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Religious Education at Holy Family Church

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Dawn Ponnet

Have a Faith Filled Summer Part 2: Faithful Treats!

October 29, 2020 by Dawn Ponnet

Cool Greetings!

This post is dedicated to suggesting awesome faith-inspired summer treats for you and your family to enjoy!

Pentecost Sundaes

The feast of Pentecost this year is on Sunday, May 31. We call Pentecost the “Birthday of the Church.” On Pentecost we remember when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and gave them the ability to communicate with people in different languages, thereby spreading the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus. One fun way to remember this special day at home is by making Pentecost Sundaes!

Basic Ingredients: ice-cream (vanilla is a great choice because it makes the red stand out) , strawberry syrup, “Dove” brand chocolates.

Additional ingredients: strawberries, red licorice, cinnamon “fire balls.”

We use the color red in these sundaes because red is the color of the Holy Spirit (symbolizes fire – like the “tongues of fire” that descended on the apostles) and we use “Dove” chocolates because the dove is another symbol of the Holy Spirit (ex: Jesus’ baptism).

Other great Pentecost-themed dessert options: angel food cake with strawberries on top, red velvet cake with dove chocolates on top

Consider a Pentecost Picnic with only red food!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

CAFE: Reconciliation

January 15, 2015 by Dawn Ponnet

At one our our CAFE gatherings we discussed the sacrament of Reconciliation. Here are the highlights from the meeting:

We began with the Prayer of St. Francis. We then invited participants to choose, from a series of images, the picture that spoke to them about forgiveness. Using images to begin conversation is a powerful tool for both adults and children as it gives us an entry point or focusing point on what we want to share with others.

To give background regarding the sacrament, we showed the families a video from That Catholic Show.

Reconciliation is a sacrament of healing. In the same way that Jesus healed by saying “your faith has healed you,” it is crucial that we acknowledge our role in the sacrament beyond confession of our sins. In the Church of today we emphasize that is sacrament is about restoring relationships: restoring the relationship between ourselves and our Lord and between ourselves and the community.

Forgiveness is a central theme of our Catholic Christian faith. Knowing how to forgive and how to apologize in healthy ways benefits all people as we do the work of renewing our relationships.

To that end, we shared the four steps of apology and the four steps of forgiveness.

We drew the connection between the four steps of apology/forgiveness and the steps of the sacrament itself. The four steps of apology are our actions when we confess and when we receive penance and absolution. The four steps of forgiveness are the steps the priest goes through on behalf of our Lord. The priest tells us the story of our faith, of a merciful and unconditionally loving God who is waits eagerly by the door to welcome us home. We name our hurt and we know that God shares in our hurt. The priest, on behalf of God, grants forgiveness and we then continue to work of renewing our relationships.

Finally, we encouraged the participants to receive the sacrament themselves and to invite their children to participate. Many of us have not been to confession since we were young and did it for the first time. We discussed that as adults and teens our understanding of hurt, sorrow and hunger for restoration may be stronger than that of young children. We also reminded participants that if their older children request a desire for the sacrament, it is not the time to presume that they have done something horrible and drill them for answers. If we take this approach, we bar our children from a beautiful gift and experience of our faith.

During Covid times, Reconciliation is available only by appointment.  You can also call the Pastoral Center at 626-403-6100 to schedule an appointment with one of the priests.

Filed Under: CAFE Tagged With: apology, forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration

CAFE: Christian Meditation

November 24, 2014 by Dawn Ponnet

At one of our CAFE gatherings, we were visited by Fr. Frank Cassidy who shared with us his knowledge and experience regarding Christian meditation and meditation with children. Meditation is a beautiful prayer practice. In our busy world, children still seek moments of stillness and time with God. Meditation is a wonderful way to cultivate holy stillness in children.

After the talk Fr. Cassidy graciously shared these resources with us:

Meditation with Children

Click on images to see the full size

MeditationSheet2 Meditation with Children

Meditation for Adults 

Click on the images to see the full size

MeditationSheet3 MeditationPamphletSide2 Guide to Meditation Pamphlet (Side 1)

Filed Under: CAFE Tagged With: christian meditation, family prayer life

CAFE: Sharing Faith Stories with your Family

October 13, 2014 by Dawn Ponnet

At one of our CAFE gatherings we shared the gift of sharing sacred stories with your family.   We discussed text resources for faith sharing and the liturgical calendar.

