Volunteer to be a Catechist or Classroom Aide

There is no greater gift we can give than to pass on our faith to others. Faith formation is an essen-tial part of all of our lives as Christians committed to living and sharing God’s Word. A catechist is a person who is called to this mission by the Holy Spirit - and for Catholics, that means all of us. We are all called to proclaim the "Good News" in how we live our lives. The first and foremost catechists in the life of every child are his or her parents. Parents are the fundamental source of their child's faith formation. The Office of Faith Formation at Saint Christopher’s is devoted to helping parents in their efforts to raise their child in the Roman Catholic faith, so that he or she will become a disciple of Christ. The faith formation program at Saint Christopher's Parish is designed to give young people the opportunity to encounter Christ in their lives through instruction, prayer, service, and participation in the Liturgy.

WHAT IS A CATECHIST?

The official teachings of the Church are called the Catechism of the Catholic Church. A catechist is a person of faith who leads others in understanding the faith teachings according to those official teachings. The role of the catechist is a vital ministry to the Church. It is a gift that has tremendous value to the world community at large. Through the catechist’s word and action, the message of Christ continues to have a place in all human affairs.

WHAT DOES A CATECHIST DO?

The primary goal of a catechist is to model God’s love to others. As a result, the primary requisite of a catechist is a love for God and a love for children. A catechist develops a lesson plan with the help of the Faith formation office and uses that plan to teach in the classroom. By creating the lesson plan, the catechist ultimately designs and structures experiences for students that help them grow in their personal faith and spirituality. The catechist passes on to students a set of shared meanings and values that are Catholic and Christian. A catechist also initiates others into the faith community, into its life, its worship, symbols and practices.

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?

We ask catechists to commit to teaching a class for an entire academic year. St. Christopher’s Par-ish Faith Formation Program begins in September and ends at Pentecost (usually in May). Classes meet once a Month.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOLUNTEER IN THIS ROLE?

We are so blessed to have such an active and engaged community of parents, grandparents, and friends supporting our faith formation programs through volunteering. We welcome any person of faith who wishes to lead others to grow in faith and understanding the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This role is a vital ministry to the Church. It is a gift that has tremendous value to the world community at large. Through the catechist’s word and action, the message of Christ continues to have a place in all human affairs.

INTERESTED?

We are in great need of Catechist and classroom aide. If you are interested in this ministry on be-coming a Catechist or participating in the Faith Formation Program, please contact Director: Ed-ward Dantes, ext. 317 Email: edward.dantes@stchrissj.org or Diane Forst—Faith Formation As-sistant 1-408-269-2226 ext. 315 Email: diane.forst@stchrissj.org

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Saint Christopher Church Restoration

[You are] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as
the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred
in the Lord, in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Eph 2:19–22

Dear Friends:
Seventy years ago, Msgr. John Healy had a dream.  His dream was to build a community of believers that would form the spiritual center of Willow Glen right here in Saint Christopher Parish.  For many, coming into our area from different countries and from cities across our country, Saint Christopher Parish has served as our spiritual home where our families and faith have flourished.   You and your family have celebrated many rites of passage through the sacraments in this sacred space.

Our Parish church was dedicated in 1957.  Countless times in those sixty-five years our church has offered our thanksgiving in the Eucharist, welcomed new lives in Baptism, united love in Marriage, and ushered our loved one’s home to our Lord.  True to our patron saint, as Christ-bearers, we take care of each other and our neighbors in need.
Built well and with care, our church has aged well, but it has definitely aged.  For some time, the interior of our church has looked worn and tired.  Bundles of wires line the walls.  The wooden paneling and floor tiles in poor condition.  And other than being painted once or twice over the years and having carpeting added, little has been done to the interior of the Church to address the needs that any sixty-five year odd building inevitably has.

Now is the time to restor and refurbish the natural beauty of our church.  With the help of volunteer architects and designers, we have developed plans to beautifully restore our church to enhance our experience of worship so that it will continue to serve as our spiritual home, drawing us into communion with God and with our community.
But we will need the help of everyone in the Parish to restore our church.  The founding families of our Parish made many personal and financial sacrifices to leave our church as their legacy for their children’s children.  It is our time to ensure that our church retains its prominence in our community for generations to come and I ask for your prayers for the success of our efforts.

Unfortunately, the pandemic delayed our plans, but with so many unknowns I had to wait until now.  With the increasing cost of goods and services, it will cost nearly a million dollars to complete the planned renovation. We already have $200,000 toward the project to help us achieve this goal, I ask each family to prayerfully consider the sacrificial gift they are able to make.  If every registered family in our Parish donated $500, we would come close to our goal.  However, knowing that some in our community are on fixed incomes, I am hopeful that those who are financially able, will consider donating a larger amount, such as $10,000 or even more to help us achieve our goal.  

For families who are able to contribute to this wonderful project of restoring and renewing our beloved, St. Chrisotpher Church.

Donate to the Church Restoration

May the winds of Grace blow gently upon you, and Blessings fall softly upon your days.

Blessings,
Fr. Chris

 

ST. CHRISTOPHER PARISH
2278 Booksin Ave.
San Jose, CA 95125
408-269-2226
FAX 408-269-2784
Office Hours