While the catechesis offered within the family is ordinarily informal, unstructured, and spontaneous, it is no less crucial for the development of the child's faith.  "In a certain sense nothing replaces family catechesis, especially for its positive and receptive environment, for the example of adults, and for its first explicit experience and practice of the faith."

- National Directory for Catechesis, 48.E.1

One of the best ways for families to form faith is to simply talk about the Sunday readings together.  Check here each week for discussion prompts.


Questions of the Week:

Adults:

• Christ calls us from death to new life.  To what new life are you being called during this Lent?

Children:
 

• How does Jesus help you do what is good and avoid what is not?

 

• Word of the Week
• Breaking Open the Word
• Bringing Home the Gospel for Parents
• The Hands-On Gospel
• The Gospel Stories of Jesus 
• Mass Transit Cards
• The Raising of Lazarus
• The Raising of Lazarus:  A Bible Story from Jared Dees
• Worship  @ Home
  • Introductory Video
• Morning Prayer
  • For an Introduction to Morning Prayer and the Liturgy of the Hours, click here.
• Jesus the Liberator
• Order of Mass and Spiritual Communion from RCL Benziger
• Order of Mass and Spiritual Communion (Child/Youth Version) from RCL Benziger
• Praying at Home on Sundays

en Español
 

• Las Historias Evangélicas de Jesús
• Tarjetas de Estudio sobre la Misa
• Jesús el Liberator
• El Ordinario de la Misa desde RCL Benziger
• El Ordinario de la Misa (Jovenes) desde RCL Benziger
• Oración Dominical en Casa
• Oración para el Domingo

Vietnamese
 

• Praying at Home on Sundays

These Lessons and Articles are offered as responses to the current Coronavirus situation.  Families may benefit from talking about the issue with one another.

• Coronavirus Response Lesson from Loyola Press
• Helping Kids Cope with the Coronavirus from Teaching Catholic Kids.com
• Just for Kids:  A Comic Exploring the Coronavirus
• My 5 Basic Rules for Talking to Young Students about Coronavirus from Education Week
• Talking to Kids about the Coronavirus from Child Mind
• Faithfully Navigating Coronavirus with your Kids from The Pastoral Center
• How to Handwash - Catholic Style (Our Father) from the Diocese of Dallas
• How to Handwash - Catholic Style (Apostle's Creed) from the Diocese of Dallas
• CoviBook from MindHeart (Spanish)
• Care for your Coronavirus Anxiety from Shine
• Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with Covid-19 from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• Pardon This Interruption:  Flexibility for Families During the Covid-19 Pandemic from the Search Institute
• Life Under Lockdown:  8 Ways to Handle Staying at Home from US Catholic
• Ten Guideposts for Christians in the time of the Coronavirus Pandemic from Archbishop Vigneron of Detroit.
• Building Developmental Relationships during the Covid-19 Crisis from the Search Institute

en Español

• Navegando con fe el coronavirus con sus hijos from The Pastoral Center
• Como lavarse las manos al estilo Católico from the Diocese of Dallas

Vietnamese

• How to Handwash - Catholic Style (Vietnamese) from the Diocese of Dallas

 

 

Vibrant Faith @ Home is an ecumenical resource from Vibrant Faith that offers family resources that can be used either in the home or in gathered faith formation sessions.  


 

Catholic Family Faith is curated by Faith Formation leaders from across the country to help catechists and ministry leaders accompany parents and families in faith.








vCat (Video Catechism) is a ministry and resource of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and Outside da Box.  It offers videos and discussion guides for the Four Pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  While designed specifically for teens, this resource can be used by entire families.




Loyola Press shares a wealth of resources and ideas on its Family, Fun and Faith page.  They also have articles about various aspects of our faith on their Our Catholic Faith page.


The Leadership Institute of the Diocese of Bridgeport offers three resources for families:  

• Family Bible Challenge
• Catequizem
• Family Movie Night

• Parents:  vocations2020
• Students:  vocation2love

 



Liturgy Training Publications has a whole host of resources for prayer and formation and has made many of them available during this time.  These resources include:
 

• At Home with the Word
• Celebrating Sundays for Catholic Families
• Children's Daily Prayer
• Daily Prayer
• The Living Word: Sunday Gospel Reflections and Actions for Teens

en Español
 

• Oración para el Domingo 
• Las familias Catholicas celebrant el domingo
• Palabra de Dios

The Pastoral Center has a wealth of information and downloadable resources for faith formation during this time.  Visit their Coronavirus page for resources that include: 
 

• Faithfully Navigating Coronavirus with your Kids
• Navegando con fe el coronavirus con sus hijos
• Faith@Home eResources
• Worship @ Home:  Dynamic Family Liturgy of the Word Services