The Family Faith Formation program began in the spring of 2013. Fr. Jeff Lewis needed a Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) in order to revitalize the religious education programs in the tri-parish community of Holy Ghost, Sacred Heart, and St. Mary of the Rosary, but there was no budget to hire the position. When Mark Selle volunteered to fill the position for a year until funds could be raised to hire it permanently, things began to happen.

Holy Ghost had the only active religious education program at the time. Pat Edgin, Jesseca Jeanneret, and Katie Ries were the volunteer catechists. Everyone met in June to debrief the prior year in Valley and to dream about launching a full tri-parish program for the fall of 2013. It was an inspired meeting. In addition to retaining the traditions of the program like an adoration event, Christmas Caroling, Stations of the Cross during Lent, and the year-end final presentations, the catechists wanted a program focused on parental involvement, Mass attendance, stronger sacramental preparation, and events that would build community. They emphasized the importance of having a CRE—they had just finished a year without one. They wanted to involve the whole community through greater volunteerism. They wanted to make things even more visual and hands on for the children and wanted catechesis to include explaining the things children see in church. They wanted children to understand the environment better as an aid to understanding the Mass even better. Finally, they wanted to promote a lived faith through things like service projects and participation in devotions. Dreams were big.

Mark agreed to begin researching ways to reach these dreams and found several programs that looked like good models. The best structure was offered by a program called Family Formation. Another program offered by the Apostolate for Family Consecration provided solid content. After consulting with Bishop Cupich, who advocates for a family catechetical structure, or what he has referred to as “comprehensive faith formation,” and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Mark set out to integrate the solid content with the best structure. Thus, Family Faith Formation was born.

We’re excited to launch our first year of this new program centered on adult faith formation. All adults are welcome to participate whether they have children or not. We have the slate of topics determined for a three year rotation, and the first year of topics scheduled, ensuring a strong, complete, and systematic catechesis for individuals and within families with the intention of helping form them in, as Pope John Paul II said, “a living, explicit, and fruitful confession of faith.” We have high hopes for integrating liturgical life, moral formation, prayer, communal life, and a missionary spirit into the program as well as all aspects of our vision statement as time goes on. We want to hear from everyone in the tri-parish community to help us make this program the best possible through continual improvement.