Mission Statement:
Our Faith Formation Program aims to offer a comprehensive experience, allowing us to learn with our minds, love with our hearts, and act with our hands and engage the families in understanding and appreciating the significance of liturgy and sacraments. This process fosters a communal spirituality, nurturing the spiritual growth of young believers within a community. We hope to cultivate lifelong disciples of Jesus, actively involved in the Church's life and mission, contributing to our parish community. The program instills a missionary spirit, open to all vocations, and prepares individuals to emulate Christ in every aspect of society.
Family Faith Formation Program:
We are fostering the spiritual growth of children within a community framework: as integral members of their own families, as part of the broader family of our faith, and as an important member of our parish community. For this to happen, we focus on a dynamic and experiential model of passing on the faith which involves the whole family: a family-retreat model. This program counts with the participation of the children and their family, together with the catechists and the parish community, in a day-long retreat every two months. Throughout the month, the catechetical journey continues in the homes and smaller groups, with Sunday Mass participation and many opportunities to deepen reflections and prayer life, as well as giving witness by serving the needs of the community.
What does the Sunday Family Retreat look like?
The family retreat takes place on the first Sunday of the month, alternating between the English and Spanish programs. Check-in begins at 8:30 am. There is a key-note speaker and intergenerational reflection for the whole family, followed by breakout sessions to further explore the topic of the month with age-appropriate activities. There are moments of prayer and adoration, arts and crafts, and family conversations.
At the center of the retreat is the celebration of the Eucharist with the parish community. After Mass, families gather for a meal, and afterwards, we initiate the faith formation projects for the upcoming weeks. This enables them to continue the conversation with their children as they understand the expectations of the work that is to be done at home in the remaining weeks. The retreat ends at 2pm with a special blessing for the family.
What are the expectation of the Family-retreat model of Faith Formation?
The Family-retreat model of Faith Formation at HNJ-SGG expects that the family: the child’s parents or guardian - accompany them to the family session on the 1st Sunday of every other month and complete the follow up activities together at home.
The dates for the 2023-2024 family-oriented retreats dates are:
English Retreats: October 1st, December 3rd, February 4th, April 7th, June 2nd
Spanish Retreats: November 5th, January 7th, March 3rd, May 5th, June 2nd
How do I register for Family Faith Formation?
It is easy to Register! Just click here to complete the Family Faith Formation Registration Form 2023/2024:
English form: https://form.jotform.com/232534316398157
Spanish form: https://form.jotform.com/232475674320153
A copy of the child’s Certificate of Baptism must be provided for our records upon registration. You can upload a copy of the Certificate of Baptism with the submission of the online Enrollment Form or submit it in person at our office.
Faith Formation is a lifelong mission, and our parish provides numerous opportunities for the community to engage in it. The Family Retreat Faith Formation Program relies on the support of volunteers. We extend a warm welcome and express deep appreciation for those interested in volunteering as catechists or assistants. Without the generosity of our volunteers, this program wouldn't be able to provide the children in our community with the faith formation they truly deserve.
If you're interested, please complete the volunteer form: https://form.jotform.com/232476095182157 or reach out to the Director or call the Parish Office for more details.
Additional questions?
Check the upcoming bulletins for more information or please contact: