Faith Development FAQ

We, as a parish community, are committed to reducing the spread of COVID-19.  Parish staff are working closely with a COVID-19 Task Force, comprised of parishioners with backgrounds in health care, disease management, and public health.  The following guidelines will be enforced during onsite Faith Development formation sessions and events: 

All participants will: 

• be required to wear a self-provided mask while onsite (over the age of 2 years old) 

• use hand sanitizer upon entering the building, and will be encouraged to utilize sanitizer or wash their hands frequently during events 

• be subject to temperature checks prior to entering church building; if a family member has a temperature of 100.1 or higher, your entire family will be directed to return home and an alternative way of receiving the materials will be provided by staff 

• be spaced 6 feet apart; family units will remain at assigned tables, and tables will be appropriately distanced between family units 

• be self-aware of symptoms, and NOT attend onsite events should you present with any symptoms. (please review symptoms graphic HERE) *remember, if you are not well enough to attend school that day/week, you should not attend in-person Faith Formation gatherings.  

Event and Facilities Management: 

• Meals or Snacks offered during formation events will be pre-packaged and disposable plasticware will be provided 

• All areas utilized, including tables, chairs, pews, door handles, restrooms etc., will be sanitized with approved solutions before and after sessions 

• Personnel will retain an attendance record for each session for contact tracing purposes  

Supply Management: 

• For one-time use supplies (construction paper, worksheets etc.), these items will be handled by staff or catechists and given to child/adults when appropriate.  Children and parents will be encouraged to take home all paper resources after their session.  Others not used during the session will be recycled. 

• For art supplies (glue, crayons, markers, tape), and writing utensils (pens, pencils), family kits will be created and placed on tables prior to family's arrival.  Families may only use the items in their own kit, minimizing cross-use of tangible supplies.  These kits will be stored at church for use every month.   

• For at-home family formation, some supplies will be included in your monthly kit, but it is encouraged that you create your own art supplies collection based on what your family needs. 

Protocols for events will be carefully monitored as recommendations from local government, the Diocese of Raleigh, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) evolve.  

Yes, this model is designed for the primary formation to take place in the home, with reinforcement for both children and adults during the monthly gatherings.  As noted above, the Faith Development Office will be closely monitoring recommendations both government and health organizations, and will make changes to programming as necessary.  In the event of the need to convert to virtual formation only, groups will continue to meet on their designated day using an online platform.  

As Catholics, we believe that parents are called to be “the first and foremost educators of their children” [Gravissimum Educationis, 3]. This is a high and challenging calling, and one that is not meant to be undertaken alone. As a church community, we strive to support the family, and to empower, encourage, and equip parents as they seek to form their children in the truths of the faith. The Family Formation model is designed to do exactly this! As stated on the Family Formation website, “this model provides parents with the tools they need to share the Good News and the beauty of the Catholic Faith with their children and to form them into true disciples of Jesus Christ.” Each month, parents and children gather together with others who are journeying along the same path to receive lessons and materials, share experiences and questions, and pray together.  Visit the Family Formation website to learn more and to view parent testimonials and sample lessons.   

During the monthly group formation session, families will share a meal, an activity, and prayer together, in a socially distanced manner. Then, the parents and children will divide up. Parents will hear from a speaker about the upcoming month’s material, preparing them to guide their children through the material at home over the next few weeks. Children will divide into two sub-groups, K-3 and 4-6, and gather in the hospitality room and fellowship hall areas to review what they’ve learned over the past month with a catechist and assistant catechist.  

At the monthly meeting, families will also pick up a packet with all of the lessons and materials they need for faith development at home during the upcoming weeks.  

This is awesome!  The Faith Development Office will be periodically updating a “playlist” on the Faith Development page on the parish website with resources to dive deeper.  These resources include articles to read, videos to watch, activities to complete, and questions for meaningful conversation.  Additionally, Holy Infant has a subscription to Formed.org with thousands of resources on hundreds of topics.  You can register HERE for FREE. Click on “I belong to a parish or organization” to begin.  

Yes! We are actively encouraging older siblings to participate in the monthly community group formation sessions and to serve as assistant catechists in the children’s sessions. Our youth have incredible gifts to share with everyone, especially, the younger children in our community, and we delight in empowering them to use these gifts in faith formation.  

The monthly community group formation sessions are an essential part of this faith development model. It’s at these meetings that you will receive encouragement from other parents, build and strengthen relationships with fellow parishioners, and grow in your understanding of the month’s material. Children also will have the opportunity to form friendships and to reflect on and deepen their understanding of the faith-related topics of the month. These sessions will be especially important for families with children in the immediate year of Sacrament preparation, and attendance will be taken.  

