Saint Elizabeth Church welcomes all parish children who are attending non-Catholic schools to participate in our vibrant Elementary Faith Formation Program (EFF). Classes are taught each week by dedicated volunteer catechists who provide instruction to students of all abilities. Seventy-five-minute classes are held on Mondays (4:45 PM and 6:30 PM) and Tuesdays (4:45 PM and 6:30 PM) for levels 1-7. Kindergarten is only offered on Mondays at 4:45 PM. Eight levels of catechetical formation are offered beginning with kindergarten.
The primary goals of the EFF Program are to continually remind children how much Jesus loves them, to help them build a lifelong friendship with Jesus Christ, to deepen their understanding of our Catholic Faith and to foster their commitment to stewardship service for others.
Each weekly class begins with a shared reflection on the Sunday Gospel to connect the children’s participation at Mass with their faith formation in the classroom. Similarly, the family’s attending Mass together brings to life the children’s weekly EFF lessons.
For this reason, we encourage all the parents of our EFF students to reflect upon how their own family lives out our Catholic Faith in daily life (at home, at work and at school, and in society as a whole) and to renew their commitment to participate actively in the sacramental-liturgical life and in the pastoral ministries of the parish throughout the year.
Students are expected to complete seven levels of catechetical training, levels 1 - 7. Kindergarten participation is encouraged but not required. These levels ordinarily correspond to the child’s grade in school. Each year, the EFF curriculum goes deeper into Catholic prayer life, the Mass and the other Sacraments, the Bible, the moral life of a disciple of Jesus, the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints, etc. Children practice stewardship by participating in community service and learn traditional Catholic prayers.
Children participating in the EFF program receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion during the second year of formation (not including kindergarten), typically in the second grade. The Sacrament of Confirmation is received during the seventh year of formation, typically in seventh grade.
For more information about the Elementary Faith Formation program, please contact the Religious Education Office (610-646-6545 or
After Confirmation, young parishioners continue their faith formation by participating in the Youth Ministry Program. The Program offers opportunities for fellowship and service to both middle school (grades 7 & 8) and high school students. For more information regarding the youth ministry program contact Megan Carey at