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WELCOME
We are happy you enrolled your child in Christian Formation at St. John Vianney and look forward to another great year filled with many wonderful activities for your family to enjoy and grow in faith together.
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Greater risk-taking behavior is common in youth, but the risks to which they are exposed, e.g., the opioid epidemic, are often greater in degree and scope than those faced a generation ago.
What can we do to strengthen our children's moral backbone in the midst of the stresses and influences that they face on a daily basis?
The first Family Faith Formation session is on
Sunday, September 17th from 8:45-10:45am OR Monday, September 18th from 6:00-8:00pm. It addresses concrete ways that our faith guides and empowers parents to make a difference in helping children in situations in which adults are not present. This gathering will help us live faithfully, hopefully and lovingly when we experience everyday obstacles in life.
The second session is on Sunday, October 1st from 8:45-10:45am OR Monday, October 2nd from 6:00-8:00pm. You will meet a
family with first-hand experience of the ravaging effects of drugs on their child. They will teach us what they learned and steps we can take to ward off the problem or counter it effectively.
Please click here to register for the Family Faith Formation program. You must register separately for each family session.
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Sunday Morning Christian Formation
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CALENDAR and DOORS -
Sunday morning Christian Formation classes for children K4-8th grade begin Sunday, September 24th from 9:30-10:45am. Classes are held in the school for K4-6th grade and you may enter the building using the parish center doors or school doors between the garage doors off the large parking lot or the west school doors off the small parking lot. Classes for 7th-8th grade are upstairs in the parish center. Classrooms will be marked by grade level and class list.
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Wednesday Evening Christian Formation
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CALENDAR and DOORS
- Wednesday evening Christian Formation classes for children 1st-8th grade begin Wednesday, September 27th from 5:00-6:15pm. Classes are held in the school and you may enter the building using the main parish center doors off the large parking. Classrooms will be marked by grade level.
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Christian Formation Classes
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DROP-OFF and PICK-UP
- We ask that you do not drop your children off any earlier than 10 minutes before class as catechists use this time for preparation. If you arrive and the teacher is not in the classroom, we ask that you wait so no child is left unattended. Please arrive on time as we only have an hour and fifteen minutes for instruction. If you are late for pickup and the catechist must leave, you may find your child waiting in the Christian Formation Office. Thank you for your cooperation.
ATTENDANCE POLICY and CONTACT INFORMATION
- We ask that students attend all classes unless they are sick or there is a family emergency. All absences MUST be excused by calling Suzette Hildebrand, the Christian Formation secretary, at 262-796-3944. Please leave your child's full name (spell your last name), grade level, and reason for the absence, so we can alert the catechist.
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During the last school year, the St. John Vianney school community, was in the process of writing important policies regarding food to guarantee that every child (particularly those with severe food allergies) are safe when they are in their classroom. Allergens found within treats brought inside the building are huge threats to these children.
Since our classes are only 75-minutes long, we would like to limit weekly snacks so we can provide a safe and faith-filled experience for our children.
We ask that children eat a good breakfast on Sundays or an afterschool snack on Wednesdays before they come to class. If there is a need for a snack in the classroom, please refer to the
"safe snack suggestions" below. If you want your child to bring a birthday treat, please consider a non-food treat and we can always sing "Happy Birthday" to make them feel special in other ways.
It is important that we focus our time and attention in ways other than food and just think how much more nutritious these healthy snacks are for our children. Thank you for your support in creating a safe learning environment for all of our parish youth!
Safe Snack Suggestions
Apple slices
Cutie oranges
Bananas
Strawberries
Grapes
Carrots
Celery sticks
Cucumbers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cherry tomatoes
Goldfish crackers-cheddar
HoneyMaid Graham Crackers- honey flavored
Skinny Pop
String Cheese
Babybel
Simply Gogurt
GoGo Squeeze, Apple cinnamon applesauce
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CHILDREN'S LITURGY OF THE WORD (CLOW)
Meets every Saturday at the 4:30pm Mass and on Sundays at the 11:00am Mass for children ages K4-4th grade. Parents are welcome to visit anytime especially to introduce a young child when they first begin to worship with us. All children are welcome and no registration is necessary. Come and hear the Word of God!
