Family faith formation is an educational method that focuses on engaging families in the process of learning and growing in their Catholic faith together, rather than just focusing on children’s religious education. The emphasis recognizes that parents are the among the most influential teachers of their children’s faith. But, as is common with most everything with parenting, just because parents bare the responsibility of being their children’s leading influencer doesn’t mean that teaching our love for God and Christ are easy concepts to instruct.
“Most adults might be a little uncomfortable doing that (talking about our faith),” exclaims Cynthia Maloney, a catechist and faith formation volunteer. “But I’ve discovered how lovely it is to talk with children about God. Children have a natural affinity for and interest in the spiritual, and with so much curiosity! They really only need encouragement, to be reminded of God’s love for them, and exposure to the Word.”
That is the goal for our Faith Formation here at Sacred Heart, creating the connection and providing the pathway to Christ for parents, kids, catechumens, and candidates alike. That task is an operation that requires a small army of catechists and volunteers, especially as we have seen our parish family growing over these last few years. “We’ve got more than 30 volunteers and catechists assisting us this year across all of our formation ministries,” says Maria Giral, the parish’s Associate Director of Faith Formation. “And that doesn’t include the parents or sacramental sponsors who are echoing that instruction.”
“I wanted to find a way to connect with other parishioners to make our church feel more like a home,” says Carly Hogsed, when asked what led her to assist the parish as a catechist. “The best way to do so I have always found is to get involved! I think having both the parents and the children sitting together for faith formation lessons will have long lasting positive impacts for their child’s faith journey.”
Switching from the nuclear definition of family and looking at our larger parish family, Sacred Heart, like many Catholic parishes, is seeing an influx of reverts and converts, a trend resulting in many seeking to begin or continue their faith journeys. “It’s life giving to see all of these seekers coming to us and to the Church,” says Barbara Ferreris, Director of Faith Formation. “They are coming to grow in faith and their relationship with God.” Ferreris also says more than 20 inquirers are set to take part in the O.C.I.A. process this year (2025-26), seeking Full Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) while more than 30 are seeking Full Communion (Eucharist, Confirmation).
Trey Gould, received into the Church at the Easter Vigil through O.C.I.A. in 2024, says volunteering in faith formation has been a great way for him to stay involved at the parish. “I see a reflection of myself in everyone (in O.C.I.A.) and it brings me closer to the faith. I always find I learn something new even if the lessons and faith sharing isn’t directed to me specifically.”
You can learn more about Faith Formation, including registration and volunteer opportunities, by clicking here.
Family Faith Formation Registration: Sacred Heart offers a non-traditional approach to assist parents in forming the faith of their children. “Family Faith Formation” is exactly what it says – families sharing and growing in faith.
Registration for Family Faith Formation is now live, and open to all families who have children ages four (4) through high school.
Are You Looking to Become Catholic? The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (O.C.I.A.) is the process by which unbaptized and baptized Christians of other faith traditions are especially invited to explore Catholic spirituality in community in order to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Each faith journey is personal, and often is characterized by an awakening or conversion of the heart, that leads one to desire an authentic life of Christian discipleship. Through the sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist — we encounter and participate fully in the mystery of Jesus Christ’s life, saving death and Resurrection.
Weekly inquiry sessions for those interested in becoming Catholic begin on Wednesday, September 10, at 6:30 p.m. in the North Campus O.C.I.A. Room. We welcome all inquiries and look forward to accompanying you soon. Contact Barbara Ferreris via email or at 813-229-1595, ext. 204 for more information.
If there is a consistent theme in all three of today’s readings, it is the role of a prophet and how a prophet is treated. In today’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (38; 4-6, 8-10) we read that Jeremiah is thrown into a muddy cistern because his message is “demoralizing the soldiers…and all the people.”
In the second reading from the letter to the Hebrews (12: 1-4) the author reminds his readers that “Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame…and endured such opposition from sinners.”
Today’s Gospel according to Luke (12: 49-53) has Jesus saying that He has come to set the world on fire and that He has come to create division. This is not an easy Gospel, and the question must be asked, “Where is the Good News in this?”
