faith formation

The mission of our Faith Formation Program is to bring children and adults into a fuller awareness of our faith, the Scriptures, the Church, Liturgy, the Sacraments and other issues of our day.. We view the formation of faith and conscience as a lifelong process that continues in the heart and home long after formal religion classes end. We encourage familes to journey together toward a deeper relationship with God, and ask them to call on us to aid them on the journey.

There will be Adult Faith Formation Opportunities made available throughout the year.

Such opportunities include:

Lectures

Classes

Special Liturgies

Workshops

and much more...

See the bulletin and the website for more information

Please refer to our Religious Education page for Faith Formation of children..

Call Mary Britanak for more information-

732-269-2208 ext. 128

The RCIA Rrocess

Are you an adult considering becoming Catholic?

Are you already Catholic and would you like to receive your First Communion or Confirmation?

RCIA is The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults in the Roman Catholic Church. Our goal is not necessarily to make adult Catholics, but to bring people closer to God and build community. The process begins with the Holy Spirit stirring up interest in a person's heart to investigate the Catholic faith and way of life. It continues as one contacts a member of the parish staff and discerns joining the RCIA process. Fr. PJ may be reached at 732-269-2208 ext. 116. Fr. Al will be happy to answer any questions about the RCIA process.

The Church recommends at least one year of discernment and classes to prepare adults to enter the Catholic Church or prepare adult Catholics for the Sacrament of Confirmation. You may join in at any time, but catechesis begins in September and culminates at Easter.

For information regarding the Religious Education programs for Children at St. Barnabas parish, please refer to the section on Religious Education in our website. Children in the program must belong to families registered in the Parish. If they do not wish to register then they must obtain written permission from the Pastor of their home Parish in order to attend classes and receive Sacraments.

CATECHIST REQUIREMENTS

All our catechists are faith-filled volunteers, who combine a love of the Church, a love of children, and a desire to serve, in order to witness God's love to the children of the community.

A catechist must be 18 years old. (16 with adult supervison)

Catechist Training and Diocesan Certification will be offered each summer within the Parish.

The Diocese of Trenton requires all persons in sustained direct contact with children to be fingerprinted and submit to a criminal background check.

Reverence for persons motivates us to create an environment which promotes the development of a community of faith. Inspired by this reverence and supported by faith, we work with others in search of what is true, meaningful, and just.

Within our learning environment, we teach a curriculum, which emphasizes the values of the Gospel; we foster a spirit, which encourages daily prayer, Mass attendance and an appreciation for the Liturgy.

We believe our program leads all persons involved to a deeper conversion to the Gospel message, to love and commitment to the Church, and to active participation in the transformation of our world.

AIMS and OBJECTIVES

1. To provide opportunities to pray together, to participate at Mass and provide Whole Community Catechesis.

2. To foster sensitivity to the human needs of one another.

3. To develop a sense of parish community.

4. To teach Catholic faith through doctrine.

5. To model gospel values.

6. To directly involve participants in the Rites and Liturgical life of the parish throught various Rites that take place during the year and weekly reflection on the Word of God.

RCIA meets every Monday Night in the Annex Room 5- the Adult Faith Formation Lounge from 7:30 until 9PM