Sharing Faith

Untitled

We were visited by Anne Yee from the Holy Family Bookstore who shared many wonderful books that you could use to share faith with your family. She highlighted:

  • Children’s Bibles – the whole Bible written in child-friendly language with an approved translation
  • Storybook Bibles – selections of famous Bible stories written in child-friendly language
  • Missals – for your child’s use to follow along during the Mass
  • Devotionals – prayer books for children such as “Jesus Calling”
  • Inspirational Stories – these are stories that share with the reader the values of our faith. Examples include “You are Special” by Max Lucado and “The Weight of the Mass” by Josephine Nobisso.

There are many wonderful books and resources in our parish bookstore. Visit Anne and she will happily help you select age appropriate books to help you share faith with your children.

When I was a child I remember asking my mother to read me the story of Stone Soup over and over again. It is the story of a community who fears strangers and how that fear is overcome through kindness and hospitality. As a small child I didn’t understand those concepts but I was beginning to understand what it meant to share food with others and that we are supposed to take care of one another. The idea that everyone has something to bring to the table resonated with me through to my adulthood and informed my opinions about inclusion and hospitality. All through a seemingly simple story!

Often times as adults we worry that our knowledge of our faith may be shaky or we are uncertain where to start with our children or what to share with them. The important thing to remember is that your children want to hear from you! They want to know what you know, what you believe, and how your faith shapes your daily actions. Even the smallest children are watching to see how adults engage their faith.

Telling the stories of our faith through the use of a children’s or storybook Bible is a wonderful place to start.

Children remember stories. In the same way that your child asks you to tell them over and over their favorite story books, they will respond similarly when you share stories of our faith with them. You can rediscover the stories for yourself as you read them with your child. Stories inspire us and we can’t keep really good stories to ourselves – we have to tell others! Our Bible is a collection of stories (and histories, and poetry, and laws and guidelines) that all show us about how our God acted in the world and give us signs and markers to see God’s action in our own lives.

We encourage you to take some time this week to either purchase or open up a children’s Bible and read a story or two with your children. Or visit the bookstore and buy an inspirational story book. You will be amazed at how your children absorb, reflect and act on what they are reading with you.

Liturgical Calendar

At the end of the session we provided our families with a handout that explained the liturgical calendar (attached below). The liturgical calendar is the flow of our faith, it shows us how we experience our faith through the paschal mystery (the life, death and resurrection of Jesus) and revisit it every year. Our church year flows from times of preparation (Advent/Lent) to times of celebration (Christmas/Easter) to times when our focus turns inward and outward as we reflect and act on our call to follow Jesus as his disciples (Ordinary Time). Knowing the different seasons of the church year helps children to experience the liturgy in new ways. Next time you are at Mass point out to your children the ways in which the church has changed (ex: green is the color of Ordinary Time, but in Advent we change to deep purple to signify the time of preparation and the start of the Church year).

Ask yourself and ask your children: in this season, what is the Church asking us to consider and to do?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

CAFE: Celebrating Lent with your Family

March 24, 2014 by Dawn Ponnet

CAFE stands for Catholic Adult Formation Experience. Our RE Office strives to offer monthly opportunities for parents/guardians to gather together to deeper their knowledge of our faith and provide resources and tools for family spiritual development. This post covers the resources and discussion we had at the beginning of Lent. The topic was: how to celebrate Lent with your family!

Creating a Prayer Space

LentPrayerSpace

We began the session by breaking the adults into table teams who were then instructed to use the materials provided to create a prayer space. Creating a prayer space in the home is a fun, engaging activity for children of all ages that can be changed and updated to follow the liturgical calendar. For example, at this CAFE we created a Lenten prayer space using purple cloth (swatches can be purchased for $1-2 at any fabric store), small palm trees, and cactus in addition to the general objects such as a Bible, crucifix, and prayer cards.  As we said in the meeting – your whole home is holy because your family (the domestic church) lives and works together there to become better disciples of Jesus. A prayer space is simply a focus point for your family faith. Changing out some special items as the year progresses is a fun way to help our children get to know the rhythms of the liturgical calendar. Here is a more detailed liturgical calendar given to us by the USCCB.

