Parishes center children’s formation on faith and the family

One boy enrolled in children’s faith formation at Saint Aidan Parish in Wexford loved the lessons so much that he begged his mother, who was not Catholic, to take him to Sunday Mass. 

She agreed. Now, she is becoming Catholic herself.

“That was because a 6-year-old demanded to go to church,” said Darcy Osby, the parish director of faith formation.

Many parishes offer diverse children’s faith formation options to meet families’ varying needs and schedules, while emphasizing that all faith instruction begins at home.

Once a month after Sunday Mass at Saint Aidan, Darcy leads the Family Program,  which has grown steadily for five years. Families pray together, then engage in a faith-related activity before they split for separate classes for parents and children. 

Early each year Darcy asks parents what they need to learn, allowing them to dictate the curriculum. Their choices have included prayer, service, engaging kids at Mass – and learning what their children are learning. For the remainder of the month,  families work on the curriculum at home.

Saint Aidan educates nearly 400 young people through a range of ministries. Among them are weekly faith formation classes; Life Teen’s “Purpose,” which prepares middle-schoolers for confirmation; and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based approach that engages children in learning their faith in a hands-on way. The parish is pioneering faith-formation programs for infants and toddlers.

Just to the north,  Divine Grace Parish in southern Butler County has nearly 700 faith formation students in grades K-8.

“We really believe in supporting the parent as the primary catechist,” said Emma Sabados, the parish coordinator for faith formation. “That’s what the Church teaches.”

Jason Gawaldo, director of evangelization and catechetical ministries, oversees an at-home program that is 100% parent-led. Using tools provided by the parish—including weekly emails featuring video teachings from Jason—families learn the faith on their own schedule.

Emma facilitates an in-person classroom-style program called “station rotation,” in which students complete break-out activities including Bible scavenger hunts, songs, games, adoration and more. Parents receive regular email updates on what their children learn. Middle schoolers can attend Life Teen’s “Edge” for confirmation preparation.

Like Saint Aidan Parish, Divine Grace offers a hybrid option consisting of the monthly gathering for parents and children, followed by at-home learning for the remainder of the month. Jason urges parents to prioritize faith amid the constant demands and hectic schedules of their families.

Experiential faith formation for children and families is also the priority at Regina Coeli Parish in Bellevue/Emsworth/Franklin Park. Kelly Reed, director for religious education and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd works with a team of parish staff to offer options that serve 375 children. These include monthly family catechesis and weekly K-8 classes including the “Ignite” youth-group model for middle schoolers.

 Kelly oversees Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children aged 18 months through 6th grade, helping them encounter the faith in a tangible way. Children study the Mass by setting up a small altar, dive into the parable of the Good Shepherd and explore what it means for Jesus to be the vine connecting all the faithful. The goal is to help them discern God’s plan for their own lives.

“It really focuses on the children’s relationship with Jesus, before anything else,” Kelly said. “They fall in love with Jesus.”