We are excited...
       to start another Faith Formation year with you!

Our program, as you may know, focuses primarily on building up the Domestic Church. We are dedicated to helping your family grow in their Catholic Faith. 

You may be wondering, what is the Domestic Church? The Domestic Church is “the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters” (Christifideles Laici, 26). In other words, most of the Church is not found in parish buildings or activities, but in family homes and goings-on. Therefore, our primary goal this year will be to help families incorporate faith into their day-to-day lives.

We realize that the program may not look like what you remember from your childhood and may take some getting use to, and that questions will arise. Below we have outlined some of the most common questions we have received thus far. 

We look forward to another year of growing closer to the Lord together. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• What's this I hear about a Pizza Box?
• Why is there so much involment expected from parents?
• What should we be doing as a family? 
• Where can I find more information?
• What if we need help?  

What's this I hear about a Pizza Box?
At the beginning of the year each family is provided with a Pizza Box. These Pizza contain all the material your family will need to begin the current faith formation year. Within them you will find information and resources for your whole family, as well as grade specific materials for each of your children. A Pizza Box walkthrough video is available on our youtube channel. 

Why is there so much involvement expected from parents? 

We recognize parents as the first and foremost educators of their children and the first to communicate the faith to their children. Our program has the fundamental task of complementing, reinforcing, and extending the family’s efforts of building up the Domestic Church. Our motto is, Uniting the Heart of the Church with the Heart of the Home. Our aim is that adults will feel equipped to effectively live a life of faith as part of the Body of Christ in their homes, parish, and the world. Parents should also feel empowered to pass this lived faith onto their children who, in turn, will emulate the faith their family shows and shares with them. We believe in forming the whole family in faith. 

What should we be doing as a family?  

Please see the below outline regarding the expectations for each grade level. More detailed instructions regarding all these expectations can be found in the provided Building the Domestic Church: Uniting the Heart of the Church with the Heart of the Home, Introduction and Expectations.  

    ALL Families 

• Daily Prayer: Pray each day as a family for 15 mins. Resources will be provided to help your family develop a habit of prayer.
• Weekly Mass: Participate in the Celebration of the Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. Resoruces will be provided to help your family fully and actively participate in the Mass.
• Monthly Deep Dive: Participate in a Deep Dive. Deep Dives can be choosen based on families individual schedules and interests. 8 Deep Dives (or roughly 1 a month) should be completed over the course of the year.
• Monthly Discipleship Group/Class Session: Please see relevant age group for information regarding Discipleship/Parent Groups & Class Sessions. 

    1st& 2nd Grade Families 

• Everything outlined in the ALL Families section. 
• Participate in monthly sessions: 
  • Classes for ALL students in Grades 1 & 2 (1st Eucharist Prep), regardless of parish of registration will take place at St. Mary's Sunday mornings from 9:15 - 10:45 am. 
  • At least one parent/guardian needs to accompany their child(ren) to all sessions. Some months parents and children will learn together and some months, parent formation will be provided while children are recieving formation.  

    3rd-6th Grade Families 

• Everything outlined in the ALL Families section.  
• Participate in monthly sessions:
  • Sessions will take place in at St. Mary's before and after the 11:0am Mass (9:15-10:45am OR 12:15-1:45pm) and at St. John's after the 9:30 Mass (10:45-12:15pm). St. Margaret's families are asked to attend the Family Gathering Session at St. John's. 
  • At least on parent is expected to attend the whole session each month.
  • Parents and children will begin sessions together in parish hall.
  • Some months parents will leave to attend their Discipleship Groups and children will remain in the hall in grade level groups. Parents will rejoin children at end of session and all will be dismissed from Hall.
  • Some months parents and children will remain together for the entire session. 

    7th& 8th Grade Families 

• Everything outlined in the ALL Families section. 
• Participate in monthly sessions:
  • All children in Grades 7&8, regardless of parish, will have class at St. Margaret's Hall on Sunday from 12:15-1:45pm.
  • At least one parent/guardian will be expected to attend an accompanying parent session at the same time as their child(ren)'s class for certain sessions throughout the year (a schedule of these sessions will be provided). 

    Confirmation I and II

• Everything outlined in the ALL Families section 
• Participate in monthly sessions
  • Youth preparing for Confirmation will have class on Sundays either once or twice a month, depending on the month.
  • All youth, regardless of parish, will have Confirmation class at St. John's Hall from 4:15 - 5:45 pm. 
  • At least one parent/guardian will be expected to attend class with their child(ren) 3 times throughout the year. Parents will be placed in Parent Groups for these sessions. Parents may select which class sessions they attend based on their availablity and interests (a schedule with topics for each session will be provided).
• Youth in their second year of Confirmation Preperation will have additional requirements throughout the year to prepare for this sacrament.   

• Your family's Pizza Box
• This website (see Family Formation list in Faith Formation drop-down)
• The Faith Formation playlist on our youtube channel. 

What if we need help?

If you have a question, need support or guidance, etc. there are several ways to reach out for help. 

• Ask in your Discipleship/Parent Group- These groups are designed as a monthly opportunity for parents to ask questions and support one another. 
• Check with your Discipleship Mentor or child's table facilitator- Mentors are willing and able to provide help to the families in their groups. 
• Contact the Faith Formation Staff- The Faith Formation staff is always eager to assist our families on their journeys of faith.