“Our generation will show that it can rise to the promise found in each young person when we know how to give them space. This means that we have to create the material and spiritual conditions for their full development; to give them a solid basis on which to build their lives; to guarantee their safety and their education to be everything they can be; to pass on to them lasting values that make life worth living; to give them a transcendent horizon for their thirst for authentic happiness and their creativity for the good; to give them the legacy of a world worthy of human life; and to awaken in them their greatest potential as builders of their own destiny, sharing responsibility for the future of everyone. If we can do all this, we anticipate today the future that enters the world through the window of the young.”
– Pope Francis 7/22/13, Garden
Parish Faith Formation
St. Joseph Parish is committed to educating its parishioners in the Roman Catholic Faith and the loving presence of God. The Diocese requires that these programs be attended and completed in order to receive the sacrament that correlates to the program. For additional educational opportunities without set requirements, please see our Ministries Page.
Family Catechesis:
The Mission of Family Faith Formation is:
- To support and assist parents who are the children’s primary religious educators.
- To offer the opportunity for faith to come alive through prayer and Sacraments.
- To call all families to full, active, conscious participation in the Eucharist and in the parish community of St. Joseph.
Elementary-Middle School Faith Formation (Pre-K – 8th Grade)
Policies:
- All students in 1st-8th must complete and turn in lessons in a timely manner. (Please refer to the lesson guide below)
- If a student cannot attend a Family Catechesis Sunday, completed lessons should be dropped off at the Parish Office.
- Students must meet all Diocesan GLE (grade level expectation) requirements for their grade level and below.
Registration: stjoerayne.org/familycatechesis
Calendar: Family Catechesis Schedule 2023-2024
Lesson Guides: Pre-K – 8th Grade Lesson Family Catechesis Lesson Guide 2023-2024
Volunteer/Leader Sign-Up: https://stjoerayne.flocknote.com/signup/93673
First Communion & Reconciliation (2nd Grade)
Policies:
- All public and private school children wanting to make these sacraments through St. Joseph Parish must register through the parish.
- If your child was baptized in a parish outside of St. Joseph, all baptismal records must be turned in by December for your child to receive these sacraments in our parish. This record can be obtained by requesting it from the parish where the baptism took place.
- If you are registered as a parishioner in another parish, written permission from the pastor of the parish where you are registered must be turned in to St. Joseph by December.
- If your child attends Family Catechesis Faith Formation, all lessons must be completed and turned in in a timely manner. (Please refer to the lesson guide on the parish website) A consistent lack of participation/attendance may result in a decision to delay these sacraments until the child is adequately catechized and prepared.
- The New St. Joseph First Communion Catechism book must be completed with your child.
- A mandatory practice will be held for all children and parents the Saturday before First Communion. (Please reference the Schedule below)
First Communion Schedule 2023-2024
First Communion Catechism Guide
First Communion Registration: stjoerayne.org/firstcommunion
Contact: Shelby Fuselier | 337.735.4568 | shelby@stjoerayne.org
High School Faith Formation | Rayne Youth (9th – 12th Grade)
Rayne Youth leads teenagers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church through acts of Service, discerning Vocations, and unleashing the fullness of the Sacraments. We tackle relevant subjects that equip teens to unapologetically live a life of evangelization, confidently defend the faith, and fulfill the obligation of their vocation of building the Kingdom of God starting here on earth, right now. YNights will be held on designated Sundays during the school year after 5:30 PM Mass in the Family Life Center. Follow us on IG @RayneYouth
Registration: https://stjoerayne.org/rayneyouth
Contact: Eulalie Cormier | 337.384.5453 | eucormier@diolaf.org
Confirmation
Confirmation Dates and Registration: stjoerayne.org/confirmation
OCIA | Adult Faith Formation & Sacrament Prep
The Catholic Church welcomes new members and tries to provide appropriate spiritual formation according to each person’s needs. Some who come to us have had little or no affiliation with, or religious training in, the Christian faith. Others have been baptized and have been active members of other Christian denominations. The process of formation is called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). OCIA is a communal process and involves a number of stages which lead the unbaptized to the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist at the Easter Vigil at which time they become full members of the Roman Catholic Church. The entire process takes several months or, for some, a few years, but participants are invited to proceed at a pace that individually suits them.
Registration: Open, click here to register.