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Faith Formation Orientation & Registration

- Faith Formation

Introduction--Please read!

Hello families! As you can imagine, the current public health situation has presented us with some challenges as to how to go about Faith Formation this year. In addition, we always think through helpful feedback to consider the things that went well last year and the things where there's opportunity for improvement. Taking all this into consideration, we have come up with a plan that we hope will be beneficial as you continue your own lifelong journey of learning and spiritual growth, as well as equip you to practice and live out our Catholic faith at home in the family.

This year Faith Formation will coincide with the regular lived practices that you incorporate into the spiritual life of your family (going to Mass weekly, praying together and discussing the faith together, etc). We hope that this at the same time easy on busy schedules, deep, challenging, and spiritually rewarding.

In lieu of the complications associated with having a large-group orientation and registation gathering, please register below, including reading all of the explanations and expectations. If you have any questions at all, email ben@berlingorhamcatholics.org or call the office!

See you soon!
New Format:

Our format this year will consist of roughly TWO important components per month: Catechesis Sunday, and another spiritual activity or liturgical event. Please note: there will not be any group classes.

Catechesis Sunday:

Mass attendance is expected on every weekend. However, once a month will be Catechesis Sunday where the homily will be directed at family catechesis, and all families will receive a small packet of age-appropriate materials to incorporate into your faith life at home that month. You may attend whichever parish Mass best suits your schedule that weekend! Please plan ahead.

---Note regarding Mass attendance: During this time of pandemic, any activities by any family member outside of strict quarantine introduce risk of infection. If your family is observing quarantine (i.e. not participating in sports or other extracurricular activities, not going to restaurants, etc) please let us know immediately so that we can discuss options with you. We strongly ask any parishioner experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, diarrhea, etc to stay home from Mass. Illness, or having other health conditions that place a person at high risk of infection are excusable circumstances from one's Sunday obligation. For those who are not quarantining (the vast majority of us), please exercise prudence and caution for the sake of others when you are in public, including at Mass: wear a mask, observe 6 ft of distance between yourself and non-family, etc. At our parish Masses, a number of measures have been taken inside and outside the liturgy to ensure that attending Mass is as safe as possible. Thankfully we are blessed that our diocese has not had any incidences of transmission related to Mass or receiving Communion.

As for questions regarding the reception of Holy Communion, extra precautions and procedures are in place for clergy and communicants. If you'd like details about any of this, let me know. If for any reason you would prefer not to receive Communion at Mass during this time, that is perfectly acceptable. Church law specifies that while attendance at Mass is a joyful obligation for Catholics every week, receiving Holy Communion is only required once per year.

Spiritual activities and/or Liturgical Event:
In addition to Mass attendance and using the Faith Formation packets in your home faith life, all families will be asked to participate in an activity that will be different each month. You can see our schedule through the end of the year to get an idea of what these things will be. Again, these will always be things that should be easy to fit into busy schedules, as there will often be flexibility on when and how they are done.

High School Youth Group:
We have seen and heard from many of the high schoolers invovled in recent years that being able to meet together on a separate night dedicated to youth group both produced the most fruit, and was the most fun. Therefore, our goal is to go back to that this year in a way that makes sense with COVID regulations. Families with high school students will be sent information about this directly!
~2020 Schedule~

November

Catechesis Sunday: Nov. 1 (any of our 5 weekend parish Masses, including Saturday 4pm or 6pm which would technically be Oct 31)

Activity: Prayers for the dead.
For the Feast of All Souls (or any time this week), create a small "ofrenda," a prayer table containing images of loved ones who have passed away, and objects or handmade items that remind you of them. Share stories with one another about these loved ones and what made them special, in particular things they taught you about the Faith (especially if there are younger family members who never met or don't remember them). The purpose of this is to remind ourselves of the people God has placed in our lives, to reflect on the gifts and complex struggles of life, and to remember our duty to pray for the dead. Take some time as often as you can this month to kneel at your ofrenda and speak to Jesus, praying for the repose of their souls and thanking him for allowing you to experience His love through them.

