Important: This year, there will be no mandatory in-person parent meeting. However, it is essential that you read this page carefully and in full. Registration will only be accepted once all steps outlined below have been completed. Failure to properly register your child may result in the loss of eligibility for tuition-free access to our program.
A Word About Our Eleventh Grade/Confirmation Religious Education Program...
In our eleventh grade Religious Education program, your child will prepare to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation. Students will dive more deeply into their Catholic faith, addressing issues of personal conversion and missionary discipleship. Each lesson is designed to nurture both understanding and a personal connection to our Catholic faith.
Your child will be guided throughout the year by our experienced and dedicated eleventh grade catechists, Paul Fruncek (fruncek@sbcglobal.net) and Rick Fessenbceker (rick.fessenbecker@nwsdigital.com), who are committed to creating a warm, engaging, and fun learning environment. Through interactive activities, thoughtful discussion, and hands-on experiences, Mr. Fruncek and Mr. Fessenbecker will help your child grow in knowledge, faith, and love for God and the Church.
By the end of the year, students will have not only gained a strong foundation in Catholic teaching but, even more importantly, they will have begun to develop a personal relationship with Christ that will continue to grow for a lifetime.
NOTE: We warmly ask that parents/guardians accompany their children to their classrooms on the first evening of classes on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 6:15 pm. Please enter our building through door #13. This will be a wonderful opportunity for parents/guardians to meet their children’s catechists.
Register Your Child For Our Eleventh Grade/Confirmation Religious Education Program Today!
[View our 2025-2026 Religious Education calendar here].
Registration for our program requires completion of the following steps...
A. Familiarization With Our Circle of Grace Curriculum, An Archdiocesan Safe Environment Program
At St. John the Evangelist Parish, the safety and well-being of our community is a top priority. For this reason, we follow the guidance of our Archdiocesan leaders in implementing Circle of Grace, the Archdiocesan Safe Environment program. While parents/guardians do have the option to opt their children/youth out of Circle of Grace, we encourage every family to make this choice with an informed conscience. We kindly ask that you take time to review and become familiar with our Safe Environment program before finalizing your decision. To help you learn more about Circle of Grace, please explore the following resources:
- Archbishop Listecki’s Letter of Adoption – In April 2020, Archbishop Jerome Listecki, then Archbishop of Milwaukee, formally approved the Circle of Grace curriculum for use in all Catholic schools and religious education programs across the Archdiocese. The program has been successfully implemented since that time. [Read Archbishop Listecki's letter here.]
- Circle of Grace Program Brochure
- Introductory Parent Letter*
- Eleventh Grade Circle of Grace Curriculum Guide*
- NOTE: *The Intoductory Parent Letter and the Eleventh Grade Circle of Grace Curriculum Guide will be sent to you by email after the start of the 2025–2026 Religious Education program.
If you have any questions about our Circle of Grace curriculum or the Archdiocesan Safe Environment program, please contact our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, John Paul Shimek, at (414) 321-8922 or jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org. (Email contact is preferred.)
A.1 Announcing Your Decision To Opt Out Of The Circle of Grace Curriculum
We recognize that every family makes prayerful decisions about their child’s formation. If you decide that you would like your child/youth to opt out of the Circle of Grace program, we simply ask that you let us know in writing. To do so, please send an email to our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, John Paul Shimek, at jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org, by Wednesday, November 19, 2025. Choosing to opt out of the program will not affect your family’s eligibility to access our Religious Education program tuition-free.
- NOTE: When you announce your decision to opt out of the program, kindly use the subject line: "Opting Out of the Circle of Grace Curriculum – [Child’s Full Name]."
Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and for your ongoing commitment to your child’s faith journey.
B. Registering For Our Eleventh Grade Religious Education Program
To register your child for our eleventh grade Religious Education program, we ask that you complete the following steps.
- First, in order to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation, one must have received the sacraments of Baptism and First Holy Communion. Accordingly, parents/guardians are required to submit official copies of their child’s Baptismal and First Holy Communion certificates. These documents must be obtained from the parish(es) where these sacraments were received. Parents/guardians should provide the parish(es) with the exact or approximate date of baptism so that the record may be located. The parish office will then forward the certificate directly to the address listed below. PLEASE NOTE: These sacramental certificates must be received no later than Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
ATTN: John Paul Shimek, Director of Lifelong Faith Formation
St. John the Evangelist Parish
8500 W Cold Spring Road
Greenfield, WI 53122
- If your child received these sacraments at St. John the Evangelist Parish, kindly take a moment to complete the form provided below. Once you have done so, please continue with the remaining steps of the registration process. (PLEASE NOTE: Your child’s registration for our Religious Education program will not be considered complete—nor officially accepted—until all remaining steps in the process have been fully carried out.)
- Second, please complete and sign the following forms. Once finished, scan them—or take a clear photo with your smartphone—and email them to our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, John Paul Shimek, at jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org, and to our eleventh grade catechists, Paul Fruncek (fruncek@sbcglobal.net) and Rick Fessenbceker (rick.fessenbecker@nwsdigital.com). When sending the forms, please use the following subject line: “Emergency Contact and Media Release Forms for __________ [child’s full name].” Kindly send a single email to all recipients with both forms attached.
- Emergency Information/Contact Form
- General Consent Form for Child Photo, Video, and Audio Use
- To highlight and celebrate our Religious Education program, we may occasionally share photos or videos of our students in parish publications such as our bulletin, on parish social media platforms (such as Facebook), or in parish communications like our Flocknote newsletters. By completing and signing this form, you grant us permission to use images or videos of your child for these purposes.
- Third, please complete the following registration form. (You will submit this form online.) [NOTE: Remember to download, save, and print our 2025-2026 Religious Education calendars for easy reference.]
- Fourth, please confirm your enrollment in our Religious Education Flocknote system. This digital newsletter is the primary way we communicate important program updates and share family faith formation resources. Flocknotes will be sent to the parent/guardian email address provided on the registration form above. If you would like additional family members to receive these newsletters, please complete the form below to have them added as well.
Thank you for reading this page carefully and completing all required steps. Our tuition-free Religious Education program will begin on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 6:15 PM. On the first evening of classes, we ask that parents/guardians accompany their children to their classrooms. This will afford parents/guardians a wonderful opportunity to meet their children’s catechists.
Questions? Comments? Prayer requests?
Please contact our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, John Paul Shimek, by email at jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org or by phone at (414) 321-8922 or simply reach out to your child's catechists, Paul Fruncek (fruncek@sbcglobal.net) and Rick Fessenbceker (rick.fessenbecker@nwsdigital.com).