From the Diocesan Office of Religious Education
“The aim of catechesis and faith formation is a personal relationship with God characterized by a sacramental life, a lifelong pattern of prayer, Christian service, and growth in understanding the Catholic faith. All catechesis is to be Christ centered. It is intended to stress that “at the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth” (CT 5).
“The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity” (CT 5).
Imparting a Catholic world view, faith formation seeks to open all adults, youth and children to discovering the beauty and goodness of God through His Word and Sacrament by helping them experience and respond to their world within the Catholic Christian community. It seeks to help all the faithful to strengthen their Catholic identity and, through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, grow and mature in the practice of the Faith, deepen their unity in Christ and live out their call to holiness. ” (Guidelines for Parish Religious Education and Faith Formation programs in the Diocese of Providence)
“The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity” (CT 5).
Imparting a Catholic world view, faith formation seeks to open all adults, youth and children to discovering the beauty and goodness of God through His Word and Sacrament by helping them experience and respond to their world within the Catholic Christian community. It seeks to help all the faithful to strengthen their Catholic identity and, through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, grow and mature in the practice of the Faith, deepen their unity in Christ and live out their call to holiness. ” (Guidelines for Parish Religious Education and Faith Formation programs in the Diocese of Providence)
Vision Statement
In keeping with the Mission Statement from the Office of Religious Education of the Diocese of Providence: We believe that religious education seeks to preach, teach, and give witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith education and faith formation look to understand, live out, and share our beliefs in an on going process.
The Catholic Faith teaches that God communicates his divine life to humanity and invites us into communion with him. We who serve the mission of catechesis “echo” this invitation. We are charged with communicating the Good News proclaimed by Jesus Christ as handed down by his Apostles and their successors. God entrusts us with this mission. Let us trust God and encourage one another to be faithful heralds of the Kingdom.
We believe that sound catechesis:
The Catholic Faith teaches that God communicates his divine life to humanity and invites us into communion with him. We who serve the mission of catechesis “echo” this invitation. We are charged with communicating the Good News proclaimed by Jesus Christ as handed down by his Apostles and their successors. God entrusts us with this mission. Let us trust God and encourage one another to be faithful heralds of the Kingdom.
We believe that sound catechesis:
- Puts people in relationship with Jesus Christ
- Initiates people into the mystical body, the Church
- Teaches people how to move in the Gifts and Power of the Holy Spirit
- Leads people of all ages to study and enter into the “mystery of Christ”
- Teaches sacramental living
- Reflects gospel values and Church teachings to encourage discipleship
- Enables the spiritual growth and giftedness of all people
- Is a lifelong, on-going process of evangelization, education, formation and conversion
- Aides the family through opportunities and resources for faith formation and service to others
Philosophy of Religious Education & Faith Formation
The Church has a three-fold mission:
Community:
Because we are part of the Church’s ministry we should strive to be a strong Catholic community united in the conviction that Jesus is Lord. An atmosphere enlivened by the Gospel spirit is dependent upon mutual trust and respect among catechists, students, parents, and all parishioners.
Education:
Because we are an educational community we have the responsibility of creating an environment in which all members can achieve maximum growth as persons. We not only have the responsibility to use every possible resource to facilitate learning and growth in the faith, but also to remove as far as possible obstacles to learning and growth. We must constantly seek ways to improve educational materials and methods. It is, however, primarily within the creation of the Gospel spirit that we can exercise our strongest leadership and have our greatest value to society.
- One, imparting the message of Jesus Christ
- Two, to live out the message of Jesus to advance the building of Christian community by moving and relying on the Holy Spirit
- Three, to show what the Good News is by drawing on its quality and character through life in community and our world. St. Philip’s Religious Education Program draws our goals and purpose from this context and aims to function together as one cooperative community in ministry to the church to achieve these goals
Community:
Because we are part of the Church’s ministry we should strive to be a strong Catholic community united in the conviction that Jesus is Lord. An atmosphere enlivened by the Gospel spirit is dependent upon mutual trust and respect among catechists, students, parents, and all parishioners.
Education:
Because we are an educational community we have the responsibility of creating an environment in which all members can achieve maximum growth as persons. We not only have the responsibility to use every possible resource to facilitate learning and growth in the faith, but also to remove as far as possible obstacles to learning and growth. We must constantly seek ways to improve educational materials and methods. It is, however, primarily within the creation of the Gospel spirit that we can exercise our strongest leadership and have our greatest value to society.
Prayer:
Because we are a faith community, the development of a spirit of prayer and the love we experience from the sacramental relationship with Jesus is basic to our existence. Faith is strengthened through community in the Spirit. We not only affirm that Jesus is God, but publicly proclaim it by the sacramental life we live.
Because we are a faith community, the development of a spirit of prayer and the love we experience from the sacramental relationship with Jesus is basic to our existence. Faith is strengthened through community in the Spirit. We not only affirm that Jesus is God, but publicly proclaim it by the sacramental life we live.
Service:
Because prayer calls us to action, we by our very nature are committed to service. We seek to provide important leadership by devoting our efforts to the needs of others in our own community and in the fostering of social consciousness and world-mindedness. This “service” should not be confused with the idea of doing some “thing” but rather in sharing our personal faith - the God within us - and following the examples of Jesus.
Because prayer calls us to action, we by our very nature are committed to service. We seek to provide important leadership by devoting our efforts to the needs of others in our own community and in the fostering of social consciousness and world-mindedness. This “service” should not be confused with the idea of doing some “thing” but rather in sharing our personal faith - the God within us - and following the examples of Jesus.
The Purpose Of Catechesis
"My Sheep Hear My Voice"
We believe that God, through Jesus in the power of God’s Spirit, speaks to the hearts of all people. We believe that His witnessing and believing people can hear His voice. The process of growth and maturing in faith demands careful attention and guidance. Until each person comes to the understanding of who they are in Christ, no amount of doctrinal information or memorization of facts are adequate to make them responsible and mature Christians.
The ultimate purpose of catechesis is to enable the Word of God to speak to the hearts of every person so that it is heard and believed in through the sharing and supporting of our common vision.
To Achieve The Goals Outlined In Our Philosophy We Have Set These Objectives:
The ultimate purpose of catechesis is to enable the Word of God to speak to the hearts of every person so that it is heard and believed in through the sharing and supporting of our common vision.
To Achieve The Goals Outlined In Our Philosophy We Have Set These Objectives:
- To develop in all persons a sense of wonder and awe, a familiarity with prayer and worship. To develop a spirit of love and determination to ever deepen their friendship and walk with Jesus
- To rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to move us into a deeper friendship with Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father
- To provide all persons with essential knowledge of the content of their faith that they may understand what it means to be a Catholic Christian
- To enable all persons to deepen their experience of, to better understand, and to more fully participate in the Sacraments of Initiation and Healing
- To enable each person to move in the Gifts and Power of the Holy Spirit
- To allow the Holy Spirit to move like a mighty wind within us, guiding us by the fire of His love
- To assist all persons in the formation of conscience and to establish Christian values that will foster Christian living
- To foster a love of the Word of God and an ease in using Scripture for prayer and direction in daily living
- To introduce to all persons the concept of community and the Christian dimension of spreading the love of Jesus (Evangelization)
- To allow all persons to experience Christian service and involvement through participation in the family, the parish, and the world community
