Our Lady of Lourdes

CATECHESIS: THAT IS FAMILY CATECHESIS

The Church's pastoral ministry exists to sustain the work of the Gospel. One way it does this is by nourishing and strengthening lay men and women in their calling and identity as people of faith, as contributors to the life and work of the Church, and as disciples whose mission is to the world. To grow in discipleship throughout life, all believers need and are called to build vibrant parish and diocesan communities of faith and service.

# 3 of Our Hearts Were Burning Inside Us, document of the Catholic Bishops on Adult Faith Formation.

The same document outlines the goals of Christian Formation as:

Most of us when we think of catechesis we think in children / youth terms. It seems that those days are over. There is a growing demand for a more holistic and inclusive approach, that include the whole family. Catechesis is not only something that entails the children rather it concerns the whole family and the whole Parish. We want to proceed in that direction.

Beginning next catechetical season that would be 2019-2020, we would like to maintain a strong Adult Faith Formation Program and a strong Children / Youth Formation program along the following lines of the National Directory for Catechesis:

The New Evangelization is the context for missionary discipleship and begins with the encounter with Jesus. We look to Jesus, the master who personally formed his Apostles and disciples. Christ himself teaches us how to evangelize, how to invite people into communion with him, and how to create a culture of witness: namely, through love, mercy, and joy. Christ gives us the method: “Come and see” (Jn 1:39); Follow me (Mt 9:9); Remain in me (Jn 15:4-6); Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). The words of Christ form the methodology for missionary discipleship that corresponds to:
Come and See — Encounter
Follow Me — Accompany
Remain in Me — Community
Therefore and Make Disciples of All Nations — Send

We want to invite all the Community to walk with us along those lines and stress a couple of points:

  1. Catechesis is both for children / youth and their parents. Parents are to be involved in their children / youth faith formation.
  2. Participating in Sunday Eucharist as the center of our weekly faith life.
  3. Less Community hours with more evangelical meaning.

More details coming up! Stay tuned!

Luis Gerardo, Capuchin

Children / Youth Faith Formation

Please contact our Religious Education Office at (214) 678-0487 for details about your children / youth involvement in learning the Catholic Faith. Remember, after they receive their sacraments of Communion and Confirmation, they are not “done” and need to keep learning about our Catholic Faith.

Youth Group

Come on Sundays at 12:00 noon, to experience Jesus with other kids your age. Fun, Bible, games.

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A)

Adults RCIA Sundays at 12:15 pm
Children RCIA: Sundays at 12:15 pm

For adults today, the Church, after the Second Vatican Council, has restored the order of the Catechumenate in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.). It outlines the steps for the formation of catechumens, bringing their conversion to the faith to a greater maturity. It helps them respond more deeply to God's gracious initiative in their lives and prepares them for union with the Church community. This process is meant to form them into the fullness of the Christian life and to become disciples of Jesus, their teacher. This includes an initiation into the mystery of salvation, the practice of faith, hope, and love, and other virtues in a succession of liturgical rites.

Persons baptized into another Christian church and now seeking full communion with the Catholic Church are also welcomed to participate along with catechumens in the RCIA in the process of learning about the Catholic faith and being formed in that faith. They bring to the process of preparation their prior experience of Christian life and prayer. For a baptized Christian, reception into full communion with the Catholic Church involves reception of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and then a Profession of Faith followed by the celebration of Confirmation and the Eucharist.