INTERGENERATIONAL FAITH FESTIVALS - 2011-2012
Intergenerational Faith Festivals are offered 5 times a month!

• Friday evening: (Series #1): 5:30-8:00pm for families with children in Kindergarten-Gr. 7(begins with supper)

• Friday evening: (Series #2) :5:30-8:00pm for families with children in Kindergarten-Gr. 7(begins with supper)

• Sunday afternoon: Begins with 11:30am Mass-3:00pm for families with children in Kindergarten-Gr. 7(includes lunch)

• Sunday afternoon for youth in Grades 8 and 9 (Confirmation preparation years 2 and 3): begins with 11:30am Mass-2:30pm (includes lunch).
  Please note: Students in Grades 8-9 must attend this Festival with their class.

• Wednesday evening for adults only: 6-8pm in the Church Hall (includes pot-luck supper)

Please note: You may make individual adjustments throughout the year! Just call the Religious Education Office at 203-468-7071 and notify us of your change.

Intergenerational Faith Festival Schedule 2011-2012: 

#1 September 2011: Reading the Bible
Wednesday evening (adults), September 14
Friday evening, Series #1, September 16
Sunday Afternoon (K-7), September 18
Friday evening, Series #2, September 23
Sunday afternoon (youth 8-9 only), September 25

#2 October 2011: Gospel of Matthew
Wednesday evening (adults), October 12
Friday evening, Series #1, October 14
Sunday Afternoon (K-7), October 16
Friday evening, Series #2 October 21
Sunday afternoon (youth 8-9 only), October 23

#3 November 2011: O Antiphons
Friday evening, Series #1, November 4
Sunday Afternoon (K-7), November 6
Wednesday evening (adults), November 16
Friday evening, Series #2 November 18
Sunday afternoon (youth 8-9 only), November 20

#4 January 2012: Introduction to the Old Testament
Wednesday evening (adults), January 18 
Friday evening, Series #1, January 20
Sunday Afternoon (K-7), January 22
Friday evening, Series #2 January 27
Sunday afternoon (youth 8-9 only), January 29

#5 February 2012: Introduction to the New Testament
Wednesday evening (adults), February 15
Friday evening, Series #1, February 17
Sunday Afternoon (K-7), February 19
Friday evening, Series #2 February 24
Sunday afternoon (youth 8-9 only), February 26

#6 March 2012: Acts of the Apostles
Wednesday evening (adults), March 14
Friday evening, Series #1, March 16
Sunday Afternoon (K-7), March 18
Friday evening, Series #2 March 23
Sunday afternoon (youth 8-9 only), March 25

We at Our Lady of Pompeii have embarked on a new approach to religious education which is taking place in parishes across the United States and Canada. It is the “Family Faith Festival” approach to lifelong faith formation. The program is centered in the events of church life, includes all ages and generations, and promotes faith growth at home, through parish preparation programs and through participation in weekly Mass and the life of our church.

Members of our parish staff and a few volunteers went through the initial training. Our planning team now consists of catechists who are present during the Faith Festivals. We have volunteers who handle the "meals" for the weekend, people who welcome the families and guide them through the activities of the evening, instructors who lead the teaching of children and adults and the set-up and clean-up group who are very important to our sessions. Members of our Morning Mass Group put together our home kits and Our Ladies' Guild and Knights of Columbus assist us at every session. Some "catechists" attend all the sessions; others are present for one or two. It is important that everyone who wishes to be part of the program is welcomed-all our "gifts" are needed to make our program dynamic and energizing.

Faith Festivals are held six times a month for a 2 ½ hour session. There is a Sunday afternoon session for Grades 8 and 9 and the choice of two Friday evenings and one Sunday afternoon session for families with children Grades K-6.  Also is an evening sessions for Adults only on Wednesdays. 

The Faith Festival sessions include a meal, an opening all-ages experience, an in-depth experience in age-specific groups (children, youth and adults), an all-ages intergenerational closing session and an explanation of the home kit. The "home kit" includes resources, activities, prayers, rituals and service ideas for each household to use in the coming month. One of the major components of the program is that parents are the primary educators of children, and these home packets strive to continue the theme of the Faith Festival at home.

We began our first Faith Festival in January of 2005, and we completed 33 Faith Festivals by the Spring of 2010. The topics included: Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving; Our Lady of Pompeii and the Rosary; All Saints: Living Saints Among Us; The Mass; Eucharist and Human Hunger; The Sacrament of Reconciliation; Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord's Supper; Catholic Prayers and Devotions; The Rite of Funerals: Grief, Loss and Resurrection; Christ the King: Catholic Social Justice (Fair Trade); The Sacrament of Marriage: Celebrating Family Life; The Sacrament of Baptism Living Our Promises, and The Sacrament of Confirmation: Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Our theme for this coming year is the Ten Commandments. Each year is new and each experience is unique. Each time we meet we learn more about ourselves, our responsibility in a world community and our Catholic Faith.

Our parish is alive as a result of the faith our people and their love for the parish of Our Lady of Pompeii. The Faith Festivals have enhanced our parish life in many ways. The program is alive, always new and has challenged us to move beyond ourselves. We have learned to work together, pray with each other and reach out to those in need. Our involvement with Heifer International and our commitment to provide a meal for an area shelter once a month are only a few projects that have meaning for us as a result of the Faith Festivals.