Your Organization

LIFT! Living in Faith Together FAMILY FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM Welcome to LIFT! - Holy Eucharist’s faith formation program for fami-lies with children in grades 1– 8. With our program, we create opportu-nities for families to learn how to pray together , grow as disciples and will help families develop spiritual habits that will lead them into a deeper relationship with Christ. It is a FAMILY experience – a partnership with parents in the develop-

ment of their child’s faith formation. We accommodate the ENTIRE

family in each session– we have child care for infants, an age appropri-

ate program for pre-school aged children and a experiential curriculum -

based program for children in levels 1-8. We offer volunteer opportuni-

ties for teens as well

It is a WEEKEND experience – With Mass at the center of our faith

formation, we come together for an authentic worship experience, a

deeper understanding and familiarity with God’s Word and exploration

of our faith.

It is a STRUCTURED experience where we will explore our Catholic

faith with a program taught at age appropriate levels while parents are

supported with materials and lessons that they can continue with their

children at home.

It is a VIBRANT experience with live music, engaging speakers, certi-

fied group leaders, meaningful activities.

It is a CONTINUING experience at home with guided prayer experi-

ences, online conversations, lessons and activities to enrich your home

faith journey throughout the month.

More about it…. Families come together once a month on the weekend beginning with Mass (either 5:00pm Saturday, 8:30am, 10:30am or 6:00pm Sunday) and continue with our faith formation program following mass for an hour and a half. During the session, families gather for a short meeting to introduce the topic and share a light meal. Children then break out into grade levels for an age appropriate lesson reinforcing the theme. At the same time, parents participate by exploring these same concepts through adult presentations and discussions. Families come back to-gether at the end of the session to share their experiences . Resources are given for unpacking the lesson at home through our website.

2015-16 LIFT SCHEDULE

LIFT! Sessions Begin with Mass 5:00pm Saturday, 8:30am, 10:30am or 6:00pm Sunday September 19,20 2015

October 17,18 2015

November 14, 15 2015

December 12,13 2015

January 16, 17 2016

February 20,21 2016

March 19,20 2016

April 16,17 2016

May 14, 15 2016 609 268 7742 www.hecfamilyfaith.org www.holyeucharist.org

Welcome to the week-end at Holy Eucharist! We love being part of a great faith community and every weekend we come together to experi-ence vibrant liturgies, beautiful seasonal envi-ronments, exceptional messages and inspiring music.

What to expect

A Mass schedule with times conven-ient for your busy schedules: 5:00pm Saturday, 8:30am, 10:am or 6:00pm Sunday

A welcome center where you can find information on our parish, register for our many activities, or just be welcomed by a friendly face. Introduce yourself!

Our Café offers a fresh cup of coffee and light refresh-ments after Mass—a place to gather, meet others from our faith community, and ex-plore the many events happening in our parish.

There’s Kidzone and Children’s Word

Monthly Sunday night teen programs! HERO—Holy Eucha-rist Reaching Out! For teens ages 13-18

KIDZONE

Our Children’s Word program ( Young Believers ( grades 1-3) and Faith

Explorers ( grades 4-6) meet during all masses on the weekend

( 5:00pm Saturday and 8:30am , 10:30am, 10:30am Sunday Masses. It

offers children Grades 1 –6 the opportunity to hear the Liturgy of the

Word ( readings and Homily) at an age appropriate level during Mass.

Children arrive at Mass along with their families and then are invited

forward to gather with a trained volunteer and depart for their pro-

gram. The children hear the readings and participate in a program pre-

pared for them at age appropriate levels . Children are returned to their

parents after the Homily for the remainder of the Mass. There is no

sign up required.

