Sacramental Preperation Sacramental preparation of young people is a very important part of our mission. Each year, we prepare a number of children, age 7 years or older, to receive their First Holy Communion and, prior to that, their First Reconciliation. Every other year, we prepare those young people who are 7th and 8th graders, or older, to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Our next celebration of this sacrament will be in spring of 2013 and those classes will begin in September of 2012. The Confirmation preparation process also includes many service projects the Confirmands do together and a spring retreat to Saint Meinrad Archabbey and Seminary. Classes for both First Communicants and Confirmands are held on Sunday mornings, from 10:45 until 12 noon.
RCIA The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) classes for those non-Catholics who wish to know more about the Catholic faith begin each September and continue through the Easter season. These classes meet every Tuesday night from 7 until 8:30 p.m., in our Heritage Room. RCIA begins with an Inquiry stage, during which participants are given a basic overall presentation of what Catholics believe and how they worship. For all those who then feel they are called to pursue membership in the Catholic Church, there follows a Catechumenate stage, where a more in-depth presentation of the teachings of the Catholic faith is given. During the Purification and Enlightenment stage, the “elect” – continuing to meet weekly – seek to deepen their faith and, through discussion, prayer and reflection, achieve a more personal conversion in their lives. Following initiation into the Church at the Easter Vigil, the new Catholics, or “neophytes,” meet again in the Mystagogia stage, to encourage one another as they prepare to live out their Catholic faith in the world. The RCIA classes are held in an informal manner and, throughout the process, participants are encouraged to ask questions and share experiences, as well as to grow in fellowship with one another and the parish. For those who do not have a practicing Catholic to sponsor them in this faith journey, the church will be happy to provide one for you!
St. Martin of Tours Church - 639 South Shelby Street - Louisville, KY 40202
Faith Formation for Children and Teens Saint Martin of Tours Sunday Morning Faith Formation Program serves the children and teens of Saint Martin’s parish, as well as some from various other parishes. Classes for young people in grades K through high school are held on Sunday mornings, shortly after the 9:30 Mass has ended, and run from 10:45 until 12 noon. Within this hour and fifteen minutes, we endeavor to cover the material in our religion textbooks and also have a little extra time to incorporate a fun activity that reinforces the faith lesson learned (i.e., coloring and crafts for younger children, games/discussion for older kids and teens). In short, we hope to make the kids look forward to coming to class, while always keeping uppermost in mind the importance of educating our young people in the teachings and traditions of our Roman Catholic faith. Special attention is given in our classes to important elements of our Catholic faith – among them the role of Mary and the saints in God’s plan for the world, the sacraments and the grace they bestow, the structure and significance of the Mass and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Traditional Catholic devotions and prayers, including the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, are also highlighted. Classes begin in September and continue through the first week of May; however new students are accepted at any time.
Sacramental Preperation Sacramental preparation of young people is a very important part of our mission. Each year, we prepare a number of children, age 7 years or older, to receive their First Holy Communion and, prior to that, their First Reconciliation. Every other year, we prepare those young people who are 7th and 8th graders, or older, to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Our next celebration of this sacrament will be in spring of 2013 and those classes will begin in September of 2012. The Confirmation preparation process also includes many service projects the Confirmands do together and a spring retreat to Saint Meinrad Archabbey and Seminary. Classes for both First Communicants and Confirmands are held on Sunday mornings, from 10:45 until 12 noon.
RCIA The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) classes for those non-Catholics who wish to know more about the Catholic faith begin each September and continue through the Easter season. These classes meet every Tuesday night from 7 until 8:30 p.m., in our Heritage Room. RCIA begins with an Inquiry stage, during which participants are given a basic overall presentation of what Catholics believe and how they worship. For all those who then feel they are called to pursue membership in the Catholic Church, there follows a Catechumenate stage, where a more in-depth presentation of the teachings of the Catholic faith is given. During the Purification and Enlightenment stage, the “elect” – continuing to meet weekly – seek to deepen their faith and, through discussion, prayer and reflection, achieve a more personal conversion in their lives. Following initiation into the Church at the Easter Vigil, the new Catholics, or “neophytes,” meet again in the Mystagogia stage, to encourage one another as they prepare to live out their Catholic faith in the world. The RCIA classes are held in an informal manner and, throughout the process, participants are encouraged to ask questions and share experiences, as well as to grow in fellowship with one another and the parish. For those who do not have a practicing Catholic to sponsor them in this faith journey, the church will be happy to provide one for you!
St. Martin of Tours Church - 639 South Shelby Street - Louisville, KY 40202