Our Church needs all of us - children, teens and adults - to become lifelong Catholics and members of hers.

Though the COVID-19 epidemic is halting the use of Parish facilities for religious education and faith formation, we will not wait or speculate, but in the contrary, become even stronger in our prayer, in our faith, in our love, in our service and in our peace, ever more authentic “domestic Churches” in which the word of God is received with joy, bears fruit in lives of holiness and love, and shines forth with new brilliance as a beacon of hope for all to see.
 
Starting on Monday, September 14, Corpus Christi will introduce and commence FAMILIES WITH CHRIST, an eight-month program that will involve the whole family in congregational life, online as well as in the church building, to empower parents and grandparents in nurturing and fostering growth in the Catholic faith of children and grandchildren, as well as their own.
 
As parents and grandparents, we are the children’s first catechists, and as such, FAMILIES WITH CHRIST will provide the first catechists the formation in faith and the platform for the realization of deeper comprehension of the words and ideas which guide the Catholic understanding of God.
 
FAMILIES WITH CHRIST was developed strategically and purposely for children, teens and adults to simultaneously cover Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD), Sacramental Preparation for Children (SPC), the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), and Continuous Adult Formation all at the same time.
 
FAMILIES WITH CHRIST precedes, accompanies and enriches all other forms of catechesis, providing the resources for families to live Christian practices at home. However, this Catechism is not simply an instrument to assist the family to become the first school for the formation in faith of the children. The Program was approached methodically to become the key to a deepening of the faith of all members of the family.
 
FAMILIES WITH CHRIST will build-up the confidence and ability of parents and grandparents to share faith and values with their children and grandchildren through the provision of educational curriculum, live and recorded services, resources, support, and encouragement, including, but not limited to:
 
The Apostolate’s Family Catechism
Purpose: To promote an effective catechesis from home.
Where: Online (from home).
When: New material will be introduced every Monday, from Sep/14 to May/2.
 
Family Holy Hour
Purpose: To nurture families’ faith in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
Where: The church building.
When: Every first Friday of the month, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
 
Ask Father Joseph
Purpose: To inspire lively discussions through Q&A sessions.
Where: The church building.
When: Every Wednesday after the reposition of the Blessed Sacrament (6PM)
 
Soul Soldiers
Purpose: To participate in prayers and actions that have indulgences attached to them, and, by God’s grace, apply the plenary indulgence to our faithful departed.
 
Family Love
Purpose: To recognize and support participants through communal felicitations, intercessions, thanksgiving and encouragement.
 
Family Accountability
Purpose: To motivate and sustain high participation levels through feature ranking components and a supportive organism.
 
The Chalice Club, Family Honor, Liturgical Celebrations and Prayer Services on Special Days and Special Occasions.
 
The Parish determined to utilize The Apostolate’s Family Catechism core curriculum as an essential component of FAMILIES WITH CHRIST because of various factors, including the features listed below – an impressive and beautifully presented curriculum commended and endorsed by Saint John Paul II, Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Pope Benedict XVI, among others.
 
Question-and-Answer Format
Explains the truths of the Faith, covering the Creed, Ten Commandments, Sacraments and Prayer. Simple yet profound. Complete and faithful presentation of doctrine. Makes it easy to find the answers to common questions about our faith.

Quotes from Scripture and Second Vatican Council
Scripture quotations enable families to understand and defend their Faith. Vatican II quotations bring Sacred Tradition alive and present extensive Scriptural references.

Quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Papal Documents
Substantial quotations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church lead families deeper into the truth and show them the richness of our faith. Supports the answers on each aspect of the faith. Deepens understanding of Church teachings and helps answer issues and questions of our time. Connects Church teachings with Scripture and Tradition, the basis of our faith. Keeps everyone in the heart of the Church through its cross references with current Papal documents.

Doctrine-Moral-Worship Exercises
Reviews key doctrines. Helps apply doctrines to everyone’s daily lives. Facilitates meaningful participation in personal and public worship. Inspires an ongoing and lifelong faith journey. Inspires lively discussions.  

Prayers
Summarizes and transforms key doctrines into prayer and inspires discussions at home. Brings doctrine from the mind to the heart. Helps develop and deepen our personal relationship with the Holy Trinity.  

In summary,
 
1. All Parish religious education programs for children and adults (CCD, Sacramental Prep, RCIA and others) will be merged into one single program: FAMILIES WITH CHRIST.  

2. All Sacramental Preparation programs will not return to Parish classrooms this calendar year 2020, but will start their preparation on September 14 with their whole family using the FAMILIES WITH CHRIST model. Our goal at the end of this calendar year is to add weekend and/or weekday instruction in a gradual manner, if possible. The Parish will practice safety protocols that we believe will minimize student and adult exposure.  

3. FAMILIES WITH CHRIST empowers families of all ages and sizes, from a one-member household to a large family. Hence, it is for EVERYONE. Corpus Christi encourages every member and nonmember of the Parish to become participants of FAMILIES WITH CHRIST. You do not have to be a student, or a parent, or a Roman Catholic to enroll.  

4. Following the sequence in curriculum of The Apostolate’s Family Catechism, the Parish will introduce a new chapter every Monday for coherence and continuity. Starting online through the Parish website, the subject (chapter) of the week will be correlated and connected to the weekdays and weekend services, liturgical celebrations, activities, broadcasts and other support modules.  

5. FAMILIES WITH CHRIST will feature ranking components to motivate and sustain high participation levels.  

6. FAMILIES WITH CHRIST will provide data reports to families to assist the first catechists (parents and grandparents) assess where intervention and reinforcement is needed for the children as well as for themselves.  

We feel very confident FAMILIES WITH CHRIST will develop effective means of passing on to families the rich deposit of the Church’s faith as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is our hope that the Program will inspire many Christian families to become ever more authentic “domestic Churches” as first schools of faith, bearing fruit in lives of holiness and love, and shining forth with new brilliance as beacons of hope for all to see. The faith-filled witness of Christian families is an essential element in the new evangelization to which the Holy Spirit is calling the Church in our time.
 
With these sentiments, enabling parents to fulfill their primary obligation in teaching their children, we pray that every parent and grandparent will enroll in the FAMILIES WITH CHRIST program so all families may be equipped for their special mission of evangelization that has been proclaimed by Saint John Paul II, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.
  
We will share more details about FAMILIES WITH CHRIST later this week. In the interim, please enroll your whole family at your earliest convenience.