ATTENDANCE/DROP-OFF & PICK-UP
The goal of the Faith Formation ministries is to provide a welcoming and nurturing experience for children and youth. Parents are asked to make every effort to ensure that children/youth attend every session, arriving and leaving on time. If a participant is to be absent, parents are asked to notify the catechist/leader prior to the session.
Participation in Sunday Eucharist: The Pax Christi mission statement begins, “As a community of faith nourished by the Eucharist, we are committed in our discipleship with Christ to act for justice, be of generous service, and welcome all authentically to Pax Christi community.” As a staff committed to true “faith formation,” we believe that participation in the weekly Eucharist goes hand-in-hand with participation in the faith formation program, and that simply coming to faith formation classes does not count as a substitute for participation in the mass. The important thing is simply that families understand that participation in liturgy is not “extra” but an integral part of the overall faith formation experience.
Arrival and Entrances: Faith Formation classes and small groups begin at 10:10 am on Sunday mornings and 6:15 pm on Sunday evenings, or as soon as the 9:00 am and 5:oo pm liturgies have concluded, allowing for a reasonable amount of time for participants to make their way from the worship space to their classroom. It is important that the participants be in their classroom setting by that time so that the leaders can utilize every minute allotted to the day’s lesson.
All entrances will be open to enter the building until 6:30pm. At that time, all doors will be locked except for Doors 5 & 6 (located on the lower level of the classroom area), which will have Hall Monitors stationed at them for safety. Families and participants will still be able to exit any door in the building. This is an extra safety measure put in place to make sure all feel safe while onsite.
Preschool through Grade 5: All children in Preschool through 5th Grade MUST be escorted by a parent or legal guardian to their assigned room. Parents must check-in their child on the attendance roster. When the session is over, a parent or legal guardian must pick up the child from their assigned room. Older siblings who are authorized to pick up younger siblings must be grade 9 or older. Any parent wishing to authorize consent for an older sibling to pick-up their child must fill out an authorization card which will be kept on file with the catechist. If a child is absent two consecutive times during a season, the catechist will call or email the parent to inquire about the absences. If a child is absent more than two consecutive times, the Director of Faith Formation or the Elementary Youth Formation Minister will call the parent to converse about the absences.
Middle School: Middle school youth will sign in at the beginning of the session, and catechists will take attendance at the small group portion of the sessions. It is recommended that parents and middle school youth determine a consistent spot where they will meet for pick up at the end of the session. Parents are not required to sign middle school youth out unless they need to leave before the end of the session. Middle school youth will be released within 5 minutes of the session end time. If a youth is absent two consecutive times during a season, the catechist will call or email the parent to inquire about the absences. If a youth is absent more than two consecutive times, the Director of Faith Formation or the Middle School Youth Formation Minister will call the parent to converse about the absences.
High School/Confirmation: Small group leaders will take attendance at the beginning of each session. Senior high youth are not required to be signed in or out by a parent. If a youth must arrive late or leave early, they or their parent/guardian should inform the catechist/leader in advance. If a youth is absent two consecutive times during a season, the catechist will call or email the parent to inquire about the absences. If a youth is absent more than two times, the Director of Faith Formation or the High School Youth Formation Minister will call the parent to converse about the absences.
ABSENCE POLICY
In case of an emergency where you are unable to pick up your child within 15 minutes of class ending, please contact Building Services at 952-529-8502 to let the Pax Christi staff know of your circumstances.
CONDUCT
All children are expected to be respectful of themselves, their peers, catechists, and facilities. Offenses that could result in being asked to leave the program include, but are not limited to:
- Assaulting another person (verbal, physical, or otherwise)
- Possession, use, or distribution of cigarettes, e-cigarettes/vapes, marijuana, marijuana-infused products, drugs, alcohol, or weapons
- Possession or circulation of obscene or pornographic materials
- Theft
- Intentional mischief or defacing the premises
- Inappropriate language
If a child is disruptive to the group, the child will be redirected and, if necessary, given a warning. If the situation continues, the catechist will consult with the Director of Faith Formation. If the circumstances persist, the parent’s help and cooperation will be sought. In summary:
- First: Warning to the child from the Catechist
- Second: Private talk with the Faith Formation Staff Member
- Third: Parents’ help and cooperation sought. This may necessitate a phone call home for the child/youth to be picked up by the parent. The Director of Faith Formation is allowed to arrange a meeting with parents and catechist(s) before the child/youth is allowed to return.
CLASS CANCELLATION
Weather Related: The Pax Christi Faith Formation staff will determine cancellations based on weather or other circumstances. Families will be notified of cancellations via Flock note (text and email) by 8:45 am and 4:45 pm on the day of scheduled programming. Weather cancellation notices will also be available at www.paxchristi.com/weather.
Absence of an Adult Leader: If we are provided enough advanced notice of an adult leader’s absence, we will try to find a substitute leader for the evening. When that is not possible, such as because of a leader coming down with an illness on the same day of the session, it may be necessary to cancel that particular group’s session for the evening. The faith formation staff will send out a communication via Flock note (text and e-mail) upon learning of their absence, as well as place a sign on the door of the meeting space used by that group. It is typically not possible to make individual phone calls to families in these circumstances, so please be sure to pay attention to communications sent via Flocknote.
SNACKS
Individually wrapped snacks will be provided for the participants at every session so that those who participate in mass that evening will have something to tide them over until after they get home. At this time, we will not allow for homemade snacks to be brought in. Participants can bring a personal water bottle to the sessions if they so choose.
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION POLICIES
The sacrament preparation process is part of our Faith Formation program. This includes Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. It is Pax Christi Catholic Community’s policy that, in order to participate in the sacrament preparation process, your child needs to be registered for and attend our traditional Faith Formation program the entire year in which they will receive the sacrament. We are strongly encouraging children to be enrolled in the traditional Faith Formation program the year before they receive the sacrament. Registration for our programs occurs from March 1st through August 1st 2025 and can be found at that time on our web page. Please contact the program ministers with questions.
Preparation for First Reconciliation/First Holy Communion typically takes place in 2nd grade. Preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation is a two-year process that can begin as early as Grade 9 or at any time a high school youth feels ready. Please note that, regardless of what age the high school student begins the preparation, it is a two-year process. Children who attend Catholic School would also attend traditional Faith Formation sessions along with their public-school peers. This is to help all children preparing for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation to feel that they are part of the same community of children/youth.
In order for your child to participate in the sacrament preparation process for First Reconciliation/First Holy Communion/Confirmation, they need to be a registered member of Pax Christi Catholic Community and regularly attending the traditional classroom/small group model of Faith Formation program the entire year of the sacrament.
FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM POLICY REGARDING PARTICIPATION BY NON-PARISH MEMBERS
The faith formation programs embrace the parish’s belief that “All are Welcome” and invite those who are not formally members of Pax Christi to register for, and participate in, our various programs and opportunities. The standard program fees and policies apply to all who participate in our program, regardless of parish membership status.
However, we do require that an individual preparing for a sacrament is a registered member of Pax Christi Catholic Community prior to the reception of the sacrament. This includes Baptism, Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. This policy has been established because the community is a primary symbol in all Sacramental celebrations in the Catholic Church and, as we are reminded by the words from the Parish Sending Ceremony for Confirmation, “this sacrament connects them more closely with our own parish.”