Diocese joins national project geared to strengthen faith formation in families
September 18, 2025 at 8:30 a.m.
In the eyes of the Catholic Church, the most effective means for teaching children about the faith is when their families are involved, but it can be challenging as parents, caregivers and even grandparents deal with their daily responsibilities.
As a way to help families include their faith in their daily lives regularly, some Diocesan parishes are participating in a new, five-year national project, “Parents & Families at the Center of Faith Formation.” Developed by the National Community of Catechetical Leaders, the project focuses on strategies to strengthen the transmission of the faith at home during the first two decades of life and create parishes that support the entire family.
The NCCL said factors leading to the project’s development included: increasing diversity in family structures and declining numbers of Catholics participating at Mass; it focuses on the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation; the number of children enrolled in parish religious education programs, and the varying religious experiences of parents.
“This project challenges us to shift our focus from simply providing programs to creating a culture where faith is nurtured first and foremost within the family,” said Denise Contino, director of the diocesan Department of Catechesis. “If we are serious about shaping the next generation of Catholics, then we must intentionally work alongside parents and listen to their needs.”
The project, launched in 2024 and funded by a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Foundation, is working with 200 Catholic parishes and 30,000 families across the country. Contino said diocesan staff selected parishes based “on their existing engagement with families in some capacity, ensuring them that they were not starting from scratch.” She said that, during the five years, NCCL personnel will facilitate in-person workshops, monthly online consultation, and support meetings and resources.
The 11 Diocesan parishes using the project are Holy Innocents, Neptune; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown; Sacred Heart, Mount Holly; St. Anselm, Tinton Falls; St. Charles Borromeo, Cinnaminson; St. Denis, Manasquan; St. Joan of Arc, Marlton; St. Luke, Toms River; St. Mary, Colts Neck; St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold; and Visitation, Brick.
Father Daniel Kirk and the team from St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, engage in conversation about the NCCL project during a recent gathering of parish team members. Courtesy photoCreative methods
Each parish collected information about the needs and faith practices of families through surveys and “parent cafes,” Contino said. Overall, the surveys indicated families most often practice faith through conversations, shared meals and celebrating Church seasons. Parents also expressed interest in topics such as discussing tough issues with their children, improving communication and balancing life commitments. The parent cafes gave parents a chance to share what values they want to instill in their children, how they live their faith daily and how the Church can better support them.
Parish teams are making progress in coming up with creative family initiatives.
Sacred Heart Parish already offered several faith formation opportunities for students in grades one through eight to accommodate their families’ schedules. Parish catechetical leader Barbara Kane said her team aims to expand its reach to include toddlers, high school children and all parents through its EPIC project – Empowering Parents in Christ – which includes family activities based on children’s various age groups.
For the first year, Kane’s team plans to have families work together through a “Bible 101” family event, a “Meet and Greet” and provide resources that families can use for discussions at home.
“We wanted to participate in the NCCL project because we understand the growing societal stress parents and families are experiencing,” Kane said.
“Gone are the days of family Sunday dinners and Sundays being a day of rest, as families are now traveling to their children’s sporting events or parents are working on the weekend,” Kane acknowledged. “The NCCL project provides an opportunity for parishes to consider new methods of helping families include their faith in their daily lives and find moments to return to more relaxing family time together.”
When the team in St. Charles Borromeo Parish realized that the parish’s current baptismal preparation process was outdated, members directed energy toward faith formation that’s related to sacramental preparation, said Michele Dore, parish catechetical leader.
Along with helping families to “feel welcome, become more engaged and be more aware of Church teaching,” Dore said the team believes families “will want to foster their relationship with God and be more inclined to attend Mass regularly and practice their faith.”
“When children are school-age and ready to receive Sacraments, we want the Sacraments to be an exciting time for the whole family,” Dore said. “We have a lot of work to do, but are committed to the project and working with NCCL to achieve our goals.”
Little ‘domestic churches’
Grace-Filled Parenting is the project for St. Denis Parish, said catechetical leader Eileen Ziesmer. The team seeks to enhance its Baptism program by expanding outreach from the time a child is baptized to the child’s early religious education involvement by developing stronger social media connections.
Ziesmer said the team hopes to try to get parents focused on “living a Catholic identity in the day-to-day activities of their lives.”
“It has to be continuous and, with God’s help, seamless,” Ziesmer said.
St. Joan of Arc Parish currently holds various faith formation options, including weekly traditional classes, a summer intensive, catch-up classes for religious ed, a supported home study model for certain grades and a class for children with special needs. But Jessica Donohue, parish catechetical leader, said it was the parish’s recently introduced family option for first graders and their parents that motivated collaboration with the NCCL.
Donohue said she saw “firsthand how the parents enjoy and benefit from experiencing faith formation with their children.”
She said the team plans social media and digital communication tools and platforms to reach families from Baptism on. A series of talks is also being developed for parents, “and we are looking to add to the family retreats that have become popular in the parish.”
“Our Church teaches that families are little ‘domestic churches,’ because it sees the home as the place where the faith is modeled, lived and learned within the family in the realities of everyday life,” Donohue said. “I think that family catechesis is developing a major focus in faith formation for many reasons, and the work of the NCCL seems to be at the forefront of exploring new, creative ways we can accompany our families.”
