Children's Faith Formation

Children's Faith Formation 2021–2022

It is currently our intent and plan to hold religious education, youth ministry, and sacramental preparation programming in person. With the pandemic still very much upon us we will require masks, follow recommended precautions, and adjust as needed. Everyone’s health is a main priority. If you have any questions, please contact Rich Rasmussen at rich.rasmussen@dor.org or 257-2493.

This year we will operate with a hybrid model of at-home and in-person religious education. This is like other family-based models in which children will work from an online resource at home with help from parents. Then, families will gather before Sunday morning Mass from 8:45–9:45 a.m. with their parents for a family-based religious education program. Those gatherings will focus on activities that align with and echo what the kids worked on at home through their online resource. The lessons will be fun and engaging and will also help catechize the entire family. 

This model is used by many other parishes and is one that families have had fun with, have learned a lot from, and have grown stronger as a family as a result. We are excited to try it for this year and are so very grateful to our volunteers who make in-person religious education at St. Catherine’s possible. If there is one thing that the pandemic has helped us to do, it is to adapt and try new things even when we didn’t anticipate them.

A few things to know:

1. We will have kids and families working from the online version of the Be My Disciples textbooks that we have been using. This will help with continuity and it does provide the ability for completing chapters, activities, and assessments online. We have provided a calendar to aid in completing chapters by certain dates in an effort to finish the grade level by April/May 2022.
2. The family-based gathered sessions will take place twice a month in Mahler Hall. We will be meeting with the catechist team to work out a plan and process of how these sessions may run and devise a plan for the year. As soon as that is all ironed out, we will send an update to families, so you all know what to expect.
3.  Our first session will be on Sunday, October 24, which will be a kick-off session for the year. We will begin at 8:45 a.m. and run until 9:45 a.m. in Mahler Hall.
4. You can register your child for Faith Formation here.

We know that some families might want to be extra cautious and would prefer a total home study option. We are happy to help with that as best we can. Simply let Rich Rasmussen know and we can work that out. Please feel free to contact Rich with any questions about Faith Formation at rich.rasmussen@dor.org or 257-2493.