Elementary Faith Formation Classes
The traditional student catechesis program meets weekly during the school year. Each class is taught by specially trained staff and volunteer catechists. The faith formation classes aim to support parents as the primary catechists of their children by teaching age-appropriate lessons and activities.
If you’d like to register your child, please contact: Katrina Curtis, Faith Formation Director | ffdirector@slstm.org
2025-26 Faith Formation Classes
Sundays | 9:30 am – 10:50 pm
- Mass times will be changing from 9 AM and 11 AM to 8:30 AM and 11 AM. This change will allow us to hold our Faith Formation classes in between Sunday Masses, which reflects the feedback that we received on our survey of Elementary Faith Formation families this year.
- PreK-12th grade Faith Formation will start at 9:30 AM and end at 10:50 AM on Sundays. We will be running all grades simultaneously to increase participation among families with students in various age groups.
- After registering your child(ren), you will be prompted to sign up for a meeting time with Katrina Curtis, the Director of Faith Formation, and/or Elyse Winter, the Middle School Youth Minister. At this meeting, Katrina and Elyse will cover basic expectations, share the Faith Formation Family Agreement for you to sign, and answer any questions you may have. These pre-meetings are required before your child(ren)/teen(s) can attend in the fall.
- We are always looking for more volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our parish website to fill out the interest form or email Katrina Curtis at ffdirector@slstm.org.
2025-26 Class Catechists
Meet the Catechists! Click a grade below to learn more about your teacher and all the fun happening in class!
Kindergarten
Lead: Denise Gillis | dgillis@slstm.org Asst: Kathy Struve
Get to know your catechists!
Miss Denise
“I have 4 children, 3 of whom are in Faith Formation. I’ve been attending St Mary’s since I moved here in the 2011. I taught kindergarten for 7 years before taking time off to be a stay at home mom. I enjoy singing songs, reading books, and doing crafts with my students.”
Miss Kathy .
“I’m a lifelong Catholic, raised at St Mary’s, went to school at St Mary’s School! I have two children and six grandchildren. I live in Grand Haven. I’m retired, but am working part time at Frank’s Market & Stanz Cafe. I love spending my time with my grandkids.
Our kindergarten friends are learning in the Word of Life program. Parents are invited to follow along with classroom sessions and enhance your child’s learning with extra activities. Click below for the kindergarten parent portal!
Kindergarten Parent Portal
1st Grade
Melinda Machalan mmaclachlan@slstm.org
Assts: Riley MacLachlan & Mary Brown
Get to know your catechists!
Mindy
Miss Riley
Riley is volunteering for her 3rd year! Her favorite way to spend a day off is walking with her dad and the family dogs.
1st Grade Parent Portal
2nd Grade
2nd Grade + First Communion
Molly Klimas mklimas@slstm.org
Get to know your catechists!
Miss Molly
Hello! My name is Molly Klimas, and I’m very glad to be guiding third and fourth graders through Faith Formation at St. Mary’s Parish for the 2024-25 school year. I’m a lifelong Catholic, and this is my third year serving as a catechist. St. Mary’s Parish is using the Augustine Institute’s Word of Life Faith Formation program, which is endorsed by the Diocese of Grand Rapids. We’re blessed to have such a wonderful program that helps the catechist to guide students through Faith Formation.
I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, attended grade school at St. Paul the Apostle and then high school at Catholic Central in Grand Rapids. I met my husband Paul at St. Joseph’s College in Indiana. We’re the parents of two grown, now-married children and the grandparents of eight. My husband and I moved from Grand Rapids to Spring Lake and joined St. Mary’s Parish in 2019, and we love it here. For many years, I’ve served on the board of the pro-life Pregnancy Resource Center of Grand Rapids. I’ve worked in public relations and marketing communications since graduating from college in 1989. And, as a very special fun fact, I’m our pastor Fr. Bill’s sister.
2nd Grade Parent Portal
3rd Grade
Lead: Mary Grace Johnson | Asst: Sarah Volker
Get to know your catechists!
Miss Mary Grace
“I am very excited to share my love for Jesus to God’s children! I am a second year 4th grade school teacher. I am teaching 3rd grade Faith Formation.
Miss Sarah
“I want to share my deep relationship with Jesus with the families in our faith formation classes. I attended Catholic school preK-9th grade. I am a 13th year special education teacher at the elementary level. I am looking forward to teaching Catholic faith so the students grow deeper in their prayer life.”
3rd Grade Parent Portal
4th Grade
Get to know your catechists!
4th Grade Parent Portal
How does Word of Life offer an authentic Evangelizing Catechesis?
The Word of Life curriculum responds to the 2020 Directory for Catechesis and its call to help Christians “give a complete meaning to their existence, educating them in a mentality of faith in keeping with the Gospel” (Directory, no. 77). Responding to the needs of contemporary culture and modern man requires an “evangelizing catechesis.” This catechesis centers on an initial proclamation of the gospel message. What makes Word of Life unique and impactful is its approach to the “formation of a Christian mentality” (Directory, no. 71) and how it creates “a coherent doctrinal vision that can be used as a reference in life” (Directory, no. 80).
Questions? Please contact us!
Katrina Curtis, Director of Faith Formation
ffdirector@slstm.org | 616-842-2840