Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that to be a Christian means to be in communion with the Living God who revealed Himself to us most fully when He became a human person--Jesus Christ. It's a lived relationship with the God who loves us, which is precisely what we mean when we use the word "Communion."

The Catholic Faith is a lifestyle, a culture, an outlook on the world that sees God's presence constantly at work to redeem and sanctify His children, who are wounded by sin. Being a Catholic is the project of an entire lifetime, throughout which the Catholic learns to grow in holiness and to deepen his/her relationship with Christ by living the faith in the midst of the Church.

As such, the family household is the most essential location of the Catholic Faith. Each Catholic parent's primary duty is to be a spiritual parent who helps shape his/her children in their Catholic identity. The parish community supports, augments, and nourishes this growth, but can never take over the parents' role in being the first/best teachers of the Faith. This is the vocation of the Catholic family.

Worshipping together at Sunday Mass and learning to live their faith in everyday life is the way parents fulfill this vocation and journey with their children to the Kingdom of Heaven. Our vision for Faith Formation is designed to encourage our families to take this journey together, to share their faith with each other, to help each other grow in their vocation, and to discover together the beauty of being Catholic.

The celebration of the Eucharist is the foundation of all faith. St. Michael's faith formation program consists of families attending Mass together every weekend, to hear the word of God, to lift up prayers to our Heavenly Father, and to receive our Lord's Body in Holy Communion.

"The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice.  . . . Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to His Church" (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
 

children preparing to receive first holy communion  or teens preparing to receive confirmation will also be asked to register for a two-year program that will meet every other month. 

please follow the instructions on the registration page to sign your child up if (s)he is making ready to receive either of these sacraments. (a link to the registration page is to the left)