Family Catechesis

Elementary Faith Formation/Family Catechesis
Preschool through 8th, Including First Communion.

Family Catechesis is an opportunity for parents to fully participate in the religious formation of their children. The Catholic church states that parents are the primary catechists (teachers of faith) for their children. The church's role is to offer support to parents. Family Catechesis empowers parents to take on this role.

First Communion (First Eucharist)
For more information, please go to the First Communion page

Family Catechesis is a Religious Education program in which parents fully participate in the faith formation of their children.  Parents are the primary teachers of faith.  For this reason, it is important to work together with parents in forming disciples.

Here is what the Bishops have to say: (exerpts from the General Directory of Catechesis and the National Directory of Catechesis)

• Family catechesis precedes…accompanies and enriches all forms of catechesis. (GDC 226)

• Parents transmit and bear witness to human and religious values.  This activity which is both human and religious is a “true ministry” through which the Gospel is transmitted and radiated so that family life is transformed into a journey of faith and the school of Christian life. (GDC 227)

• It is for this reason that the Christian community must give very special attention to parents…they must help them assume their responsibility of educating their children in the faith (GDC 226)

• Parents are the primary educators in the faith. The family is defined as a "domestic Church", that is, in every Christian Family the different aspects and functions of the life of the entire Church may be reflected: mission, catechesis, witness, prayer etc. (GDC 255).

• Within family-centered catechetical programs are opportunities for parents to catechize their children directly, for spouses to catechize each other, and for children to catechize one another and their parents. (NDC 259
• When children are baptized, parents accept the responsibility to bring up their children in the practice of the faith and to see to it that the divine life that God gives them…At the same time, the Church promises to help parents foster their children’s faith and assists them specifically in their role as catechists of their children. (NDC 235).
  
  

For these reasons, St. John Vianney has adopted Family Catechesis as its primary method for Religious Education.