Lifelong & Ongoing: From Womb to Tomb
Faith Formation is the term that the church uses to invite and enable ongoing conversion to Jesus, to promote and support active membership in the Christian Community, and call and prepare adults to act as disciples in Mission to the World. This includes classes, book studies, retreats, preparation for sacraments, and the like. It is continuous, from “womb to tomb,” from our birth to the natural end of our lives. God invites us to deepen our relationship with Christ throughout our entire life. The Church has a clear vision and hopes for each phase and stage of a lifelong journey of faith.
We at St. Andrew Catholic Church believe that God calls everyone (children, youth, adults, and seniors) to continue to learn about their faith and spiritual journey. Learning about our faith is not just for children! It is for everyone! Every Catholic is invited to walk with Christ in his or her daily life, to gather faithfully on Sunday at Mass, and to grow in wisdom and knowledge about the faith. When adults, parents, grandparents–single, old, and young–of all cultural backgrounds participate in faith formation, we mature together in our faith as a community, and we are better equipped to help the children and youth of our community to grow in faith.
Parents as Faith Formators (Catechists)
“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues…. Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2223
As parents, we are responsible for the moral and faith formation of our children. You are their first and most important teacher (catechist). Yet, many parents feel less than adequate to teach their children religion. Perhaps this is partly because of a misguided presupposition that “religion” is just a school subject. It is, of course, but it is so much more. It is true that what we call “catechesis” is a process of instructing people in the knowledge and practice of the faith. It includes prayer, moral teaching, the sacraments, and the teaching of specific content involved in the creed that we profess. Nothing and no one can replace the influence of the example of a parent on the spiritual life of a child.
Faith is a way of living. By taking the time to pray—both at home and in Church—families show their children the importance of a God-centered life. Opportunities for prayer are as varied as the experiences of life: before and after sleeping, eating, traveling, playing, studying—even shopping or acquiring things! Yes, it is not a bad idea to pray for the wise use of our material resources when there are so many temptations to waste them on non-essentials that do not bring lasting happiness. However, no prayer surpasses attending Mass, especially on Sundays.
The decision to bring the whole family to Church every Sunday, in addition to being an occasion to be nourished by the Gospel and the Body and Blood of Christ, communicates to children that life is more than work or sports, important as both activities are. Sunday Mass communicates the message that we are more than what we do, that we have a Savior who wants to come to us and give us something we cannot get from anywhere else: total forgiving mercy and eternal life.
Faith Formation for Children, Youth, & Adults
Faith Formation at St. Andrew Catholic Church is for children K-12th grade and adult parents, guardians, and parishioners wanting to continue to grow in their faith and in their relationship with God. Everyone who signs up for Faith Formation must be registered in the parish and be willing to attend Mass on a weekly basis. Faith Formation sessions for children K-12th and adults are on Sundays from August through May. They begin with Mass at 11 AM followed by age-appropriate gatherings after Mass until 1:30 PM. Youth Ministry sessions for youth in 7th through 12th grade are mostly all year long. It is expected that parents/guardians with children in Faith Formation grades K-12th attend adult faith formation sessions while their child/youth attend their session. The adult sessions are open to everyone in the parish, regardless of whether they have children in Faith Formation. Adult Faith Formation sessions are offered in English, Spanish, and Creole.
Registration & Attendance
You must sign up your child/youth every year for Faith Formation including and especially if they are in a second year of preparation for a sacrament. You must use the most recent sign-up form for that year. Forms will be available on the Church’s webpage in July or August of every year. It is expected that registration forms will be submitted by August 15. Registration as a parishioner at St. Andrew is NOT the same as registering (signing up) for Faith Formation.
Attendance for Mass is taken at Faith Formation sessions every Sunday. If your child/youth misses too many sessions during the year, they will need to repeat the year. If your child/youth does not attend Mass regularly (meaning at least 3 times a month), they will also be asked to repeat the year even if they have perfect attendance at Sunday sessions. Both Mass attendance and Faith Formation attendance are required. If your child is signed up late for faith formation, the dates that they miss during the beginning of the year will be counted as absences for the total attendance at year-end. For example, if faith formation starts in late August and you sign up your child/youth in October, the sessions that happened between August and October that they did not attend will count as absences and be taken into consideration at year-end evaluation. If you are transferring from another Catholic parish where your child attended Faith Formation, you must request a letter of attendance from the pastor of your previous church and bring it to the church.
Circle of Grace
The Diocese of Orlando has implemented a child abuse awareness, prevention, and safety program in all parishes and Catholic schools as mandated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. This program is called Circle of Grace. There will be two to four Circle of Grace sessions that your child cannot miss. You will be notified when these sessions happen in the year; please make sure your child is present.
Sacramental Preparation
Sacramental preparation refers to sessions specifically designed for children, youth, and adults who are preparing to receive a Sacrament. In addition to attending Sunday Faith Formation sessions, children, youth, and adults preparing for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and/or Confirmation must attend preparation sessions some Wednesdays—the number of sessions varies depending on the Sacrament.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will there be adult sessions in all languages?
Grades K-12th will have sessions in English only. Adult sessions will be offered in Spanish and Creole. If there is enough interest, there is a possibility that classes may be offered in English.
What if my child is in 8th grade and I recently moved to the area and did not know about this three consecutive year process before entering preparation for Confirmation?
If your child attended faith formation in his/her parish, then we will need a letter from the pastor of your previous church giving us information as to the time/years they attended faith formation.
If your child did not attend faith formation, your child must start the three-year process prior to entering the two-year Confirmation preparation process.
What if my child attended classes at another church?
We will need a letter from the parish where he attended faith formation giving us the dates that he attended. If they were consecutive years, they will be taken into consideration for the requirements at St. Andrew.
How many classes can my child miss?
Ideally, your child will not miss any classes; however, we do understand that sometimes there are circumstances that prevent parents from bringing the children to faith formation. If your child needs to be absent from class due to an unforeseen situation, you must contact the office as soon as possible or let their catechist know.
The less classes your child misses the better. If your child misses too many sessions they will be asked to repeat the year. We will be monitoring attendance throughout the year but ultimately it is your responsibility to bring the child to class.
What if my Confirmation youth candidate was baptized out of the country and I cannot get his/her baptism certificate?
If this happens, we can accept the First Communion Certificate, since baptism is a pre-requisite for First Communion and your church should have asked you for their baptism certificate.
You can also ask the church where he/she received their First Communion if they kept a copy of his/her baptism certificate and can provide you a copy.