Family (K-5th)


Family of Faith

St. Mary Catholic Faith Community made the switch from traditional classroom, child-only catechesis to the Family Formation model in the summer of 2023. Read on to learn more about this model and how we implement it at St. Mary.

Family Model of Catechesis

When it comes to children’s catechesis, we have grown accustomed to a certain model over the decades. We have formed certain habits, some better than others. The traditional ‘drop off’ model of formation has conditioned families and parents to act as mere chauffeur- leaving their kids at the parish to be taught while they have some free time. This is not a criticism of parents! Who among us would not take advantage of that time?

The issue with this model is that it no longer works as well as it once did. Catholics now live in integrated and diverse communities- which is a very positive thing! But the homogenous communities of decades ago, where the Faith was a part of daily life everywhere one turned their head, are gone. Our faith can become something that is linked to only a certain place- the local parish- rather than informing our own selves and families. 

It is this reason that many parishes are rediscovering the family model of catechesis, which has been around since the 1980s but has really taken off in the last ten or so years, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic which limited our ability to gather. 

The family model of catechesis shifts responsibility of teaching the faith from the staff and catechists of the local parish to the parents, with the support of their parish. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2223, tells us that parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. At St. Mary we believe that parents have both the responsibility and the right to be the first and most important catechists of their own children. 

How it Works

Families gather at the parish twice per month. The first Sunday and Monday of each month is dedicated to a parish learning session. Our families participate in a faith-centered learning activity together (this could be a game, arts and crafts, or taking part in a drama). Then, trained catechists offer grade level breakout sessions for children aged K4-5th grade. Children are not required to attend these breakout sessions if they do not wish to be separated from their parents.

While the breakouts are in session, parents and guardians engage in a lesson through our chosen curriculum, A Family of Faith from Sophia Institute Press. This curriculum is a three-year cycle of lessons. At the end of the 2023-2024 year, our enrolled families will participate in a conversation about the curriculum and improvements that can be made for the following year. 

Children who stay behind while the breakouts are in session have the options to learn through a children’s library, hands-on Learning Centers that concentrate on our current place in the liturgical year, or activity pages through A Family of Faith or other sources curated by our parish staff. They are, of course, welcome to participate in the presented lesson.

Our families also gather for one community event per month. In the past we have made lasagnas to feed the hungry, held a family holy hour, and engaged in the annual Parish Mission together. These events build community within our program while teaching prayer and morals.

At-Home

Perhaps the most important component of Family Catechesis is what the families learn together, at home, at their own pace. Our curriculum, A Family of Faith, provides a parent guide to the home lessons of each month (families have lessons twice per month at home) as well as a children’s activity book. Lessons involve learning Church vocabulary, memorizing important scriptures (because “Mary pondered all these things in her heart,” Luke 2:19), and hands-on activities based around the liturgical year and cycle of readings, as well as conversation starters for car rides and the dinner table. 

Family catechesis teaches children and parents together, empowers and emboldens adults to know and love their own faith, and supports parents in passing the Faith on to their children. 

 

Questions?

Do you have questions about how this model works? Are you interested in the years of research proving its benefits? Has your child asked you a puzzling theological question? Reach out to our office at PanlenerJ@stmaryhc.org.

 

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Contact Us

Jess Panlener
Email: PanlenerJ@stmaryhc.org
(414) 425-2174 Ext. 249