Religious education of children begins and grows in the home, within the context of a nurturing family life. Parents are the first and primary religious educators of children. Holy Faith Catholic Church partners with parents to educate our children to love, know and serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, and grow in His compassion.

At Holy Faith, there are three primary modes of Children’s Christian Formation (CCF):

• Sunday School for grades Kindergarten through 9
• Sacramental Preparation Programs
• Vacation Bible School

All children of the Parish, whether attending Catholic or Public schools, are invited to attend our religious education classes and experiences.

These educational experiences are enhanced by a variety of community activities and family catechesis:

• Stations of the Cross
• May Crowning
• Family Picnic
• Fall Carnival
• Christmas Play & Cookie Exchange
• Holy Thursday Soup & Sandwich Supper
• Other Social Gatherings

Baptism

The Sacrament of Baptism (for infants and young children), the gift of initiation into the life of Christ and the Church, is available for all children from birth through age 7*

• Parents are asked to attend a Baptismal Preparation class, and must register for these classes by contacting the Church office or register here.
• Parishioners may complete the Preparation class and request pastoral permission for the Baptism to be held at another Parish. Please contact us to prepare the necessary paperwork.
• Godparents:
  • Godparents must be at least age 16.
  • Godparents are not a parent.
  • The Godparent must be in good standing with the Catholic Church and have received the three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.
  • There may be only one Godparent.
  • If there are two Godparents, there must be one male and one female, and one of these Godparents could be a Christian witness.
  • Many children are blessed with a multitude of Godparents. Please note, only two names of Godparents will be recorded on the Baptismal certificate.
• Scheduling a Baptism is done through the office after completing the required preparation class. If completed previously Contact Us with your request to schedule the baptism.

*Baptism for children over the age of 7 is generally completed through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults Adapted for Children, to meet the special needs of children and youth.  In the Diocese of St. Augustine, the process of RCIA for children is a two-year process. Please contact the office for more information.

Sunday School – Grades KG – 9

Registration for CCF Sunday School. To register online click CCF Registration.  2023-2024 registration will close in February 2024. Call the office for special circumstances.  Fall schedule registration begins in July annually. Explanation: Your date of registration will determine the year attending. All registrations must be completed by January 31 of the current year for attendance in this academic school year. Most registrations after February will be for the next academic school year beginning in the fall.

Always check the bulletin for the most current class dates. Go to our bulletin page online to view. (currently inactive)

Sacramental Preparation

First Reconciliation
and First Communion

Information on this page is outdated. We are working on our new site and will not be doing any updating here. Please contact the office with any questions about our Sunday school and Sacramental Preparation classes.

Children in grades 2 or higher may register for our First Reconciliation and First Communion classes. Children must have completed at least one year of catechism before registering for the Sacramental Preparation program. Children enrolled in one of the Catholic schools (St. Patrick or Queen of Peace Academy) will attend only the Preparation classes. Children enrolled in the public schools will attend Sunday School and the Preparation classes.

Classes are held on Saturday mornings, one Saturday each month, from 10:00am – Noon. We ask parents and children to attend the first hour of class together for Family Catechesis. During the second hour, children meet in separate classes, while parents remain for an hour of catechism and faith sharing. The Rite of First Reconciliation is celebrated generally in January of the new year.

You can register for Sacramental Preparation classes here throughout the year: CCF Registration.  Note: Your date of registration will determine the year attending. All registrations must be completed by December of this last year for the current school year. Most registrations after January will be for the next academic school year. Call the office for special circumstances.

Schedules for the First Reconciliation and First Communion class sessions are available after August 1, and can be found in the church vestibule, the office and the Parish Life Center or click on link below to save or print a copy.

Sacramental Prep Calendar 2021-2022

Youth Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated in Grades 10 and higher. Children must have completed at least one year of catechism before registering for the Confirmation Sacramental Preparation program. Confirmandi (Confirmation candidates) attend approximately eight classes. They also attend at least one class of family catechesis with their parents, and one class with their Confirmation Sponsors.*

Other requirements for Confirmation are:

• Participate in the Catholic Youth Ministry (optional)
• Select from several service project opportunities (1 required) and select from a list of Catholic Enrichment opportunities (1 required) and submit a written report of the experiences.
• Attend a Youth Ministry Retreat
• Participate in the Good Friday Liturgy of the Veneration of the Cross
• *Confirmation Sponsors must be at least age 16, not a parent, in good standing with the Catholic Church, and have received the three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

Confirmation Classes begin with an Orientation Session for Parents and Students. The Orientation Session for the Confirmation Class of 2021 is scheduled for Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 11:00am. Class is held in the Parish Life Center if attending in person.  Online links will be provided for those attending from home.  Students must be registered to receive email links. Youth Confirmation will be conferred by Bishop Felipe Estévez at Holy Faith Parish on Sunday, May 8, 2022 at the 6:00pm Vigil Mass. Mark your calendar.

