A family’s Sacred Space at home. (pictured)

Nurturing Catholic Identity at Home

The Family Catechesis program is focused on fostering Catholic identity within the home by integrating faith into the very fabric of our daily lives. The family plays an irreplaceable role in shaping the spiritual lives of our children. This approach recognizes that parents are the primary educators of their children in matters of faith, and our role as a parish is to support and empower families in this sacred responsibility.

So, how can we effectively nurture Catholic identity in the home through Family Catechesis? We provide monthly activities centered around family and faith. Families can do as many activities as they want. They return their checklist at the next Family Catechesis night and are entered into the drawing for Family of the Month.

Here are the 5 categories of activities we are using this year:

1. Lessons and Saints: Here we focus on our curriculum and particular saints whose feast day occurs that month.

2. Prayer: We include a monthly prayer to memorize, introduce a particular devotional, and encourage a consistent prayer routine.

3. Family “Pilgrimage” or Liturgical Activity: We provide ideas for day outings and help to prepare for upcoming liturgical events.

4. Food for Thought: Who doesn’t like food? We offer ideas for the dinner table that may or may not involve faith, service ideas, recipes, and more.

5. Just for Fun: God is everywhere! Whether we are taking a walk, playing a game, or having a family movie night, we encourage our families to see God in nature and in those around us.