This is a training session for the Catechists who lead the children participants in lessons on faith and God as a part of the family formation program. The Family Formation program is centered on weekly family gatherings where lessons, provided by the church, are worked on and discussed by parents and their children at home. The weekly home lessons are then supplemented with monthly meetings at St. John’s where students, led by a trained catechist, gather to learn about a topic in a classroom setting, while their parents meet to receive instruction on the same topic. Ideally, this shared learning experience spills over into the family’s everyday life and leads to discussion in the home about the Catholic Faith and, ultimately, to further growth into the life of the Church. Please visit https://stjohnnb.com/faith-formation/children/family-formation/ for more information. We hope to see you and your family there! 

Family Formation meets on Wednesdays from September through May. Family Formation participants are encouraged to attend 5:30pm Mass in the Chapel of Angels and then join us for 6:00pm dinner (RSVP please for numbers) in St. Joseph Hall before beginning the program from 6:30-8:00pm. Preschool/K children are upstairs in the Parish Center, Grades 1-6 are in the School classrooms and 7th grade in the Youth Room. All children must be registered to attend/participate in the Family Formation program.

The overall theme of the year is “The Liturgical Year”. The dates and topics for the year are below:

September 18 Parent Orientation (along with Youth Program) 6:30 p.m.

October 2 “What Goes Around, Comes Around” (Liturgical Year)

November 6 “Living & Dying To Become A Saint”

December 4 “Prepare The Way Of The Lord!” (Nativity & Incarnation)

January 8 “As For Me & My House, We Will Serve The Lord”
(The Heart of the Home: Jesus In The Eucharist)

February 5 “Go Tell It On The Mountain!”
(Evangelization: Our Baptismal Call)

March 4 “Jesus’ Compassion In His Passion” (Stations of the Cross)

April 1 “Our Father, Who Art In Heaven” (God the Father)

May 6 “Tongues Of Fire, Wings Of A Dove” (Holy Spirit)

All children must be registered to attend/participate in the Family Formation program.

To register click here.

Middle School Youth Group (MSYG)

Middle School Youth Group Is offered to 6th-8th graders one Wednesday a month. Our goal is to let our children build relationships and deal with social/current events from a Catholic perspective. We want to have lots of FUN, too! Other events, retreats, etc. will be offered as well!

FREE! No registration needed! All 6th – 8th graders welcome.

School Year Dates 6:30-8:00 pm:
Wednesday, September 25th
Wednesday, October 23rd
Wednesday, November 20th
Wednesday, December 18th
Wednesday, January 15th
Wednesday, February 19th
Wednesday, March 25th
Wednesday, April 15th
Wednesday, May 13th

“Preserve my life, for I am devoted; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God” ~ Psalm 86:2

Devoted is a monthly gathering for ALL women. It’s a time for you to take a breath, do something for yourself and be filled. Come be encouraged and inspired through prayer, dynamic speakers, wine and chocolate.

Devoted topics are relevant to you and your life and each gathering is a stand alone event. The schedule is flexible, so you can come a little late or leave a little early.

Bring the favorite women in your life: your mom, sister, daughter, friend, neighbor… Women from all walks of life are encouraged to join us at 7:30pm for social time with an 8:10pm start time and respectful end time of 9:30 pm!

As devoted women, we are committed to:

Live Gracefully
Live Prayerfully
Live Generously
Live Truthfully
Live the Gospel

Follow this link for more information: http://stjohnnb.com/faith-formation/adult/devoted/

Join us Wednesday Evenings for SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP from 8:00-9:30pm in the youth room.

We will be having SHYG most Wednesday evenings throughout the school year. Come for games, snack, praise and worship and fellowship.

Hope to see you there!

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

The Circle of Women invites women of all ages to join as we gather for a journey with God. We will encourage and support one another through prayer, inspirational and informative speakers, crafts, worship, small-group discussions, and social outreach. The Circle of Women meets in Room 208 every Thursday morning from 9:15-11:30 a.m. September through May. Childcare is provided for all children.

Please contact Tina at tinabobnick@yahoo.com by Wednesday prior to each gathering to let her know your child(ren) will be there. Each gathering is a stand alone session. Join us whenever your schedule allows! Bring a friend and come to “Be Still”…

Follow this link for more information: http://stjohnnb.com/faith-formation/adult/circle-of-women/. 