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In the eyes of the Catholic Church, the most effective means for teaching children about the faith is when their families are involved, but it can be challenging as parents, caregivers and even grandparents deal with their daily responsibilities.
As a way to help families include their faith in their daily lives regularly, some Diocesan parishes are participating in a new, five-year national project, “Parents & Families at the Center of Faith Formation.” Developed by the National Community of Catechetical Leaders, the project focuses on strategies to strengthen the transmission of the faith at home during the first two decades of life and create parishes that support the entire family.
The NCCL said factors leading to the project’s development included: increasing diversity in family structures and declining numbers of Catholics participating at Mass; it focuses on the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation; the number of children enrolled in parish religious education programs, and the varying religious experiences of parents.
“This project challenges us to shift our focus from simply providing programs to creating a culture where faith is nurtured first and foremost within the family,” said Denise Contino, director of the diocesan Department of Catechesis. “If we are serious about shaping the next generation of Catholics, then we must intentionally work alongside parents and listen to their needs.”
The project, launched in 2024 and funded by a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Foundation, is working with 200 Catholic parishes and 30,000 families across the country. Contino said diocesan staff selected parishes based “on their existing engagement with families in some capacity, ensuring them that they were not starting from scratch.” She said that, during the five years, NCCL personnel will facilitate in-person workshops, monthly online consultation, and support meetings and resources.
The 11 Diocesan parishes using the project are Holy Innocents, Neptune; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown; Sacred Heart, Mount Holly; St. Anselm, Tinton Falls; St. Charles Borromeo, Cinnaminson; St. Denis, Manasquan; St. Joan of Arc, Marlton; St. Luke, Toms River; St. Mary, Colts Neck; St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold; and Visitation, Brick.
Father Daniel Kirk and the team from St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, engage in conversation about the NCCL project during a recent gathering of parish team members. Courtesy photoCreative methods
Each parish collected information about the needs and faith practices of families through surveys and “parent cafes,” Contino said. Overall, the surveys indicated families most often practice faith through conversations, shared meals and celebrating Church seasons. Parents also expressed interest in topics such as discussing tough issues with their children, improving communication and balancing life commitments. The parent cafes gave parents a chance to share what values they want to instill in their children, how they live their faith daily and how the Church can better support them.
Parish teams are making progress in coming up with creative family initiatives.
Sacred Heart Parish already offered several faith formation opportunities for students in grades one through eight to accommodate their families’ schedules. Parish catechetical leader Barbara Kane said her team aims to expand its reach to include toddlers, high school children and all parents through its EPIC project – Empowering Parents in Christ – which includes family activities based on children’s various age groups.
For the first year, Kane’s team plans to have families work together through a “Bible 101” family event, a “Meet and Greet” and provide resources that families can use for discussions at home.
“We wanted to participate in the NCCL project because we understand the growing societal stress parents and families are experiencing,” Kane said.
“Gone are the days of family Sunday dinners and Sundays being a day of rest, as families are now traveling to their children’s sporting events or parents are working on the weekend,” Kane acknowledged. “The NCCL project provides an opportunity for parishes to consider new methods of helping families include their faith in their daily lives and find moments to return to more relaxing family time together.”
When the team in St. Charles Borromeo Parish realized that the parish’s current baptismal preparation process was outdated, members directed energy toward faith formation that’s related to sacramental preparation, said Michele Dore, parish catechetical leader.
Along with helping families to “feel welcome, become more engaged and be more aware of Church teaching,” Dore said the team believes families “will want to foster their relationship with God and be more inclined to attend Mass regularly and practice their faith.”
“When children are school-age and ready to receive Sacraments, we want the Sacraments to be an exciting time for the whole family,” Dore said. “We have a lot of work to do, but are committed to the project and working with NCCL to achieve our goals.”
Little ‘domestic churches’
Grace-Filled Parenting is the project for St. Denis Parish, said catechetical leader Eileen Ziesmer. The team seeks to enhance its Baptism program by expanding outreach from the time a child is baptized to the child’s early religious education involvement by developing stronger social media connections.
Ziesmer said the team hopes to try to get parents focused on “living a Catholic identity in the day-to-day activities of their lives.”
“It has to be continuous and, with God’s help, seamless,” Ziesmer said.
St. Joan of Arc Parish currently holds various faith formation options, including weekly traditional classes, a summer intensive, catch-up classes for religious ed, a supported home study model for certain grades and a class for children with special needs. But Jessica Donohue, parish catechetical leader, said it was the parish’s recently introduced family option for first graders and their parents that motivated collaboration with the NCCL.
Donohue said she saw “firsthand how the parents enjoy and benefit from experiencing faith formation with their children.”
She said the team plans social media and digital communication tools and platforms to reach families from Baptism on. A series of talks is also being developed for parents, “and we are looking to add to the family retreats that have become popular in the parish.”
“Our Church teaches that families are little ‘domestic churches,’ because it sees the home as the place where the faith is modeled, lived and learned within the family in the realities of everyday life,” Donohue said. “I think that family catechesis is developing a major focus in faith formation for many reasons, and the work of the NCCL seems to be at the forefront of exploring new, creative ways we can accompany our families.”
The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.