Christian Formation
2025-2026

Please speak with a member of the clergy if you are interested
in preparing for the sacrament of baptism or confirmation.

Sunday Morning Adult Formation - Year of Service

Sundays at 9:45 - 10:45 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall

C. S. Lewis: Enchantment & Hope - reading list
September 21, 28; October 5, 12, 19

C. S. Lewis—preacher, essayist, novelist, poet, satirist, and scholar—was a polyphonic virtuoso whose great gift was to speak intimately to the mind, imagination and spirit of his readers. That appeal, whether militant, marvelous, or even mystical, is the inspiration of Hope, a trustworthy enchantment straight from Heaven. We kick off our year with a five-week class on Lewis’ life and work led by Dr. James Como, professor emeritus of rhetoric and public communication at the City University of New York and founding member of the New York C. S. Lewis Society. 

Nicaea at 1700
October 26; November 2, 9, 16, 23

Living in a world of political and social division is hardly a new thing. In the Fourth Century, conflict about the nature of God threatened to tear the Roman Empire apart. To settle the dispute, the Emperor Constantine invited bishops from across the empire to a council in the town of Nicaea on the shore of Lake Iznik in the spring of 325 A.D. On this 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, we will spend five weeks learning about the history and theology of the Nicene Creed, the effect its reception has had on the Church, and how Saint Mary’s can live the Creed in New York City today. Led by Father Sammy Wood.

THANKSGIVING BREAK
November 30

Seneca Village
December 7, 14

Dr. Meredith Linn…

CHRISTMAS BREAK
December 21 - January 11

Foundations Course: The Spiritual Life
January 18, 25; February 1, 8, 15

Every year, Saint Mary’s offers a “Foundations Course” about the basics of Christian faith and practice. To start the new year off right, we offer a five-session course to help us mature as followers of Jesus. This is an invitation to go deeper into a life grounded in spiritual practices (Eucharist and the Daily Office), rooted in vibrant community (the Church), and connected to the world we are called to serve and love into life (Service). Foundations Courses aim to increase our proficiency in the Christian life and are geared for people curious about Anglican spirituality or interested in joining the Episcopal Church or Saint Mary’s, for longtime practitioners brushing up on the basics of their faith, and for newcomers who seek connections within the parish. In a word, Foundations Courses are for all adults who find themselves around Saint Mary’s! Led by Father Sammy Wood.

Service Stories
February 22; March 1, 8, 15, 22

As part of our Adult Formation program for this "Year of Service,” we will offer a block of classes where people are invited to give their own "Service Stories." Come listen to people share how God has called them to serve the least, the lost, and the left behind—prisoners, immigrants, even the Creation itself—and ask how God may be leading you to serve! Moderated by Father Sammy Wood and featuring Mr. Clark Mitchell (“Laudato Si: Serving the Poor Earth”), Archdeacon Denise Lavetty, Ms. Elizabeth Wood (“You Visited Me in Prison”), Ms. Reha Sterbin (“On Advocacy”), and Dr. Charles Morgan (“Darkness is my Only Companion - The Mental Health Crisis”).

EASTER BREAK
March 29 - April 12

Saint Catherine of Siena
April 19, 26; May 3, 10, 17

In Eastertide, we will focus on the theology and spirituality of Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380). To conclude our “Year of Service” at Adult Formation, we will look at Catherine’s writings, as well as the historical context, and focus on how this fourteenth-century mystic and Doctor of the Church can help us to develop a theology of service. Led by Father Matt Jacobson.

The Peter Powell Lecture on Anglo-Catholicism and Mission

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Upon the retirement of our beloved Father Pete after two decades of ministry at Saint Mary's, the Board commissioned the Peter Powell Lectures on Anglo-Catholicism and Mission to honor his devotion to mission, justice, and service to the poor.

The inaugural Powell Lecture is on Thursday February 12, 2026, when we host the Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan, Dean and President and McFaddin Professor of Anglican Studies and Pastoral Theology at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

Please mark your calendars to join us for Choral Evensong, a wine and cheese reception, and Dr. McGowan’s lecture touching on themes of theology, mission, ecclesiology, justice and Anglo-Catholicism.

Parish Quiet Days

Advent Quiet Day on Saturday, December 13, 2025, led by Sr. Monica Clare, CSJB

Lent Quiet Day on Saturday, March 7, 2026, led by Br. Thomas, SSF

Sunday Morning Formation for Children - Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Sundays at 9:45 - 10:45 AM in the Atrium
For information about the program or to enroll your child,
please contact Renee Wood at rwood@libertyellisfoundation.org.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a religious formation approach based on scripture and liturgy that uses Montessori educational and pedagogical principles. CGS is rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition and has been adapted for the Episcopal Church. Through CGS, children are encouraged to ask questions and discover answers through work with specially crafted presentations and materials corresponding to the liturgical seasons and the life of the church.

The word “atrium” actually means “a portico, or a porch entrance to a large house.” In the ancient church, the atrium was a gathering space between the church proper and the street. It was the place where the catechumens, those preparing for initiation to the Church, would receive instruction. The Atrium at Saint Mary’s has a similar purpose for our children, as it is a place to help them enter into active participation in the liturgical and communal life of the Church. The atrium includes child-sized furniture, fine religious art hung at child eye-level, and representations of Scripture that can be seen, touched, and moved around. It is a place of spiritual retreat for children: a place of work, study, and prayer, where work and study become contemplation of God and of prayer.