“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues.”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 2223)
“Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child’s earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God.”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church 2226)
Recognizing that parents are the first and best educators of their children in matters of faith, OLOS works in partnership with families to form the faith of our young parishioners. Our school-aged Faith Formation programs are meant to strengthen and build upon the faith formation that occurs within families.
We know that being a parent can be a daunting task, and we want to support you as you strive to form your child's faith and moral development through example, conversation and activity. The resources suggested below are meant to provide assistance and ideas. Please also feel free to contact Monica LaFond, our Director of Faith Formation, at any point for further support.
The Catechism of The Catholic Church
The Catechism is available electronically via the link above. If you would like a hard copy of the Catechism, contact the OLOS Office of Faith Formation.
The United States Council of Catholic Bishops
The USCCB website includes a full calendar of daily Mass readings for the next year, as well as a wealth of information about everything from the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church to issues the church faces and programs the USCCB offers to address the issues.
Busted Halo
Busted Halo is a unique media resource that utilizes a relevant and accessible voice to help people understand the Catholic faith, put it into practice in their everyday lives, and share it with others. Busted Halo's vision is for a more joyful and meaningful experience of Catholicism that positively impacts people’s lives. Through articles, video, podcasts, radio, and social media, Busted Halo aspires to help Catholics embrace their faith more fully.
Ascension Presents
Ascension Presents is an evangelistic platform bringing entertaining, faith-filled, and dynamic presenters straight to your newsfeed. By providing engaging content for their audience that reflects the good, the true and the beautiful Ascension Presents hopes to bring their hearts closer to Christ. We particularly recommend the short, thought-provoking videos by Fr. Mike Schmitz, which cover topics from "What is Hope and Why do you Need it?" to "Finding Balance in Christian Life."
Essentials of Our Catholic Faith
Stations of the Cross for Children
View an online presentation of the Stations of the Cross for children. Also available in Spanish.
The Seven Last Words
Pray this devotion commemorating each of the Seven Last Words that Jesus spoke from the Cross.
A Child’s Prayer, by M. Bentham-Edwards
God make my life a little light,Feed the Hungry as a Family: Find a container that your family can use to collect money for people who are poor. An empty soup can is a good reminder that some people do not have enough food to eat. If you have young children, give them coins to put in every so often. If your children earn a weekly allowance, suggest that they put in a portion each week. If your children work for a wage, suggest that they put in an amount each time they are paid. And do not forget to make some donations yourself! Your church will likely be able to tell you where you can donate the money. As a family, take the money to your donation site every few months.
Serving with Commitment: A Home Activity about Catholic Social TeachingBe Part of the Solution: Many communities experience problems such as crime, poverty, illiteracy, inadequate health care, and substandard housing. Look through the local newspaper and find a story about a problem in your community. What is the problem? What caused it? What makes it continue? What solutions can you think of? How can you be part of the solution? In what way is your faith a part of the solution?
A Blessing Basket: Prepare a Blessing Basket for the Thanksgiving table. At the conclusion of your Thanksgiving dinner, set this basket in the middle of the table. From then until Christmas, each day add to the basket supplies needed at the local community service agency. Perhaps it is warm socks for children, bars of soap for the homeless shelters. Call the agencies in your community to plan how to fill your family’s Blessing Basket.
Standing with Friends: A Home Activity about Catholic Social TeachingA Week’s Menu: Plan a week’s meal menu as a family. Try to keep your meal budget at $4.45 or less per person per day—the financial allotment provided to families that receive U.S. government food stamps. Think about and pray for those for whom this exercise is an ongoing necessity.
Share your Wealth: As a family, begin a ritual that challenges you to take more responsibility to share your wealth with those in need. For example, every season each family member chooses one article of new clothing to buy, not for yourselves, but for someone else in need. Contact local agencies to find out what the specific needs are. Maybe it’s warm socks or pajamas for children, t-shirts or sweatshirts for adults.
In February, celebrate Black History Month as a family.
Observe Mardi Gras (Tuesday, February 13, 2024) and prepare for Lent. Here are some ideas!
Make Valentine’s Day more than a hallmark holiday. As you plan for Valentine’s Day this year - take a minute to step back from all the hype and craziness. Who doesn’t love candy hearts and charms pops? No one can resist a box of chocolates - but let’s think about why we do this in the first place! Click here for some card and conversation ideas!Take part in Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowl. Plan to pick up your Rice Bowl at the start of Lent and watch for more info about Rice Bowl in the following weeks. Want to learn more about Rice Bowl right now? Check out their family-specific webpage for resources and activity ideas.
February 17th is “Random Acts of Kindness Day.” Celebrate this “random” little holiday by encouraging your kids to share surprise acts of kindness with their teachers, classmates, school custodians, coaches, or others.
