To accompany our parish families in encountering Jesus and the Church through Sacramental preparation and on-going formation for parents and children in grades 2nd-12th.
GENERAL INFORMATION
For a child to receive their sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation they must be in 3rd grade or older. If your children are unbaptized and 7 years or older they will be prepared for all three sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation).
We are very excited that you are looking to register your family for our Faith Formation Program. Please know that the program is a year of sacramental preparation. The Diocese of Phoenix prepares children for both Sacraments, First Holy Communion and Confirmation which take place at the same time.
PROGRAM REQUIEREMENTS FOR
2ND-8TH GRADE:
Note: If you have a Baptized 2nd grader they will only be receiving their sacrament of First Confession. ONLY If you have a UNBAPTIZED 2nd grader they will be receiving their sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation the same day this year.
Parents must be active registered members of SS. Simon & Jude Cathedral for at least 3 months prior to registration for Faith Formation. (Envelope/Parishioner number must be provided at registration)
Parents & Students must attend our MANDATORY parent meeting.
Primary Contact must make sure to be attentively reading/listening to our emails, text messages, calls, and voicemails (If you wish to have two people receiving these communications please let the Faith Formation Office know)
Families must attend IN PERSON Sunday (or Saturday Vigil) Mass each weekend.(Online/YouTube Mass will not count)
Students must complete and turn in their Mass Homework every week to their catechists.
At least one parent must attend parent classeson Wednesdays from 6:00pm-8:00pm, we do offer them in both English and Spanish.
Parents must ensure that children attend class on a regular basis. (if the child misses more than 3 classes, they may be at risk for being dropped from the program)
Students in 2nd-8th grades in addition to the in-person classes on Wednesdays from 6:00pm-8:00pm are also required to complete the online program.
Families must be inside the church at 6:00pm for prayer on Wednesdays (we also do give announcements here so please be on time)
All students must know all the prayers in their Student Folder.
All students must attend the mandatory events such as retreats, in-person talks, etc.
All students must pass their online lessons with at least 80% or higher.
Families should turn in required documentation no later than August 11th.
Our program for studentsin person is in English ONLY, at this time we do not offer a Spanish program for them.
NOTE: It is required for all students to complete the Online program which can be accessed through a smart phone, a tablet, or any other computer device.
PROGRAM REQUIEREMENTS FOR
9th-12th GRADE:
At this time our 9th-12th grade Sacramental preparation classes will only be offered online with a couple of in person events that will be on Wednesdays from
6:00pm-8:00pm, exact dates will be provided for you at our first class.
Parents must be active registered members of SS. Simon & Jude Cathedral for at least 3 months prior to registration for Faith Formation. (Envelope/Parishioner number must be provided at registration)
Parents & Students must attend our MANDATORY parent meeting.
Primary Contact must make sure to be attentively reading/listening to our emails, text messages, calls, and voicemails (If you wish to have two people receiving these communications please let the Faith Formation Office know)
Families must attend IN PERSON Sunday (Saturday Vigil) Mass each weekend. (Online/Youtube Mass will not count)
Students must complete and turn in their Mass Homework every week either in the basket inside the church or by emailing it to us.
Parents must ensure that their children log into their class on a regular basis. (if the student does not log in for a long period of time they may be at risk for being dropped from the program)
All students must know all the prayers in their Student Folder.
All students along with at least one parent must attend the mandatory events such as retreats, in-person talks, etc. (a calendar will be provided for you with these dates)
All students must complete their online lessons.
All students must pass their online post-assessments with at least 80% or higher.
Families should turn in required documentation no later than August 11th.
TO BE CONSIDERED A REGISTERED/ACTIVE PARISHONER AT SS. SIMON & JUDE CATHEDRAL, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIERMENTS:
To be registered as a member of the parish for at least 3 months. This is different than the Faith Formation registration. You can become a registered member at Ss. Simon & Jude Cathedral by visiting our website (simonjude.org) or you can register in person at our Parish Office.
Your attendance is recorded in our system by utilizing your offering envelopes. If you don’t use your offering envelopes, the system will consider you as an “Inactive member.
If you are not an active registered member/live outside of our boundaries, you must request a letter of permission from the parish you live nearest to/registered with. Your registration will not be completed if this letter is not presented.
TUITION:
Tuition for active registered members at Ss. Simon & Jude Cathedral
$100.00 per child
NOTE: In addition to being an active registered members at Ss. Simon & Jude Cathedral, students must be members of the same household to qualify for the discount.
