The Catholic Community of Northern Columbia County

CNCC Family Mass

Once a month we are planning to have children and parents more involved in Sunday mass. While most months the mass will not be on a Sunday School - Family Faith Formation morning mass Sunday, the first one will be. The reason is that we're hoping to entice families that only come on Sundays for CCD to consider coming more often and/or to get engaged and to have their children involved once they see other children doing the readings, singing, ushering, etc. Therefore, the first children/family mass is scheduled for Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 10:30 am (St. James). (The next family mass will be at St. John's and will alternate months after that.) If your child would like to sing, please reach out to Kristen, our Music Director (contact on the front cover). If your child is interested in
getting involved in other ways, reach out to me, Father Steve at Steve.Matthews@rcda.org. 

What is Family Faith Formation?

Over time, this question comes up every once in a while, and sometimes the concern was not so much about the definition (helping children, teenagers, young adults, and adults, on the journey of faith) as to the title. So, to clarify - Family Faith Formation as it is called here in the CCNCC and in many parishes and networks in our diocese (and many dioceses in the USA) has been previously called CCD, Sunday School, Religious Education, Catechesis, among other names. It's all about helping others; children through adults learn about our Catholic Christian tradition and faith and putting that faith into action. The faith formation offered in parishes is a supplement to what should be happening at home. We have learned that long gone are the days (in many families) where religion, prayer and faith are the priority. Therefore, our approach needs to include more than just 45 minutes of book learning. Hence, the need not only in the title, but in the program to engage children, parents and families in faith formation. See also the article on our new monthly family mass where we are hoping to encourage families to get involved in mass, once again.

CCNCC Expansion of Family Faith Formation Program

With the change to the Mass schedule, effective August 1 and 2, 2026, we will offer faith formation sessions twice monthly in most
school-year months. This is contingent on more volunteer catechists. Please contact Ann (ccnccformation@gmail.com) in our Faith Formation Office if you are willing to share your faith with our younger parishioners. We have a number of returning catechists (including 4 teenagers), but we need more. Thank you to all who have helped in the past and are willing to help this year. Our twice-a-month schedule is contingent on additional volunteer catechists. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.