For basic instructions on how to create a prayer space in your home please click here Praying Together Handout

 Lenten Resources

As a community we shared what we already do at home. Many families engage in meatless Fridays and fasting. One family stated, and were affirmed by others in the community, that instead of using the language of “giving something up” they focused on “changing a bad habit. ” This family went on to say that if one of the purposes of Lent is to become better disciples of Jesus, then we must decide what we will fast from knowing that that fast should ideally become permanent and last beyond the Lenten season. For example, if we fast from arguing with our family members during Lent, we must continue to strive to build better relationships after Lent has ended.

We provided the families with this Celebrating Lent Handout, which provided some simple suggestions for family ways to live out the three things Jesus calls us to during Lent: prayer, fasting and alms giving. We encouraged our families to look for “twofer” opportunities; for example, if we choose to give up ice cream as a family (fasting) we would then donate the money we save by not buying ice cream to Catholic Relief Services, our local parish or another charitable organization (alms giving). The three tasks Jesus calls us too should not exist in a vacuum, separate from one another, but are rather all expressions of the same hope – to unite ourselves more closely to Christ and how he would have us live. Another example: we choose as a family to give up watching television one night a week (fasting), spend some of that time in prayer, and then give each other the gift of our time and talent by spending time together.

We also encouraged families to visit the Lenten resources page on our RE website.

Feast of the Annunciation

We also highlighted the Feast of the Annunciation on Tuesday March 25th. This feast remembers when Mary’s YES! to the angel Gabriel to carry and bring Jesus into the world. The same joy that Mary felt at bringing Jesus into the world is probably very similar to the joy your family felt knowing that a new member would soon be joining you. We noted that this is an excellent opportunity to spend time with family and remember the joy of pregnancy or adoption, look at family photos that commemorate births or adoptions, baptisms, first Eucharist celebrations, etc.

We also used this as an opportunity to teach our families about the Guardian Angel prayer.

Prayer Bump

As our closing prayer we taught each table group the “prayer bump.” This is a great community prayer activity that could be done at home during family prayer time. Here is how it works:

  1. Stand in a circle and hold hands
  2. One member of the family/group begins the prayer. This can be as simple as “Jesus, thank you for gathering us together as a family. Please listen to the prayers of our hearts.” That same person then has the option to EITHER prayer out loud OR pray silently to themselves.
  3. When the first person is done, she/he squeezes the hand of the next person (can be either the person to the left or the right). That person then has the same choice to either pray out loud or silently. When she/he is done, she/he then squeezes the hand of the next person.
  4. When the last person in the circle has said her/his prayers, that person then finishes the prayer by either leading the family in a traditional prayer, a prayer your family has created, or a simple “Amen.”PrayerBump

The “prayer bump” is a great way to encourage your children to be comfortable with praying out loud and spontaneously and to help build your family’s prayer life together.

Filed Under: CAFE

CAFE: Communicating with your child about the Mass

March 12, 2014 by Dawn Ponnet

CAFE stands for Catholic Adult Formation Experience. Our RE Office strives to offer monthly opportunities for parents/guardians to gather together to deeper their knowledge of our faith and provide resources and tools for family spiritual development. This post covers the resources and discussion we had at one of our Sunday morning CAFE of the year. The topic was: how to communicate with our child about the Mass.

The adults who attended this CAFE began the morning by breaking into teams to answer questions about the Mass. We then moved into a teaching piece where the following topics were addressed:

  • Faith as a second language. It’s important to realize that our religious tradition has its own language, rites and rituals. As Catholics we are called throughout our lives to familiarize ourselves with our faith language and pass that language onto our children. For example, what does the word Mass mean? Grace? Atonement? Eucharist? Why do we cross ourselves on forehead, lips and chest before hearing the Gospel? What does the Nicene Creed say? What is the Gospel story, “The Road to Emmaus” about? Our faith language is one of the building blocks of our faith life.
  • Your experience of the Mass? Many of the adults in the room shared their positive feelings about the Mass – it is a peaceful, joyful, contemplative, meaningful experience.
  • Your child’s experience of Mass? Many of the adults in the room shared that their children would describe the Mass as confusing, boring and long.
  • We asked – if you could ask one question about the Mass, what would it be? The questions asked predominantly about why certain aspects of the Mass had changed from when we were children, such as the use of bells and incense. We shared that the core elements of the Mass – prayer, readings from Scripture or storytelling, Eucharist, collections for the community and those in need – have remained the same since the earliest Christians, even though we may express those components in slightly different ways throughout the centuries. Further, different cultures elevate different traditions surrounding the Mass (ex: the bells are rung three times to remind us of Peter’s betrayal) so what you were taught as a child may have been a cultural tradition more so than a Church-wide teaching.

