We are excited to welcome you to a beautiful, grace-filled year of preparation for the whole family as members journey with their child preparing to celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist for the first time!
This preparation for the sacraments begins at home under the guidance of the parents. As leaders of the domestic church, it is both the privilege and responsibility of parents to provide the foundational Christian values and practices for children to flourish in their faith.
At St. Clare of Assisi, families really do journey together with their children each week through a hybrid, catechetical formation program called Pathways. This program is rooted in the home in small family prayer sessions. About once a month, families come together at St. Clare to receive further formation and to have the opportunity to connect with other families who are on a similar sacramental journey.
What Does This Journey Look Like for a Family?
Families participate in a two-year preparation process.
Year 1 for New Families: Sacramental Foundation Year
New families participate in Seek and Root. These programs give a schema of the major mysteries of the Faith as found in the Apostle’s Creed.
Year 1 for Returning Families: Sacramental Foundation Year
Returning families have the option to repeat Seek and Root (if their child has not completed this program) or to participate in the Family Villages. This program occurs mainly within the home and continues the family sessions established during the foundational year. Families meet in small groups of families either in a home or at the parish a few times throughout the year.
Year 2 for All Families: Sacramental Year
During the second year, families participate in two consecutive programs. Mend, the Reconciliation program, consists of eight in-home sessions, two at-church sessions, and a morning retreat in preparation for children to receive their First Reconciliation. Nourish, the First Eucharist program, consists of ten in-home sessions, three at-church sessions, and a morning retreat in preparation for children to receive their First Eucharist.
How do I Register?
Before registering for a program, a member of the Faith Formation team will meet with you in order to get to know you and your family and be able to better guide you in the formation process.
We look forward to getting to know you!