10th graders are expected to participate in community service project opportunities presented to them during the year, as well as participate in the CYM (Catholic Youth Ministry) group before and during their Confirmation Preparation year.  Catholic Youth Ministry CYM is meeting virtually every Sunday at 4pm during Covid. Updates and special meetings will be emailed to all registered Youth Group members via Flocknote.  If not already sign-up click:  CYM Sign-Up

Register for Confirmation Classes (Confirmation Class Registration).  All registered students for this Sacrament must attend all scheduled Confirmation classes and required events.

Confirmation Prep 2021 Schedule will be handed out at the orientation class, sent via email and posted.

Required Assignments 2021-2022 (to be posted asap)

Fees

Holy Faith asks families to pay the following fees; however, please know that we will never exclude a child or family for inability to pay program fees. The fees are used to pay for textbooks, craft supplies, T-shirts and related materials.
Fee for each child up to 3 is $20.00 each
Fee for 3 or more children in the same family is $60.00 total

Vacation Bible School

At Holy Faith, we schedule a five-day Vacation Bible School (VBS) every year typically in June or July. VBS 2019 was from Saturday, June 8th to Wednesday, June 12th.  Our theme was “ROAR” Life is Wild … God is Good!” 

Every year we offer VBS Pre-School for children ages 3 and 4 and our VBS crews consist of children, grades K thru 5, and Middle School, High School and Adult Volunteer Helpers. Due to covid no VBS had been scheduled in 2020 or 2021.

All TEENS and VOLUNTEERS must register. 

2022 VBS info will be posted as soon as we can set a date.

We will update this information in time to register early in 2021 to be sure to receive your FREE T-Shirt and all the craft materials (we hate to run out of supplies and have unhappy kidos).  Registration Form will be posted here. Hopefully for 2021 we can have in-person VBS. For 2020 we had a virtual VBS and although it was very cool it’s always better in person. No VBS in 2021 due to covid variant.

Vacation Bible School began over 115 years ago as a method of religious education for children during their summer vacations. While it has been very popular in many of our Protestant churches, the Catholic Church has only more recently become actively involved in promoting VBS experiences.   Holy Faith uses Catholic versions of VBS that has an official Imprimatur from our Bishops.  We use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition of the Bible.

It takes a community to create this experience of religious education. It takes a community to have fun and create memories. VBS is never simply a “children’s activity.” VBS is a church-wide outreach event.   Holy Faith is blessed by volunteers that give hours of time to prepare lessons, set-up, present activities, and teach song and dance.   Then, they take time to clean up and put it all away until next year. We have now included a FAMILY Vacation Bible School Session on day 2 of VBS. We are very grateful for our wonderful volunteers! Consider joining the Holy Faith VBS Community. You will gain more than you give.

The VBS 2017 camp theme was “Getting S’more of Jesus” at “Camp-Out” Holy Faith VBS. (see videos below). Our theme in 2018 was “Shipwrecked”.

Comment from a parent after VBS 2017:

Thank you for putting on such a wonderful VBS program. Our son a Cub Scout, so the camping theme was perfect…he came home excited everyday and couldn’t stop talking about what they did. The family picnic was very generous and was the first time we’ve been invited to participate in a VBS he was attending. We can’t wait for next year!

Enjoy this brief VBS 2017 video. CAMP-OUT

Holy Faith VBS 2018 Video Memories: “SHIPWRECKED”  

We will post some memories of VBS 2019 here.

Catholic Education in Gainesville

St. Patrick’s InterParish School (Pre-Kg through 8th Grade) Website:  St. Patrick Interparish School
Queen of Peace Academy (Pre-Kg through 8th Grade) Website:  Queen of Peace Academy
St. Francis Catholic High School (9th through 12th Grades) Website: St. Francis Catholic Academy