The Faith Formation program at Good Shepherd runs from September to May, providing a solid foundation in the Catholic faith, as well as sacramental preparation, for roughly 100 children every year. Classes cover Grades 1 through 8, with a special class dedicated to children who have not yet been baptized and older children who have not made their First Communion. Within the regular program, two-year modules cover First Communion and Confirmation preparation. Parental participation is an essential part of the program. Sunday Mass attendance is required, an active engagement with the parish is encouraged, and there are three family catechesis events each school year.

The program provides comprehensive integration into the faith through four chief components:
Salvation History shares the riches and the wisdom of the Church—through engagement with Scripture and the lived experience of Tradition—to facilitate an encounter with Jesus Christ and his Church.

Christian Anthropology helps children come to recognize that they are sons and daughters of God and that this recognition is central to their identity—and life-changing.

Heroic Virtue and Character Formation offers as models the lives of holy men and women throughout Church history, both canonized and uncanonized, for the children to reflect on, admire, and emulate.

Learning through Discipleship deepens the children’s sense that faith is only real when it becomes lived experience, when the dynamic of God’s love begins to inform every aspect of our lives. The respect that the catechists show their students becomes the model for the children’s respect for one another—all grounded in our shared dignity as children of God. The Sacraments, particularly Eucharist, are seen as essential experiences of God’s love for us and our love for each other, a love that extends, through Thanksgiving and Christmas food and toy drives, to families in the local community and to children around the world.

For further information, contact Angi Ferrieras at angi.ferreras@goodshepherdnyc.org