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Families Encountering Christ
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Gospel for All AgesRegistration for 2026 - 2027 opens on Monday, August 3.
Please contact Christine in the Formation Office
to register or for more information.“Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
-Psalm 119:5Families will gather monthly for grade-level, lectionary-based catechesis, followed by family-group discussions and liturgical activities to provide the cornerstone of lifelong growth in our rich Catholic faith. Simple weekly lectionary-based lessons are provided to families to complete at home between the sessions.Service projects are also a component of our family program.
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More Program Details...
- Families will be placed in groups and will meet monthly at the parish.
- Monthly In-Person Schedule
* Opening: 15 minutes* Break-Out with Catechists by grade levels: 60 minutes* Families’ Group: 30 minutes- Families will accompany each other in faith sharing and prayer through interactive and engaging group activities during each session.
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- At-home family Bible reading and discussion using the Gospel Weekly resources provided is expected each week between sessions since families are the center of living faith (CCC 1656).
- Service projects are a separate monthly component that is provided for families to be the hands and feet of Jesus in tangible ways. This is a vital component of living our faith as Eucharistic people as we intentionally “go forth to love and serve the Lord.”
- Additional GRACE Events will also be offered.
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Participants can select a time from one of the following three options:
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Sunday Afternoon #1 12:45 – 2:30 p.m.Lunch served before each sessionafter the 11:00 a.m. Mass. **September 20*October 4November 8December 6January 10February 7March 7April 4“Pray & Play” is availablefor Pre-K & K Children.
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Sunday Evening 4:15 – 6:00 p.m.Dinner served
after each session. **September 20*October 4November 8December 6January 10February 7March 7April 4
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Sunday Afternoon #2 12:45 – 2:30 p.m.Lunch served before each sessionafter the 11:00 a.m. Mass. **September 20*October 18November 15December 13January 24February 21March 14April 11“Pray & Play” is availablefor Pre-K & K Children.
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* The FIRST SESSION for ALL FAMILIES is on September 20 at 3:00 p.m. for a concert! Details will be available soon.
** Registration Required for all meals. SUGGESTED DONATION: $3 per person with $15 max for a family of more than 5 people.
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Additional questions you may have:
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OTHER FAITH FORMATION LINKS
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“As a family, we were encouraged to continue conversation about the Gospel that we heard during Mass and in our classes.”
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What have parents said about the parishFamilies Encountering Christ program?
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“Learning more about the Bible so that we could talk about it together was helpful.”
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“The weekly missions were a good opportunity to study as a family at home.”
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“The service projects and getting involved with other families made a difference for us.”
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“Practicing our faith with others and knowing we are all doing our best gives us hope.”
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The Ministry of Parenting
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We are all children of God (Galatians 3:26), and Scripture informs us to care and raise our children and grandchildren in “the way they should go so that even when they are older, they will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Parents and grandparents lovingly take care of their children’s physical needs with proper nutrition, visits to the doctor, safety precautions, etc. Christian parents are also responsible for their children’s spiritual needs. Catholic parents seek the Sacrament of Baptism for their children as soon as possible to begin the Christian journey to know, love, and serve God and others. The whole period following Baptism is the formation period for Confirmation. This is not just accomplished through faith formation classes but also through family life. Maria Riley, a Catholic mother and author, writes, “By experiencing faith together as a family, parents can not only deepen their own faith but can adequately pass down their love of Christ and His Church. Children need to know why faith matters, especially in today’s culture that is constantly vying for their attention and preaching pleasure over sacrifice” (CatholicVote.org).
Surely the full work of Catholic education—forming the intellect integrally with one’s physical and moral development so that the child is knowledgeable and virtuous—is entailed in Catholic formation. This is done through parental example and witness to the love of the Catholic faith, especially when receiving the Sacraments regularly and through reading Scripture together and through family prayer. “Since parents have given children their life, they are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their offspring and therefore must be recognized as the primary and principal educators” (Gravissiumum Educationis 3). As John Paull II stated in Familiarias Consortio, parenting is a ministry – a vocation from God and for God.
Our Faith Formation Department supports the parents’ ministry of educating children to build a relationship with Jesus by using a lectionary-based curriculum provided each month and with the opportunities to be His disciples to others through the monthly service projects. We meet together monthly for a meal and an in-person session to build friendships and share this incredible calling and journey. Our catechesis program empowers both public and Catholic school families to grow in communion with God and each other as well as to encourage an active parish life as one Church family.
Read more about parents being primary educators here.
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Events
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June 22 - June 26
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Questions? Please contact us!
- Questions regarding Families Encountering Christ (FEC)
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Ginny Lennonfamilysaintandrew.orgFamily Catechesis Coordinator
- Additional Questions
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Christine Wagnerfdofficesaintandrew.orgFaith Formation Secretary
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Jillian Bohinctymsaintandrew.orgDirector of Youth Ministry
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Katie Fortunatoelemfaithsaintandrew.orgDirector of Faith Formation & Pastoral Care Ministry
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Dimple Castelinovolunteerssaintandrew.orgCoordinator of Volunteers
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