However, if you are unable to attend, we will make arrangements for you to pick up your monthly packet at another time, and we will provide recordings of the session presentations and additional material in other digital formats.  

We are so glad this has happened!  While we cannot provide the space to meet onsite due to other ministry activities, we most certainly encourage you to consider gathering in other safe manners (I.e. virtually, outdoors at a park/green space etc.)  

First Reconciliation/Eucharist:  

The Family Formation curriculum, through both at-home and community group lessons, provides a rich framework for Sacrament preparation. We will not hold separate monthly meetings for families with children in Sacrament prep. Rather there will be time during each community group session for families with children preparing to celebrate the Sacraments to dialogue and grow together with other families who may have recently made the same journey.  

In addition to the lessons for all families, families with children in the immediate year of preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist will receive materials tailored to their particular journey, including the book We Share in the Eucharist, which has been used in years past. Sacrament prep families will also participate in First Reconciliation and First Eucharist retreats where they will be able to spend time with other families at the same point in their faith journey and practice celebrating the Sacraments together.  

Confirmation Preparation: 

This year, in lieu of separate monthly Confirmation preparation sessions, pertinent topics for formation prior to the celebration of the Sacrament will be covered during small group sessions.  This means that your assigned small group is your preparation for Confirmation!  Preparation for Confirmation remains a 2-year process, typically beginning in 9th grade.  Those in the immediate year of preparation (Year II), will have periodic reflections due, as well as other criteria to participate in before Confirmation.  You can find a complete schedule of due dates, other benchmark criteria (interviews, retreat, parent/teen sessions), and access to paperwork under the Confirmation tab on the parish website.  

As always, it is important remember that participation in youth ministry moves beyond Sacrament preparation.  TYM offers opportunities for faith, fun, fellowship and service that empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today! 

For Sacraments that were postponed in the Spring 2020, families have been contacted via email regarding rescheduling of liturgical celebrations.  

Sacramental celebrations are typically celebrated during the Spring months, with the exception of Reconciliation.  Given that Reconciliation is a private Sacrament, we will address this with families whose children will be receiving this Sacrament individually, should our usual Advent Penance Service be postponed.   

The dates for celebration of First Eucharist, and Confirmation have not been determined at this time. These celebrations are special liturgies, outside of regular Sunday Mass.  The Faith Development Office will work closely with our pastor and the director of Liturgy and music.  Should COVID-19 still be a factor when these celebrations are scheduled, all protocols will be applied, which may also include limiting the number of guests who can attend in-person.   

As noted for all other events, we will carefully monitor any recommendations from local government, the Diocese of Raleigh, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and make adjustments as deemed necessary.   

We 100% agree!  Youth ministry empowers young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today, and draws them into responsible participation in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community.  We do this by fostering total personal and spiritual formation of each person through faith sharing, fellowship, service opportunities, and fun! 

In the age of COVID, the social/fellowship aspect of youth ministry has become more difficult.  However, by abiding by the protocols for minimizing the spread of COVID (see above), we are cultivating an evnironment in which our faith development model can effectively and safely provide opportunities for socialization and faith sharing.   

JYM 

This year, JYM (our middle school youth ministry) will serve only 7th and 8th graders, while Family Formation serves K - 6th.  For our 7th and 8th graders, we will offer both a virtual option and an in-person JYM option. The same topics will be discussed in both formats, so JYM youth will be able to choose which way of meeting they prefer. We will meet twice a month in person and twice a month virtually.   

 1st and 3rd Sunday Afternoons – In-Person JYM (for fewer than 20 people)   

 2nd and 4th Sunday Afternoons – Virtual JYM  

TYM 

Our high school youth ministry program, TYM, will offer a hybrid model with in-person and virtual options for the coming faith development year.  9th through 12th graders will be welcomed into mixed grade small groups either on Wednesday evening, Sunday afternoon or Sunday evening.  These small groups will be comprised of approximately 10-12 teens + 2 Level C youth leaders.  Teams of youth leaders will rotate leading each group, to offer a variety of faith topics and interactions with trusted adult leaders.  

Your teen’s small group will meet twice a month, whether in-person or virtual, dependent on your family’s needs.  Additionally, when we are able to, we will offer an in-person TYM session that will support the capacity for all teens to gather.  These larger sessions will be held the 3rd Sunday evening of each month.  All teens are welcome to participate. 

Many of our community partnership serve vulnerable populations, and at this time our ability to serve in the capacity we have in the past has been suspended.  However, we are always looking for creative and meaningful ways to live out Catholic Social Teachings and engage in Works of Mercy.  The Faith Development Office, in partnership with ministries under the Peace, Justice and Human Concerns commission, will strive to help families make connections to serve vulnerable and marginalized population in our community, while abiding by COVID protocols set forth by Holy Infant and our community partners.