Register for Formation
We are so excited to learn and grow with you this year! Registration for The Big Picture and/or Sacramental preparation should be completed by Sunday, September 13th.
If you are registering for The Big Picture, please save the date on your calendar to attend one of the following Parent Orientations. This session is only for adults!
Sunday, September 20th, 3:00pm - 4:30pm, St. John the Baptist, Waunakee
*The Waunakee Parent Orientation & Adult Session will take place from 3:00pm - 4:30pm. All other Waunakee sessions of The Big Picture will take place Sunday mornings from 8:45am - 10:15am.
Wednesday, September 23rd, 6:00pm - 7:30pm, St. Michael, Dane
Learning and growing in our Catholic faith is a lifelong journey. With this in mind, it is our hope and desire that every child in Kindergarten through High School would participate in ongoing faith formation.
Options for ongoing formation in the parish for children and teens include one or more of the following:
attending The Big Picture, with one or both of their parents.
enrolling in a Catholic school, within or outside of our parish.
receiving religious instruction, as an integrated part of homeschooling.
for post-Confirmation high schoolers: regularly attending HS discipleship formation.
In addition to ongoing formation, preparation for the Sacraments is provided within the parish. Our Sacramental preparation plan deeply involves and partners with parents.
First Reconciliation and First Communion Preparation
Children typically prepare for these sacraments in 2nd grade, as they reach the age of reason.
Children attending one of our parish schools will need to register and attend Sacramental preparation with one or both of their parents, outside of school time.
Families with children beyond 2nd grade who haven’t received these sacraments are highly encouraged to enroll in preparation, as well. The formation staff will be in touch regarding age specific accommodations.
In our parish, our youth are typically confirmed in the fall of each year.
8th graders and any high school students are welcome to begin preparation each year. Our next formation cycle will span from Fall 2026 to Fall 2027.
As you think about what this new school year holds, we encourage you to make Sunday Mass a part of your family’s routine! Both The Big Picture and Sacramental preparation will be most fruitful when the family goes to Mass together each week, as they are meant to build upon one another.
Please note that registration for The Big Picture and Sacramental Preparation are separate from one another. We look forward to seeing you this fall as classes and formation begin!
Please save the date on your calendar to attend one of the following Parent Orientations, if you are registered for The Big Picture.
Sunday, September 20th, 3:00pm - 4:30pm, St. John the Baptist, Waunakee
*The Waunakee Parent Orientation will take place from 3:00pm - 4:30pm. All other Waunakee sessions of The Big Picture will take place Sunday mornings from 8:45am - 10:15am.
Wednesday, September 23rd, 6:00pm - 7:30pm, St. Michael, Dane
This will double as orientation for our First Reconciliation/First Communion families who are not in enrolled in our Catholic school, as those families should be registered for both. The families enrolled in our Catholic School will receive onboarding materials by other means.
This online registration platform was implemented by the Diocese of Madison in all parishes in the midst of Into the Deep. If you need to restart your registration, return to this page and use the links above. If you need help, please reach out to our parish staff - we’re ready to support you!
Every member of the Church is called into an alive relationship with Our Lord at Baptism. To nourish and maintain this relationship, every Catholic is called to embrace two pillars of their spiritual life:
Participation in the Sacramental Life of the Church. At a minimum, this includes attending Mass each Sunday, receiving the Eucharist once a year, and going to Confession once a year.
Continued growth in friendship with the Lord and the Church through ongoing formation. This includes praying daily, reading the Scriptures, and formally learning more about the faith. Information about the ways we offer and support ongoing formation for the children and teens in our parish is found below.
In anticipation of receiving the Sacraments, those preparing and their families are invited into more intense periods of preparation leading up to their reception.
Sacramental preparation builds upon, yet is distinct from and in addition to ongoing formation.
In particular, for our children and teens, parents are called upon to partner with the parish in learning beside and educating their children while they prepare for the Sacraments.
In addition to the Sacramental life, ongoing formation, and Sacramental preparation, our parish offers many more opportunities to grow in faith and community with one another. These include bible studies, retreats, pilgrimages, and mission trips. Learn more about what is available or on the horizon for children, teens, and adults.