Dear Pastoral Assistants of Faith Formation and Catechists,

We have reached the last month of 2024 and reviewing our journey, we realize the great blessings we received during this year:

We began our processes and programs, and, in many parishes, we saw the steady growth due to the Partners in the Gospel process in which we now serve the parishes of our new family.
Our Lifelong Formation department offered ongoing formation classes in several parishes, including bilingual workshops, a young adult retreat, and the Catholic Youth Convention.
We offered both an online and an in-person training on the new translation of the OCIA manual.
15 couples attended the Betrothed Retreat, in which couples who are preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony have enriched their relationship and are prepared for this new stage of their lives. The group of participants reflected our intercultural richness of the Church in our archdiocese. We are grateful for the support of Gwuinifer and Tim Carradine who joined the team, and we are praying for the eternal rest of Debra Ricard's father who facilitated these retreats in the past.

We are preparing to welcome the new year 2025 with all its blessings, challenges and new opportunities. You are our greatest treasure and for that, we wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Thank you so much for your ministry and service. May God be born in your heart.

Carlos Carrillo

Director of Lifelong Formation Department

FAITH FORMATION NEWS

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Formation Course

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a Montessori-based faith formation experience in which children and adults listen to God together in a retreat-like setting called the Atrium. The Sheepfold, a local consortium of communities offering CGS to families, is offering an 11-month faith formation course for adults to learn how to offer CGS to children ages 3-6. This will equip an adult to serve as a catechist in a Level I Atrium. This adult formation is offered in person on 13 weekend days during the 2025 calendar year at different sites in Western Washington. For more details and to register click here. For more information about this method of faith formation click here.

To talk to someone about how to take next steps in considering this ministry for your community contact the Sheepfold Host (ewebb.sheepfold@gmail.com).

Formation begins January 11 & 12, 2025.

It takes a Parish: Assembling your Catechumenate Dream Team

"Who do you need on your team for catechumenate ministry? That’s what we’re going to discuss in week two of the speaker series, “Building Blocks of the Catechumenate.” While the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults itself never uses the word “team,” anyone who has ever worked in this ministry knows it’s impossible to do it alone.

Sometimes we can get caught up in trying to recruit individual team members, and we overlook the primary team member: the parish community. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults states, “The People of God…should always realize and show that the Initiation of adults is its own concern and a matter for all the baptized…. [They] must therefore help others throughout the course of their Initiation” (OCIA 9).

Seekers learn to live the Christian life by observing the parish community, following their examples, and imitating their behavior. Catechumenate teams should integrate seekers into the fabric of parish life to give them a hands-on apprenticeship in Christian living." (TeamInitiation.com).

Don't forget these important dates regarding the new manual:

December 1, 2024 - Order of Christian Initiation of Adults texts may be used

March 05, 2025 - Order of Christian Initiation of Adults texts must be used

SAVE THE DATE

CHRISM MASS: Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 7:00PM at St. James Cathedral

PAFF Support and Christian Initiation/OCIA Support Meetings

PAFF Support

Please see below for the dates for the PAFF Support meetings. Anyone working in Faith Formation can join these meetings to network, share ideas, ask questions or just visit with others working in faith formation. Meetings are at 12:00 noon.

No meeting in December

January 14, 2025

February 11, 2025

March 11, 2025

April 8, 2025

May 13, 2025

June 11, 2025 (Wednesday)

CLICK HERE TO JOIN

Passcode: 471593

OCIA Support

Parish staff working in OCIA can share good practices, ideas to improve current processes, suggestions in how to deal with difficult circumstances, and ideas to celebrate the Rites. Meetings are at 12:00 noon.

No meeting in December

January 21, 2025

February 18, 2025

March 18, 2025

April 15, 2025

May 20, 2025

June 17, 2025

CLICK HERE TO JOIN

Passcode: 589327

Archdiocesan Children's Prayer Book

If you would like to order printed copies for your programs, please fill out order form.

Credit card payments can be taken at time of ordering or you can choose to pay later (send check or be billed - parish only).
Order form is available online so you can refer parents/guardians to visit the webpage and order directly.
Spanish/English & Vietnamese/English are available online only.
Contact Lisa Hillyard with any questions.

ORDER FORM

(For printed copies)

Confirmation Retreat Dates

Confirmation retreat dates and locations have been set! Please fill out the parish interest form if you are interested in bringing your Confirmation youth to a retreat. Dates and locations are below. Find more information in the interest form. Dates that still have room are listed below.

March 22nd at St. Frances Cabrini, Lakewood

May 3rd at St. Nicholas, Gig Harbor

May 10th at Mary, Queen of Peace, Sammamish (NEW DATE!)

Catechetical Certification Program 2024-2025

The Archdiocese of Seattle is offering this 6-to 8-month program to learn both the "what" and the "how" of authentically passing on the treasures of our Catholic faith. This program includes a series of classes presenting the Tasks of Catechesis and Methodology, along with a series of online videos from the Augustine Institute's Symbolon program, whose content provides elements of how to know and live the Catholic faith.

Online cohort begins January 1

REQUIREMENTS

REGISTRATION

INFORMATION

MARRIAGE & FAMILY LIFE

At Home with Faith

UPDATE - The At Home with Faith newsletter will once again be sent out separately outside of the Faith Formation newsletter. Please watch for more information to come about how to receive and share the newsletter going forward.

Retreat-Betrothed_AOS-E1-1440x550_April image

Betrothed Marriage Preparation Retreat

The Betrothed retreat invites couples to prepare for a joyful, lifelong marriage. Blending hands-on learning of practical life skills with excellent catechesis, this marriage-prep retreat is designed to impact on the quality of a couples’ communication, conflict resolution, and shared sense of mission. Completion of this retreat fulfills the requirements of marriage preparation for the Archdiocese of Seattle.

February 2025

LITURGICAL CALENDAR

Be sure to check the Liturgical Calendar pages in both En glish and Spanish. These pages will contain who and what the Church celebrates specifically in the month of DECEMBER.

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.