Youth Faith Formation

To register for St. Tom's Religious Education Program, go online using the button link below or stop by the Front Office from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Mondays to Fridays, or during Religious Education Sundays. 

The religious education courses at St. Tom's are courses instructed by a blend of qualified resident parishioner and student parishioner catechists that have completed the Diocesan required Protocol Training and well as continual catechetical ABLAZE formation

All classes are offered hybrid (in-person, at home) or at home and meet on Sunday mornings from 10:10 to 11:10 a.m. 

For questions about St. Tom's Religious Education program and registration, contact Carolyn McKinnis.

RE Classes:

• Pre-School (3-year-olds by August 1)
• Pre-Kindergarten (4-year-olds by August 1)
• Kindergarten
• 1st Grade 
• 2nd Grade 
• 3rd Grade
• 4th Grade
• 5th Grade
• 6th Grade
• 7th Grade
• 8th Grade 
• High School Formation

Click the button to register for 2023-24 Religious Education and sacramental preparation. For questions, email Carolyn McKinnis, coordinator of Children and Youth Catechetics.  

2024-25 Religious Education Class Schedule

Click here to download a copy of this 2024-25 Religious Education Schedule (revised 1/30/25). 

The Policy of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana states, “Students preparing for a Sacrament must have attended a Catholic School or Parish Religious Education Program the preceding year.”

Sacramental Preparation Year (1st Grade)

As aforementioned, the 1st Grade Sacramental Preparation Year is required for all students who are not enrolled in the local Catholic schools. This is necessary so that the foundational formation of the students is established before entering into the Sacramental Year of First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion in 2nd Grade.

Sacramental Year: First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion (2nd Grade)

Students receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion during their second-grade year. Students will participate in retreats for both Reconciliation and First Holy Communion and will make these sacraments in late spring. 

Sacramental Preparation Year (8th Grade)

As aforementioned, the 8th Grade Sacramental Preparation Year is required for all students who are not enrolled in the local Catholic schools. This year of preparation is necessary so as to instill an evangelical heart in order for the students to more readily receive the truths presented during the Sacramental Year of Confirmation in the 9th Grade.

Sacramental Year: Confirmation (9th Grade)

The Confirmation Class meets from 10:05 to 10:55 a.m. on Sunday mornings. A major focus is Christ’s love and the beauty of the Catholic Church. Parents and sponsors are encouraged to be active participants in the Confirmation preparation program.

Middle School (6th – 8th Grade)

The Middle School Youth Ministry provides an opportunity for the youth to grow in fellowship, community, and faith at weekly meetings. Service opportunities and retreats are often utilized to form stronger relationships with one another, and, ultimately, with God.

High School (9th – 12th Grade)

The High School Youth Ministry provides an opportunity for the youth to form a deeper relationship with God through community and fellowship. There will be opportunities to serve others with service projects, as well as opportunities to become more engaged in our Catholic Faith through discussions and various activities concerning the pillars of the Faith. Additionally, several fellowship events will occur to further deepen our bonds – such as a cookout at Happy Hallow, a trip to Exploration Acres, and several other off-campus events.

Both ministries meet weekly on Thursday nights from 6:30 – 8:30 PM.

For Helping Children and Their Families

Catholic Printables
Angie Kauffman, a resident parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas, has graciously allowed us to provide a link to a website that she owns and operates that provides many awesome printable Catholic resources. Please feel free to check out some of her great work.

The Domestic Church (Pre-School – Pre-Kindergarten)
Loyola Press offers great resources for families to use at home. These particular guides line-up with the textbooks that we use in our formation sessions.

The Domestic Church (Kindergarten – 8th Grade)
Loyola Press offers great resources for families to use at home. These particular guides line-up with the textbooks that we use in our formation sessions.

Formed
Use our Parish Code of “H93B8V” to sign-up. There are thousands of hours of multimedia content for all of your Catholic needs. Do you want to study scripture? Formed has you covered. Do you want to watch a movie about St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta? Formed has that to. From videos to books, Formed has it all.

The Holy Spirited Arsenal
The Holy Spirited Arsenal is a free online tool to help redirect our attention to: (1) the realities of the Sacrament of Confirmation; (2) the duties of the sacraments, in general; and (3) the battlefields of secularism, including the dangers, the allies, and the weapons needed to conduct their fight.

Catholic Evidence Guild
A list of printable tracts written by speakers of the Catholic Evidence Guild.

As a community of faith, we must remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding our children and youth, the most important gifts God has entrusted to us. May our Blessed Mother Mary intercede for us in our ministry and leadership as we care for our youth and most vulnerable, always bringing us closer to Jesus Christ.

Please click here to learn more about the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana's safe environment protocols or to report a concern.