St. Joseph Faith Formation
January 5, 2021
Dear Families,
I hope your holidays were joyful and you are healthy. I continue to pray for all who have suffered during this pandemic. I am going to make a few changes to our schedule. Just to be safe all students should stay home this week and next week. I told this to the students here before the Christmas break. This week we will have parent meetings on Zoom. Wednesday January 6 will be for our students making First Communion this year. 6pm in English and 7pm in Spanish. These meetings are important because there are changes regarding the preparations for your child's First Reconciliation and First Communion.
On Thursday January 7 we will have parent meetings on Zoom for our students making Confirmation this year. 6pm in English and 7pm in Spanish. The link to these meetings will be emailed to you the day of the meeting.
Next week we will have Zoom meetings for in person and home school students. Tuesday January 12 will be Confirmation year 1, Wednesday January 13 will be for Wednesday classes grades 1-6 and Thursday January 14 will be for Confirmation year 2. These classes will be from 6pm to 7:30pm and the link will be sent to you the day of the meeting.
Thank you for your cooperation and patience during these challenging times.
Carlo Zeffiro
Faith Formation Director
5 de enero de 2021
Queridas familias,
Espero que sus vacaciones hayan sido alegres y se encuentren saludables. Sigo rezando por todos los que han sufrido durante esta pandemia. Voy a hacer algunos cambios en nuestro horario. Para estar seguros, todos los estudiantes deben quedarse en casa esta semana y la próxima. Les dije esto a los estudiantes aquí antes de las vacaciones de Navidad. Esta semana tendremos reuniones de padres en Zoom. El miércoles 6 de enero será para nuestros estudiantes haciendo la Primera Comunión este año. 6pm en inglés y 7pm en español. Estas reuniones son importantes porque hay cambios con respecto a los preparativos para la Primera Reconciliación y Primera Comunión de su hijo.
El jueves 7 de enero tendremos reuniones de padres en Zoom para nuestros estudiantes que hacen la Confirmación este año. 6pm en inglés y 7pm en español. El enlace a estas reuniones se le enviará por correo electrónico el día de la reunión.
La próxima semana tendremos reuniones de Zoom para los estudiantes en persona y en casa. El martes 12 de enero será para los estudiantes de Confirmación año 1, el miércoles 13 de enero será para las clases del miércoles 1-6 y el jueves 14 de enero será para el año los estudiantes de Confirmación 2. Estas clases serán de 6 pm a 7:30 pm y se le enviará el enlace el día de la reunión.
Gracias por su cooperación y paciencia durante estos tiempos difíciles.
Carlo Zeffiro
Director de Formación de Fe
Faith Formation
Faith Formation is the lifelong process for all baptized Catholics to become disciples of Jesus Christ. A disciple means “one who is learning.” All of us here at St. Joseph are on this journey together, to share faith, nurture our intimate relationship with God the Father, Son and Holly Spirit and to serve one another. This is our call to be disciples.
Parents are the primary source of faith formation for their children. The family’s faith experience will impact one’s participation in religious faith-building more greatly than any catechetical program. The family is the “domestic church” and if is focused on knowing, loving and serving God through scripture, prayer and service, it will foster a hunger for lifelong spiritual growth.
The Faith Formation program partners with families in the passing on the Catholic faith. It is important the children continue their formation each year so that they come to understand and experience their faith along each of their developmental levels. Each year we build upon the previous years knowledge to grow into our discipleship. When students are permitted to miss mass and years of classes, parents are sending the message that this is not important and should not be surprised when their children grow up with little faith in God.
Commentary
The National Catechetical Directory (NCD), Sharing the Light of Faith, states:
“Parents are the first and foremost catechists of their children. They catechize informally, but powerfully by example and instruction. They communicate values and attitudes by showing love for Christ and His Church and for each other, by reverently receiving the Eucharist and living in its spirit and by fostering justice and love in all their relationships. Parents nurture faith in their children by showing them the richness and beauty of lived faith.” (NCD 212)