For me, the good news is found in the implicit idea of choice. We are free to choose to live the false sense of peace and security that the world and its values give, or we can freely choose to live empowered by the Holy Spirit, in imitation of Christ and His values. “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” Love, not judgement; Love, not apathy; Love, not selfishness; Love, not revenge; Love, not cruelty. You get the idea. Yet this choosing to Love above all else will at some point, put us in opposition with others. As the World War II Lutheran martyr Deitrich Bonhoeffer put it, “Grace is free, but is not cheap.” In the end, grace has a price.
Tradition has it that Jeremiah was stoned to death, the prophet Isaiah was sawn in two, Bonhoeffer was executed by hanging, Jesus was crucified. Yet as people of faith we know that death is not the end. The letter to the Hebrews reminds us that “we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” so we are encouraged to “persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfector of faith.” So, no matter what the circumstances, let us all be prophets (as we are by our Baptism) and prophetically live our faith, using words only if we must.
“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
This line opens the second reading this Sunday and it’s one of the most profound theological definitions of faith in all of Scripture.
You see, we live in a world obsessed with what is visible. Proof. Data. Measurement. Surveillance. If you can’t see it, test it, or touch it—it must not be real. And yet, today’s Scripture turns that on its head.
Faith, it says, is not blind. Faith sees more—not less. It is “evidence” of what the eyes cannot perceive, and the “realization” of what is not yet. Faith should never be seen as a fantasy, but rather, it’s a way of knowing, a kind of spiritual perception that recognizes God’s presence where others see only absence.
“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for…” It’s not wishful thinking. It’s not “someday maybe.”
It’s a confidence that what God promises is already on its way.
Abraham lived in tents but believed in a city with foundations.
Moses left the palace of Egypt for a land he had never seen.
Mary said “yes” to a future that would shatter every plan she had.
Faith gives shape to the invisible—like an architect who builds from a blueprint not yet realized, or an artist who sees beauty in a blank canvas.
“…and evidence of things not seen.” Evidence is normally empirical: we test it. We prove it.
But Hebrews says faith itself is evidence—not of the visible, but of the invisible.
The Desert Fathers referred to faith as the heart’s capacity to perceive God. It doesn’t oppose reason; it goes beyond it. In this way, faith is both evidence and encountering the invisible becomes tangible in prayer, in trust, in love.
So, what does this mean for today? It means we don’t just believe in God—we rely on Him. We order our lives around His promises. We build our homes on a foundation that can’t be seen on any map or measured by any device.
The Catechism says: “Faith is a foretaste of the knowledge that will make us blessed in the life to come.” (CCC 163) Faith trains us to see not only what is, but what is becoming. We learn to wait—not passively, but with attentive hope. We become pilgrims who walk toward the unseen with eyes wide open.
A sailor once found himself navigating a dense fog at night. Visibility was nearly zero, and the coast was dangerous. Suddenly, a faint light appeared in the distance, a beam of a lighthouse. He couldn’t see the shore, but he knew where to go. That light was not the destination—but it was enough to move forward.
That is faith: Not full sight… but enough light.
We may not see all that God is doing. We may not understand the “why” of our suffering, or the “when” of His coming. But we have enough to walk forward.
Faith is not just about the afterlife. It’s about how we live this life — here, now, today — in the light of God’s promises. It’s the ability to take God at his word and the courage to take the next step.
Building on the success of our recent “Aloha Summer Social,” we hope to return to Hawaii with a parish performance of Tales of Wonder, a musical conceived by Marty Haugen while visiting a parish in Hawaii. That parish was largely made up of native Hawaiians who had preserved story-telling as one aspect of their culture. To an extent, we do the same every Sunday as we gather to listen to the Word of God. In Tales of Wonder a village gathers around two story-tellers who relate some of the familiar and central stories of their faith – Creation, Job, Jesus, and the coming of the Spirit – primarily to the children, but also to the adults.
I was first introduced to Tales of Wonder by Marty Haugen himself when he visited London for anniversary celebrations of the St Thomas More Centre. Since then. I have directed performances at St Ignatius College, Enfield (1991), Parrs Wood High School (1995) at which the Headteacher remarked that we had delivered the entire religious education program in one night! When I became Director of Music for the Cathedral and Diocese of Hallam, performances followed at churches throughout the Diocese. Most memorable was a performance in Iona Abbey (1998) at which both Marty Haugen and I had been invited as guest musicians for the annual Music & Worship Week of the Wild Goose Resource Group. I directed, with Marty at the piano. The choir was made up of the 120 people signed up for the week and the children all came from Iona’s tiny primary school.