Questions Your Children Ask

We then asked you to share with us questions your children have about the Mass. Questions included:

1) My child does not understand the readings that are read each week at Mass – what can I do to help her/him?

Our primary suggestion is to visit the Holy Family Bookstore and purchase a missal. A missal is a liturgical book to be used by laypeople (non-ordained persons) that includes all of the readings of the Mass for the liturgical year. Children’s missals are also available and recommended. You can even purchase a missal for your smartphone. Your child can then follow along with the readings being proclaimed at Mass, or your family can read the readings beforehand and discuss them. In the same way that you prepare before your child’s sporting event through practice, etc, your Mass experience will benefit from preparation.

2) My child does not understand why she/he is not able to receive the Eucharist (or “Jesus cracker” – this made us giggle) yet?

Children, like all people, love to be included, so it can be difficult for your child to understand why she/he is unable to receive the Eucharist until she/he has completed two years of sacramental preparation. One way to explain it to your child is to ask him/her about the various ways they prepare for other important celebrations in their lives such as birthdays, Christmas dinner with the family, etc. Important events take prior work and the Eucharist is the most important (the source and summit) part of our Christian life so it takes extra special preparation.

For your own knowledge, the Church teaches that children reach the “age of reason” around seven years old. This means that by this age children are able to discern the difference between right and wrong actions (and thus can participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation). This also means that children are able to understand more fully than they would at a younger age that while the bread and wine still look and taste like bread and wine, that they have transformed into the body and blood of our Lord. The preparation process takes two years because that is the minimum preparation time for our Archdiocese – in some parishes in Los Angeles children participate in three years of preparation prior to receiving the sacraments.

3) My child struggles with the violence of the crucifixion and I don’t know how to talk to her/him about it.

If your child is in first or second grade you must remember that, developmentally speaking, they are concrete thinkers. So it is not uncommon to hear questions like, “Well, who killed Jesus? What were their names? Why would they do that?” and want specific answers. As adults, we understand that the answers to those questions are complex and multifaceted. When speaking with children on this and other difficult subjects, our best advice is to draw from their current knowledge and experience. For example, we talk to children about sharing – that Jesus came to teach us how to live and one of the most important things we can do is share (if you have two coats, give one away, etc) but that there were people who didn’t want to share what they had. And there was arguing between the people who wanted to share and the people who didn’t. And the people who didn’t want to share were embarrassed and upset and thought the best way for them to not be embarrassed anymore about not sharing was to make the person who was calling them to share go away. And they made a horrible choice and decided the only way to make him go away was to kill him. This way of explaining it gives you the opportunity to talk about the unconditional mercy and forgiveness of our Lord, who forgave these people even on the cross. Remind your children that Jesus’ death, while deeply troubling, is not the end of the story. Emphasize the resurrection as a sign of hope and joy for all.

We cannot escape or wash over the violence of the crucifixion. Jesus died the way common criminals of his time were executed and it was an excruciating death. However, while children are curious at any age, it is important for us to shift their gaze from the violence of his death to the hope of the resurrection. Jesus’ death is an example of the great sin in the world and his resurrection shows us that such sin can be overcome. As your children grow and develop you can discuss with them in more detail the reasons surrounding Jesus’ death.

We closed our conversation by watching the video “Close Encounters with the Mass” – which is available on DVD & VHS in our RE library and can be loaned out to your family. It is a short video in which a child, confused about the Mass, receives a special visit from an angel, who draws the parallels between the Mass and special family celebrations.

Resources

These resources are drawn from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops website and were distributed as a handout to attendees. We invite you to click on the links below and read these resources, which will give you ample information to continue growing the faith language of your family!

  • Celebrating the Lord’s Day – provides excellent ideas and suggestions on how to keep Sunday all day!
  • Parts of the Mass – provides an explanation of what is taking place during each part of the Mass.
  • Praying with Body, Mind and Voice – provides answers to why we stand, kneel, sit, sing, pray, etc. during the Mass.
  • Liturgy and Life – provides suggestions on how to live out the Eucharist the other six days of the week!

