Religious Education isn’t just for kids any more!

August, 2011

Dear Family of St. Joseph Parish:

We are now celebrating the seventh year of “Generations of Faith,” our Parish Religious Education Program.  If you have not yet participated or are new to St. Joseph Parish, GOF as we like to call it, brings together parishioners of all ages to learn more and often share what they know about their Catholic faith.  It moves us from a focus on children-only to a life-long faith formation for all ages and generations.  Through sharing a meal and large group presentations and discussion, we look to enhance the sense of community within our entire parish family. 

As you may already be aware, this coming Advent season we will begin responding to a revised translation of the responses we say at Mass.  Some of the wording may be new to you, but these new translations will be in line with responses already being said by our brothers and sisters who speak Spanish, Italian, and other languages of the Catholic community of faith. 

Thus our focus this year will be a study of the Mass and how our participation in this prayer-filled liturgy brings us closer to an understanding of the great gift of grace with which the Mass fills us. In the past some people thought that learning about their faith ended with Confirmation; but there are always questions that need answers and new insights that can be gained by reviewing or learning more about what it means to be a Catholic. This goes for myself as well as our faith formation team.

In a time where sports and other non-spiritual distractions threaten our Christian Catholic faith, it is important that families (parents and all their children) and other parishioners, regardless of their age, come together to take the opportunity to learn more and be able to respond to the questions of your friends and neighbors when they ask you “Why do you attend Mass?”  “Is Jesus body and blood really in the wafer you call Communion?” Or any other questions which give you an opportunity to share our faith. 

GOF meets once a month for seven months from October to April (additional sessions for First Communion and Confirmation preparation) giving you the opportunity to make an informed recommitment to our God-given faith.  A “take home packet” with more family discussion is provided after each session.

Sincerely,

Fr. Clifford Cabral and the Faith Formation Team of

            Pauline Prew, Jan Galipeau, Lillian Plouffe

“They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.”  Acts 2:42

Registration forms are available at the rectory or,
         click here to get an online version.

We ask that you offer prayers for the continued success of our endeavor.  We are confident that this will make us a stronger parish and a closer faith community.