By Connie Berry
Sun editor

Religious education, or faith formation, doesn’t consist only of CYO dances and May crownings. Today’s catechists are expected to keep their own faith alive, engage parents in participating in their children’s faith formation and still help with youth rallies and Christmas pageants.

The diocesan Office of Faith Formation is offering a workshop Thursday, Aug. 26 at the Bishop Harrison Center, 1342 Lancaster Ave., in Syracuse which will offer ways to help bring parents into their children’s faith formation process. Leisa Anslinger, a well-known parish leader and speaker based in Ohio, will be the presenter. She says parents learning alongside their children makes for a win-win situation.

“The families grow in their relationship with Christ and the parish becomes filled with people who are engaged in the life of the parish and who share the Gospel with their family and friends,” Anslinger said.

Sister Katie Eiffe, CSJ, is diocesan director of the Office of Faith Formation and her mantra has always been, “faith formation is a lifelong process.” She said parents are the first catechists for their children. “This is a topic we’re constantly aware of. We want to energize and invite and encourage parents for faith formation for themselves and their children,” she said.

At the workshop, parish leaders, pastors and catechists can learn how to coach parents to form their own children in the Catholic faith.

“We establish a positive partnership in which parents learn alongside their children,” Anslinger explained. “The interaction between parent and child increases the child’s learning and the family grows in the eagerness to live their faith at home.”

There are resources available through Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum, Twenty-Third Publications and Anslinger’s “Great Expectations” workshops which will help religious educators in this endeavor. The sacraments are a good place to start. As a child goes through baptism, first penance, first Communion and later, confirmation, parents can take an active role in the process. Catechists and pastors can step up and continue to encourage parents to stay involved. Sister Katie hopes parish leadership takes the opportunity to attend the August workshops her office has offered for the past four or five years.

To register or for more information, call Sister Katie at (315) 470-1431 or one of the regional Offices of Faith Formation: North, (315) 596-4014; South, (607) 348-0746; East, (315) 797-4030 or West, (315) 472-6753.