Faith Formation
Faith Formation for Children
Our Children's Faith Formation program (formerly known as CCD) seeks to serve the spiritual and intellectual formation needs of the children of our parish. Formation sessions begin in early September each year, taking place in the Ackles Parish Life Center each Sunday from 11:15am - 12:30pm for ages pre-K through grade 7.
All families with children not enrolled at Saint Joseph Grade School or another Catholic school are encouraged to sign up. Children's Faith Formation is mandatory for those students and families wishing for their children to celebrate the sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation, unless alternative arrangements have been communicated.
The religious formation for our youngest children (ages 3-6) is offered through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which is a Montessori-based approach to faith formation for young children.
To learn more, contact Sean Driscoll, Director of Faith Formation, at
sdriscoll@stjoeparish.com.
Faith Formation for Teens
Saint Joseph Catholic Church is dedicated to helping form our youth into faith-filled young men and women who learn to make God known, loved, and served as they make all the tough choices that come with growing up.
Two youth groups are offered during the academic year, one for middle school and one for high school. Each week, teens grow in faith by exploring the lives of saints through art, games, and small group discussions and prayer. Other highlights will include watching films, mini pilgrimages, saint-themed snacks, small group Masses, and adoration time.
To learn more, contact Fr. David Smith, C.S.C., at
dsmith@stjoeparish.com.
Faith Formation for Adults & Families
God, who is Love, has made us to enjoy divine life in abundance, to share in the very life of God, a communion with the Holy Trinity. Faith, which is a gift from God, is our human response to this divine calling. Our faith is a life-long journey lived in discipleship to Jesus Christ. God calls us to holiness, to community, and to service of God and neighbor in order to draw us deeper into relationship.
At Saint Joseph, we strive to offer prayer, reflective talks, retreats, and intensive study on aspects of our faith so that we might grow into and out of the faith that has been offered to us by God, both as individuals and as a community. We can never stop learning the mysteries of our faith and our God.
There are several communities available at Saint Joseph Parish that provide an opportunity for peers to encourage one another in living as disciples of Jesus Christ: seniors ministry, empty nester ministry, women's ministry, and young adult ministry.
To learn more about participating in these ministries, contact the parish office at
secretary@stjoeparish.com or call 574-234-3134 to be connected to a current ministry leader.
Christian Formation Commission
The Christian Formation Commission of Saint Joseph Parish supports and encourages the continual conversion and growth in faith of all parishioners, as individuals and in community, by fostering the transformation of life initiated in baptism.
Inspired by Matthew 28:19-20, the Christian Formation Commission provides opportunities for parishioners of all ages to hear and respond to the teachings of Jesus, handed down through Sacred Scripture and through the Tradition of the Catholic Church, so that we might become more fully conformed to Christ as individuals, as families, and as a community.
The Christian Formation Commission collaborates with other parish commissions in the work of building within Saint Joseph Parish a transforming community that continually seeks to both point to and embody the Kingdom of God. The commission seeks to assist all of our parishioners in their continuing formation in the Christian life. In addition to supporting the work of youth and children’s ministry in the parish, the Commission offers various events and resources for parishioners of all ages to foster a living and active faith. These include such things as resource tables for the various liturgical seasons throughout the year, evenings of reflection, and retreats. It also advises the Director of Faith Formation.
Contact
Sean Driscoll
Director of Faith Formation
574-234-3134, ext. 114
sdriscoll@stjoeparish.com
226 N. Hill St., South Bend, IN 46617
574-234-3134