Family Faith Formation
Faith Formation registration
The Cathedral is now Accepting Families for Faith Formation for the 2020/2021 Year.
Online Orientation for Parents begins in September with Family-focused formation beginning in October.
All formation will initially be online and later transition to a hybrid program as health officials give us the possibility of opening classrooms.
More information to come!
La Catedral ahora está aceptando familias para la formación de la fe para el año 2020/2021.
La orientación en línea para padres comienza en septiembre y la formación orientada a la familia comienza en octubre.
Toda la formación estará inicialmente en línea y luego pasará a un programa híbrido con algo de formación en las Aulas de la Catedral.
Más información por venir!
Family Faith Formation Registration / Inscripcion de formación de Fe Familiar:
Family Faith Formation Registration / Inscripcion de formación de Fe Familiar:
If you have already registered, please submit your payment here:
Catholic Family Faith Formation
What is Family Faith Formation?
Wanting to honor the parents' role as the first educator of their children's faith, we are transitioning our program to a Family-centered formation. We are introducing "A Family of Faith", a four-year cycle of family formation, where parents are given a detailed picture of authentic and vibrant Catholic family life, and given the tools to help them succeed at being the religious educators that they already are. Family Faith Formation will support parents in the religious formation and education of their children through instruction, prayer experiences, retreats, and community building events.
What about Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion)?
The program also includes preparation for the Sacraments of Penance (Confession), First Eucharist (First Communion) and Confirmation. When a child is ready, sometime after 2nd grade (for Penance and First Eucharist) and after 8th Grade (for Confirmation), and having at least two years of formation, they may apply for preparation for the Sacrament needed.
What about teaching the faith by grade levels?
No matter how good a program is, classroom catechesis only works in the context of a faithful community. One percent of a child’s life can’t overcome the other ninety-nine. When faith formation is limited to the classroom, its impact is not only lessened - it can make the faith appear irrelevant to life, with it just another hoop to jump through to get those sacraments checked off. Studies show that creating strong Catholic families through involvement of parents helps young people see their faith alive and a part of their daily experience.
This represents a radical role reversal in typical Catholic religious education, but it’s really just an application of the Church’s mandate to form adults so that families can catechize their young. When this occurs, children are taught the faith as a way of life and not just as a weekly class.
Structure
TBD
Youth Ministry
For youth in 7th grade or older, we will structure Youth Ministry, where they learn to pray, read scripture, grow in faith with other youth with a focus of deepening their discipleship as followers of Jesus. Youth in need of the Sacrament of Confirmation may apply for Sacramental prep after completing at least two years of youth ministry formation.
The registration fee for the Family is $60.00, and for each child is $15.00.
Registration is available now online:
Family Faith Formation Registration / Inscripcion de Formation de Fe Familiar
For more information, please contact Sister Lisa Marie at .
Families that are new to us will be asked for copies of your child/ren's baptismal certificate(s).
The Rite of Christian Initiation Program
R.C.I.A. is designed for individuals who, after hearing the Mystery of Christ proclaimed, consciously and freely seek the Living God through the Catholic Church, and enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts. By God’s help, they will be strengthened spiritually during their preparation, and at the proper time will receive the Sacraments of Initiation, which includes Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.
If you are over 18 years old, register for R.C.I.A. by filling out the Registration Form and submitting it by email to lmdoty@cathedralsacramento.org or mail it to the cathedral office.
R.C.I.A. is also available for teens and children. They will be followed up by a member of the RCIA Team as they participate with their families in the Family Formation.
You may register your child through the Family Faith Formation process online:
Family Faith Formation Registration / Inscripcion de Formation de Fe Familiar
Catechesis Formation Program
This program helps develop catechists, or religious education teachers, who are theologically and spiritually prepared to share and teach the Catholic faith to others. Parishioners interested in becoming religious education catechists are required to complete the Catechist Formation Program and receive Diocesan certification. For individuals who already have responded to a call to ministry as a catechist, the Diocese of Sacramento is requiring that they become Diocesan-certified within 3 years. Basic certification includes doctrinal development through a prescribed number of study hours in spirituality and theology as well as a basic presentation of the social sciences (consistent with the National Directory for Catechesis, 55).
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament sponsors a series of workshops throughout the pastoral year to support candidates’ development in catechetical formation and to prepare them for Diocesan certification. These workshops are designed to prepare the candidate spiritually and theologically to witness and share their faith with the children and adults to whom they minister. The workshop series also includes faith-based methodology sessions that are tailored to various age groups and that address how to provide catechetical students with a sound Catholic faith foundation and prepare them for receiving the Sacraments. To begin the application process, download the Catechist Application and mail it to the cathedral office.
Liturgy of the Word for Children
This is a program available for children, ages 5 to 10 years old, every Sunday at the 11:00 am Mass. This program provides children with age appropriate explanations of the Sunday readings and gives parents with young children an opportunity to focus on the Scripture readings and the homily without distractions. Children are invited to leave the main sanctuary after the opening prayer and are escorted to the Cathedral Lower Level, where they hear the Scripture readings and explanations by specially trained catechists. Children return to their families before the Offertory. We encourage parents to take advantage of this special service. If you'd like more information, contact the education office or Dorothy Corgiat at dlcorgiat@yahoo.com.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
A distinct Montessori-based approach to Christian formation, through which children as young as three form deep, lifelong relationships with Christ. For more information, visit www.youngsheep.org, or call 916-910-3435.
Spanish Parents Group Leaders of the Blessed Sacrament
We meet once a week to prepare for classes 80 to 90 parents of children in religious education classes on Sundays. We design our curriculum under the supervision of the Director of Education Sister Lisa, and organize extracurricular activities. Bring to class topics of interest based on the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We speak of "News of our Pope," the lives of the saints, Our Mother Mary, the Church and the Trinity. Our extracurricular activities unite the community, including picnics twice a year a Christmas play, Las Posadas (A celebration of Advent), and more. For more information, contact Leticia Hilbert at leticia_hilbert@hotmail.com.
Religious Education for Spanish Speaking Adults
Spanish speaking adults who have their children in Faith Formation attend classes held in Mercy Hall from 11:00 am to 12:45 pm, every Sunday. The first class for the catechetical year 2019-2020 is September 8, 2019.
For more information, contact Sister Lisa Marie Doty, FdCC,
Director of Faith Formation and Education
at lmdoty@cathedralsacramento.org, or 916-444-5364.
Please submit printed forms to:
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament - CFF Office
1017 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814