Faith Formation
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
We are excited to announce that the parish, in partnership with three of our local Catholic schools, will be continue to provide catechetical formation this academic year (2024-2025) through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd! Classes will begin the week of September 23-27 at the three off-site locations (see below). The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a unique approach to the Christian formation of young children. It is deeply rooted in the Scripture and the Liturgy of the Church and finds its structure in the educational principles of Maria Montessori. In a prepared environment called "the atrium" the child encounters the essential proclamations of the Christian message through sensorial rich materials, which allow him to engage body and soul in God’s Word and in the Life of the Church. It is a place of prayer and profound joy seeking only to help foster in the child a deep and lifelong relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd and His Church. We invite you to learn more about the CGS approach to catechesis here and here.
Enroll with the links below. Space is limited. Enrollment is limited to registered parishioners of St John the Baptist only.
Parish CGS (Levels 1, 2, and 3) hosted at JPGMA (768 Bowling View Rd, Front Royal): Mondays, 3:30-5:30pm. Click Here to Enroll. Starting Sept 23. (All Levels full. No further enrollments allowed for this location.)
Parish CGS (Levels 1 and 2) hosted at St Edith Stein School (124 Luray Ave, Front Royal): Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm. Click Here to Enroll. Starting Sept 26. (Level 1 is full. A few slots remain for Level 2.)
Parish CGS (Levels 1, 2, and 3) hosted at John XXIII (1401 Linden St, Front Royal): Fridays, 1:00-3:00pm. Click Here to Enroll. Starting Sept 27. (Level 1 is now full at this location. A few slots remain for Levels 2 and 3.)
For older children preparing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation (grades 7 and 8), we are continuing to offer our Scripture-focused Confirmation preparation classes on Mondays from 4:30pm to 6:00pm to allow for WCPS students to attend after school. Confirmation class will begin on Monday, October 21, 2024. Please email David Wallace to enroll in Confirmation classes: [email protected]. (In the Diocese of Arlington, the normative age for Confirmation is 8th grade.)
Please note: the Level 2 atrium environment prepares children to receive both the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist.
Adults who are interested in pursuing CGS catechist formation, see flyer below:
Parents who wish to homeschool their children for catechesis are certainly welcome, even for sacramental preparation years! If you need resources, including books and materials, please contact David Wallace: [email protected].
Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young people and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life.
-St John Paul II, Catechesi tradendae 18
Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.” (CCC 2226)
Adult Faith Formation
We partner with the Catholic Biblical School based at Sacred Heart in Winchester for continuing Adult Faith Formation. Consider joining our adult formation and growing in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Weekly Bible Study
Come read, study, and pray the Sacred Scriptures. Thursday mornings at 10:00am in Padre Pio Hall. Currently on hiatus.
Interested in Joining the Catholic Church?
Learn More
Director of Religious Education
David has been the director of religious education at St John the Baptist since 2017. He also serves (since 2022) as the business manager and bookkeeper for the parish. Before coming to St John’s, he was the DRE for a decade at St Bernadette's in Springfield, Virginia. David received both his BA and MA from Christendom College. He also is an adjunct for the Christendom College Graduate School of Theology and an instructor for the Catholic Education Center’s catechist training courses utilized by the Diocese of Arlington. He lives in Front Royal with his wife and seven children. A Ukrainian Greek-Catholic, he attends SS Joachim and Anna Ukrainian Catholic Church and is in diaconal formation for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
