Mission: Our goal is to help children with their families grow closer to God and in their faith by developing a love for Jesus and the Mass, growing in their prayer life, and sharing this love with others.
The main focus of our program is the Mass, and the family as the first place where children experience the faith. As Catholics, we share in the Eucharist each week when we gather as a community for Mass. It is through the rich liturgical symbols and rituals that we are drawn to a deeper understanding and celebration of the mysteries of our faith. Attending Mass each week as a family is expected; what children learn in faith formation builds on what we do and learn at Mass.
For the 2025-26 year, we are moving to a new family program called Families Forming Disciples. “The goal of Families Forming Disciples is to help more families to pray and encounter Jesus together and to grow as disciples – therefore living more of who they are as the Domestic Church” (Families Forming Disciples, Archdiocese of Atlanta). Parents' faith practices and family faith life have the biggest impact on whether children practice their faith as an adult. The Church honors and recognizes parents as the first and best teachers of their children and knows that parents need support in this important role (CCC 2221-2231). Fr. Peter and Fr. Joe have recognized through their decades of priesthood (90+ combined years!) at many different parishes that the traditional parish faith formation classes are not enough and therefore want to move toward family faith formation. This is an opportunity to enjoy precious time with your children, while learning more about our Catholic faith. “When parents talk naturally and substantively about religion and its place in life throughout the week, that effectively indicates to children that , in the mix of life’s many priorities and values, this stuff matters a lot.” (Smith, Handing Down the Faith)*
Families (child/ren and at least one parent) will meet together in small groups, approximately every other week, starting in September and concluding in the spring. (Please note: this is not a drop-off program and at least one parent/guardian is required to be there each time family groups meet.) These groups will be held in the classrooms at St. Anne or St. Catherine, depending on which session is selected. Families will also have simple, at-home mission activities to complete each month, such as setting up a prayer table in the home or praying a rosary for a deceased family member.
More information is available by watching the video below.
Sacrament Preparation (First Reconciliation and First Eucharist):
Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist typically occurs around the age of 7 or grade two. Our sacrament preparation program is designed to help guide children and their parents as they continue their journey of Christian initiation in the life of Christ and the Church. We use Dynamic Catholic’s Blessed program, which combines a traditional textbook with engaging video segments for each session. It is important that children have some faith formation before receiving these sacraments; if your child is new to the faith or has not had any formation, please contact us so that we can discuss and make sure they are properly prepared. If you have an older child who has been baptized but has not received First Reconciliation or First Eucharist, please contact us so we can discuss formation.
In addition to the family groups, Sacrament Prep parents will work with their children at home, with support from the faith formation team. Parents and children will attend two mandatory retreats – one in the fall for First Reconciliation and one in the spring for First Eucharist. First Reconciliations are celebrated in January and First Communion Masses are celebrated at regular Masses in May.