In order to better serve the catechetical needs of our parish families, Saint Joseph Catholic Church is happy to provide whole-family faith formation. While intended for families with children in Kindergarten through 8th grade, any family with children at home can benefit from this approach of learning the Faith together as a family, building family traditions around the liturgical year, and growing in community with other parish families.

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How does whole-family faith formation work?

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• Families meet twice a month on Sunday mornings after the 9:30 Mass ~ these will be designated “Catechesis Sundays” in the parish. Parents meet separately from children, children are clustered with their peers by age group. 

• Using A Family of Faith catechesis as a text, both parents and children will learn a common topic in their designated groups through teaching, discussion and activities related to the topic of the month. 

• While the children are instructed with their peers by catechists, parents, similarly, are re-presented with (or, perhaps, learn for the first time) the same material as their children on a more mature level through a short lecture and small group discussion.

• We put great emphasis on the importance of these small groups, as this is how community is formed with other families, this is how we grow in the Faith, this is how we learn to live the Faith within our families. 

• Families grow in community with each other through parish devotions and activities specifically designed to augment the faith topic of the month.

• PLEASE NOTE: if you have a child receiving the sacraments (First Communion or Confirmation) this year you must register them for sacrament preparation separately at this link. First Communion prep and 7th grade Confirmation will take place on Catechesis Sundays, generally following the schedule of Family Faith Formation. 8th grade Confirmation meeting date/time will be updated soon, please see the Sacrament of Confirmation page for more details.

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What we ask of families:

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• Attend weekly Sunday Mass together. This is a basic precept of the Church.

• Baptize your children into the Catholic Faith if you have not already done so.

• If your children have already received the sacraments of Holy Communion & Reconciliation, encourage them to frequent these sacraments.

• Help and encourage your children in the mastery of Catholic prayers, such as the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the Glory Be, the Creed, the Act of Contrition, etc.

• Attend our Catechesis Sundays!

 

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Fees:

 

$40 per family includes a parent guide and up to 2 children’s activity books. Additional children’s activity books are $13 apiece.

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Touching Safety

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The Touching Safety Program is presented to all Parish School of Religion students as required under the guidelines established by the Diocese of Shreveport.  The link below provides more information. Touching Safety will take place at the first catechesis meeting.

Teaching Touching Safety Booklet

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Volunteer Opportunities:

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There are many ways to become involved in the Faith formation of the youth of Saint Joseph Parish.   Please consider volunteering to serve as a Catechist or a Catechist’s aide.  Your Faith will grow as abundantly as the children you teach!  Help is needed as the Parish School of Religion continues to grow.  If you are a volunteer in the faith formation program or any other Parish youth program, you MUST complete the Protecting God’s Children course as provided by the Diocese of Shreveport each 2nd Wednesday of the Month, 6:00 PM at the Catholic Center.  This course is part of an ongoing effort to help create and maintain a safe environment for our children.

Please click here to register and for more information on Protecting God’s Children:    https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/

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