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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.
Pastor:
Rev. Fr. Clifford J. Cabral
Rev. Deacon Anthony E.
Muscatellli, Assistant
Pauline Prew, Faith
Formation Coordinator
Jan Galipeau, Faith
Formation
Lillian Plouffe, Faith Formation
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