Filed Under: CAFE

Have a Faith-Filled Summer! Summer Prayers

June 12, 2013 by Dawn Ponnet

beach

Summer is a wonderful opportunity to recharge our batteries for the school year ahead. It is a time of summer camps, trips to the beach, and lounging around the house. It is also a lovely time to spend exploring and deepening your family’s faith traditions in the home. Here are some great ideas for having a faith filled summer of prayer:

1. Meals Together & Meal Time Prayers – When you ask a child when they say mealtime prayers the most common answer is “Thanksgiving!” or “Christmas!” This is because often family meals are eaten in the back seat of the car on the way to the next activity. Take some time this summer to eat meals together as a family, to share with each other what happened during the day and to pray together. This models for children that meal prayers aren’t reserved for special occasions. Here are some popular meal time prayers:

Before meals:

Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Loving Father, we thank you for bringing us together for this meal: may we continue to live in your friendship and in harmony with one another. Bless + this food, a sign of your loving care for us, and bless + us in our daily lives. Bless your Church throughout the world, and all those who seek to do your will today. Father of mercy, all praise be to you through Jesus Christ our Savior, in unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen! (+ = make a sign of the cross)

God is great, God is good, Let us thank Him for this food! Alleluia

After meals:

We give you thanks, Almighty God, for these and all your gifts which we have received from your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

2. Summer Meal Prayers – Spend time out of doors in God’s beautiful creation. Enjoy a picnic or a barbecue in your backyard, at your local park or the beach. Make God a part of these fun experiences through prayer

Picnic or Barbecue Prayer:bbq

Lord Jesus, our brother, be with us today. Bless our happy gathering and bless +this meal that we share. Protect us all, and help us to grow in your love. Lord Jesus, we praise your holy name forever. Amen. ( + = make a sign of the cross)

3. Summer Experience Prayers – Many of us are blessed with the opportunities to go to camp, go camping, or take a vacation over the summer. Here are some prayers for safe journey and great experiences:

Before Summer Vacation Blessing (taken from catholicdoors.com):

Take time to claim your strength; they are gifts of God.

Take time to have fun; it’s God’s way of teaching you your strengths.

Take time to grow yourself; only you can grow you.

Take time to trust yourself; God trusts you.

Take time to be self-reliant; it is better than being dependent.

Take time to share with others; they will bless you, and you will bless them.

Take time to have hope, you are a child of God.

Let’s put ourselves into the hands of the Lord, and pray that God will bless us and our families during the wonderful months of summer. May we all help make our home a place of relaxation, joy, love, peace and safety. May we be generous and considerate, not thinking only about ourselves, but helping others enjoy the blessings of summertime. Lord God, Creator of all things, guide our steps and strengthen our hearts, during these months of summer and vacation days. Grant us refreshment of mind and body. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Travel:

Loving and merciful God, you have commissioned your angels to guide and protect us. Command them to be with us from our leaving until our return; keep us safe from all injury, accident or malice and sin. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Camping Prayer:

campingThank the Lord for the food we eat, for camping fun and campers we meet, for rushing streams and calm cool breeze, for rolling meadows and tall green trees. Amen.

Going to Camp:

Gracious God, bless N. during her/his time at camp this summer. Help N. to grow in her/his faith, to be Christ to all she/he meets, to always be ready to lend a helping hand and a kind word to those in need.  Encourage N. to participate enthusiastically in all camp activities, to listen to her/his counselors,  to be a good friend and to make lasting friendships. Guard N. from all danger and guide her/him to make     healthy and safe decisions. Return N. home to us healthy and happy, safe and sound. Amen.

Beach Prayer:

Joyful God, we thank you for this time together. We thank for for the sun in the sky, the cool sea water, and the sand. We thank you for yummy snacks, buckets, pales and beach umbrellas. We thank you for our family, our friends and the life guards who keep us safe. We ask that you bless us on this beautiful day and we praise you for this beautiful Creation that you have entrusted to us. Amen.


 child-and-beach

 

 

Filed Under: Parent/Family Resources

Triduum/Easter Resources

March 26, 2013 by Dawn Ponnet

Easter Sunday with all the spring colors, baskets and egg hunt is a time of excitement, a time of family and the opportunity to share a meal and spend time together.  On this page we will provide suggestions for fun activities to do at home as well as facts and information about these holy days.

Easter Crafts

  • Paper Lily Craft – these would make wonderful decorations for your Easter tablegracegarden
  • He is Risen Tomb Craft – a wonderful teaching piece for young children
  • Easter Coloring Pages – a mix of religious and bunny-related. Great for young children when you are attending all those Triduum Masses/services.
  • Garden of Grace for Easter – this is a great activity for the whole family; it will look beautiful in your garden!

