Youth Faith Formation (CCD)

**Our first event will be Discipleship & Donuts on August 30. All education programs will start September 13th. Keep an eye on your email for updates!**

Helping Families Grow in Faith

Welcome to the Youth Faith Formation (CCD) program at St. Matthew for preschool all the way through 12th grade! We are excited to help you educate your children in the Catholic faith!

Youth Faith Formation at St. Matthew will have two components: an formation program (for grades Preschool through 12th) and family Mass and meetings known as Discipleship & Donuts. Both components are required for our program.

Most in-person education programs will take place on Sunday mornings from 8-9:15am (with an additional CGS Level 1 on Thursdays and high school LifeTeen on Sunday evenings - see below). Sessions begin Sunday, September 13th.

Our first event will be Discipleship & Donuts on Sunday, August 30 from 8:30-9:15am in Feeney Hall - bring the whole family!

Discipleship & Donuts

We will have three family meetings in the fall and three in the spring. They will be at 8:30 am in Feeney Hall with the Family Mass afterwards at 9:30. These are required meetings for the whole family to learn and pray together!

The D&D dates for the 2026-27 school year are:

August 30
October 18
November 15 (service project)
January 31
February 28
April 18

A printable version of the calendar can be found here.

Formation Programs

Registration is now open for the 2026-2027 youth faith formation at St. Matthew! Please see the information below on how to register. A printable calendar can be found here.

Have a student age 3-5 in Preschool, Pre-K or Kindergarten?

Sign up for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS)
CGS sessions will be held on Sunday mornings from 8:00-9:15 am or Thursday mornings from 9:45-11:00 am
As we have limited space, priority will be given to Kindergarten students, students not enrolled in Catholic school, and those who have previously been in the CGS program.
Please choose your day preference under "Program" during registration
Find more details on our CGS page and sign up at the link below.

Have a 1st or 2nd grader needing to begin First Communion preparation?

Sign up for "CGS 1st Year First Communion"
Preparation for First Communion is a 2 year program, typically 1st and 2nd grade.
Sessions will be held on Sunday mornings from 8:00-9:15 am
Find more details on our First Communion page and sign up at the link below.

Have a student 3rd grade and up needing to begin First Communion preparation?

Sign up for "1st Year Sacrament Catch-Up"
Preparation for First Communion is a 2 year program, typically 1st and 2nd grade.
Sessions will be held on Sunday mornings from 8:00-9:15 am
*If your student is in 7th grade or above and also needs Confirmation, ONLY sign up for Sacrament Catch-Up
Find more details on our First Communion page and sign up at the link below.

Have a student who completed 1st Year First Communion last year?

2nd or 3rd grade: sign up for "CGS 2nd Year First Communion"
4th grade and up: sign up for "2nd Year Sacrament Catch-Up"
This is for those who completed 1st Year First Communion in person or online last year
Sessions will be held on Sunday mornings from 8:00-9:15 am.
Find more details on our First Communion page and sign up at the link below.

Have a 3rd–6th grader and want to sign up for the yearly religion class?

Sign up for their current school grade level regardless of if they participated last year
They will be completing at home lessons with an online program

Have a student needing to begin Confirmation preparation?

Sign up for "1st Year Confirmation" (for 7th grade and up)
Preparation for Confirmation is a 2 year program, typically 7th and 8th grade
Sessions will be held on Sunday mornings from 8:00-9:15 am (*note: this is a different day and time from last year)
*If your student also needs First Communion, ONLY sign up for First Communion
Find more details on our Confirmation page and sign up at the link below.

Have a student who completed 1st Year Confirmation last year?

Sign up for "2nd Year Confirmation"
Sessions will be held on Sunday mornings from 8:00-9:15 am (*note: this is a different day and time from last year)
Find more details on our Confirmation page and sign up at the link below

Have a high school student who has been confirmed?
- Formation is not done yet!
- Sign up for "LifeTeen"
- LifeTeen has a different schedule and meets on varied Sunday evenings. More dates will come soon!
- Find more details on our LifeTeen page and sign up at the link below

For more details on receiving the sacraments, see our First Communion and Confirmation pages.

2026-27 Youth Faith Formation (CCD) Registration

Registration for all programs is at the link below.

The fee is $50 for the 1st student and a $15 discount for each additional student per family with a maximum of $200 per family.

At the end of the registration process, you will be able to pay online. Please choose the number of students in your family you are registering for the program. If you require financial assistance, please see the Scholarship Request Form.

Note: There will be an additional $50 fee for 2nd Year First Communion and 2nd Year Confirmation later in the year to cover the retreat and photo fees.

**Our first event will be D&D on August 30 . All education programs will start September 13. Keep an eye on your email for updates!**

Questions?

Please contact Susan Taylor at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 217-359-4114.

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