
move forward in the Rel Ed Program continually each year.

Children of our parish should attend formal religious education beginning in K or first grade and continuing through Confirmation. Attending each year will ensure that your child will be well prepared to complete their Sacraments of Initiation. You may register more than one child on one form.

Confirmation classes for 6th graders will culminate in Confirmation in Spring 2026 per the Diocese request. A student must have been Baptised, had First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion and been with us or another program since 4th grade. Attend a year-long grade level RE class, and then have an additional 8 classes of Confirmation Preparation starting in February 2026.


FIRST RECONCILIATION/COMMUNION PREP CLASS: This course is for any student grade 3-6 looking to make First Reconciliation and/or First Communion.  They must also be Baptised and enrolled in their grade-appropriate class.

You may register for this class along with the grade-appropriate class on one form. Contact the office if you would like more information.

FIRST RECONCILIATION/COMMUNION PREP CLASS: Any Baptised SMS student grade 3-6 who have had one year of religion classes at SMS, another Catholic school or RE at a parish, looking to make First Reconciliation and/or First Communion. Will come to Sunday classes for sacramental preparation.


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FIRST RECONCILIATION:  Your 2nd grade religion class at Saint Mary School will include Reconciliation preparation throughout the year. In addition, there will be other/outside requirements & retreats from St. Mary Church, as this is where the Sacrament will be conferred. 


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CONFIRMATION CLASS: Your 6th grade religion classes at Saint Mary School will culminate in Confirmation this year, per the Diocese request.  There will be 8 mandatory Confirmation Prep classes  starting in February 2026. In addition, there will be other/outside requirements & retreats from St. Mary Church and the Bridgeport Diocese, as the Bishop is the one who confers the sacrament. Please contact us if you have not had one year of RE at either SMS, another Catholic school, or RE program.


UPCOMING MEETINGS


Parent Enrichment Sessions during RE classtimes.

October 5, 9:30am Notres Dame Cernter

October 7, 4:30pm Notre Dame Center

October 9, 4:30pm Notre Dame Center


October 6, 6:30pm in the Church - Reconciliation parents and children for presentation from Clergy

October 15, 6:30pm in the Church - Confirmation parents and children


On February 10, 2026, Bishop Frank Caggiano will be speaking to all Reconciliation/Communion parents at 7:00pm in St Mary Church. This will be mandatory for all parents whose children will be receiving Reconciliation in 2026 and Communion in 2026/2027. We invite (and do hope you'll attend) all parents whose children made Communion in 2025.


First Reconciliation Grade 2

First Reconciliation will be celebrated in Grade/Level 2 for those students that completed Grade/Level 1.

First Communion Grade 3

First Communion will be celebrated in Grade/Level 3 for those students that completed Grade/Level 1 & 2.

Confirmation

Students enrolled in Sacramental Preparation for Confirmation will be Confirmed Spring 2026 if they have completed Grade/Level 1-5.  They will attend a regular year religious education class in addition to 8 Confirmation preparation classes, which will begin in February and run for 8 weeks.  Each class must be attended. 

The first day of class for the Confirmation Prep Classes will be:

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Confirmation classes meet from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. in the Church.  We will begin with group prayer. 

 
Registration

We cannot accept a registration without full payment or call to make a payment plan with us before registering. If you have a 24-25 outstanding balance with us, that will need to be paid before accepting 25-26 registration.

Please consider volunteering as a catechist or aide; we are in need of extra volunteers for our drop off and pick up process as well as in classroom teachers.

 

We hope you have a wonderful summer filled with God’s blessings,

Mary Ferri, Director of Faith Formation


Religious Education Schedule for Grades 
K-6 & Conf. Classes

Registration Form Schedule

Sacrament Preparation for 1st Communion & 1st Penance

Prayers to Know Steps for Reconciliation