Kidzone worship and play for kids ages 6 months-Kindergarten, meets

for the duration of the Mass each weekend at 5:00pm Saturday,

8:30am and 10:30am Sunday during the school year. Kidzone is of-

fered at all masses on LIFT! faith formation weekends (including

6:00pm Sunday). We offer a warm environment for your child to play,

connect with an adult and other children, and worship through song

and activities based on the Sunday’s Gospel reading. There is no previ-

ous sign up or payment

required; however, there

will be security check in

procedure. Children in

Kidzone will begin the

process of being in-

volved in an “informal”

small group, as they par-

ticipate in activities fa-

cilitated by leaders each

week.

WELCOME CENTER

CHILDREN’S WORD DURING MASS

We hope that everyone who walks through our doors feel welcome! Our welcome center serves YOU—our parishioners, our guests and visi-tors. Do you need more information on a ministry or event? Would you like a Mass Card? Have forms to drop off? Our welcome center minis-ters are there to help you!

2

JOIN US—ENJOY THE

WONDER THAT IS THE WEEKEND

“Every member of our parish is a minister. Ministry goes deeper than just helping out. It expresses the work which Christ’s mission continues. People are never closer to living out the teachings of Christ then when they are adding value to someone else’s life.”

Consider doing something extraordinary! Will you consider the Next Step? We have a place for you to serve and a role that only YOU can fill! Consider serving in one of our important weekend ministries : LIFT, the Welcome Center, Kidzone , Children’s Word, or our Cafe. Serve even just once and give it a try! You’ll see what the ministry is like, meet some other people and ask all the ques-tions you want before committing further. We’ll train you and make you feel comforta-ble in the role that you choose!

We ask each LIFT family to serve just ONE weekend for two hours or less during the school year. You can serve together as a fam-ily in a ministry like the Café, or serve indi-vidually in assisting us at Kidzone. You will soon realize the gift of being a bigger part of your parish commu-nity and know that your participation is so appreciated!

Sign up online at www.hecfamilyfaith.org/nextstep

MORE DETAILS...

Kidzone and All Stars Held in the Faith Formation wing, help spread God’s Word to the youngest among us. Spend some time assisting with playing, storytelling and singing with pre-school children. Teens welcome! Time Commitment: Arrive 20 minutes be-fore the start of Mass and stay 15 minutes af-ter. To attend Mass, you will need to choose a Mass time other than the one you are serving in Kidzone Children’s Word—Grades 1-6 Assist in our vibrant Children’s Liturgy of the Word program available at all weekend Mass-es. Assist the leaders engage the children in various activities. Teens welcome! Time Commitment: Arrive 15 minutes before the start of Mass. You are able to attend Mass after the children are returned to the main wor-ship space after the homily. Welcome Center Assist in welcoming parishioners and guests

before and after Mass. Provide information about our parish to visitors, assist with various sign ups and distribution of literature and pro-vide mass cards. Training is required and thor-ough instructions are provided Time commitment: Arrive 20 minutes be-fore the start of Mass. You are able to attend Mass and then return to the center following Mass until all have been served—usually no more than 10 minutes after Mass. Cafe Assist serving others in our Cafe after 5:00pm Saturday, 8:30am or 10:30am Sunday Mass. Put on the coffee, set out the refresh-ments, serve guests and do a bit of clean up at the end! Have a welcoming spirit and a smile. Have your whole family serve together! Time commitment: Arrive 20 minutes before the start of Mass. Remain after mass approxi-mately one half hour until the guests are served and clean up complete Greeter Greet visitors to our parish before weekend masses. We want to be certain that everyone who enters our doors know that they are wel-come. A great ministry to serve as a family.

NEXT STEP

3

Next

Step

“In the Eucharist, Christ is always renewing His gift of self, which He made on the Cross. His whole life is an act of total sharing of self out of love. It is so important to go to Mass on Sunday not just to pray, but to receive Communion. It is a beautiful thing to do for Sunday is precisely the day of the resurrec-tion of the Lord. That is why Sunday is so important to us.” Pope Francis

EUCHARIST AND RECONCILIATION

There is a two year preparation period for the reception of sacraments. Generally children in the second grade are considered as having reached the age of reason, and thus ready to receive First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. In these younger grades, children receive two years of reli-gious instruction with additional preparation for the sacra-ments in the second year ( second grade). Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in our parish takes the form of family instruction in addition to the monthly family faith formation sessions. This is a faith journey for our community as we renew our understanding and com-mitment to the gift of grace we receive in the sacraments.

