Your Faith This Fall

As the waning days of summer become a thing of the past, parents and children alike might find themselves overwhelmed with the many things that have to be done before classes begin. But what about faith development? How can children, young adults and parents live their faith while balancing academic requirements, extra-curricular activities and work responsibilities?

Here’s a checklist with some helpful tips to make sure that faith is front and center this fall: 

Elementary and Middle School

• Begin and end each day with prayer – before bedtime and before rising in the morning. Parents should share this time with younger children.
• Assign days for Grace before meals, so everyone in the family has a chance to lead prayer.
• Register for parish religious educa tion programs.
• Get involved in a junior youth group if the parish has one.
• Consider becoming an altar server.

High School

• Stay involved in a parish youth group.
• See if your high school has its own youth ministry program.
• Consider becoming an extraordinary minister of holy Communion.
• Participate in a service project through your parish or school.
• Join fellow pilgrims as they journey to the nation’s capitol for a Diocesan Pilgrimage Oct. 19.
• See what programs the diocesan Department of Youth, Marriage and Family Life offers for teens at www.dioceseoftrenton.org.

College 

• Find the campus ministry program at your school and meet your chaplain – most organizations have student recruitment drives early in the fall semester.

Living close to home?

• Check to see if your home parish has programs for young adults, and keep the Mass schedule handy.
• See if you can pitch in with the parish youth ministry, to help mentor younger Catholics.

Moving away for college?

• Find a parish near your campus and meet the pastor.
• Get a copy of the parish’s Mass schedule.
• Look for opportunities to get involved in Masses either on campus or in a local parish – you might be able to serve as a reader, altar server or an extraordinary minister of holy Communion.
• Struggling with a particular class and need a study break? Need someone to talk to about a problem you are facing? Your campus ministry or local parish can be a great resource, and can provide a peaceful reprieve from the demands of college life.
• Don’t forget the Holy Days of Ob­ligation!

Parents 

• Volunteer as a parish catechist, or in some other parish ministry.
• Attend a parish or diocesan workshop such as Scripture Study or faith formation. Take a friend.
• Treat yourself to a retreat day, either on your own or one that is being offered in your parish.
• Visit a local Catholic book or gift shop for special occasions. Give a gift that reflects Catholic faith.
• “Like” your parish or diocesan Facebook pages and be part of the broader Catholic community.
• Share stories of your faith with your children.
• Encourage your children to talk about God and to ask questions, even if you don’t have the answers.

Families

• Keep and review the parish bulletin. Make note of events and celebrations you can participate in as a family, like parish picnics, carnivals, covered dish dinners, pilgrimages, among other things.
• Build family time around Mass – breakfast or lunch afterward, visits to family, friends, local farmers markets, or similar activities.
• Keep in touch with your Catholic family. Subscribe to a variety of Catholic print or on-line publications, including The Monitor, www.trentonmonitor.com.
• Go Catholic “app” shopping.
• Enthrone a family Bible in a visible space in your home.
• Pray together, often.