St. John the Baptist is proud to partner with and refer our members to Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck, a fellow trusted resource for community elders and their families. Together we are dedicated to providing a wealth of life care management services to help our beloved parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles live independently.

Do you know…

You can get a haircut at home from an ABLE volunteer if it is hard for you to get out?
We have volunteers that are willing to do respite for several hours if you cannot leave your loved one alone?
We have found help or referrals for yard clean up and housekeeping if you are having difficulties?
ABLE can help with grocery shopping after coming home from the hospital or make you simple meals?
ABLE volunteers can come for a visit and bring communion if you cannot get to Mass due to changes in health or the weather?
ABLE volunteers have helped with taxes; helped troubleshoot problems with electronics/computers?
All of our volunteers are from the parish and all have had background checks.
There are many resources out there that might help your situation. For more information, please call Mary Hartz, parish nurse at 651-633-8333 ext. 1229 or email Mary.Hartz@bhshealth.org.
Mary is in the office Tuesday – Thursday.

Ongoing Programs for Seniors
Have your blood pressure checked after the 8:30 am Mass every Tuesday in St. Therese community room.
Join us for Faithfully Fit being held in room LL108 on Wednesdays at 9:15am. You are welcome to join us any Wednesday.
Did you know that there are several Catholic senior housing and care providers throughout the Archdiocese? Did you know that you can find the entire array of senior care choices among them? Do you want to stay in your local community and keep connected to your parish? If you need advice or placement in Archdiocesan Catholic housing, assisted living, memory, nursing home, palliative, home care or hospice care visit www.catholicseniorservices.org or call the CSS Help Line at 1-877-420-6461.

Widow/Widower Group
Book Club
Breakfast after 8:30AM Mass
Christmas and Easter Baskets for Seniors
ABLE does Christmas and Easter baskets for seniors in our community. If you know of someone who might like one, if you would like to donate, or help put the baskets together, please call Mary Hartz 651-633-8333 ext. 1229.

Caregiver Support Group

Many of us are Caregivers. We are Caregivers to our parents, spouses, neighbors, and friends! Please join our confidential Caregiver Support Group the first Tuesday of the month.

Questions?

Mary Hartz 651-633-8333 ext. 1229 or visit this link: http://stjohnnb.com/community-outreach/assisting-better-lives-for-eldery/
 

Quilters Group
Make quilts for donation to charitable organizations. No previous skills or experience are required. Gather on the second Thursday and the fourth Friday of each month; open to everyone!

Contact Mary Hartz (651) 633-8333, ext. 1229 or hartzm@stjohnnyb.org

RCIA is short for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the process provided by the church to those who are interested in converting to Catholicism, are unbaptized and who are beyond the age of reason (age 7). The Rites themselves also give a place for those who are seeking full communion of the Catholic Church. Those seeking full communion would be those baptized, Catholic and non-Catholic, who have not been catechized and who have yet to receive Eucharist and Confirmation.

As with the reception of any sacraments, there is a process the Church puts forth as preparation for individuals as they work towards receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and/or Confirmation, thus becoming a fully initiated Catholic.

Here are some examples of those who will be served through our Becoming Catholic the RCIA process.

The unbaptized
Those who have been baptized in another Christian faith
Catholics who have been baptized and have not received Confession, Eucharist, and/or Confirmation
The first step of the process is to do a meet and greet with Jessica Balzarini, Director of Discipleship and Mission, balzarinij@stjohnnyb.org. She loves coffee and happy hours! This is an initial meeting to get to know the potential candidates and to talk about the process and expectations.

To see the process more in detail follow this link: http://stjohnnb.com/faith-formation/adult/rcia/

What is Sunday Morning Scripture with Sister Clarinda? This is frequently on the minds of people in the parish. Often, we come to Mass following the busyness of the morning preparations and have not had enough time to focus on what is being read. It is important that we hear what God is saying to us in all of the readings.

Every Tuesday morning after the 8:30am Mass, we gather in Room 204 to spend some time listening to the upcoming Sunday readings and studying what the Spirit is saying to us. After the discussion we take a few moments to reflect in silence. Our session lasts for about an hour and ends with song and prayer. Everyone is invited to come as often as they can.

Please contact Deacon Gary Schneider for more details on our website: https://stjohnnb.com/contact/staff-directory/ , at schneiderg@stjohnnyb.org, or 651-633-8333 ext.1288. We hope to see you there and are excited to encourage you in your faith and relationship with God!