Attend one of the cemetery prayer times Nov 7 or 8 for this powerful Work of Mercy. If you have a loved one buried in one of the cemeteries, bring a photo from your ofrenda.
Prayers at each cemetery begin at 3pm:
Nov 7: Mount Calvary Cemetery (Berlin), Holy Family Cemetery (Gorham)
Nov 8: Calvary Cemetery (Berlin), St. Kieran Cemetery (Berlin), St Anne Cemetery (Berlin)

******Nov 6: Youth event—high schoolers and recent graduates!*******
7pm @ Holy Family.
We will begin with a holy hour of Eucharistic adoration and music, then walk to the cemetery to pray for the dead. We will come back to hang out by the bonfire until whenever!

*************************************

December

Catechesis Sunday: Nov. 29 (since this is the first day of Advent! Again, families may attend any of the 5 parish Masses that weekend, including the Saturday 4pm or 6pm on Nov 28)

Activity: Advent and Christmas traditions
The special event this month will be Christmas Caroling (date TBD)!
Other fun things to look for in your packets will be traditions like the Advent calendar, Christmas tree decorating, Nativity creche, making plum/fig pudding, and Bambino Sunday.

**********************************
January
Catechesis Sunday: Jan 10 (or 9)
Activity: TBD
Registration! You made it!

It has been our goal over the last several years to really connect Faith Formation to the most crucial space in our spiritual development: the home. With that goal at the forefront, we have seen and heard from so many families that Our Lord really does step in when we are open, ready to learn, and willing to be challenged in reorienting our lifestyles to let Him become the center. It has been beautiful (and fun!) to see families coming together to learn, to serve, and to grow.

This goal and the rewarding challenges it presents very much remain front and center in the way we are going to do things this year. It will certainly place much more emphasis and much more responsibility on you--the parents and guardians--to continue to come alongisde the children you are signing up and accompany them on the journey they are on; understanding that we all have so much still to learn, and that we should all be seeking to have the simplicity of faith and desire for God that children have. Follow their example!

With all that in mind, I want to restate the three focalpoints and goals of our parish program: 1) Weekly Mass attendance, 2) Incorporation of the Faith into home life, 3) Consistent involvement in Faith Formation

We will continue to strive for these three goals together and continue to unpack why they are so critical in the life of every Catholic.
The maximum number of form submissions has been reached. This form is currently not available.
- By choosing to be a part of Faith Formation, we all set these goals as priorities in our lives for our own growth and for the benefit the whole Body of Christ. Please indicate your willingness to set the above 3 goals in your home by listing them below: REQUIRED Please fill out this field.
- What ways of equpping or supporting your family in achieving these spiritual goals would helpful to you? REQUIRED
  Select all that would be helpful for you
  Periodic one-on-one check-ins Parent formation opportunities to learn more about Church teaching, the Bible, etc. Mass and Holy Day reminders Service opportunity information Practical ideas on how to make the Faith an active part of the household Social opportunities to spend time with other Catholic parents Please fill out this field.
- Studies of Catholic life continue to show that only 1% of children and teens who receive Sacraments remain practicing Catholics after college if they did not grow up with weekly Mass attendance, a faith life in the home, and parish involvement.
- What's the most helpful way for us to keep one another accountable in following through with these goals for Faith Formation? REQUIRED Please fill out this field.
- We hope that having to forego group classes may be a blessing in disguise! As much as we love being able to all gather together for food, fellowship, and learning together, it does present the opportunity to focus on where the rubber meets the road: Our role as parents to be--as the Catechism puts it--the primary catechists in the lives of our children.
  
  Far more than just listening to what we say, our children watch what we do.
  
  For 2000 years the communal liturgy (i.e. Mass) has been the lifeblood of Catholic life and worship. Given that the law of the Church is for every Catholic to attend Mass on every Sunday and Holy Day (barring illness, impassable weather, etc), this is both our goal and expectation for Faith Formation families. For many of us, this can be a difficult goal to achieve! However, the benefits are extraodinary if we strive for that goal out of pure love for God, and do so in conjunction with seeking to be more like Jesus in all of our thoughts and actions.
  