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CLOW VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We need adult presiders to lead the children in worship and teen helpers to assist with the children especially on Saturdays. It is a once a month commitment at a Mass of your choice. Training and
materials are provided.
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TINY TOT TIME BEGINS AGAIN
Moms, Dads, Grandparents, bring your little ones ages two to five for an hour of story time, activities, music, and snack. We meet one Tuesday a month and our first gathering is Tuesday, September 19th at 10:00am in the Church Hall. Each month we will celebrate a different theme. Please feel free to drop in or call to let us know you are coming.
Click here for the calendar
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At St. John Vianney, children in second grade receive both First Reconciliation and First Communion. Parents of children who wish to receive these sacraments this year are asked to attend a parent/child meeting on Wednesday, October 18th at 5:00-6:15pm OR Sunday, October 22nd at 9:30-10:45am in the Presentation Hall. Children will have their own session during this time in the Church Hall. You will receive a separate email with more information on registration, parent meetings, and upcoming events.
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THE CATHOLIC FAITH AND OUR TIMES
Loving the Lord Our God with All of Our Heart, Mind, Soul and Strength.
Please come to a presentation with Fr. Nathaniel Miniatt on September 20th at 6:30pm in the Presentation Hall. He will speak about the obstacles in peoples' lives that get in front of God and how to get rid of them. All are welcome to an informative and entertaining evening filled with examples and inspirational stories.
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FORMING THE CATECHETICAL SPIRIT
Do you want to learn more about the Catholic Church or do you wish you were more comfortable sharing your Catholic faith? Please consider taking this parish-based program designed for those who serve the Church as parish catechists and for parents who would like to get more involved. Sessions begin on Saturday, September 30th.
Click here for dates and topics
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SAFEGUARDING ALL GOD'S FAMILY
Any adult
(18 years or older)
who wishes to volunteer in the classroom or serve as a chaperone must complete the Safeguarding All of God's Family program through the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. This one-time class helps adults become educated on the importance of protecting our children from the dangers of abuse and related dangers. To register for this course, please CLICK HERE and then click the orange "register" button.
Thank you in advance for participating in this important session.
The following classes are offered in the coming weeks near Brookfield:
- Wednesday, September 13th, St. Mary, Hales Corners - 6:30-9:30pm
- Saturday, September 16th, St. Mary's Visitation, Elm Grove - 9:00am-12:00pm
- Thursday, September 21st, St. Charles, Hartland, 6:30-9:30pm
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Thursday, October 19th, St. Charles, Hartland, 6:00-9:00pm
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Last year, I began writing in the HomeWord each month, Meet The Saints, and the importance of these holy people in our lives. This year I will continue this topic, so if there is a saint you want to know more about or if you have a favorite saint that is special to you, I would love to hear about it and share them in an upcoming HomeWord.
What is a saint? First, it is a person who is a special friend of God who lived a holy life and now lives with God in Heaven. Second, it is one who is formally recognized or canonized.
THE ARCHANGELS, SAINT MICHAEL, SAINT GABRIEL, SAINT RAPHAEL
Angels were created by God, just like us but they are very different than us. They have no bodies as they are pure spirits and they never get tired. They only have to think a thought to communicate and they never misunderstand each other. The bible mentions three angels by name, and they are the archangels who brought special messages from God to His people.
In the book of Tobit, the Angel Raphael told Tobit that one of the things that angels do best is present our prayers to God. In Luke's Gospel, Gabriel was the angel who brought the good news to Mary that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, God's own Son. Michael is mentioned several times in the Bibles and is called the archangel because he led the angels who wished to remain faithful to God in a great war against Satan and other angels who were rebelling against God. They did not love God and refused to do what God asked them to do. Satan and the other rebellious angels lost the fight, left heaven and went to hell. After that big battle in heaven, Michael became a defender and protector of God's people on earth. He is the leader of all the angels in heaven and a special protector of the Church today. The archangel's feast day is September 29th. Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, pray for us!
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THANK YOU
- For registering your child in Christian Formation classes and modeling to them the importance of your Catholic faith. I look forward to journeying with you this year as we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with one another. Please keep our parish and catechists in your prayers.
Dawn Van Dorf
Director of Child Ministry
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St. John Vianney - Christian Formation - sjvcf@stjohnv.org
1755 N. Calhoun Rd. - Brookfield, WI 53005 - 262-796-3944
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