The Faith Formation programs offered by St. Joseph are meant to support the many family needs and help to create a sense of community, especially among families with younger children.

The entirety of the Faith Formation programs is centered around a half hour of food and fellowship.  There is an opportunity for all gathered to share food and conversation from 6:15 to 6:45 pm. Families from all of our programs are encouraged to share in the meal as well as all parishioners of all ages.

Formation Programs offered at St. Joseph

For grades 1st-6th

“Pilots Program” is based on a mentoring platform. Each week parents meet for 45 minutes to open up a topic on Catholic faith, then share the best practices for encouraging faith in their children at home.

“Pilots I” is for families who are new to the Pilots program. This group will meet on Wednesday evening 5:30 to 6:15 pm followed by a meal.

“Pilots II” is for those families who have completed Pilots I. This group will also meet on Wednesday evening 5:30 to 6:15 pm followed by a meal.

“Pilots III are our most seasoned families entering 3rd year of Pilots. Not only do they meet to continue their understanding the Catholic faith, they are mentors to “Pilots I” leading them through the material.

 “Omnia” which means “All” is an opportunity for all families of the parish not involved in the Pilot Program to come together to learn about and discuss a topic of the Catholic faith.  Families with children in grades 1 – 6 are invited to attend. 

There is an early session for Omnia that begins at 5:30 pm and finishes at 6:15 pm followed by a meal.  There will also be a late session following the meal from 6:45 to 7:30pm.  Families can choose which time is best for their schedule (availability may be altered based on number of registrations).

So, families with children in grades 1st –6th will choose between joining Pilots Program and Omnia Program. Both programs will meet on Wednesday evening at St. Joseph. While parent(s) are at their session, their children will be together having an opportunity to get to know one another in a supervised environment.

 For grades 7th –12th

 In the traditional classroom style, our Junior High and High School students will meet on Wednesday evening following the 6:15 pm meal, to which they are warmly invited!

7th Grade will be doing several series: Theology of the Body for Middle Schoolers, learning more about Mass with Altaration, and to begin learning about the virtues.

8th & 9th grades will begin their two year program for Confirmation. The series “Chosen” provides an in-depth challenging way to live the faith. The actual date for Confirmation will be sometime in the early Fall of 2026.

10th, 11th & 12th grades our post Confirmation young adults will be looking at “Theology of the Body for High Schoolers.”

 

7th-12th Grade Youth Group 

* Meets the first Wednesday of each month from 6:15 to 8:00pm

Continuing from our successful youth group experience this spring, St. Joseph’s will offer a Youth Group program. Our teens will come together for food, then have more than an hour for prayer, service projects, speakers, and socializing.  Mindful of the wide age range, we might break into smaller groups if there’s a sensitive topic being addressed. 

 

Why family catechesis?

“. . . in every Christian family the different aspects and functions of the life of the entire Church may be reflected: mission; catechesis; witness; prayer, etc. Indeed in the same way as the Church, the family ‘is a place in which the Gospel is transmitted and from which it extends.’ The family as a locus of catechesis has a unique privilege: transmitting the Gospel by rooting it in the context of profound human values. …It is, indeed, a Christian education more witnessed to than taught, more occasional than systematic, more ongoing and daily than structured into periods.”

General Directory for Catechesis, 1997

 


College Scholarships

A Letter to Parents of 4 to 5 Year Olds

August 15th, 2023

Dear Parents and Caregivers,


We are excited to offer again for our younger parishioners, the 4- and 5-year-olds a program on  Sunday morning Mass, during the Liturgy of the Word, this group will be invited to go do their own study. For the 15 or so minutes between the beginning of Mass and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the kids will engage with scripture in a way that has been designed just for them. The program is from the book Young Children and Worship by Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman.  It is faithful, biblical, and age appropriate. It encourages reflection in young children and introduces them to the stories in the Bible. 

The children sit in a circle and the stories are presented in the middle using wooden figures. The lessons are short and each one ends with a few questions for reflection, “I wonder how the shepherds felt when the angel talked to them…?” or “I wonder what it felt like to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost…?” There is no discussion, the questions are just left to be food for thought.  Then, there is a ‘moving’ activity. After that, we quiet ourselves and return to Mass.

Some other folks have said:

“If you are seeking a broad ranging, Christ centered curriculum, look no further! This is a wonderful program created for children between the ages of 3 to 7. Using a calming, quiet, questioning format allows the children to formulate and ask questions meaningful to their faith-walk.”

“I love that this book encourages children to explore scripture spiritually. The language, rituals, and silence of worship are so important. It is challenging to change from tradition Sunday School with arts and crafts to this form of children's worship.”


We are looking forward to the opportunity to work with you in developing the faith of your child, and the loving relationship between your child and God. 



Coordinator of Faith Formation- Mary Strickler, email catechesis@saintjosephchurch.net