For the program in Spanish, click here.

For Catholics, faith formation is not optional. It is an essential part of our vocation, which arises from our baptism. Sometimes the notion of faith formation gets reduced to what we do to teach children about the faith. But the reality of Faith Formation is much bigger than that.

Faith formation is not limited to any single age group. Rather, what is most true is that faith formation is for everyone. What is true is that faith formation can look different at different stages in our lives.

But the truth is that faith formation is the important component that is part of every phase of our lives. And the second truth is that faith formation is primarily about how it is we follow Jesus. What does it mean to follow Jesus? How is it we follow Jesus?

The resources below help to outline the various aspects of faith formation at Saint Dominic Parish in Denver, Colorado. There is a short overview of pages about baptism, marriage, catechesis, and other aspects that help people at various stages of their lives to grow in faith.

The Faith Formation Calendar

Baptism Preparation

In the words of the catechism,

 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213)

Those needing to be baptized as adults prepare to receive all the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) in one Mass. If this describes your situation, look to the For those not baptized (OCIA) section below.

Where infant Baptism has become the form in which this sacrament is usually celebrated, it has become a single act encapsulating the preparatory stages of Christian initiation in a very abridged way. By its very nature infant Baptism requires a post-baptismal catechumenate. Not only is there a need for instruction after Baptism, but also for the necessary flowering of baptismal grace in personal growth. the catechism has its proper place here. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1231)

For more information about the preparation of parents for the celebration of the baptism of their infant child, click here.

Faith Formation For Children

The goal of the Faith Formation program for children is a Muti-generational approach, The program is designed to equip parents to teach, share faith, and pray with their children. Families will encounter Jesus and experience the beauty of their Catholic faith through a variety of hands-on activities and meaningful conversations. Catechists receive formation and training, so that the in person sessions with the children are engaging. As their children learn with catechists, the goals of each lesson are reinforced with lessons for the teachers.

For an outline of the program, click here.

Faith Formation for Catechists

“And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:11-16)

For those baptized but still needing other sacraments

Since the Archdiocese of Denver is what is known as a “restored order” archdiocese, the other three sacraments are celebrated for children in a specific two year program, usually during their second and third grade years.

For adults, the preparation would occur by meeting with one of the priests in the parish. For more information, click here.

OCIA (For those not baptized)

Today in all the rites, Latin and Eastern, the Christian initiation of adults begins with their entry into the catechumenate and reaches its culmination in a single celebration of the three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. In the Eastern rites the Christian initiation of infants also begins with Baptism followed immediately by Confirmation and the Eucharist, while in the Roman rite it is followed by years of catechesis before being completed later by Confirmation and the Eucharist, the summit of their Christian initiation. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1233)

The process of preparation for receiving the Sacraments of Initiation involves various stages. The first part is a period of time known as the Period of Inquiry. As the name implies, this is a period of time where those seeking the sacraments can learn just what the process entails, have their questions answered, and learn just what it means to commit to the process at the Rite of Entrance.

At the Rite of Entrance, those seeking the sacraments state their commitment to live as Catholics. This begins the period of the catechumenate where a more formal process of faith development and learning about the faith begins.

At the end of this preparation, the catechumens, the one’s seeking the sacraments are formally accepted in the Rite of Election, a celebration that is done in the presence of the bishop.

For more information, click here.

Faith Formation for Everyone

We can consider Faith Formation as something only for some people. But in reality, Faith Formation is for everyone. On the first Thursdays of most months, there is an opportunity to grow in faith. As we learn, each one of us has the call to holiness. We are all called to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus. Faith Formation for Everyone is one way to do this.

Marriage Preparation

Marriage is a witness to the love of Christ for the Church. The preparation process includes various steps for preparation. Couples meet first with a priest, where the entire process is outlined. There are two parts of the preparation that are done online. First, couples take separately communications inventory. Second, there is an online Natural Family Planning course. While there are multiple online options, couples only need complete one of the options.

There are four in-person preparation sessions. These can be taken in any order. Couples can sign up and register for them by using the Parish Flocknote. The four classes are the Biblical Basis of Marriage, the Theology of the Body, The Sacrament of Marriage, and Challenges and Difficulties.

The Biblical Basis of Marriage explores the foundations for the Church’s teachings about marriage. Seeing specific ways that the Bible begins with marriage and reaches its culmination in marriage, couples explore how marriage mirrors the relationship between God and his people.

There is also a class on the beautiful and powerful reflections by Saint Pope John Paul II, in what is called the Theology of the Body. In General Audiences over a five year period, Saint Pope John Paul II delivered 129 messages outlining the Church’s belief in the beauty of the human being and the ways in which human beings are meant to relate to each other and with God.

The third class concerns the teaching of the Church about the sacrament of marriage. By exploring what sacraments are generally, we can see the ways in which marriage is a sacrament that gives grace.

Lastly, a married couple presents a class called “Challenges and Difficulties” where couples learn about how they might face the inevitable challenges and difficulties in marriage.

The program also involves practical preparation around communication, problem solving and learning how it is they will seek to give themselves totally to each other. For more information about all of these parts, click here.

On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update. You can subscribe to our podcasts on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.