Family Catechesis

Adult Faith Formation

Catechesis invites and enables adults “to acquire an attitude of conversion to the Lord.”

Family Catechesis

The family is the “Domestic Church” and where our first experience of faith and charity is found.

Children Catechesis

Inspired by Christ’s love for children, we support active faith development and sacramental preparation.

Adolescent Catechesis

Support and care for young people as they mature in their love of faith and participation in the Church.

Special Needs Faith Formation

We support all who desire to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ with a gentle spirit of faith.

Parents have the mission of educating their children to pray and discover their vocation as children of God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2226

In the Archdiocese of San Francisco, family catechesis is rooted in the understanding that the home is the first and most vital place where faith is nurtured. Our goal is to support parents and caregivers as they weave faith into everyday moments—celebrating milestones, creating sacred spaces at home, and engaging in meaningful rituals and prayer as a family.

True family catechesis involves everyone—children and adults alike—learning, praying, and growing in faith together. It is not merely about instruction but about forming a way of life where the Gospel becomes a lived experience. Through shared faith practices, storytelling, and moments of grace in daily life, families encounter Christ and deepen their relationship with Him and with one another.

As the General Directory for Catechesis reminds us, catechesis is “the process of transmitting the Gospel, as the Christian community has received it, understands it, celebrates it, lives it and communicates it” (GDC 105). This process of formation is transformative, not just informative. Catechesi Tradendae echoes this by affirming that “family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches all other forms of catechesis” (CT 68).

The Church recognizes that families need the support of the wider Christian community to thrive in their vocation as the “domestic Church.” Parents, as the primary educators in faith, must be encouraged and equipped in their role. Family catechesis is a partnership—parishes walking alongside families as they live out their faith in the everyday.

Pope Francis reminds us that “the family is not merely the sum of persons belonging to it, but a community of persons… the place where one learns to love, the natural center of human life.” In this spirit, our mission in the Archdiocese is to foster strong, faith-filled families—communities of love, mercy, and witness to the Gospel at home and in the world.

The Mission of the Family

“The Christian family is grafted into the mystery of the Church to such a degree as to become a sharer, in its own way, in the saving mission proper to the Church . . . Christian married couples and parents . . . not only receive the love of Christ and become a saved community, but they are also called upon to communicate Christ’s love to their brethren, thus becoming a saving community.” (St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 49)

The Role of the Christian Family in Religious Education

The premise of religious education for a child is to know that he/she is loved by God and is part of the family. This central premise is based on the act of the will from parents and guardians who seek to care for the soul of their child. Any child should have the opportunity to explore God and be open to His grace. The home reflects what St. John Paul II called the “church of the home.” This means that a child intimately experiences his faith at home by witness of a parent’s Trinitarian love.

For the process to bear fruit the parent/guardian must first and foremost actively live as a disciple in Christ by daily and weekly reception of the sacraments and affirm the teachings of the Catholic Church. Parents/guardians serve as the primary motive of credibility and the first example of authentic love a child will see and experience. This first instance of instruction reflects a two-fold process of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and second provide sound instruction on how to live Christ’s message faithfully.

What does the term “Catechesis” mean?

“Catechesis means to reecho what Christ has taught. Catechesis, therefore, is the handing on of Jesus’ teaching which was given to the apostles (the Deposit of Faith) and transmitted through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. The Catechism of the Catholic Church outlines this teaching in an authentic manner and is therefore a “sure norm for teaching the faith” (Pope John Paul II, Fidei Depositum 3).

3 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

- Proverbs 3:1-10

Church Documents

Approved Family Religious Education Curriculums

A Family of Faith
Studies tell us that parental involvement in the faith-life of their child is by far the most important element in ensuring that a child develops into a practicing Christian. A Family of Faith provides both the parish catechist and the parent with an easy-to-use, turnkey solution to catechizing the whole family and helping parents lead their children to Heaven.

More information

Faith and Life Family Guide
The need of family (parental) involvement in the education of children is more and more recognized by parishes, schools, and dioceses today. To answer this need and encourage parents to take the lead in the ongoing religious formation of their children, Ignatius Press was pleased to create an effective tool for parents of Faith and Life users.

More information

Resources for The Family

Join us this Sunday

For more information about Family Catechesis opportunities in the Archdiocese of San Francisco—including courses in theology, ministry, spirituality, and Catholic teaching—please contact your local parish or visit sfarch.org. Let us walk together in faith as lifelong learners and joyful disciples of Jesus Christ.

Forming Disciples for Life:
The Mission of Adult Faith Formation

Adult Faith Formation is at the heart of the Church’s catechetical mission, guiding men and women toward a deeper relationship with Christ and a mature understanding of the Catholic faith. More than a program, it is a lifelong journey—one that integrates the Gospel into every dimension of adult life: personal growth, family, relationships, civic responsibility, and the common good. In the Archdiocese of San Francisco, our Adult Faith Formation ministry seeks to respond to the real needs of our communities, offering a comprehensive and engaging pathway into the richness of Catholic life and discipleship. Through thoughtful planning, grounded in Scripture and tradition, we strive to equip adults to live as faithful, informed, and active members of the Church in the modern world.

What is Adult Faith Formation?

Adult Faith Formation is a lifelong journey of encountering God and deepening our relationship with Him in the midst of our everyday lives. Rooted in our Baptism, each of us is called to grow continuously in faith, understanding, and discipleship.

In the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Adult Faith Formation seeks to support, nourish, and challenge adults as they explore the richness of the Catholic faith, embrace its transformative power, and respond more fully to God’s call. We are committed to offering a variety of programs, resources, and opportunities that invite all adults to engage more deeply in their spiritual journey and live out their faith with greater purpose and conviction.

How important is Adult Faith Formation?

Religious education is not just for children anymore. Adult faith formation is vital. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document, Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us (OHWB):

“Adult faith formation, by which people consciously grow in the life of Christ through experience, reflection, prayer, and study, must be “the central task in [this] catechetical enterprise,” becoming “the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence as well as that of old age.” (OHWB #5)

Why do we need Adult Faith Formation?

In their document Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, the US Bishops renewed a commitment to fostering faith formation for adults. Since we all are continually being formed in our faith as we walk our journeys of life, a renewed commitment to adult faith formation necessitates a need for quality programming and a variety of opportunities for all adults.

What are the goals of Adult Faith Formation?

The Bishops outline three key goals of Adult Faith Formation (OHWB #67-73):

Inviting and enabling ongoing conversion to Jesus in holiness of life:
- helping adults acquire an attitude of conversion to the Lord
- leading adults to repentance of sin, reconciliation through the sacraments and deepening faith in Jesus
Promoting and supporting active membership in the Christian community:
- helping adults make a conscious and firm decision to live the faith through membership in the Christian community
- inviting and supporting baptized adults in their co-responsibility for the Church’s mission and life
Calling and preparing adults to act as disciples in mission to the world
- inviting baptized adults to evangelization and justice in the world

Further Resources From the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops:

To assist us in the process of creating a culture of mature adult discipleship that is a living, fruitful and explicit profession of faith, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops have put forth the following documents to guide us:

The General Directory for Catechesis
The National Directory for Catechesis
Called and Gifted for the Third Millenium, 1995, Reflections of the USCCB on the 30th anniversary of the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity
Our Hearts Were Burning Within, 1999, A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States, NCCB/USCCB.
Go and Make Disciples, 1992, 2002-10th-anniversary edition, a National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States.
Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization, 2012, a Statement by the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.