Family Formation

A recent post on the Facebook page of Bishop Frank Caggiano from the Diocese of Bridgeport:

Yesterday morning I had the wonderful experience of leading a catechetical session for parents whose children attend the faith formation program at Saint Michael’s Church in Greenwich. Earlier this month I had the same opportunity to engage parents at Saint Marguerite Parish in Brookfield. My topic was the Eucharist. The time that I spent with the parents allowed me to present the tenets of our Catholic faith and engage in a wonderful sharing of faith, answering some questions that many parents are facing regarding how best to explain our faith to their children. I enjoyed my time with all the parents that I met yesterday and earlier this month and promise to pray for them as they strive to be the best of teachers in this very challenging world.

These parent formation sessions form part of an innovative catechetical formation program led by Mrs. Mary Ellen Tiernan who serves as the director of faith formation in both parishes. It is based on the premise that the parent, as the first and best teacher of the Catholic faith to his or her child, needs support and formation to fulfill this important vocation. Once a month the parents come to the group session, at the same time that their children attend their monthly group class, and receive materials for the remainder of the month to engage their children in catechetical formation. Overall, it is mutually beneficial for parents and children alike, enriching their faith and strengthening both their families and the larger community that these families form in their parish. I wish to commend Mary Ellen and her staff for their wonderful ministry.

While we are all aware of the many challenges we face as a church, innovative programs such as the one I experienced yesterday give me great hope. For every challenge in life is also an opportunity to grow in our personal lives and to trust that the Lord will lead us to renewal and new life.

Thank you to Mary Ellen for being such an enthusiastic ambassador for Family Formation and to Bishop Caggiano for his kind words about the program!

This fantastic testimony is in our email this morning:

 Miracles are happening at our parish through Family Formation. I was just informed by a parishioner about an alcoholic family member that stayed sober all day to attend First Communion class with his wife and daughter today. He wouldn’t need to do that if we had a traditional method like we used to. My volunteers, pastor, and I are praising God tonight for this miracle. That’s why we use Family Formation… because these sorts of results are invaluable. THANK YOU!

This is the Kraft family working together to get the feasts of the liturgical year all put together. It went quite well!

After a couple times through this program, it really is amazing at how much the little kids pick up from just living in a home that embraces the church year. I was impressed by how much the middle kids knew! And that the big kids still join us for our lessons. Love this program!

While our office has been extremely busy the past month+, the majority of what we have been responding to is parishes requesting more lessons because they are experiencing an overwhelming, and totally unexpected response to Family Formation. It seems that is the case more this year than ever in the past. So … praise the Lord! … and please keep praying for all of them!

Several parishes have reported an unusually high number of parents and older children that are coming forward wanting/needing to receive sacraments – from Baptism to Confirmation to having their marriages blessed. And several parishes are using Family Formation as a means to prepare them. In the words of one DRE from a new FF parish this year, “The field hospital is filling up!” and “We are gonna become a place of refuge.” She is so on fire that it is like receiving an injection of pure joy every time we talk with her!

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Thanks for being there for us on this journey! We are off to a fairly positive start. The catechists are over-the-moon with the new materials and the kids had a blast on Saturday. My heart was swelling with joy!!!!!

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While we have only just begun Family Formation, it is already proving to be a tremendous blessing to our parish families. Thank you so much for providing us with such a beautiful foundation. May God be forever praised!

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“We have had an amazing response! We invited our Catholic School families, and we now need to double our Home Lesson numbers!”

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“We had a great opener … the best one we’ve ever had! Our Hispanic priest was supposed to speak for 20 minutes and he spoke for 45. He had everyone laughing and crying, and no one minded the longer session!”

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Another DRE was talking to a dad who was going to send one child to a neighboring parish and his second grader to her parish since the second grader was the only second grade student in the neighboring parish. As she explained Family Formation and the topic for October being the Liturgical Calendar, etc., he responded, “So, you mean I might learn something too?!”
Well … perhaps! 🙂

So, we had no idea what to expect when signing up for Family Formation. But I am blown away at how great this program is! What a blessing that my kids are not only learning the truth from me, but learning from other devout Catholics and seeing it as common place with their friends.  I don’t even know what I want to say except thank you.