A Renewed Partnership: Family Catechesis
Bishop Wack has called every parish in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee to adopt Family Catechesis. St. Bernadette is answering that call this year — with parents at the center, not the sidelines, of handing on the faith.
"Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest years... Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith." — Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 2226
From Drop-Off to Domestic Church
Nothing about our love for your family changes. How we form your children in the faith does — because the Church has always taught that parents, not the parish, are a child's first and most important catechists.
The Old Model
- Weekly Sunday-morning drop-off classes
- Children instructed separately from parents
- Faith formation largely stayed at church
- Confirmation prep began in high school
Family Catechesis
- One family gathering per month, Wednesdays 6:00–7:30 pm
- Parents and children learn together, side by side
- At-home lessons, activities, and accountability each month
- Parents equipped as the primary catechists, supported by the parish
The Sacraments of Initiation, in Their Original Sequence
The Diocese is also restoring the historic order in which the Church has always celebrated the sacraments of initiation. This isn't a new invention — it's a return to the sequence used since the early Church, and still used today whenever an adult is baptized.
Baptism
Infancy, as before
Reconciliation
Age of discretion, ~7
Confirmation
Age ~7 (2026–27: Apr 10, 2027)
Eucharist
2026–27: May 9 · 2028+: same Mass
2026–2027 is a transition year. Children will receive Confirmation around the age of discretion (about age 7) — not in high school — ahead of First Holy Communion rather than years afterward. This first year, that means two separate Masses: Confirmation on Saturday, April 10, 2027, and First Holy Communion about a month later on Sunday, May 9, 2027.
Starting in 2028, once the transition is complete, Confirmation and First Eucharist will be celebrated together in the same Mass, as the Restored Order envisions — Confirmation immediately followed by a child's first reception of the Eucharist in one liturgy.
Children who have already been baptized and made their First Holy Communion will be invited to receive Confirmation in April 2027. Confirmation is not a "graduation" from faith formation — families continue growing together afterward through Family Catechesis.
The sacraments of Christian initiation — Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist — "lay the foundations of every Christian life," in that order. CCC 1212. For the full theological and pastoral rationale, read Bishop Wack's pastoral letter "Reborn, Anointed, Nourished" (Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, 2025).
Family Catechesis Registration
This is the enrollment form for the 2026–2027 Family Catechesis year — separate from the monthly event's RSVP below. Complete this once per family to register your children and receive monthly session details and at-home lesson materials.
Have a child preparing for a sacrament this year? The form will ask which one so we can plan accordingly.
Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education at [email protected] or 850-238-0194.
Scan to enroll from your phone — great for the bulletin or a flyer at the parish hall doors.
Family Catechesis Registration
This is a detailed, whole-family form — it covers every child's info and sacrament prep needs, so it runs long. Opens in a new tab; feel free to save and finish it in more than one sitting.
Open Registration Form →Family Catechesis Schedule
One Wednesday evening a month, 6:00–7:30 pm, with dinner and family session together — plus at-home lessons the rest of the month. Download the full year's schedule below, including special liturgies and diocesan-wide events.
RSVP for the next Family Catechesis Event
Already enrolled above? Great — this is a separate, quick RSVP for our monthly dinner headcount.
October 14th, 2026 - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm During this month dedicated to the Holy Rosary, we invite you to join us as we come together in prayer and devotion. Let us unite our hearts and voices as we pray the Living Rosary, honoring our Blessed Mother and asking for her intercession for our families, our parish, and our community.
Can't make it? Let us know on the form anyway so we can send you the recap.
Scan to RSVP from your phone — great for the bulletin or a flyer at the parish hall doors.
Family Catechesis Dinner Registration
Quick RSVP — just your family name and headcount. Opens in a new tab.
Open RSVP Form →Family Catechesis & Restored Order FAQ
Is a 7-year-old really ready for Confirmation?
Children this age don't fully grasp Baptism or the Eucharist either, and we still celebrate those sacraments with them. Confirmation, like every sacrament, is a gift from God rather than something earned — ongoing catechesis continues long after it's received.
What happens to teen Confirmation prep?
Teenage Confirmation is a relatively recent practice, and fewer teens have been completing it each year. Faith formation for teens continues under Family Catechesis — it just isn't tied to a single sacrament as an incentive to attend.
We're new to the parish and our child hasn't been confirmed yet. What do we do?
Come to the info meeting or call the parish office. We'll work with your family to prepare your child for Confirmation at the next available opportunity.
Do we have to attend every month?
Yes — the monthly family session is the core of the model, paired with at-home lessons the rest of the month. If a date won't work for your family, contact the parish office as early as possible.
Who teaches the material if not classroom catechists?
Parents lead at home, supported by the parish with resources, guidance, and the monthly in-person session — a partnership, not a hand-off in either direction.