Dear Pastoral Assistants of Faith Formation,

Pope Francis, referring to catechists, offers several phrases that describe this ministry. Below are the most outstanding ones:
 
"The catechist is aware of having received a gift, the gift of faith, and gives it as a gift to others. And this is beautiful. And he doesn't keep his so much percent to himself/herself! Everything he/she receives he gives. It's not a business. It is a pure gift: gift received and gift transmitted. "
 
"Catechist is who guards and nourishes the memory of God; he/she custody it in himself/herself and knows how to awaken it in others."
 
"To be a catechist means to lead to the encounter with Jesus with words and with life, becoming a witness."
 
"To be catechists. Do not work as catechists. You work as a catechist because you like teaching... But if you are not a catechist, it is not worth it! You will not be fruitful. Being a catechist is a vocation."
 
"Although sometimes it can be difficult, you work hard, with a lot of effort, and you do not see the desired results, educating in the faith is beautiful. It is, perhaps, the best inheritance we can leave: faith. To educate in the faith, to make it grow."
 
Let us meditate on these phrases and apply them to our work. Thank you very much for your dedication to promoting the faith in your community.
 
Carlos Carrillo
Director of Faith Formation
FAITH FORMATION NEWS
NEW! Catholic Prayer Book for Children
An updated edition of the Catholic Children's Prayer Book in digital format in English, Spanish and bilingual options will be available soon. It can be downloaded, printed, and used in both parishes and schools. We hope that this new edition will make it more accessible for you and the youth of your parish and school communities! Currently, this project is being delayed due to other big projects but it will resume as soon as the other projects are completed.
Inclusion Ministry Virtual Event: You Are My Friend
Wear your friendliest shirt and join Inclusion Ministry for an hour of fellowship and fun on Zoom!

Saturday, February 26, 2000 from 10:00am - 11:00 am.
Annual Faith Formation Retreat - March 24-25, 2022 at Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way. "Come Away and Rest A While". This retreat will offer a time of rest in Christ through prayer, reflective presentations, and dialogue. Registration information will be available soon. CLICK HERE to learn more
Synod of Synodality 

Pope Francis invites all the baptized around the world to walk together in a global listening process called
This global consultation process will provide guidance to the Church to discern "the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the Gospel" (SG, 4). To learn more about how the Archdiocese of Seattle is participating and how you and your parish can be involved, click here.
Evangelization and Catechesis Mandate - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has new pages in English from the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis. "In these pages you will find a summary of the ongoing work in Evangelization, Catechesis, Stewardship, and World Mission of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. As successors to the Apostles, we bishops continue the work of Evangelization and Catechesis through our episcopal ministry, our witness and our service ". Visit the new webpage.
The following guidelines have been established for Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation programs.


For more information visit the Archdiocese COVID webpage
Confirmation Retreats 2022
We have received information from several parishes selecting preferred dates for the retreats listed below. If you have filled out the survey, you will be contacted directly with next steps and additional information about the retreats shortly.
March 5, 2022 (Middle School at Camp Hamilton)
March 26, 2022 (High School at Camp Hamilton)
April 23, 2022 (Middle School at Camp Hamilton)
We are working on providing a couple Confirmation retreats in the Fall
Stay tuned!
PAFF Support Meetings -
Please join us for our January PAFF support meeting. Please note the dates and join other PAFFs and the Faith Formation staff for networking and collaboration opportunities!
Meeting Dates & Zoom Link
Meeting time: 12:00 noon
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10
June 12
SIX TASKS ~ ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS ~ LITURGICAL CALENDAR
The Presentation of the Lord - February2
St. Agatha - February 5
St. Josephine Bakhita - February 8
The Feast Day of St Josephine Bakhita – the patron saint of victims of modern slavery and human trafficking is celebrated on 8th February. On this day, Catholics are encouraged to pray for all those affected by the crimes of modern slavery and human trafficking, and the people that volunteer and work to eradicate this crime.
Our Lady of Lourdes - February 11
Peter Damian - February 21

Saint Peter Damian's Story Maybe because he was orphaned and had been treated shabbily by one of his brothers, Peter Damian was very good to the poor. It was the ordinary thing for him to have a poor person or two with him at table and he liked to minister personally to their needs.
Chair of St. Peter - February 22
RESOURCES FOR LENT - ASH WEDNESDAY IS MARCH 2ND
FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR ASH WEDNESDAY AND LENT VISIT THE FAITH FORMATION RESOURCE PAGE OR THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SEATTLE LENT PAGE
ONLINE RESOURCES PAGE UPDATES
Be sure to check the Liturgical calendar pages in both English and Spanish. These pages will contain who and what the Church celebrates specifically in the month of February.
Please note: If you receive this newsletter before the beginning of the next month, content on the webpage will not update until the 1st of each month.
FAITH FORMATION IDEAS
Essential Religious Education Concepts
We would like to once again begin to share with you and provide resources for the essential concepts that are covered in religion education curriculum for both parish and schools.

For the month of February we feature Task 4 - Learning to Pray.
Please feel free to use these resources linked below in your lesson planning and use our Faith Formation resource page - each essential concept has a dedicated page of resources for you to share.
TASK 4 - LEARNING TO PRAY - Students experience and engage in Catholic expressions of prayer to deepen their relationship with Gad and the Church.

FORMS OF PRAYER
  • Blessing; Adoration; Petition; Intercession; Thanksgiving; and Praise
EXPRESSIONS OF PRAYER
  • Personal and Shared; Vocal; Singing; and Meditation
OUR FATHER: SUMMARY OF HE GOSPEL
  • Rosary; Stations of the Cross; novenas; Simbang Gabi
PRAYERS WE KNOW BY HEART, EXPERIENCE AND SHARE AT MASS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Catholic Youth Convention - March 12, 2022 at Camp Don Bosco, Carnation. High school youth embark on a day-long experience for an opportunity to encounter God and deepen their understanding and love of our faith. To learn more, click here.

Annual Faith Formation Retreat - March 24-25, 2022 at Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way. "Come Away and Rest A While". This retreat will offer a time of rest in Christ through prayer, reflective presentations, and dialogue.

Annual PAFF Conference - Save the Date: June 2, 2022 at Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way
ARCHDIOCESE OF SEATTLE
Office of Faith Formation