Family Faith Formation

After the initial shock, St. Rita Catholic Parish and its families quickly adapted and found new ways to continue and grow in faith. Through livestream Mass, our pastor Fr. Tom steered families to build the “domestic church.” Families were encouraged to create a family altar, a sacred space in the home where God is present with them as they share meals, pray, and attend Mass together on Facebook. Our Faith Formation Team conducted all faith sessions and prayer services on Zoom, including family meet-and-greet sessions where we got to connect with families and hear their stories. The faith life that families have experienced is what the Church has acknowledged in the New Directory for Catechesis, “Thanks to the family, the Church becomes a family of families and is enriched with the life of these domestic churches. It is, indeed, a Christian education more witnessed to than taught, more occasional than systematic, more ongoing and daily than structured into periods.”

As we start a new ministry year, St. Rita Catholic Parish builds on this foundation of the domestic church. Our faith formation mission is not merely teaching children about God and the Catholic faith, but “to accompany families to personally encounter Jesus Christ and live out the Catholic faith at home.” With this mission, we are excited to introduce Family Faith Formation.
 

What has changed?

• Elementary Faith Formation has become Family Faith Formation.
• Teaching about God and the tenets of the Catholic faith has transformed into providing opportunities to encounter Jesus & growing in relationship with Him in the family.
• Catechizing children only is now connecting with both children and parents, while providing support to parents with practical tools to lead their children in faith.
• Books for children have been replaced with family resources and an online learning platform to mentor parents and track the family’s weekly progress.
• Weekly sessions of children with their catechists have been replaced with weekly family meetings in the Domestic Church, plus monthly on-site Family Faith Formation sessions.
• The class structure of learning has been replaced with “St. Rita Sparks” - a monthly, experiential kids’ hour to build community and faith while having fun.
• Previously combined Elementary and Middle School sessions held on the same day are now separate, with Middle Schoolers (Grades 6-8) meeting weekly on Wednesdays from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. plus a monthly “EDGE” Youth Nite to acclimate them to high school ministries.
   

September 2021 - December 2021

Every family  will begin in a four-part, on-site gathered kerygmatic experience where families will be invited on a journey to discover anew the good news of our faith. Once a month, families will all meet and celebrate the 10:00 a.m. mass together and then meet for a fun-filled, age appropriate experience using the resource, SEEK.  Families will also learn how to run family meetings. We will meet the following Sundays:

• Sunday, September 12, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
• Sunday, October 10, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
• Sunday, November 14, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
• Sunday, December 12, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

January 2022 - May 2022

After SEEK, families will participate in weekly family meetings held in the domestic church with online resources and projects to upload. A catechist will be available for guidance and support. See below for a description of programs according to grade level. The scheduled Sundays to meet on-site are:

• Sunday, January 9, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
• Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
• Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
• no meeting for April 2022
• Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

ROOT: Grade 1

Families who have completed SEEK and who are not yet preparing for the sacraments move on to ROOT, where the family meets weekly in the domestic church to find the root of our faith. Each month, families will meet on campus for a more age-centered activity. Children are also invited to come weekly to Children's Liturgy of the Word (held during the Sunday 10:00 a.m. mass) for an age-appropriate look at God's Word and activities.

MEND & NOURISH: Grade 2

Families who have completed SEEK and are preparing for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion, look to two experiential programs to prepare them for the grace that they will receive from God during the sacraments. MEND looks to prepare children for God's forgiveness and NOURISH prepares us to receive Jesus Himself. Families will meet weekly in the domestic church and each month they will meet on campus for more age-centered activities. Children and families are strongly encoraged to attend weekly mass and have their children participate in the Children's Liturgy of the Word (held during the Sunday 10:00 a.m. mass).

SOURCE AND SUMMIT: Grades 3-5

Families who have completed SEEK and whose children have received the sacraments, now participate in SOURCE & SUMMIT. This is an intergenerational look at the weekly Gospels.  Children are invited to attend the Children's Liturgy of the Word (held during the Sunday 10:00 a.m. mass) weekly to hear and discuss God's word in preparation of the weekly family meeting and then return to the congregation for communion. Families will meet on campus monthly for a more hands-on activity related to the Gospels.