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Dear Pastoral Assistants of Faith Formation and Catechists,
Summer offers us the opportunity to take a break to breathe, rest, and evaluate our programs. Some parishes will begin to strategize and share human and material resources to offer more comprehensive and effective faith formation to respond to the needs of our parish family. This requires continual openness to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit to be His instruments and to envision the church of the future where the number of families preparing not only to receive His sacraments, but to become disciples of Jesus, increases.
Just as many changes are taking place in the parishes, the same is happening in our Chancery. I remind you that the Christifideles program has returned to be part of the Department of Lifelong Formation and that Fr. Simon Kim is the Academic Consultant. As you know, there is currently a group that is going to graduate with their Master's degree soon and two certificates are being offered: one for Youth and Young Adult Ministry and the other in Hispanic Ministry.
Today I invite you to enroll in this program if you want to advance your professional development and you are interested in a Master's degree in Theology. A bachelor's degree is required and here is the link for you to learn more about this program, enroll, or invite others to do so: Christifideles - Archdiocese of Seattle
Partners in the Gospel will need well-formed lay people to develop vibrant and evangelizing parishes. Let's support this professional development campaign.
Carlos Carrillo
Director of the Department of Lifelong Formation
| | Annual PAFF Conference Recap | | |
Dr. Joseph White from Our Sunday Visitor was our facilitator of our Annual Pastoral Assistants of Faith Formation Conference. We began the conference with Holy Mass presided by Bishop Frank Schuster. He reminded us about our calling from Jesus to be "salt of the earth." He described the meaning of the word "salt", its negative reputation on today's society due to nutritional factors, and also emphasized that "by becoming disciples, we turn into the preservative that keeps the world from spoiling". His homily was comforting, encouraging, and pastorally oriented.
Dr. White provided us with practical elements and tools to offer an adaptive catechesis in our parishes. The group activities, games, and songs provided us with elements to feel more comfortable in implementing an adaptive catechesis in the local parishes. Jennifer Wong and Lisa Hillyard also introduced the new resource page on Adaptive Catechesis. Please see the next article below. We want to thank all of the PAFFs who made the effort to attend this wonderful annual conference.
| | To read Bishop Schuster's entire homily click here. | | |
NEW! Adaptive Catechesis Resource Page!
A new webpage has been added to our resource website dedicated to helpful resources in Adaptive Catechesis. There are sample programming ideas, administrative forms, and other helpful links to assist parishes in working with all different abilities. Take a look and let us know if you have any questions or have additional resources that would be helpful to add.
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Orientation Sessions For New OCIA Coordinators and Volunteers
This online training will offer practical tools for attending to the many facets of this role and provide practical advice for turning obstacles into opportunities.
The presenters will tackle team creation and formation, discernment, marriage and annulment issues, paperwork, collaboration with clergy, and more. The presenters will provide you with support and answer your questions. A basic understanding of the OCIA ritual text is a prerequisite for attending this series. August 26, September 2 and 9, 2025 at 6:00pm - 7:30pm via Zoom.
Learn more and register. Spanish sessions also available.
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Archdiocesan Children's Prayer Book
If you would like to order printed copies for your programs, please fill out the order form.
- Credit card payments can be taken at time of ordering or you can choose to pay later (send check or be billed - parish only).
- Order form is available online so you can refer parents/guardians to visit the webpage and order directly.
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Spanish/English & Vietnamese/English bilingual versions are available online only.
- Contact Lisa Hillyard with any questions.
Place your orders for your programs starting in the Fall!
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Young Adult Retreat
July 11-13, 2026
Presenter: Brendan McCauley from the Humanum Project
Register here
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Various dates & locations in July
Under Mary’s Mantle of Hope
Attend this inspiring Marian Talk, by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P
Learn more & register here
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Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Level I Summer Course
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a Montessori-based faith formation experience in which children and adults listen to God together in a retreat-like setting called the Atrium. The Sheepfold, a local consortium of communities offering CGS to families, is offering a 2-part formation course for adults to learn how to offer CGS to children ages 3-6. Part 1 will be offered in July 2025. The dates are July 11-13 and July 25-27. All of the 2025 dates will be offered at St. Monica’s on Mercer Island. Part 2 will be offered in July 2026 -- exact dates and location TBD.
This course will equip an adult to serve as a catechist in a Level I Atrium. It will include adult reflections, working with materials, group discussions, journaling, material making, and more. For more details and for information about registration, contact the Sheepfold Host Erin Webb (ewebb.sheepfold@gmail.com). For more information about this method of faith formation click here.
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ParishStaq Monthly Office Hours
Do you have questions about how to use ParishStaq? Bring your questions to Monthly CSM* Office Hours for Ministry Leaders *CSM- Pushpay Customer Success Manager.
| Tuesdays at 1 PM (Monthly) | Please note the Parish Annual Report training opportunity on June 5th! | | | |
Lifelong Formation Support Meetings
Starting in the fall, our support meetings will now occur quarterly! Please see below for specific dates and Zoom information for each meeting. We look forward to meeting with you online starting in September!
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PAFF Support
Anyone working in Faith Formation can join these meetings to network, share ideas, ask questions or just visit with others working in faith formation.
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SEPTEMBER 9, 2025
DECEMBER 9, 2025
MARCH 10, 2026
JUNE 9, 2026
2nd Tuesday of the month
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 864 5781 8172
Passcode: 536483
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OCIA Support
Parish staff working in OCIA share good practices, ideas to improve current processes, tips on how to deal with difficult concerns, and ideas to celebrate the Rites.
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OCTOBER 21, 2025
JANUARY 20, 2026
APRIL 15, 2026
JULY 21, 2026
3rd Tuesday of the month
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 842 6568 4119
Passcode: 559697
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M&FL Support
Anyone working in ministry with Marriage and Family Life can join these meetings to network, share ideas, ask questions, or just visit with others.
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NOVEMBER 25, 2025
FEBRUARY 24, 2026
MAY 27, 2026
AUGUST 25, 2026
4th Tuesday of the month
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 832 3928 5444
Passcode: 140295
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Save the Dates!
Betrothed Marriage Prep Retreats
October 24-26, 2025
February 27 - March 1, 2026
Registration will be available July 2025
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Natural Family Planning Week - July 20-26
Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is a national educational campaign. The Natural Family Planning Program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops develops a poster each year with basic supportive materials. It is the individual dioceses, however, that offer a variety of educational formats in the local church to focus attention on Natural Family Planning methods and Church teachings that support their use in marriage.
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Be sure to check the Liturgical Calendar pages in both English and Spanish. These pages will contain who and what the Church celebrates specifically in the month of JULY.
| | Please note: If you receive this newsletter before the beginning of the next month, content on the webpage will update on the 1st of each month. | | St. Junipero Serra - July 1 | | | St. Kateri Tekakwitha - July 14 | | St. Mary Magdalene - July 22 | | Sts. Joachim & Anne - July 26 | | St. St. Ignatius Loyola - July 31 | | |
Catechetical Sunday 2025
The 2025 theme encourages us to be prepared to share the basis of our faith, the Lord, and the hope He provides. In the same manner Saint Peter encouraged the believers of his time, the scripture reminds us, the sharing should be done with gentleness and respect.
Readings I Poster (English) I Poster (Spanish)
Links to purchase resources available soon.
“Always be ready to give an explanation…for a reason for your hope”
1 Pet 3:15
| | For more feast days & observances not included here, visit the Liturgical Calendar resource page. | | |
July Devotion - Precious Blood of Jesus
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America's Birthday - July 4
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ARCHDIOCESE OF SEATTLE
Lifelong Formation
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