2025-2026 Family Faith Formation (Religious Education)
Family Faith Formation
This year, St. Mary’s in Bloomington, St. Clement in Lancaster, and Ss. Andrew-Thomas and St. Charles will host religious education nights once a month. The evening will begin at 6 pm - 6:30 pm with a meal. Then, from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm, Fr. Mark will give a lesson to parents, Fr. Sudhakar will teach 2nd grade for first reconciliation/first holy communion, and Fr. Steve will teach 7th and 8th graders. The other grade levels will be taught by catechists. This style of religious education is called “Family Faith Formation,” and the goal is to teach both adults and children, with Fr. Mark equipping parents to hand on the faith to their children at home. Technically, the “Family Faith Formation” curriculum is intended for grades K-6, and Fr. Steve will be teaching a different curriculum to the 7th and 8th graders.
Families are asked to attend class the first Wednesday evening each month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. (a meal will be provided for the family). The rest of the month, you will work through the materials as a family at home. Your home is the Domestic Church. It is where families live out the faith daily.
Have you ever felt like what you are doing or where you are at just isn’t really your destination in life? Could it be that you are not just called to a new job or a different apartment, but to a whole new life? Might religious life be the life for you? I am Sister Kathleen Murphy and that whole new life came to me when I became a Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity! It wasn’t a long journey from my farm home in the Diocese of Madison to our beautiful motherhouse in Manitowoc, and yet it was a chance to experience a God-given adventure. If you are up to enter on such a journey, visit my Community at https://fscc-calledtobe.org or even think about an in person stay with us here in Manitowoc, WI. As the Gospel urges, “Come and see!”