St. Patrick Church of Merna

Faith Formation (FF 1-5) Grades 1-5

Faith formation is a life-long journey. The Faith Formation program (formerly known as RE-Religious Education) provides parents with support to help their children build a strong Catholic faith foundation by getting to know Jesus, seeing Him as a source of comfort in the challenges of daily life, learning how to live their faith, and connecting with other children in our faith community. Our goal is to encourage and support all families and students as they grow into a personal encounter with Jesus.

Faith Formation for grades 1-5 meets once a week during the school year in a classroom setting at both St. Patrick Church of Merna and St. Mary Church in Downs and provides students with a positive environment to learn & grow in their Catholic faith.

SACRAMENTS: Preparation to receive both the Sacrament of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion takes place in 2nd grade. Attendance in our 1st grade classes is a prerequisite for reception of the Sacraments.

For more information, please contact Bobbi Hassel.

FF 1-5 Registration Info

Junior High Faith Formation (JHFF) Grades 6-8

These three years of JHFF will include not just Confirmation preparation, but also biblical competency and in-depth encounters with Jesus. This is more than just a Confirmation Journey. It is an intentional space for our students to explore how Catholicism is part of their everyday life, wrestle through difficult questions and doubts, while being intentionally guided by faithful small group leaders who will accompany them as they learn to Believe, Belong, and Become.

Believe – Provide a space where kids can ask harder questions about their faith. Our faith is beautiful but can be confusing. The bible can be daunting, but it is rich and applicable to our times. We want them to know in mind and heart that Jesus wants to know them personally and has a story he is writing over their life.
Belong – Invested small group leaders will accompany our students into a relationship with one another AND with their adult small group leader. Studies show that when a child has an adult at their church (outside their parents) who cares about them, their faith takes deeper root. The same is true when they have a solid friend group. We want them to know that the Church is their family.
Become – Discipleship doesn’t end at baptism. It is a lifelong commitment to know and love Jesus Christ. It’s about conforming our thoughts, actions, and very lives to his teaching through the grace of the Sacraments, Scripture and prayer. As we grow in our love for Jesus, we will become disciple makers for others.

JHFF 6 (6th grade) will meet weekly. JHFF 7 and 8 (7th and 8th grades) will meet every other week.

Utilizing The Bible Timeline for Middle Schoolers, in-depth Gospel studies, diocesan approved Confirmation Preparation, and a whole lot of relationship building, our students will have the equipping to live a life of discipleship.

No matter where you are on your faith journey, we invite all 6th-8th graders to join us.

If you are looking to get your high schooler confirmed, please contact us.

For more information, please contact Joey Eells or Bobbi Hassel.

JHFF Registration Info

St. Mary Church in Downs

Religious Education Grades 1-8

St. Mary Church in Downs offers Religious Education classes for children entering 1st grade through 8th grade. Classes take place on Sunday mornings following the 9am Mass.

First Holy Communion is received in 2nd grade, but it is a two-year program. Attendance in 1st grade is required to receive the sacrament as a 2nd grader.

Confirmation is received in 8^th grade, but it is also a two-year program. Attendance in 7^th grade is required to receive the sacrament as an 8^th grader.

For more information, please contact the St. Mary Church in Downs Religious Ed Coordinator, Jennifer O’Brien.

Caritas Homeschool Parish Ministry

We are a community of homeschooling families in the Bloomington-Normal area coming together to thrive as a joyful, vibrant, authentically Catholic group for the purposes of meaningful enrichment for our school-aged children and the fostering of their social development, but most essentially for common worship and growth in the Catholic faith that binds us together.

We offer an online communication platform through which our members can network, support each other, and plan independent events such as regular park dates and outings. We also offer an educational enrichment cooperative that typically meets eight times/semester at St. Mary’s of Downs Church. In the past, we have offered a variety of classes, including art, science, chant, among many others, that provide a structured environment for our children to learn together and socialize with each other while supplementing the education they receive at home.

Above all, we believe it is our communal responsibility and holy privilege to nurture each member’s sense of belonging and his growth in faith and virtue by rooting all that we do in the charity of the heart of Christ. Thus, we will encourage and warmly accompany each other in our shared vocation of responding to the Universal Call to Holiness as homeschooling families.

We are open to all families who are currently homeschooling a child who is at least 5-years old.

For more information, please send an email or register:

Email Register