Dear Parents and Families of St. John and St. Mary,

Hello! My name is Johnathon, and I am the new Minister of Lifelong Formation at St Mary and St John. As Minister of Lifelong Formation, I am responsible for coordinating and running the Second Hour religious education program.

If you have not yet signed up for Second Hour and you would like to register, there are registration links on both parish websites as well as QR codes at the bottom of this letter. When registering for Second Hour, please be sure to fill out the correct form for your grade level, as there are different forms for different levels.

Second Hour will begin this year on Wednesday, September 17th. Sessions for grades 1-5 will be at Holy Cross School from 6:15 to 7:15 pm, and sessions for grades 6-12 will be at St John from 6:00 to 7:30pm. The combined 6-7 level will meet in the St Luke Room, the Confirmation level will meet downstairs in Emmaus Hall, and the high school level will meet in the old schoolhouse.

There will be a parent meeting on Wednesday, September 10th, the week before the program begins. The parent meeting will take place at 6:00pm downstairs in Emmaus Hall at St John. During the meeting, we will discuss some practical details about faith formation, go over the calendar, and briefly cover the curriculum we will be using. There will also be a time for Q and A at the end of the meeting. Students are welcome but not required to attend the parent meeting.

The cost to register for the program will be the same as last year: $100 per child enrolled in the Sacrament years (Confirmation and First Communion) or $50 for non-Sacrament years. Registration fees can be paid at the parent meeting. Please make checks payable to St Mary Catholic Church, or bring cash in a marked envelope with the student's name and "Second Hour" written on the front.

Thank you, and I look forward to working with you and your family to bring us all closer to God as a community of faith.

Johnathon Staudt