On July 10, Kristin Osenbach, former Diocesan Director of Marriage and Family Life, announced the results of the survey regarding the Family Catechesis Pilot.
In this model of Catechesis, parishes from the Diocese would host two monthly meetings, bringing together families and catechists for relationship-building and learning, and then send families home with a checklist for the month with a slew of resources and 15-minute faith-filled activities to complete together.
“Family catechesis provides parishes with a unique pathway to catechize the entire family,” Bishop Schlert commented. “I am deeply grateful to the Pastors and Catechists who were open to this pilot program and implemented it in their local communities.”
The Pilot had five goals with which to measure its success, and after 13 parishes responded to the survey assessment, Osenbach shared the fruits of family catechesis.
The Pilot sought to 1) empower & equip parents as the primary educators of their children in the practice of the faith, 2) provide solid resources for excellence in catechesis, 3) improve Mass attendance, 4) strengthen families and the Domestic Church, and 5) build Parish communities by fostering authentic relationships.
For each of the five goals, survey responses were overwhelmingly positive. As Osenbach mentioned in her presentation, “while some parishes chose a hybrid model or only implemented a few aspects of family formation, all saw a positive outcome.”
While there was growth in all five areas, goal #4 stood out as a particular gift of the Pilot. To the question, “did this Pilot serve to strengthen families and the Domestic Church by bringing faith into the home and into everyday life?” An impressive 100% of responses answered “yes.”
“The biggest observable strength of the Family Catechesis model is its ability to bring faith into the home,” Osenbach declared. And with 93.9% of youth respondents agreeing that their families spent more time together discussing the faith during the Pilot, the method clearly deepened family ties.
“So many kids reported that they just appreciated having more time with Mom,” said Osenbach.“That was probably the most touching aspect of the survey responses.”
One parent answered that they would recommend this model to other parents, “because we work together as a family, and it opens discussion about God or faith that we might not have otherwise.”
The Diocese’s new Director of Catechesis, Katie Albright, pointed out that “there is a beauty in the natural avenues of learning that happen between parents and children, and the learning that happens between siblings.” She explained that, when parents or older siblings show interest in something they are learning, then “the younger siblings become curious about what has captured their attention, and naturally approach to join in.” At this point, “the encounter with Jesus has now expanded to become a family encounter. What better reflection of the life of the Trinity alive in us?”
Even amidst its great success, there is still room for growth in Family Catechesis. Although the textbooks from Sophia Press bore much fruit, they did not offer very many assessments. Osenbach also mentioned that, as it is now, Family Catechesis is not recommended for sacramental years. That said, the survey results will still help pastors and catechists see and implement those strategies which were so effective in forming families in the faith, and they will provide fodder for how to further improve the model.
With parents having increased confidence and resources, parishes welcoming increased Mass attendance, and relationships both within and among families growing stronger, the Family Catechesis Pilot Survey results are an illuminating sign of hope for faith formation in the Diocese of Allentown.