Easter Dessert & Snack Recipes

Easter-Recipe-Marshmallow-Lamb

Lamb (of God) Cupcakes – recipe here

Marshmallow Lambs – recipe here 

Crown of Thorns Snack – recipe here

Resurrection Rolls – recipe here 

 

Facts & Information about Easter Triduum

  • Triduum means “three days.” At Easter this refers to the three day period that starts with Holy Thursday and ends on Easter Sunday. Easter Triduum follows the Jewish way of marking time, in which the new day begins in the evening.
  • It’s pronounced trih-do-um
  • Here is a great video to watch that explains each day of the Triduum in a concise, helpful way: Busted Halo – Holy Week in Two Minutes 
  • Did you know that Easter lasts 50 DAYS? Most everyone knows that Lent, the period of preparation for Easter, lasts 40 days  but most people do not know that Easter begins on Easter Sunday and lasts through until the Feast of Pentecost!  Let’s do our best this year to keep the Easter spirit alive in our hearts and in our deeds through the whole Easter Season!

1205-616X-©Don-MiliciTriduum Activities to do with your family!

Attend Masses/services together throughout the Triduum. You can go here to find out what times these will be taking place at Holy Family.

Holy Thursday – Read the story of the Last Supper. Have a special meal on Holy Thursday that includes bread/wine (or grape juice for the younger children) and share with your children your experience of the Eucharist and what it means to you. Invite your older children to share with your younger children their experience of their 1st Eucharist.

Holy Thursday – Before or after the meal, wash each others feet (all you need is a basin, a towel, and feet!)

Good Friday – many Catholics make a point of turning off all electronics and, in some cases, electricity during the hours of 12noon and 3pm (the hours during which Jesus was being crucified according to Scripture). Make  this a night where you turn off your technology and spends time together reflecting on Jesus by sharing stories of his life that are meaningful to you. 

Good Friday – If you have religious icons (crosses, saint images, etc) featured prominently in your home consider taking them down and leaving the space empty. This is a powerful reminder for your children that something drastic has happened in the world.1205-337X-©Don-Milici

Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil –  This is the night when many people who have chosen to become Catholic will receive the sacrament of baptism. If you cannot attend spend time with your family sharing stories of your children’s baptisms.

Service – Easter is a time when we remember how our Lord served and continues to serve us through the blessed Eucharist. Spend some time with your children going through their clothes, toys, etc and invite them to donate to those in need. You could do one item for each day of Triduum. Or simply emphasize to them the importance of service by inviting your children to help prepare the family meal for Easter, spend time with their grandparents, etc.

Filed Under: Parent/Family Resources

About Religious Education at Holy Family

March 24, 2013 by Dawn Ponnet

religioused

Welcome to RE!  Religious Education is a process of formation that intends to convert the learner to the religious tradition of the Catholic Church, with the explicit goal of passing on the beliefs, history, rituals, and ethical code of our tradition to the learner.  The name of “catechesis” has been given to the whole of the efforts within the Church to make disciples.  HF Religious Education Office serves children  grades 1st – 5th.

RE upholds our parish motto of “All our Welcome” and we are pleased to welcome children and their families every year!

Colette Villegas, DRE
cvillegas@holyfamily.org

Office (626) 403-6118

We look forward to hearing from you!

Filed Under: About Religious Education

Congratulations to His Holiness Pope Francis I

March 13, 2013 by Dawn Ponnet

popeletter

Statement from President Obama to His Holiness Pope Francis

On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I offer our warm wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis as he ascends to the Chair of Saint Peter and begins his papacy.  As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years—that in each other we see the face of God.  As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day.  Just as I appreciated our work with Pope Benedict XVI, I look forward to working with His Holiness to advance peace, security and dignity for our fellow human beings, regardless of their faith.  We join with people around the world in offering our prayers for the Holy Father as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church in our modern world.

Statement from Cristina Kirchner, President of Argentina:

“We wish him, as he takes the reins of the Church, a fruitful pastoral mission, with such tremendous responsibility on his shoulders, seeking justice, equality, brotherhood and peace among mankind.”

Filed Under: Parent/Family Resources

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  • Have a Faith Filled Summer Part 2: Faithful Treats!
  • CAFE: Reconciliation
  • CAFE: Christian Meditation
  • CAFE: Sharing Faith Stories with your Family
  • CAFE: Celebrating Lent with your Family

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