Family Faith Formation

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"The witness of Christian life given by parents in the family comes to children with tenderness and parental respect. Children thus perceive and joyously live the closeness of God and of Jesus made manifest by their parents in such a way that this first Christian experience frequently leaves decisive traces which last throughout life. This childhood religious awakening which takes place in the family is irreplaceable... Indeed, 'family catechesis precedes…accompanies and enriches all forms of catechesis'."

- General Directory for Catechesis, no. 226

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Recognizing the irreplacable role parents play in the spiritual and religious formation of their children, many parishes are integrating family-based formation methods in their religious education programs. Contact the Office of Catechesis for additional information on beginning family formation in your parish.

• Christ Our Life Family Catechesis (Loyola Press)
• A Family of Faith (Sophia Institute)
• Family Formation (FamilyFormation.net)
• Strong Catholic Families, Strong Catholic Youth (NFCYM)

• The Catholic Catalogue: A Field Guide to the Daily Acts That Make Up a Catholic Life by Melissa Musick and Anna Keating (Image, 2016)
• A Catholic Parent’s Tool Box; Raising Healthy Families in the 21st Century by Joseph D. White, PhD. (Our Sunday Visitor, 2014)
• Family, the Church, and the Real World (Ligouri, 2015)
• Keep Your Kids Catholic: Sharing Your Faith and Making It Stick by Marc Cardaronella (Ave Maria Press, 2016)
• "A Report on American Catholic Religious Parenting" by Justin Bartkus and Christian Smith (University of Notre Dame, 2017)
• "The Spiritual Life: A Eucharistic Spirituality for the Family" by Owen Vyner (The Catechetical Review, April-June 2018)
• Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids by Kara E. Powell (Zondervan, 2011)
• The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch (Baker Academic, 2017)
• Where Two or Three Are Gathered: Christian Families As Domestic Churches by Florence Coffrey Bourg (University of Notre Dame Press, 2004)