Faith Formation

Faith Formation at St. George

• Register for online Faith Formation and EDGE classes for grades K-10. Please use one form for each child and return with the registration fee of $75 to Saint George Church 5145 Peach Street, Erie, PA 16509.
• Registration fee is $75 per child and can be paid via cash, check made payable to “Saint George Church” 5145 Peach Street Erie, PA 16509 or call the rectory office at 814-864-0622 to pay by credit or debit card. This fee covers the costs for materials and other resources throughout the year.
• Please note that the posted Faith Formation calendar may have to be altered or changed due to unforeseen circumstances.

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K-5th Grade Classes and EDGE Program

What is Edge? Edge is a Catholic middle school youth ministry program that provides a fun and safe place for youth to find a Catholic community, get answers about faith, and experience Jesus in a profound and personal way. We are excited to incorporate this program into our parish for both Catholic and public school students!

Confirmation has now been phased to 9th grade. In order to be confirmed, you will need to participate in Faith Formation preparation classes. This also includes those students who attend Catholic high school. Just as a reminder, the Diocese requires two years of preparation prior to entering the Confirmation year.

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6th – 8th Grade – EDGE Program

More content coming soon!

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9th – Confirmation – PURPOSE Program

More content coming soon!

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Clearances, Code of Conduct and Safe Environment

Volunteer Clearances

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at our church! Everyone who will have direct contact with children must complete both the Pennsylvania Criminal History and the Pennsylvania Child Abuse Criminal History background checks. These are both free for volunteers. After completing these forms please print a hard copy of each and bring them to the church office to be kept on file. To access both of these applications please click on the links below:

Code of Conduct

To share in the ministry of Christ is a great privilege as well as a tremendous responsibility. The privilege is the joy of sharing in the mission of Jesus Himself. The responsibility is acting in a way that conforms to the attitude and actions of Christ. As is evident in the Gospels, Jesus had a deep, abiding respect for each human being and never did anything that harmed or misled people in their personal or spiritual life.

The public needs to know that the Church is committed to protecting the children/youth who are entrusted to its care and to ensuring that those offering services are in the right relationship with the children/youth receiving services.

There is a challenge in the Scriptures to “live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

In this spirit, Personnel

• Are expected to represent the Church in a faithful, authentic and loving way, supporting the teachings, disciplines, and tradition of the Catholic Church;
• Will exhibit the highest Catholic ethical standards and personal integrity in their day-to-day work and personal lives;
• Will conduct themselves in a professional manner in both church and work environments, avoiding any flagrant or public misconduct;
• Will hold one another accountable to conduct and standard appropriate to their respective roles;
• Will foster the dignity of each person and be committed to the best interests of others;
• Will respect the integrity of all individuals and protect the confidentiality of all information to which they have access;
• Will not take advantage of any relationship with a child/youth for their own benefit;
• Will not physically, sexually or emotionally abuse anyone;
• Will not neglect a child who is in their care.

Safe Environment Policy

We want our children to experience healthy relationships in the image of God as they participate in our Children’s Ministry. All staff and volunteers who have access to children are expected to complete a Safe Environment training and complete a Level II background check.

The United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has indicated that the mandated child protection/safe environment training of children and youth has resulted in more children coming forward to report cases of inappropriate behavior on the part of adults. More importantly, the children coming forward no longer feel a sense of shame about incidents; they know that the abuse was not their fault. With this information and experience in mind, the diocese requires that all children and youth in a parish or Catholic school be presented age-appropriate programs each year and that documentation is maintained by the parish or school. How to speak to your children about difficult subjects, etc.