By Mary-Jo McLaughlin
Based on encouraging feedback thus far for the new faith formation curriculum, Andrea Hoisl, director of the Diocesan Office of Faith Events, said she believes, “The Holy Spirit is moving the Diocese in the direction it needs to go regarding life-long faith formation.”
“People seem to be energized by the shared vision that the new curriculum provides,” Hoisl said. It takes the way we have taught children for years, with a focus on prayers and traditions that lay the foundation for our faith and has added an experiential component. “When we focus on content only, we are depriving our young people of the opportunity to start a loving lifelong relationship with God,” she added. “We have been so worried about them knowing ‘all the facts’ that we often times couldn’t fit in the retreat and service experiences that show our young people what faith in action looks like. The new curriculum helps our young people begin a faith journey that they know from day one will last a lifetime. There is no graduation from faith formation. And if we do it right, our young people will spend the rest of their lives exploring the numerous aspects of their deep, rich faith.”
Deacon Frank Hann from St. Luke Parish, Ellington, said, “I like the focus into relational catechesis to Christ instead of plying our youth only with raw teaching.”
Deacon Chris Deskus from St. Philip Church, Ashford, and diocesan director of prison ministry agreed. “I am extremely encouraged to see the entire focus of the faith formation of our young people change,” he said. “The focus from education to formation is to build in our young people a permanent and lifelong bond with God and with God’s Church.”
A key component of the new curriculum is its emphasis on family-based activities to help parents develop a stronger connection to their parishes and to their faith. For Fr. Jeffrey Ellis, parochial vicar at St. Bernard, Rockville and St. Matthew, Tolland, this is critical. He noted, “The modern world and family life has changed so much, so fast, but our catechetical methods have not been able to keep pace with that change. As the family is supposed to be the first school of the faith for our young people, our Church needs families to be involved in the religious formation at the parish if we want to remain a vibrant Church and grow in strength.”
Susan King, director of faith formation for All Saints Church, Somersville, added, “I was especially excited with the idea of inviting parents into the classrooms…to engage in what their child is exploring,” she said. “This gives them the opportunity (outside of attending Mass) to work on their own personal relationship with God and each other alongside their child….to share their own stories of faith formation with the children.”
Kathy D’Amelio, director of faith formation at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Coventry and Storrs, echoed the same sentiment. “Catechists will be sharing real world examples and action to our young people and their families, connecting them so they can take their faith with them on their daily walk through life.”
The new curriculum, which took two years to develop, was designed as a framework whose implementation will look different from parish to parish. It is designed to be implemented over a three-year period and offers flexibility for parishes to accommodate budgets, staffing, resources and facilities. “This is not a ‘cookie cutter’ model that every parish must conform to, but rather a model that welcomes creativity and diversity,” added Hoisl. “No matter what the implementation looks like, the goals and vision are the same – that is the factor that will unify us all.”