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Schools of Christian Formation
Deacon Jaime Zapata
Director
P. O. Box 109650
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Tel: 561-775-9506
E-mail: jaizapata@diocesepb.org
The School of Christian Formation for the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida offers a series of classes and programs for adult Catholics who wish to learn more about the rich traditions of their faith. Classes provide introductions to the major topics and historical periods of the Catholic faith.
The goals of the School of Christian Formation are four-fold:
- To nourish and challenge Catholics with a deeper personal understanding of their faith tradition.
- To enable participants to bring this experience to their families, friends, places of work and ministry
- To explore the Catholic tradition from our local context as a diverse Church with members of different cultural backgrounds and with varying ministerial needs.
- To situate our experience of faith, Church and ministry in light of the teachings and documents of the Second Vatican Council.
The School of Christian Formation seeks to make its programming accessible to all persons in the diocese who are interested in learning more about their faith tradition. In matters regarding scheduling of times and locations, as well as the payment of fees, one of our primary goals is to meet the needs and limitations of participants in the program.
While the fee for each class is $10.00, plus the price of the textbook, persons who wish to participate in the program and are active in parish ministry may wish to seek financial support from their parish, or call our office to discuss the situation. No one will be turned down for lack of funds.
The Course of Study
Each class in the School of Christian Formation will meet for a total of twelve hours. Classes will be scheduled at various times (days, weeknights and weekends) and locations throughout the entire diocese depending on demand. Instructors in the program will have a bachelors, masters or doctoral degree in Theology, or extensive expertise in the course offered.
Persons may audit or take in individual courses for credit as desired, or follow the entire three year program which concludes with the granting of a certificate of completion. The program follows the new catechism of the Catholic Church in three divisions- Our Faith, Celebrating Our Faith, and Living Our Faith.
YEAR ONE – Our Faith
- Old Testament Introduction
- New Testament Introduction
- Christology
- Ecclesiology
YEAR TWO – Celebrating Our Faith
- Vatican II
- Liturgy
- Sacraments
- Morality
YEAR THREE – Living Our Faith
- History of the Church
- Social Justice
- Spirituality
- Pastoral Ministry
Class and Program Requirements
In addition to class attendance and participation each class will have an assigned textbook Readings will be decided by the instructors. Catechist Certification through the office of catechesis and Leadership Development is available. In general, participants who miss more than two classes will not be granted credit. However, special circumstances may be taken into consideration by the instructors. The instructors of each course will determine which students have earned credit for the course.
April 12, 2011 a day-long retreat will be offered for those wishing to participate in the School of Christian Formation. This gathering is required at least once for students seeking the certificate, but all participants in the SCF are invited. Similarly, a retreat experience will be offered in May upon completion of the school year. Graduations will be held in conjunction with La Escuela de Formación Cristiana, our sister program in the diocese that offers similar courses in Spanish.
School of Christian Formation – English Program-Class Schedule