Hudson Valley Vicariate West Faith Formation

Serving Albany Diocese Churches of

Athens, Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie, East Durham, Greenville, Haines Falls, Palenville, Ravena, and Windham

Faith Formation

Call for Volunteers

Rear View of People Praising inside a Church

We are excited to begin, but as you can imagine - we need more help! By help, we mean everything from catechists and classroom assistants to copying and filing paperwork to preparing crafts and more! We will be working with all levels of students ranging from Kindergarten to High School!

Imagine how rewarding it would be to share your faith with our families and the next generation!

Saying you are interested is NOT a long-term commitment. We can work with everyone's skills and schedules and our goal is to find a place that fits best for each of you to enhance the sharing of our Catholic faith with our young people and families. We are here to help you with materials, guidance and prayers every step of the way.

We don’t need you to have a master's level teachers of theology degree. We need people with 3 things:

1. Love of Jesus

2. Love of People, especially young people and families

3. Willingness to share the love of Jesus with these people!

If you are interested in volunteering please contact one of the local leaders on the contact page below.

Up To Date

Faith Formation News

Launch of our New Program

Click here to read details about our new whole vicariate Faith Formation program.

Statue of Archangel Michael against the Blue Sky

Faith Seekers have started for all parishes.

Mass Appeal and Desciples of Jesus will begin the

week of 10/22/2023.

Carved Image of Christ on Wood in a Church

Please see the schedule and calendar below for days and times.

New Programs Coming

Volunteers Arranging Bags of Food Donations

Click to read a letter about the program

Our Faith Formation programs provide a fun, engaging faith education for children and youth in K through 12th grade. This year we will have 3 age groups in order to serve our youth in a developmentally appropriate way. These programs are scheduled to begin in October.

Scroll down to see individual programs.

Groups

Grades K-4

During Mass

30 minutes

Learn more

Faith Seekers

Man and Woman Sitting on Brown Wooden Bench

Grades 5-6

1 hour

Learn more

Mass Appeal

Group of Young People Sitting and Praying

Grades 7-12

1.5 hours

Learn more

Disciples of Jesus

Faith Seekers

After Opening Prayer, children attending Mass with their families will be invited to join to listen to a more kid friendly reading of the Gospel, participate in a short discussion/reflection of its message, and discuss/reflect how its message relates to them.

This may be followed by a brief related activity before the children are asked to re-join their families.

We are asking families to register;

however, there is no fee to register.

Faith Seekers has begun for all parishes. Please see the schedule page below for what Masses are available.

Click to read a letter about the program

Click to read a letter about the program

Mass Appeal

This program aims to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the Catholic Mass and take them on a journey through the Bible with a focus on Old Testament stories.

Topics covered include the liturgical year, statues, relics, pictures, and the Stations of the Cross. Hands-on opportunities will be provided for students to explore different aspects of the Mass. The program also covers the main people, places, and events of salvation history as recorded in the Bible. Class sessions will include narrative stories, engaging hands-on activities, videos, skits, and plays.

Students will participate in a class service project of their choice.

Cost 5th-12th Grade:

$35 for 1 child

$65 for 2 children

$90 for 3 children

$100 max for family

Please remember there are scholarships available and

NO ONE should miss out due to financial hardships!

Disciples of Jesus

The Faith Formation program for grades 7 through 12 will focus on The Chosen, a drama series about the life of Jesus.

The goal is for students to better understand Jesus and learn about those who became his disciples.

Sessions will involve watching episodes, small group discussion, and comparing episodes to biblical references and our Catholic Faith. Students will also participate in service projects to possibly include serving at and/or preparing for Stations of the Cross, Holy Week, a Youth Mass, etc.

Please remember there are scholarships available and NO ONE should miss out

due to financial hardships!

Cost 5th-12th Grade:

$35 for 1 child

$65 for 2 children

$90 for 3 children

$100 max for family

Christian group read and studied the bible at the park and praye

Click to read a letter about the program

Schedule of Events

	Faith Seekers (during Mass)	Mass Appeal	Didisciples of Jesus
Athens	4:00 PM 1st and 3rd Saturdays	11:45 AM-12:45 PM Sundays	9:15 AM - 10:40 AM Sundays
Cairo	See East Durham	TBD	6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Mondays
Catskill	4:00 PM 2nd and 4th Saturdays	See Athens	See Athens
Coxsackie	11:30 AM Sundays	10:15 AM - 11:15 AM Sundays	6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Sundays (using a similar rotation of locations as last year)
East Durham	4:00 PM Saturdays	TBD	See Cairo
Greenville	See East Durham	TBD	See Cairo
Haines Falls	11:00 AM Sundays	See Palenville	See Palenville
Palenville	9:00 AM Sundays	5:30 - 6:30 Tuesdays	5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Tuesdays
Ravena	9:30 AM Sundays	following the 9:30 AM Mass Sundays	6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Sundays (using a similar rotation of locations as last year)
Windham	See East Durham	TBD	See Cairo