Provide adults (parents, sponsors, grandparents) a community that supports one another in faith-filled parenting and continuing growth as Catholic adults. Equip adults to accompany and guide their children or mentees through middle and high school, especially in areas of faith. 


Outreach to parents will take two primary forms: in-person meetings (specialized and standard) and asynchronous resources.  

Standard In-Person Meetings: Adults take part in monthly one-hour meetings that are designed to provide community and guidance to parents as they walk through their children’s 7-12th grade years together. The content is not cumulative. Meetings are packaged as pre-made modules and include additional resources on the topic addressed that session. The meeting schedule includes: 

  • Common prayer 
  • Short catechesis that prompts discussion (e.g. article that can be read in <10 min, 5-7 minute video).  
  • Discussion. Parent volunteers serve as discussion coordinators. (They would be expected to know where to go for further resources, but would not need to be experts on the content). 
  • Application. Parents leave with concrete ways to engage naturally with their children (discussion questions, activities, etc.) that are easily woven into daily life.  

Hospitality: Leaders will make a special effort to arrange the room, snacks, and atmosphere to contribute to the sense of being around someone’s kitchen table rather than in a classroom.  

Specialized Meeting: 

Overview: Parents/guardians/grandparents and community members for whom the topic is relevant will be invited to take part in an annual meeting that is designed to provide catechesis and a place to process sensitive or timely topics. The suggested meeting time is 2 hours.  

Audience: Parents, guardians, and faith mentors of young people, such as confirmation sponsors, grandparents, etc., students, relevant community members 

Specialized meetings should include: 

  • Common prayer 
  • Catechesis/talk from an expert. Experts will record a presentation, which will be made available to leaders throughout the diocese.  
  • Discussion. Question and answer will follow. Questions that require an expert answer will be recorded and passed on to the presenter via the Faith Formation office.  
  • Application. Parents leave with concrete ways to engage with their children (discussion questions, activities, etc.).  
  • The presenter creates a 30 minute follow-up video Q&A from recorded questions. 
  • The expert provides resources on the topic addressed that session and attempts to give concrete options to answer the question “What do we do next?” One option is to provide a class or other formation opportunity to explore the topic further in depth.  
Hospitality: Leaders will make a special effort to arrange the room, snacks, and atmosphere to contribute to the sense of being around someone’s kitchen table rather than in a classroom. 

Ministry leaders send out email or hand out hard copy newsletters once per month, ideally 1-2 weeks before the next in-person parent meeting. Parents will receive one newsletter for each grade level in which they have a child (e.g. a parent with a 7th grader and a 10th grader will receive two newsletters – one with content specific to 7th grade and the other with content specific to 10th grade.) 

Newsletter content: 

  • Overview of the content their children are engaging in for the month 
  • 1-2 catechetical resources (short video or article that addresses the monthly themes) 
  • 1 way to engage with their child around the monthly experiences 
  • Reminder of future meetings/opportunities 

The manual for parishes to host meetings for parents and discuss topics that are timely and pertinent to their teens can be accessed here:  2022-23 Parent Manual
The 2023-24 manual is coming soon!