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A Family of FaithFamily Catechesis for our Family of Parishes
Starting September 10, 2023 -
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Faith formation for the domestic church
The family is the first place that the Gospel is shared and lived. You, as parents, have the unique privilege and honor of being the primary catechist of your child. The Catholic Church considers the home to be the domestic Church because what you do in your home and as a family is holy.
Our hope is that our new religious education format will allow for the incredibly busy schedules your families have, for intentional time spent in conversation about faith with your child, and for the opportunity to build Catholic community connections with other families. All aspects of Family of Faith is 100% FREE to any family who wishes to participate.
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New structure for the 2023/2024 yearThis year, we will combine our two separate Family of Faith programs (one at St. Cecilia; another at St. Mary) into one, combined program for our entire Family of Parishes. Due to the larger facilities available, our new location for our combined Family of Faith will be at St. Mary in Hyde Park.
Families will be encouraged to attend Mass at their home parish. After Mass, families will meet at St. Mary in Hyde Park where all classes will start at 11:45 AM. Parents will first drop off their children in the appropiate classroom inside St. Mary School. Afterwhich, parents will walk over to Robisch Hall to participate in the Parent Session. All classes will start at 11:45 AM and conclude at 12:45 PM. At the conclusion of the parent session, parents will walk over to St. Mary School and pick up their children from their classrooms.
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structure of the program
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Family of Faith is comprised of both Instructional Sessions (classes) and Community meetings. Please see the calendar for the specific dates and times of each session
Instructional Sessions (Classes)
Families from each of our parishes will gather together at St. Mary in Hyde Park on the 2nd Sunday of each month from September-April. After attending Mass at their home parishes, parents will meet at St. Mary School and take their children in grades PreK-8 to their designated classrooms for a lesson taught by a parish catechist.
While the children are with the Catechists in the classrooms, the parents will be in Robisch Hall (directly below St. Mary Church) for the parent lesson. During the parent lesson, parents are given the resources, knowledge, and understanding of the lessons/activities that they will be teaching their families at home for the rest of the Month.
Community Meetings
In addition to the monthly instructional sessions (classes), most months have a Community Meeting as well. These meetings often correspond with the topics discussed in the classes. These community meetings are designed to put into practice what we have learned in the classroom and grow together in fellowship and community as a parish. See the calendar for dates and times of each community meeting.
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A Family of Faith follows a four-year cycle: one pillar of the Catechism is covered per year from September-April. Parents are given a detailed picture of authentic and vibrant Catholic family life, the tools to implement this life in their home, and age-appropriate readings, games, crafts, and other activities to help them deepen among their children a love for Christ and His Church.
After four years, families will have been guided through the entirety of the Catechism and will have developed a broad understanding of the Church's teachings. Families then cycle through the program again in order to deepen their knowledge and develop the habits needed for life-long spiritual growth.
You can learn more about the Family of Faith Curriculum at our publisher's website here.
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The Parent Guide includes:
- Background essays covering each month's content
- Notes for conveying this content to children in age-appropriate ways
- Instructions for activities and craft projects
- Stories of the saints and other notable Catholics
- Suggestions for living the faith at home, such as…
- Guidance for creating and decorating a prayer space
- Prayers for special occasions
- Tips for talking about tough subjects
- Ways to bring the liturgical year to life in the home
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The Children's Activity Book is designed to help children come to know the Catholic Faith through fun games and activities. The Parent's Guide offers talking points for how to use each activity in the children's book as a teachable moment, leading the child to a deeper relationship with Christ.
Activities in the Children's Activity Book include…
- Age-appropriate readings and activities
- Scripture memorization and copy work
- Prayer memorization
- Saints biographies
- Games and crafts
- Drawings and coloring pages
- Journal pages
- Prompts for original prayers and reflections
- Student Family of Faith materials
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Family of Faith is created for ALL Catholic families with children up to the 8th grade. It is not limited to only those families who are seeking sacramental preparation or for families who attend public school. All families, including those who send to Catholic Grade School are encouraged to participate in this family-based faith formation. The goal is to equip the parents to be successful in their roles as primary catechists of their children. This goal reaches all Catholic families, not just those who attend public school.
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Family of Faith is completely turn-key for parents, giving you the easy-to-understand content and step-by-step instructions for each activity, helping you to gain knowledge of the Faith and confidence as you teach it. Various tools are also available to help parents turn potentially problematic situations into successes, such as what to do when a child asks a question you do not know.
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No. There are two lessons to teach each month, one of which is taught by a certified catechist at the monthly meeting. The second lesson is taught by the parent at home. In addition, there is a variety of family and child activities. Each lesson should take no more than 30-45 minutes to complete, and requires minimal preparation on the part of the parent.
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We have classes for 1 year olds up to 8th grade. Because this program focuses on teaching the faith to parents and helping them make it an organic part of family life, it is perfect for parents with children of all ages. For example, a monthly feature called “Your Catholic Home” gives specific advice for ways to make the Faith a regular part of each day. The Children’s Activity Books are recommended for children in grades K-8, and features engaging activities at various grade levels. Parents can skip the activities they believe are too elementary or too advanced for their child.
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Firstly, we encourage all families to attend Mass together at their home parishes. After Mass, all of the families will gather together at the St. Mary-Hyde Park campus. The parents will escort their children to their designated classrooms in St. Mary School. Afterwhich, the parents meet in Robisch Hall (directly below the church) for the parent session. Both the student and parent sessions begin at 11:45 AM and end at 12:45 PM.
During the parent session, parents are given the resources, knowledge, and understanding of the lessons/activities that they will be teaching their families at home for the rest of the Month.
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Contact Us
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Mary Landrummlandrumsmshp.comAssistant to the DRE
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cegnereastsideregion.orgDirector, Office of Catechesis & Evangelization
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family expectations
- Your family commits to attending monthly meetings throughout the year (September- April, dates below).
- Parents will teach their child(ren) the appropriate lessons at home using knowledge from the meetings and following the given syllabus.
- Families will attend Saturday/Sunday Mass weekly.
- Parents communicate to the director regarding absences from the monthly sessions.
