Marriage & Family Ministry

Early Catholic Family Life
Developed by Joanne and Alan Foley along with the Office of Marriage, Family and Life of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, EARLY CATHOLIC FAMILY LIFE is an exciting program that emphasizes the importance of putting faith at the center of family life. It is an excellent way to bring parents with young children into the life of the parish and to assist them to develop the spirituality their children were given at baptism. We are always looking for new facilitators and are always welcoming new families.

- ECFL is a parent-child program aimed at an underserved but essential part of all parishes – parents with children 0-5 years old.
- ECFL is an eight session 2-hour class. Class times can be flexible based not he needs of the group. Each class includes early childhood, faith based and fun activities for families.
- ECFL consists of a parent-child interaction component, a parent discussion time and a children’s time.
- ECFL gives parents an opportunity to learn more about their Catholic faith, discuss faith with other adults, and build supportive relationships within the parish.

The mission of ECFL is:
- To provide parents with tools and opportunities to teach their children the Catholic faith and to
have fun with their children in faith-based activities
- To strengthen the faith of parents and enhance their knowledge and commitment to the Catholic faith through active personal involvement in faith formation and through the witness of other faith-filled families.
- To help Catholic parents become more deliberate in their vocation to raise their children in the faith, learn ways to live out their faith in their day to day lives and to be true spiritual leaders of their children.
- To develop relationships and connections with other Catholic families in the parish through small group discussion of Catholic topics of interest to parents.
- To receive ongoing formation for their family during the important early childhood years, to feel welcomed and to become more engaged in the life of the parish.

EVENING SCHOOL OF RELIGION   Faith is a gift from God to be developed and nurtured during the formation years. Students in grades 1-8  not attending our Catholic Day School receive Faith Formation on Wednesday evenings in St. Charles Borromeo School from 6:30 pm-8 pm. Volunteers and catechists are needed. Contact Person: Jacob Nelson at 612-787-1181 or jnelson@stchb.org
 
Confirmation Faith Formation Students in the 7th and 8th grades receive catechesis in preparation for receiving the sacrament of Confirmation, generally three evenings each month, from 6:30 pm-8 pm.