Church of St. Peter

Faith Formation

Our mission at St. Peter's is to give all, from the youngest to the oldest, a life-giving relationship with Christ.  Our faith formation programs provide an opportunity to encounter Christ and to learn more about Him and His Church.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) was founded by Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi in 1954 in Rome, Italy and is an approach to faith formation for children ages 3 to 12 inspired by Montessori Principles of Education. The basis of this formation is Liturgy and Sacred Scripture. CGS is based on the conviction that God and the child are already in relationship. The child has a deep need to experience and a special capacity to enjoy the presence of God. The task of the adult is to help the child live fully the encounter with God. This experience becomes formative in the child’s whole person and generates great joy. The atrium is the environment where this formation takes place. It is one of the elements that help the relationship between God and the child to flourish.


CGS divests itself of any strictly scholastic character, so as to become an experience of life, and education in faith, and a celebration of the encounter with the Father, in listening to Jesus, the one Teacher, and in obedience to the Holy Spirit.


For more information about CGS, click on the link to the National Association website: www.cgsusa.org.

View this link for an overview of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfg9RfBk-fY


Enjoy expanded information about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd taken from the CGS national association website by clicking here.



CGS Parent Page - Giving Thanks Through Prayer


2023-2024 CGS Atria

Level One (ages 3-Kindergarten)

Wednesday evenings 5:30pm-7:00pm

Saturday Mornings 9:00am-10:30am

If needed a Tuesday morning Atrium will be added


Level Two (grades 1-2)

Monday afternoons 4:00-5:30pm (grades 1&2)

Wednesday evenings 5:30-7:00pm (grade 1)

Wednesday evenings 5:30-7:00pm (grade 2)


Preparation for sacraments takes place in the level two atrium. Students should be in the atrium one year prior to entering their sacramental preparation year.


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For More information regarding CGS contact:

Karen Cronin | Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Coordinator

kcronin@stpetersmendota.org | 651-905-4314

Christos (grades 3-5)

Using the "Alive in Christ" curriculum, students and their catechists focus on the life, mission, and saving work of Jesus Christ. This lays a foundation for a personal relationship with Jesus who leads us to the Father and calls us to share the Good News as His disciples.


Christos meets on Wednesday evenings from 6-7pm.

For More information regarding Christos contact:

Elizabeth McCanna | Youth Minister & Faith Formation

emccanna@stpetermsendota.org | 651-905-4312

Youth Ministry

"I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." -Jesus (in John 10:10)

Greek for life.

Grades 6-8

At Zoi Middle Schoolers learn more about the living and effective word of God in small groups faciliated by a small group mentor. Through YDisciple our pre-teens dive into the Sunday scripture.

For more information regarding Zoi & Perissos contact:

Elizabeth McCanna | Youth Minister & Faith Formation

emccanna@stpetersmendota.org | 651-905-4312

Greek for abundantly.

Grades 9-12

Perissos is our high school group focused on encountering Christ. All high school youth are welcome to join us each Wednesday from 7:00-8:30pm (September-May) as we dive deeper into relationship with Christ, His Church, and one another.

All are welcome to participate at Perissos! Most folks fall into one of three categories:

-Perissos Participant. This person, who comes from time to time, may or may not be Confirmed and are not preparing for Confirmation.

-Confirmation Preparation. High school youth are welcome to prepare for Confirmation any of their four years of high school and full and active participation is a key part of Confirmaiton prep.

-Cornerstone. Cornerstone is the name of our "next level" small groups for Confirmed upperclassmen to dive deeper in their relationship with the Lord. In addition to Perissos on Wednesdays, those who participate in Cornerstone participate in an annual retreat.



Adult Programs

We offer a variety of programs for adults, for more information regarding Adult Faith Formation programs please contact Lisa Fontecha.

Synod Implementation

The implementation of our Archdiocesan Synod will begin this Fall with a small group leader formation series. More information on the Synod and the series can be found here.

Alpha

Alpha is a place to develop or deepen a relationship with Jesus and explore the basics of the Christian faith. The gatherings consist of a meal, a talk, and small group discussion. It is an open, informal, and honest space to explore and discuss life’s big questions together. And it is a place for fellowship with others. 

The next Alpha session will be offered February-May 2024.

 If you have any questions, please contact Greg Montana at gregorymontana@gmail.com.

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