The child learns the faith through assimilation. Because the parents love God, the child learns to love God. Because the parents pray each day, the child learns to pray. Because the parents go to Mass each Sunday, the child learns the importance of going to Mass, the value of communal liturgical prayer and how to behave in church. And because the parents practice the virtues in their daily living, the child learns how to live a Christian lifestyle.

Parents teach their children to pray.  This should not begin in second grade as part of their preparation for the sacraments, but as the child learns how to talk. When a child learns to  say  mommy and daddy, colors and numbers, it is time to learn the Sign of the Cross and meal prayers. When a child is old enough to converse with mom and dad, the child is old enough to say morning and night prayers, and when a child is old enough to memorize a home address or telephone number, the child is old enough to memorize the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. The Parish of the Holy Savior uses the Family Formation program from the Church of St. Paul to help parents educate their children in the Catholic Faith.

Vision

Strong Catholic families in which children learn the joys of following Jesus Christ and the truths of their faith through the witness of Christian life given by their parents.

Engaging Families in the Parish

The faith formation program helps families practice their faith and participate fully in the life of the parish. Families come together regularly– growing in relationship with one another and learning the truths of the Catholic Faith and how to apply them to their lives. In the parish and at home, parents and children have the opportunity to build string relationships through discussions and reflection on topics that matter in their lives.

“Family catechesis … precedes, accompanies, and enriches all other forms of catechesis. Thus, there cannot be too great an effort on the part of Christian parents to prepare for this ministry of being their own children’s catechists and to carry it out with tireless zeal.” - Pope St. John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae

About Family Formation

Family Formation is an innovative K-6th grade Catholic religious education program used by parishes and families across the US and Canada.

Based on the principle that "Parents are the primary educators in the Faith" [General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) 255], Family Formation revolves around weekly family gatherings and home lessons. This shared learning experience spills over into the family's everyday life.

Once a month, on the first weekend of the month, we gather as families for a communal celebration of the Sunday Mass, followed by a breakfast sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, then a period of instruction for the children and adults in preparation for the upcoming month of home lessons.

Family Formation:

• A great Catholic curriculum!
• Brings the Faith alive through dynamic lessons, activities, and audios
• Follows the three-year liturgical cycle and points families to what is happening in the Church year. See complete 3-year topic overview.
• Is driven by Sacred Scripture
• Is faithful to the teaching of the Magisterium
• References the Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Received the Imprimatur of Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2007
• Register for Faith Formation

For more information, feel free to contact holysaviorparish@gmail.com or call the parish office at (207) 364-4556