Family Faith Formation empowers, supports, and equips parents to impart the faith to their children. Our program for children in Grades K-7 and their families is organized in three grade-level cohorts, and each cohort meets six times over the year (October through April) for 45 minutes. All cohorts focus on the same theme each month, which creates a cohesive structure that supports families with children in multiple grades. Our theme for October is The Liturgical Calendar, and our sessions will be led by Fr. Jim.
October Dates for Family Faith Formation
Grades K-2 Mustard Seeds: Sunday, October 5 at St. John 10:15-11:00am in Powers Hall
Grades 3-5 Loaves & Fishes: Sunday, October 19 at St. John 10:15-11:00am in Powers Hall
Grades 6-7 Salt & Light: Sunday, October 26 at St. Paul 4:00-4:45pm in the Parish Hall
Please visit our Family Faith Formation page for the full schedule and more information!
This Sunday, October 5: Grades K-2 Mustard Seeds 10:15-11:00am in Powers Hall following the 9:00am Family Mass
PLEASE NOTE: All sessions are Family Sessions (children and parent/s together.) Children may not be “dropped off” without a parent or guardian.
After participating in the Sunday 9am Family Mass, parents and children gather together for an opening prayer and a “Focus on Faith” reflection given by a member of our pastoral team (Fr. Jim Laughlin, Kelly Meraw, Sr. Colleen Gibson.) After the reflection, the session leader guides parents in small group discussions and reviews the at-home material for the coming month, while the Children’s Faith Formation team guides the children in a related activity. The session ends with all gathered together for a closing prayer.
In the weeks in between the Family Sessions, parents continue the lessons at home on their own schedule, in whatever space and time works best for them, leaning on resources from the Family Session and their children’s grade-level books. Families can also gather with friends or relatives in small groups to work together. Most importantly, families will continue the conversation throughout the month, baking the richness of our faith into the daily interactions of family life.
Preparing for First Reconciliation and First Communion
Children preparing to receive the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion (usually Grade 2) participate in the six Family Faith Formation sessions with their families. In addition, there are five special sessions for these students and their families: an introduction and overview session in the fall, two reflection and catechesis sessions over the winter, and two detailed sacrament preparation and instruction sessions in the spring. Visit sjspwellesley.org/childrens-faith-formation/family-faith-formation for more details.
More Information
Please visit sjspwellesley.org/childrens-faith-formation for more information about our programs, including a full calendar and a comprehensive FAQ with answers to questions about registration, logistics, sacrament preparation, and more! And be sure to watch the important video message from Fr. Jim!
Can You Help?
We are looking for volunteers (older teens who have been Confirmed, young adults, older adults) to assist at our Sunday morning (Grades K-2 and 3-5) and Sunday afternoon (Grades 6-7) Family Faith Formation sessions. Please contact Linda Messore, Director of Children’s Faith Formation, at linda.messore@sjspwellesley.org