Letter from Our Pastor

My dear parish family,

I am happy to inform you that Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer has announced his intention to change the approach to faith formation for our youth and their families.

This change has two main components:

• First, faith formation will be directed towards the entire family with emphasis on forming the parents, and not simply towards those celebrating sacraments.
• Second, the age for celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation will be lowered from the 10th grade to the 6th grade.

Here are the main reasons for this transition:

• Cultural challenges: Archbishop Hartmayer believes that the grace of the sacrament needs to be available to more young people as they continue to face moral challenges through social media and other social forces.
• Supporting our families: Since many young families struggle with raising their children in this cultural environment, advancing our youth ministry program, and forming the parents and children together will equip the entire family with a stronger moral foundation.
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While every parish will be working on achieving the same long-term goals, here is what to expect at St. Lawrence over the next few years.

We count on your patience, cooperation, and prayers as we manage this transition here at St. Lawrence. I thank our Faith Formation team, Elizabeth, Juan and Michelle, who will be managing this transition for us.

God bless you and see you at Mass!

Fr. Henry