Greetings to all our Faith Formation Families. At this time, we are making plans for the upcoming fall enrollment period and want to ensure that we have faith formation opportunities that meet the current needs of our families.  Information regarding your plans for the 2020-21 enrollment period will be extremely helpful as we plan for the year ahead.  

Please take this short survey to assist us in our planning efforts.  Your immediate attention is greatly appreciated so that we may begin making decisions to best meet your needs.

Click HERE to take survey.

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Dearest Faith Formation Families,

Our Lenten journey this year has taken a different path. As we begin to adjust our daily lives, as a result of the ongoing pandemic, so too are our Catholic parishes. Multiple parish events have been canceled which include public Masses and parish social events. As a result, pastors and their staff across the Diocese of St. Petersburg are making efforts to reach their community of faith through nontraditional means via digital platforms. Recently, the Diocese of St. Petersburg made the decision to close all schools for the remainder of the year.  Subsequently, our faith formation classes have also been suspended.

The Office of Faith Formation is committed to providing opportunities to encounter Christ in each other, walking along side you on the journey of faith. Please visit our individual program pages for resources and tools that you can use at home Keep the Faith Alive During Coronoavirus.

While the catechesis offered within the family is ordinarily informal, unstructured, and spontaneous, it is no less crucial for the development of the child's faith. "In a certain sense nothing replaces family catechesis, especially for its positive and receptive environment, for the example of adults, and for its first explicit experience and practice of the faith."

- National Directory for Catechesis, 48.E.1

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through daily changes. Please find listed below our contact information. We are here to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

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Let your children's faith grow with a deeper understanding of our sacred traditions and church teachings. Our Faith Formation Program offers an active program for growth and development of faith in our children and youth. 

Our Faith Formation Programs offer our children in public school the same quality faith formation as those enrolled in our Catholic Schools.  Please stop by our Faith Formation Office located at St. Stephen Catholic School to register.  You can also call our Faith Formation Office for more information at 813-671-4434.     God Bless You!

Faith Formation Staff:  

Rosie Bridges- Director of Faith Formation
Sue Haines - Administrator of Faith Formation 
Kim Davis - Coordinator of K-5 Faith Formation  
Lisa Lopez - Assistant Coordinator of Faith Formation 
Joanna Jewell - Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry

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If you are feeling God's call to teach the faith, we need your help! As catechists you are called to embrace the following:

•     A desire to grow in and share our Catholic Faith
•     An awareness of God's grace
•     A commitment to the Church's liturgical and sacramental life and moral teachings
•     A strength of character that is built on patience, responsibility, confidence and creativity
•     A generosity of spirit, respect for diversity and a habit of hospitality and inclusion
•     A basic understanding and willingness to learn more about our Catholic teachings, Scriptures and Traditions
•     Willingness to employ provided & effective teaching techniques and strategies

COMMITMENT: Our Catechists and Assistant Catechists will attend an initial training/orientation and Safe Environment Training. They are committed to teach 27 classes, utilizing the Office of Faith Formation to plan for any absences. Catechists will also commit to ongoing formation, through Diocesan trainings, online resources and opportunities through the parish.

Our catechists are simultaneously teachers and students, growing in faith and knowledge with our students. As a Faith Formation teacher, you will recognize ways to enrich yourself and your students, becoming a true catechetical leader.

SUPPORT: The Office of Faith Formation supports your vocation of being a Catechist by providing in-depth teaching guides, workbooks for all students, additional resources, craft materials, and a library of videos and books so you can successfully spread the word of God with a small class. Contact the Office of Faith Formation (813-671-4434) for more information on how to become a Catechist and our current needs, or download the Volunteer Form.

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All adults volunteering with programs that involve youth, parents of children attending St. Stephen Catholic School who desire to volunteer at the school, and those who volunteer with the St. Stephen Faith Formation Program must have completed a Diocese-sponsored Safe Environment Training and complete a level II background screening (fingerprints and name search).   The Diocesan Safe Environment training session for adults wishing to supervisor children/youth is now available on line at no cost.

For more information about Safe Environment Training visit our Diocese of St. Petersburg website Diocese of St. Petersburg - Office of the Safe Environment Program. (click here)

St. Stephen Catholic Church complies with all aspects of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The St. Petersburg Diocese policy entitled Policy for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults was implemented in 2003 and was most recently revised in November 2009.    Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People

For more information or questions regarding the Safe Environment Program please contact Sue Haines at our Faith Formation Office, 813-671-4434.

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St. Stephen Catholic School is devoted to inspiring students to achieve their full academic potential while demonstrating a desire to continue Jesus' mission by applying Catholic morals, beliefs, values and practices in their everyday lives. We are committed to motivating students to sustain a lifelong love of learning.

Our mission promotes a journey toward academic and spiritual growth with an appreciation of the richness of our Catholic faith and tradition.

Please contact St. Stephen Catholic School Office (813) 741-9203 for more information and schedule a personal tour.  Check out our website by clicking  St. Stephen Catholic School.