Centering Faith in the Home

Background Article

The Church teaches that parents have an essential role in the faith formation of their children. This role is so crucial that the Church refers to the parents as the primary educators of their children.

Parents are the ones who must create a family atmosphere animated by love and respect for God and man, in which the well-rounded personal and social education of children is fostered. Hence the family is the first school of the social virtues that every society needs. It is particularly in the Christian family, enriched by the grace and office of the sacrament of matrimony, that children should be taught from their early years to have a knowledge of God according to the faith received in Baptism, to worship Him, and to love their neighbor.

Second Vatican Council, Gravissimum Educationis (Declaration on Christian Education), 3

In many parishes, children celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time in the Second Grade. If your parish is one of these, keep in mind that this is a critical time to involve parents and other family members. Together work toward centering the preparation for these sacraments in the home. As parents gain confidence in introducing their children to the Sacraments and sharing their faith with them, they will be proud of their role and see it as rightfully theirs. Parents will also appreciate the roles of the catechist and parish community in sustaining and supporting their family in the Catholic faith.

  • How I do involve the parents and family in the faith formation of their children?
  • How can I help parents see themselves as the “primary educators” of their children, especially in regards to the faith formation of their children?

Links
CST 101 | Call to Family, Community, and Participation

From Catholic Relief Services YouTube

Photo by mayrpamintuan

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