If you are not an active registered member of the Cathedral you will have to cover an additional administrative fee (see below).
Tuition for families from other parishes other than Ss. Simon & Jude (Non-registered families at Ss. Simon & Jude)
$125.00 - Per Child
NOTE: The difference in the pricing of tuition takes into account our parishioners who are regularly contributing to the parish.
The full amount of tuition is due at the end of the online registration. Please know that no refunds can be given once the online registration goes through.
REQUIERED DOCUMENTATION:
The following documentation must be submitted by no later than August 11th
Copy of student’s Birth Certificate
Copy of student’s Baptism Certificate (if already baptized)
Completed registration form for your Child (click below on “Register your child here”)
Completed sponsor form (attached below)
Families that are not active member of SS. Simon & Jude Cathedral will need to obtain a letter of permission from your parish stating that your children have permission to receive sacramental preparation at SS. Simon & Jude Cathedral.
SPONSOR/ GODPARENT:
Your sponsor/godparent becomes your spiritual guide throughout the preparation time and continues that support for a lifetime. He or she must be 16 years of age or older, have received ALL Sacraments of Initiation in the Catholic Church (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation). A sponsor should be leading a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken. If your sponsor/godparent is married, they must be married in the Catholic Church. It is important that the sponsor chosen is a person who is willing to share their faith experiences, pray with, and be an active part of your child's faith journey. It is also helpful if your sponsor/godparent lives in the area so that you can get together easily. If the sponsor lives out of town, you will be asked to choose a responsible adult to serve as a faith partner, carrying out the duties of sponsor/godparent during the preparation period. The sponsor/godparent and the candidate need not be of the same sex; however, Canon Law prohibits a parent from being their Child's sponsor/godparent. Canon Law also states that a sponsor/godparent must not be bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared. In short, your sponsor/godparent should be a Catholic in good standing with whom you will have an ongoing relationship. Please have your sponsor/godparent fill out the attached form. CHILDREN… Talk to your parents, godparents, and sponsor about what it was like to receive their Sacraments!
PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
As a parent, you are asked to be the example your child should be following on their faith journey. Ensuring that your child is given a supportive Catholic environment is part of your parental commitment. Be supportive of your child and encourage them in the struggles they may face. Please make sure that your student is logging on to their online program and completing their chapters on a weekly basis. Please make it a priority to attend Mass weekly, partake in the Sacramental life of the Church, give of your time, talents, and treasures. Your child's love of the faith begins with yours!
SERVICE
Because the Gospel message involves reaching out to others and because in completing our initiation as Catholics we become full members of the Church, we are called to serve one another. If we complete our initiation with no experience of reaching out and sharing the Gospel message, then the idea of what it means to be a Catholic-Christian is lacking. Various meaningful opportunities are available throughout the parish and civic community. Each family is encouraged to participate in a community service project together. We encourage the candidate to be involved in projects that are both of interest, meaningful to them, and needed in the community.
DRESS CODE FOR MASS
All children and sponsors are expected to follow the dress code provided by the Faith Formation department for all liturgical events. No Exception.
REGISTRATION STEPS
We are almost done! We know how excited you are to have your child receive their sacraments but before we continue with the actual registration there are a couple of steps you will have to do to complete your registration correctly, please see below:
1. The link below will take you to our “Parent Form” this form you will only need to fill out ONCE per family.
2. After you have filled out the “Parent Form,” the confirmation page will display a barcode along with a link, this will take you to the “Child Form” and you will need to fill out this form for each child you are registering.
***Example***: if you want to register a total of 3 kids you will fill out the “child Form” 3 times. There will be a link given at the end of every “Child Form” registration, in case you have additional children to register.
Note: a family is considered one household if you are helping someone fill out a registration form they will be a separate family, DO NOT register together as one family.CONTACT INFORMATION
We know this may be a lot of information to process but don’t worry, although our registrations are online only, we are here to help you. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are grateful for your patience and understanding as this is one of our busiest times of the year. If when you call, we are unable to answer, please leave us a voicemail or you can send us an email, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
On behalf of the Faith Formation Office and our Ss. Simon and Jude Community, we wish to thank you for choosing our parish for the ongoing formation process for you and your children. As always, we look forward to accompanying you and your family on this exciting faith-filled journey towards a deep and personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church.