Frequently Asked Questions
Faith Formation FAQs for students in Grades Prek-7th
What is Bridge? Is it the same as CCD when I was a kid?
Yes…well sort of! CCD, Sunday School, Catechism Class, are all older names for what we now call Faith Formation. At Holy Family we are passionate about growing in faith together as families, so our Faith Formation program is a family-based program that we created, called “Bridge”.
Why is there a parent component to your Faith Formation program?
Holy Family Duxbury’s Faith Formation process is family based. We strive to be a community of families growing in faith together. We are at different places in our spiritual lives, however disciples are formed when we are on the journey together. We want to have adults and children learning about the same topic and assist parents by giving them the language and tools by which to share faith with their children. Faith Formation is lifelong!
What do I need to do for my child to make their First Communion?
Any student in 2nd grade or above who has not made his/her First Communion is invited to participate in our First Communion Program. If your child is in 2nd grade, they will automatically be enrolled in First Communion prep when registering for Bridge. If your student is older than second grade, please email Mary Juliano Hayes and she will enroll your child in our Sacramental Prep program. First Communion families will participate in the following; attend a one-time parent formation session in the Fall, participate in our monthly Bridge sessions, attend two workshops in the Fall to prepare for First Reconciliation and then again in the Spring to prepare for First Communion.
For students in Grades 8th – 12th
When will my child be confirmed?
Our diocese confirms in the 8th grade. The expectation is that a child has been enrolled in Bridge before entering the Confirmation Prep program in Fall of 8th grade with confirmation happening in the Spring of 8th grade.
What happens with the students after 8th grade, are they done with Faith Formation?
Our faith is a life long journey, just because formal classes may be over, that doesn’t mean our learning stops! Teen are welcome in any adult faith formation opportunity. In addition to learning, Confirmed parishioners are encourage to serve as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, VBS counselors, and facilitators in our younger children programs. We will be offering some type of formation for our High School students after Confirmation, but the specifics of what that will look like are still being discussed. Stay tuned for more information!
My student attends a Catholic School, do they still need to attend Faith Formation at Holy Family?
Our Catholic School students are invited to join us for Bridge every year, but are not required to do so, since they will be receiving formation at school. The Catholic Schools however do not do Sacramental Preparation. Our Catholic School students are asked to attend Bridge while preparing for First Reconciliation/First Communion and to attend Confirmation Preparation classes in 8th grade.
My child is in High School but hasn’t been Confirmed yet, what should I do?
It is never too late! Please contact Jeanne Cregan and he will be able to work with your family to prepare for and receive Confirmation.
What if my child isn’t sure if they want to be Confirmed?
Great question! Confirmation isn’t just something you do nor is it simply a rite of passage, but rather a life long commitment to the Church and our Catholic Faith. Questioning such an important decision is natural and healthy. We would encourage students who are interested but not sure to sign up for classes and see what it is all about. Attending classes doesn’t mean you have to be Confirmed. There have been students who have gone through the program and decided that this was not the right time in their life to make this important decision. Please reach out to Jeanne Cregan (jcregan@holyfamilyduxbury.org) if you would like to set up a meeting for your son/daughter, yourself, or your whole family. We are happy to meet you were you are at and help your family a make plan to move forward in faith
Why did the age of Confirmation change?
The Archdiocese of Boston changed the age for Confirmation to 8th grade in 2024. To learn more about the Archdiocese’s decision to change the age of Confirmation, please visit their website dedicated to this change - www.evangelizeboston.com/confirmation/
Other Questions
How can I help get involved more?
There are lots of ways to get involved. We are always looking for parents to help serve as teachers or small group leaders for our Faith Formation Program. You don’t need to be an expert in the faith or a professional teacher to volunteer. The resources, directions and lessons are all laid out in a simple format for you to follow!
New this year – we are looking for families who would be interested in serving as welcome families during Bridge. These families would help by welcoming the other families as they arrive and assist in serving dinner. We are also always looking for volunteers to help with special projects, that may arise. If you are interested in helping in any of these areas, please indicate that on the registration form, or reach out to Mary Juliano Hayes in the Faith Formation Office.
How can my child become more involved at Church?
We have various liturgical ministries that children and teens can be involved in – altar server, lector, children’s choir, and greeter ministry. We also would love teens to help with our Faith Formation programs like Bridge and Vacation Bible School. We are always working on creating new ministries for our youth here at Holy Family. If you have an idea of a ministry you would like to see or would like to help coordinate a group, please reach out to Jeanne Cregan.
What happens if we can’t attend Bridge one month?
We offer 3 different session times each month with the hope families are able to attend every month, but we recognize that sometimes life happens and people are unable to attend one month due to illness or unavoidable conflicts. Each month, the topics for Bridge will be posted on our Bridge Follow-up page on our parish website and families can review materials there to learn about that particular topic at home.
For More Information
