Whole Family Catechesis is a vision of faith formation that is rooted in the documents of Vatican II,
the General Directory for Catechesis, and other catechetical documents. It promotes faith formation as an ongoing and
lifelong process that can be greatly supported by intergenerational learning and interaction.
Through
developing opportunities for faith sharing, building households of faith, reflecting on why and how we gather, and promoting
active service and outreach, all members of the community of faith are supported in their own faith formation and are invited
to reclaim their personal and collective role in the formation of all other members of the community.
SUPPORTING THE WHOLE FAMILY OF FAITH
Six Principles of Whole
Family Catechesis
+ Catechesis is more than religious instruction - it is about conversion. The documents
of the Church remind us that the aim of catechesis is to bring people into communion with Jesus Christ. Fostering ongoing
conversion is essential to the catechetical process and supports the growing faith of everyone in the community.
+
Faith formation is ongoing and lifelong. Faith formation is not an event that only occurs within childhood and concludes
with Confirmation. The process of faith formation is one that takes place at every stage of life.
+
Faith sharing is at the heart of the catechetical process. Faith sharing is an essential way members of the community
learn from and catechize one another. Whole community catechesis encourages faith sharing in a wide variety of settings.
+ Faith must first be supported where it is lived - in strong households of faith. Faith is lived
outside of parish buildings. The whole community vision emphasizes the importance of faith development in the home.
It embraces all households of faith and seeks to enrich the informal catechesis that naturally occurs there as household members
share their values and their vision of faith with one another. The parish must become a resource for these households
and help all people integrate faith and life. The parish will only be as strong as its individual households.
+ The way in which the community gathers is, by nature, catechetical and supports catechesis. From
Sunday liturgies to workshops, from intergenerational catechetical assemblies to graded-level classrooms, gathering is central
to who we are as Catholics. Therefore it is important to pay particular attention to who gathers and to the many different
ways gatherings occur, for both are moments of catechesis.
+ The whole community catechizes
and is catechized by the ministry of service. Outreach, service, and a commitment to justice are all forms of catechesis.
By exploring opportunities for service and infusing all programs and gatherings with a vision for the social ministry of the
Church, the parish community can better catechize and evangelize others as well as itself.
