Sancti Simus
Elementary Faith Formation
Faith Formation Office Hours: Monday-Thursday from 9am-3pm
Our vision is to form men and women
(from boys and girls) who are striving
for Sainthood together, strengthened by
the Eucharist and the Sacraments,
through prayer, faith formation,
and community interaction.
Please contact our Director of Faith Formation
with any questions.
Registration 2024-2025
Open to all K-5th graders!
We have an open registration policy, so families are welcome to register at any point during the Faith Formation year. Families do not need to be registered parishioners to participate in Faith Formation.
Please use the links below to register online
or to print a form to submit to the parish office.
Online: St. Luke’s Online Faith Formation Registration
Paper: Printable Registration Form
Sancti Simus Information
We are rebranding Elementary Faith Formation to Sancti Simus, Latin for “Let’s Be Saints”. This is our vision for all the children and adults involved in our Elementary Faith Formation programs. Sancti Simus also translates to “We Are Holy,” a reminder of our identity as beloved children of our heavenly Father, called and chosen to be holy and without blemish before Him. Sancti Simus, brothers and sisters!
Sancti Simus, for Kindergarteners through 5th graders, meets on most Sunday mornings during the traditional school year (Labor Day through Mother’s Day). Classes are from 9:45-10:45am, between the Sunday Masses. Parents drop-off and pick-up their child(ren) from the classroom.
Here at St. Luke, we use the Word of Life series, the joint fruit of Augustine Institute and Ignatius Press. Word of Life uses four golden catechetical threads to provide faithful teaching and explain why the faith is relevant in our modern culture:
- Salvation History
- Christian Anthropology
- Heroic Virtue & Character Formation
- Learning through Discipleship
More specifically, each class uses the following:
- Kindergarten – God’s Plan of Love
- 1st Grade – God’s Promise of a Savior
- 2nd Grade – God’s Presence in the Sacraments
- 3rd Grade – Holy Spirit and the Life of Grace
- 4th Grade – The Creed: Truth and Our Response to the Faith
- 5th Grade – Liturgy and Worship
For those who desire to participate in our online option, Augustine Institute provides an interactive version called Word of Life Portal. In an email from Word of Life Portal, each student will receive their login to access their specific grade’s content. The Faith Formation office tracks each student’s progress to make sure all content is completed. Please email our Faith Formation Assistant if you have any questions about your login or online lessons. Any family who registers for the online option may pick-up a workbook from the Faith Formation Office.
Why Faith Formation
Faith formation is a life-long process that begins with Baptism and continues in every aspect of our lives. Parents, as the first and primary catechists of your children, we ask that you partner with the parish to provide a place where the faith of our children can grow and be nourished.
Catechesis and evangelization are our primary goals in Elementary Faith Formation. “The word catechesis comes from the Greek meaning ‘to echo the teaching’, meaning that catechesis or the teaching of the faith is an interactive process in which the Word of God re-sounds between and among the proclaimer, the one receiving the message, and the Holy Spirit!” (Catholic News Agency).
This means that in Faith Formation we not only learn about God and His Church, we foster a relationship with God and His Church. Children grow in knowledge of their faith, the Liturgy, and the Sacraments, and they begin laying a moral foundation based on Christ and His teachings. On a higher level, children learn to pray with God the Father, Son, and Spirit; they learn to actively participate in parish community; and they learn to be missionaries for Christ outside of the parish.