4

FIRST RECONCILIATION AND EUCHARIST PREPARATION

We encourage everyone to attend mass daily or weekly It is a time of

prayer, celebration and renewal. It is the center of everything we are

as Catholics.

Mass is offered weekdays (except Tuesday) in our daily chapel at

9:00am. On Tuesdays, we offer a communion service at 9:00am

Weekend Masses are celebrated at 5:00pm Saturday,

8:30am, 10:30am and 6:00pm Sunday.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most unique and

beautiful aspects of Catholicism. Jesus Christ, in His abundant love

and mercy, established the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so that we

can obtain forgiveness and reconcile with God and the Church.

Confessions are heard each Saturday from 3:30pm-4:30pm

Initiation for Children: For those parents who wish to have their school age

children initiated in the Catholic faith, The RCIC (the Rite of Christian Initia-

tion) for children is a process that invites any child age 7 to 14 interested in

searching the Catholic Faith to discover what the Catholic Church teaches and

believes. It is open to un-baptized children, children baptized in another faith,

and children who may be baptized but who have not practiced their Catholic

faith regularly. This process is accomplished in a comfortable, friendly and

informal environment designed for children. For more information, please

contact Rita Proto randrproto@verizon.net

First Reconciliation Prep:

September 29 Tuesday 7:00pm Parents Meeting

October 17,18 Saturday, Sunday All Masses Blessing ( also LIFT weekend)

October 24 Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm Reconciliation Prep Session 1 Parents and Children December 5 Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm Reconciliation Prep Session 2 Parents and Children December 19 Saturday 10:30am First Reconciliation ————————————————————————————————————————————————- First Eucharist Preparation: January 16,17 Saturday, Sunday All Masses Blessing (also LIFT Weekend) January 23 Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm First Eucharist Prep Session 1 Parents and Children February 13 Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm First Eucharist Prep Session 2 Parents and Children March 12 Saturday 10:00am—12:00pm First Eucharist Prep Session 3 Parents and Children April 23 Saturday 5:00pm Mass First Eucharist April 21 Thursday 7:00pm Rehearsal for April 23 April 24 Sunday 10:30am Mass First Eucharist April 22 Friday 7:00pm Rehearsal for April 24 April 30 Saturday 5:00pm Mass First Eucharist April 28 Thursday 7:00pm Rehearsal for April 29 May 1 Sunday 10:30am Mass First Eucharist April 29 Friday 7:00pm Rehearsal for May 1

FIRST RECONCILIATON AND EUCHARIST PREPARATION

CALENDAR 2015-16

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION CALENDAR LEVEL 7

2015-16

Level 7

October 25 Sunday Orientation—6:00pm Mass followed by meeting ending at 8:00pm Parents and Student

November 1 Sunday Preparation Session #1 ** November 8 Sunday Preparation Session #2 ** November 22 Sunday Preparation Session #3 ** December 6 Sunday Preparation Session #4 ** Dec. 12,13 Sat, Sun. Blessing at all Masses For students in Levels 7 and 8 February 27 Sunday Day of Reflection 3:30pm followed by 5:00pm Mass Students and Sponsors

6

Confirmation is the final sacrament of initiation. Those children who wish to receive the sacrament of Confirmation must be enrolled in the program for two years prior to the celebration—typically begin-ning in 7th grade. Level 7 Confirmation candidates participate in four preparation sessions and a day of reflection in addition to their family faith formation. Level 8 candidates attend six preparation sessions and a retreat also in addition to their family faith formation. Candidates participate in stewardship and volunteer opportunities, and are introduced to our high school youth ministry program, HERO. At Holy Eucharist, Confirmation is celebrated in the fall of 9th grade.