  We also strive to express our faith and love for God through love of neighbor by serving their material needs as well as their spiritual needs. You can learn more about service opportunities and the 14 Works of Mercy by clicking here!
- What is an area of service in the parish or broader community that you or your family would be interested in being involved in? Or, what is a new area of ministry that you are passionate about and would be interested in spearheading?
- Finally, a note for those children preparing to receive Sacraments:
  
  Confession can be received as early as the end of 2nd grade (after 1 year of preparation).
  Confirmation & Holy Communion are received together as early as the end of 3rd grade (after 2 years of prepartation). [For older students who received Holy Communion separately as children, Confirmation may be received on its own after 2 years of preparation.]
  
  If you or any of your children have not been baptized and would like to learn more about that, let Ben know!
- Child 1 Name, Entering School Grade REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
- Child 1 Special Circumstances (if any) Please enter valid data.
- Child 1 Sacraments Received (check all that apply) REQUIRED None Unsure Baptism Confession Confirmation Holy Communion Please fill out this field.
- Child 2 Name, Entering School Grade Please enter valid data.
- Child 2 Special Circumstances (if any) Please enter valid data.
- Child 2 Sacraments Received (check all that apply) None Unsure Baptism Confession Confirmation Holy Communion
- Child 3 Name, Entering School Grade Please enter valid data.
- Child 3 Special Circumstances (if any) Please enter valid data.
- Child 3 Sacraments Received (check all that apply) None Unsure Baptism Confession Confirmation Holy Communion
- Child 4 Name, Entering School Grade Please enter valid data.
- Child 4 Special Circumstances (if any) Please enter valid data.
- Child 4 Sacraments Received (check all that apply) None Unsure Baptism Confession Confirmation Holy Communion
- Child 5 Name, Entering School Grade Please enter valid data.
- Child 5 Special Circumstances (if any) Please enter valid data.
- Child 5 Sacraments Received (check all that apply) None Unsure Baptism Confession Confirmation Holy Communion
- Based on feedback that email is not the ideal form of communication for most parents, you will receive periodic text messages (only when necessary!) with important updates, so please make sure you enter the correct phone number for all parents and/or guardians who will need to know information pertaining to Faith Formation. For those who do prefer email, you'll still receive it that way too.
- Parent 1 Name REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
- Parent 1 Email REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter an email address.
- Parent 1 Cell phone REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
- Parent 1 Mailing Address REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
- City REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter valid data.
  
  State REQUIRED Please fill out this field.
  
  Zip REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter a zip code.
- Parent 1 Sacraments Received (check all that apply) REQUIRED None Unsure Baptism Confirmation Holy Communion Please fill out this field.
- Parent 2 Name [if applicable] Please enter valid data.
- Parent 2 Email Please enter an email address.
- Parent 2 Cell phone Please enter valid data.
- Parent 2 Mailing Address Please enter valid data.
- City Please enter valid data.
  
  State
  
  Zip Please enter a zip code.
- Parent 2 Sacraments Received (check all that apply) None Unsure Baptism Confirmation Holy Communion
- Name of Guardian attending faith formation with child(ren) [if applicable] Please enter valid data.
- Guardian Email Please enter an email address.
- Guardian Cell phone Please enter valid data.
- Guardian Mailing Address Please enter valid data.
- City Please enter valid data.
  
  State
  
  Zip Please enter a zip code.
- Guardian Sacraments Received (check all that apply) None Unsure Baptism Confirmation Holy Communion
- Was your family invovled in faith formation last year? REQUIRED Yes No Please fill out this field.
- Current Faith Formation schedule is available by clicking here.
  Bookmark this page; we'll keep it updated as the year moves on!
- Any further questions, comments, or concerns, Ben Robertson (Director of Faith Formation) can be reached at:
  
  603-752-2880
  ben@berlingorhamcatholics.org
- THANK YOU for registering your family! We look forward to growing in love of Jesus Christ together!
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Current Faith Formation schedule is available by clicking here.

Good Shepherd & Holy Family Parishes

Berlin & Gorham, New Hampshire

Faith Formation Orientation & Registration

Introduction--Please read!

New Format:

~2020 Schedule~

Registration! You made it!