Faith Formation Ministry
Following the call to bring people to a closer relationship with Jesus, Faith Formation promotes, nurtures and offers life-long formation for those ministering to children and adults by providing courses on faith formation and catechetical topics, catechetical certification and retreats in both English and Spanish. Faith Formation also oversees the implementation of policies of Catholic Faith Formation for parishes in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Catechetical and Lay Formation Programs
Pre-K to High School Religious Education
Sacramental policies and preparation
Approved resources and information on catechetical preparation for the sacraments of penance, first Communion, baptism, confirmation and the Rite of Christian Initiation.
Confirmation retreats
The scheduling and coordination of the Confirmation retreats is transitioning from Faith Formation to Youth Ministry Services as of the beginning of September 2023.
Youth Ministry Services is offering Confirmation retreats for parish Confirmation preparation groups. If your parish would like to attend one of these retreats located at Camp Don Bosco in Carnation or at a pre-determined parish location, please contact Lisa Hillyard at lisa.hillyard@seattlearch.org for availability.
These retreats are one-day events ending with Mass, by 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm based on retreat and Mass start times.
Depending on the size of your group, capacity limitations, and your Confirmation date at the parish, a suggested date will be determined.
If you would like tools and resources for leading a Confirmation retreat for your group of students, please let us know or for programming questions, contact Kimberly Abadir at kimberly.abadir@seattlearch.org
Confirmation age revision
In late 2019, the Archdiocese of Seattle made the transition for the age of Confirmation from eleventh grade or sixteen years of age to seventh grade or the equivalent age. In order to help our parishes with the transition process, the Confirmation policies were revised and a variety of resources were made available in order to facilitate the various programs and age levels in our parish communities. Please visit the Confirmation Revision page for more information.
Catechist Tools and Resources
Faith Formation Newsletters
Ministry Clearance for Visiting Laity Information
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation during COVID
The Faith Formation and Youth Ministry offices have developed guidance and resources to ensure we can continue with our mission of teaching the faith while keeping everyone safe and healthy. Click here to learn more.
Tech Tools and Audio Visual Ideas for Catechetical Leaders
Find helpful resources to make your online formation classes, meetings and events successful. Tips on how to prepare for an online event, templates, and other curated resources can be found here. Click here to learn more.