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION

** PLEASE NOTE: For Sunday preparation sessions: Families are encouraged to at-

tend 6:00pm Mass together. Students only will then attend a prep session immediate-

ly following Mass until 8:15pm.

CONFIRMATION PREP CALENDAR

LEVELS 8 AND 9 2015-16

Level 8

November 17 Tuesday Orientation—Parent and Student 7:00pm-8:00pm Dec 12,13 Sat., Sun. Blessing at all Masses For student in Levels 7 and 8 January 6- Wednesdays Individual Conversation March 16 with Father Andrew. 20 minutes. Call parish office to schedule January 10 Sunday Preparation Session #1 ** January 24 Sunday Preparation Session #2 ** January 31 Sunday Preparation Session #3 ** February 7 Sunday Preparation Session #4 ** February 25 Thursday NET Retreat—4:00pm- 9:00pm February 28 Sunday Preparation Session #5 ** March 6 Sunday Preparation Session #6 **

Level 9—Fall 2015

October 4 Sunday 6:00pm Mass followed by Night of Reflection session ending at 8:30pm Parents and students October 15 Thursday 7:00 Confirmation practice– students only

November 8 Sunday 4:45 Confirmation practice #2—students and sponsors Followed by 6:00pm Mass. Gown distribution following Mass

November 20 Friday Confirmation 7:00pm

** PLEASE NOTE: For Sunday preparation sessions: Families are encouraged to attend

6:00pm Mass together. Students only will then attend a prep session immediately fol-

H.E.R.O.—HOLY EUCHARIST REACHING OUT

Our youth ministry program is Open to all teens, 13 –18 years of age . In-

volvement in HERO provides a wonderful transition from our grade school

Family Faith Formation program into participation as young adults in the

life of our parish. Our purpose is threefold:

to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus in our world today

To draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission and

work of the Catholic faith community.

To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.

We invite every teen, ages 13-18, to become part of this dynamic ministry.

We meet once a month gathering for fellowship, service and fun! Some of our

activities include service trips, movie nights, Walk for Life, attendance at the

Diocesan Youth Conference, assistance in parish ministries .

Contact Jeff Siedlecki, Youth Ministry Coordinator at jeffsieecki@comcast.net We also encourage teens to attend our Wednesday night Meet-up. During this

hour of fellowship, we explore the coming week’s Gospels through prayer and

relevant activities

The Child and Youth Protection unit of the Diocese of Trenton works with parishes to ensure that all employees and volunteers that have regular and consistent contact with children receive the proper training and have current criminal background checks. We currently offer the following training programs through VIRTUS (www.virtus.org). The Trenton Diocese has mandated that all parishes comply with the “Protecting God’s Children” Program. Diocesan policy requires back-ground checks for all volunteers who have contact with children and young people. Background checks will be obtained through fingerprint analysis conducted by the New Jersey State Police and the Federal Bu-reau of Investigation. A Volunteer Application and Code of Conduct must also be completed. All volunteers are required to attend a Virtus “Protecting God’s Chil-dren” session. If you are an adult or teen over the age of 18 and wish to volunteer you must comply with the Diocesan “Protecting God’s Chil-dren” Program. Please contact Christine Webb at cwebb@holyeucharist.org for more information.

Family Faith Formation Attendance Statement: All families are expected to attend every Lift session begin-

ning with Mass and the appropriate sacrament preparation sessions (for levels 2, 7,8 or 9). Please review the

enclosed calendars and make attendance a family priority. Failure to attend monthly LIFT sessions and any

sacrament prep gatherings could hinder your child’s advancement in the program. Participation at weekly

Mass is also so very important to the spiritual growth of your family and we hope that your family will be ac-

tive members of our faith community. We welcome you and look forward to joining you in our faith journey

– if you have any concerns, please contact us at 609 268 8383 Ext 106

PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN