FAMILY FAITH FESTIVALS

We at Our Lady of Pompeii have embarked on a new approach to religious education which is taking place in parishes across the United States and Canada. It is the “Family Faith Festival” approach to lifelong faith formation. The program is centered in the events of church life, includes all ages and generations, and promotes faith growth at home, through parish preparation programs and through participation in weekly Mass and the life of our church.

Members of our parish staff and a few volunteers went through the initial training. Our planning team now consists of catechists who are present during the Faith Festivals. We have volunteers who handle the "meals" for the weekend, people who welcome the families and guide them through the activities of the evening, instructors who lead the teaching of children and adults and the set-up and clean-up group who are very important to our sessions. Members of our Morning Mass Group put together our home kits and Our Ladies' Guild and Knights of Columbus assist us at every session. Some "catechists" attend all the sessions; others are present for one or two. It is important that everyone who wishes to be part of the program is welcomed-all our "gifts" are needed to make our program dynamic and energizing.

Faith Festivals are held six times a month for a 2 ½ hour session. There is a Wednesday afternoon session for adults and mothers with young children, Tuesday evening session, a Sunday afternoon session for Grades 7 and 8 and the choice of two Friday evenings and one Sunday afternoon session for families with children Grades K-6. Youth in Grades 7-9 who wish to come with their families are welcomed as well as all adults of the parish.

The Faith Festival sessions include a meal, an opening all-ages experience, an in-depth experience in age-specific groups (children, youth and adults), an all-ages intergenerational closing session and an explanation of the home kit. The "home kit" includes resources, activities, prayers, rituals and service ideas for each household to use in the coming month. One of the major components of the program is that parents are the primary educators of children, and these home packets strive to continue the theme of the Faith Festival at home.

We began our first Faith Festival in January of 2005, and we completed thirteen Faith Festivals by the Spring of 2007. The topics included: Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving; Our Lady of Pompeii and the Rosary; All Saints: Living Saints Among Us; The Mass; Eucharist and Human Hunger; The Sacrament of Reconciliation; Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord's Supper; Catholic Prayers and Devotions; The Rite of Funerals: Grief, Loss and Resurrection; Christ the King: Catholic Social Justice (Fair Trade); The Sacrament of Marriage: Celebrating Family Life; The Sacrament of Baptism Living Our Promises, and The Sacrament of Confirmation: Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Our themes for this coming year are: Identity of Christ: Who is Jesus; Becoming a Disciple: Living Discipleship Everyday; Advent: Preparing for the Messiah: Living as a Disciple: Catholic Social Teaching (Dignity of Human Life): Dying to Self: the Sacrifice of Jesus and New Life in Jesus: Jesus Lives! In a 5-yr. cycle, we will have covered six catechetical themes: Church Year, Prayer, Sacraments, Justice, Creed and Morality. Each year is new and each experience is unique. Each time we meet we learn more about ourselves, our responsibility in a world community and our Catholic Faith.

Our parish is alive as a result of the faith our people and their love for the parish of Our Lady of Pompeii. The Faith Festivals have enhanced our parish life in many ways. The program is alive, always new and has challenged us to move beyond ourselves. We have learned to work together, pray with each other and reach out to those in need. Our involvement with Heifer International and our commitment to provide a meal for an area shelter once a month are only a few projects that have meaning for us as a result of the Faith Festivals.

Our greatest surprise has been our Wednesday afternoon session. It begins at 11:30 a.m. and continues until 2:00 p.m. We have adults of all ages, including a mother with young children. We begin with a pot-luck lunch which has created community with this group. The format for a Faith Festival is followed with some variation. An introduction to the theme with a meaningful video or speaker is followed by discussion (in small groups or the larger group depending on the topic). A hands-on activity may follow. This group has made bread for our Holy Thursday celebration and prayer boxes for our engaged couples to mention a few. We usually end with a meaningful prayer service. Adapting to various age groups is a benefit to the Faith Festival format.