Thanks to the Catholic Spirit for featuring Family Formation in this week’s issue!

Seven years after Father Timothy Nolan began serving as the first pastor or St. Paul in Ham Lake in 1981, he said its traditional CCD program – with parents dropping off children for weekly instruction – wasn’t working.

Some parents did not appear to live their faith, including regular attendance at Sunday Mass, said Deb Lindahl, who supports and encourages parishes across the country that implement St. Paul’s alternative to CCD. The chances their children stayed Catholic were probably slim because their faith wasn’t being prioritized at home, she said.