Family Formation

The mission of Family Formation is to help parents respond to the Church's call to be "the first and foremost educators of their children."*

Our purpose is to aid families as they grow in their love and knowledge of the Catholic Faith.

What is Family Formation?

Family Formation is a unique family catechesis program which supports parents in their role as the primary educators of their children in the Catholic Faith. Family Formation is a tried-and-true curriculum developed more than 20 years ago by regular parents who were searching for a better option than was available at the time.

The materials are engaging, down-to-earth, and easy to understand. With the help of games, quizzes, stories, and music, the lessons transmit solid Catholic teaching and bring the Faith to life within the family. Since it's beginning in 1988, Family Formation has grown to serve thousands of families all across the United States, Canada, and beyond.

Why Family Formation?

A careful reading through the documents of the Catholic Church quickly reveals the Church's great expectations for the family.

The family is a domestic church.

It is so because it is in the family that the Truths of the Faith are taught and lived on a day-to-day basis.

The right and duty of parents to give education is essential... original and primary... and it is irreplaceable and incapable of being entirely delegated to others.

As a Church, we recognize our ineffectiveness in catechizing children if their parents are not involved in the process. Through Family Formation, parents are evangelized and come to understand what the Church is asking of them. By giving them support and encouragement in their mission, we are responding to the Church's call.

In a nutshell, this is the goal of Family Formation. The adult formation sessions teach and encourage parents and provide them with the tools to share the Good News and the beauty of the Catholic Faith with their children.

How Does Family Formation Work?

In the Home - At the heart of Family Formation is the domestic church. Weekly Home Lessons provide the backbone for children's spiritual formation and cover the major principles of the Catholic Faith.

Blessed John Paul II said, "Families become who you are." The teachings in the Home Lessons help families become the domestic churches they are called to be. By devoting approximately one hour per week throughout the school year, fully incorporating the Catholic Faith will soon become a way of life.

Lessons include hands-on activities for the whole family, memory verses, audio CDs, stories, games, and booklets to aid families in developing traditions that integrate the liturgical seasons of the Church.

In a Parish where Family Formation is utilized, families gather together once a month. Using the Classroom Lessons, trained catechists teach the children in grade-level classrooms while parents attend an adult teaching on the same topic. Parents are then provided all of the Home Lesson materials they will need for the rest of the month to teach the Faith to their family.