Can we rise to the challenge of performing it here at Sacred Heart? The proposed performance date is Wednesday, October 1 (updated from previous bulletin and email listings showing October 2), in the church. Our choir has already expressed its interest. Parents of children aged 8 and up, might your children be interested in being part of a children’s singing group? We would need to rehearse, of course, but please let me know if your children are interested by writing to me at pjakob@sacredheartfla.org
Every week we receive calls from people who are requesting baptisms, weddings, convalidations, and those looking for sponsorship forms because they have been asked to be a sponsor for a baptism or confirmation. In all of these circumstances, the first question they are asked is, “Are you a registered parishioner?”
What it means to be an active registered parishioner at SH:
An active registered parishioner is a person who attends Mass regularly at Sacred Heart Church. Parents who want a Catholic Faith Formation and Education for their children will see to it that their family attends Mass faithfully and participates in parish activities.
An active registered parishioner gives of themselves by donating Time and Talent to the ministries of the parish and/or to the volunteer organizations that support the parish. We are to share in the responsibilities that keep our parish alive in a vibrant way through our ministries.
An active registered parishioner is a good financial steward of the church. As a parishioner, it is important to understand that giving financially to support the parish is a vital and key component to active parishioner status.
We often hear people say “I’ve been coming here for years” or “this is my parish.” This is not the same as being a registered parishioner. We also hear “I or we only give cash”, so there is no record of identifiable giving. In these cases we are unable to assist in their needs. Registering at Sacred Heart Church offers numerous benefits, both practical and spiritual, for individuals and families. Here’s why a person should consider registering:
Sense of Belonging & Community:
Becoming part of a family: Registration signifies your desire to be an active part of a specific Catholic faith community. It fosters a sense of belonging and helps you feel more “at home” in the church.
Building relationships: It provides opportunities to connect with other parishioners, form friendships, and receive support during times of joy and sorrow.
Demonstrating commitment: It’s a tangible way to declare your commitment to practicing your faith within a local church community, making a counter-cultural statement in a low-commitment society.
Facilitation of Sacraments & Ministries:
Sacramental preparation: Many parishes require registration for individuals or families preparing for sacraments like Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and Holy Matrimony.
Prior to any wedding arrangements being made, a bride or groom must be a registered and active member in the parish for a minimum of one year and contributed to its support. The parish will not accept brides or grooms who register at the parish for the sole purpose of being married at Sacred Heart Church or for “using” the Church.
Godparent/Sponsor validation: Being a registered, active member is often a requirement to receive a letter of eligibility to be a godparent for Baptism or a sponsor for Confirmation.
Pastoral care: Registration helps the pastor and staff get to know you better, allowing them to minister to your spiritual needs, especially during times of crisis (e.g., Anointing of the Sick).
Participation in parish life: It opens doors for involvement in various ministries, volunteer opportunities, and educational/formational programs offered by the parish.
Practical Benefits:
Communication and updates: Providing your contact information allows the parish to keep you informed about events, prayer opportunities, and important updates via email direct mail, or phone.
Financial statements: If you use offertory envelopes or online giving, registration ensures you receive a year-end statement of your donations for income tax purposes.
Parish planning: Your registration contributes to the parish’s census numbers, which can influence decisions regarding the number of priests assigned, Mass schedules, and the planning of various programs and services.
Proof of presence (especially for immigrants): For immigrants, registration can help document continuous presence in the U.S., which may be useful in immigration-related matters. It can also demonstrate good moral character and community involvement.
Spiritual Growth & Accountability:
Deeper engagement: Registration can lead to more active participation in the life of the parish, helping you to grow in love of God and neighbor.
Accountability: By formally joining, you allow the pastors and other members to shepherd you more effectively and hold you accountable in your faith journey.
Stability: Registering at a single parish encourages stability in your faith life, allowing you to confront challenging teachings and grow within a consistent spiritual environment.
In essence, registering at a Catholic parish is about intentionally becoming part of the Body of Christ in a local, tangible way, allowing you to both receive from and contribute to the vibrant life of the Church.
