Faith formation at St. Paul's is a holistic, comprehensive process. Our efforts are centered on the primacy of Sunday Mass, the Sacraments, our shared prayer, and the Word of God. These are the things that define us as Catholic Christians. These are the places where all of us encounter the Lord Jesus and grow in our relationship with him. These are the things that nurture and nourish faith. They are the essentials. They require the full, deliberate, and active participation of all Baptized Catholics. In essence, the Mass, the Sacraments and the Scriptures are the "School of Faith" for Catholic Christians. It is here that Jesus speaks to us, touches us, feeds us, heals us, and strengthens us. If these are not at the center of every Catholic's life, nothing else makes any sense.
Our faith formation process is intergenerational - it is for all ages. One never "graduates" from faith formation. One never gets to the point where there's nothing left to learn. Faith is relationship. One never "graduates" from the people that one holds most dear. Opportunities are provided for all ages to come together to "celebrate the faith we share."
At St. Paul's we support families in their primary role as sharers of faith. This is grounded in our understanding of the sacraments. Recall that at marriage husband and wife agree to accept children lovingly from God, and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church. At baptism, parents accept the responsibility of training their children in the practice of the faith, to be the first and best teachers of their children. It is always a parish's job to support this primary ministry of parents, never to take their place in that ministry.
In the Catechetical Process(the process of handing on the faith), the Church teaches that experience is primary. Experience must always precede the message, in order for the message to be integrated into life. This is true because faith is not simply information. Faith isn't even primarily information. Faith is a relationship. It is being with Jesus, who as Catholic Christians know, is most present to us in the Mass, in the Sacraments, in the Scriptures, and in his body, the Church. The surest way to grow in faith is to keep the relationship alive....to keep in touch with Jesus, in his Word, in his Sacraments, in his Church. It means we are people of prayer. Because faith is rooted, not in information, but in relationship, everyone has equal access.
Essential to faith formation is joining with the community for worship. In worship we hear God's Word, in worship we celebrate the Sacraments. We have to be here - Sunday Mass for everyone, every Sunday, and Sacramental celebrations, Liturgy of the Hours, Prayer Services, Services of Blessings at different times on our faith journey - if we are to be formed in faith.
The centrality of Scripture is also emphasized in our faith formation process. After all, the Lectionary, the Church's format of proclaiming the Word at Mass, is the "Textbook" of the Catholic Church.
Another essential component of our faith formation efforts here at St. Paul's is the Church Calendar, the Liturgical Year. Over the centuries the Christian Calendar developed as a direct response to the catechetical needs of the Faithful. It is, you might say, the Church's lesson plan. In keeping the cycle of Christian feasts and seasons we will find that it "keeps" us - it gives us our identity as Catholic Christians.
It is our philosophy that in returning to the basics - Mass, Sacraments, Scriptures, the Church Calendar - we are really coming back to Jesus. May the Holy Spirit bless us abundantly as we continue our journey of faith together, Celebrating the Faith we Share.
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