Spring has arrived and it is a good time to reflect on all that has been accomplished in the area of Faith Formation at St. Perpetua this past year. Since September, five newly confirmed teens spent several months studying, meeting online, preparing meals with their families for the men living at Maxwell's home, learning to pray creatively and spent introspection time figuring out which Gifts of the Holy Spirit they possess. In short, what is means to be a disciple of Christ. As the newly confirmed they are now following Bishop Cepeda's directive to "be kind."
Two of our very young ones have celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation and are anxiously awaiting the month of May to come to the Lord's table at their First Eucharist
In addition to catechizing thier children at home, with the help of online learning and resources, twenty five Faith Formation families have safely come together to participate in three Family Day's, learning more about the Saints and the seasons of Advent and Lent. All the while adjusting family life around COVID, its variants, spiking infections and inocculations. Busy and stressful to say the least.
The Catechetical Year ends at the end of March, in time for just about every spring and summer sport program to begin. I will also be ending my time as Diretor of Faith Formation at St. Perpetua. On one hand I am saying "thank goodness we made it through the year." On the other hand, the ending is bittersweet. I was given a gift of meeting so many kind and caring families at St. Perperua. I will miss each and every one of the families and keep them in m prayers as they continue forward.
I am handing over the reins of Faith Formation to your newly formed Family of Parishes, created by the Archdiocesan Parish of Families, that will transform the Faith Formation program into something new and exciting. In the upcoming months the Family Director of Discipleship Formation, under the direction of your Family Moderator, Fr. Tom Meaghan, will unfold the plan for the Faith Formation of the youth at St. Perpetua and will be in charge of hiring an acrredited catechetical coordinator to assist St. Perpetua.
Thank you again for being open to a new way of learning this past year.
God Bless,
Jeanne Martin