WHOLE FAMILY

Whole Family Catechesis is a family-based Religious Education experience designed to bring every member of our families closer to Jesus in our everyday life.

This faith formation program is designed to meet the needs of our families who have children entering Grades 3-6. Their first and second-grade siblings are welcome to join them in the Whole Family as well. All families commit to attending five faith formation retreat classes and three church activities. Families also make a commitment to attend Mass weekly and complete a gospel-based curriculum at home. 

When choosing your three church activities please refer to the church bulletin for upcoming events. 

Due to the popularity of the Whole Family program, it has been split into two sections for 2020-2021.  Families will be notified of the section they are placed in, either the "Alive in Christ" or the "United in the Holy Spirit" group.

This includes students in grades 3-6 along with families who have siblings in grades 1 & 2. 

2020/2021 Year Schedule:
 

This includes students in grades 3-6.  

2020/2021 Year Schedule

 

These are some ideas for Church Activities you may like to attend.
Please also check the Bulletin for ideas as well:

• Eucharistic Holy Hour 

•  Feast of  Saint Francis/Blessing of Animals in the Saint Nicholas Prayer Garden Saturday, October 3rd at 2 pm service will be held at the baseball field behind St. Bart's.  Bring your pet, or come to watch and pray for all of our pets. 

• Christmas Concert Saturday, December TBD 7 pm Featuring the Saint Bartholomew choirs accompanied by a host of musical instruments.

• Parish Lenten Mission With Father John Paladino and Father David Santos. Dates Begin at Mass on the weekend of Date TBD 

• Stations of the Cross  Fridays during Lent in the church. Stations of the Cross is an opportunity to walk through what Jesus, Mary, and his Disciples experienced on Good Friday. Each Friday the Stations will have leaders who will read each event that occurred and then the crowd reads a prayer. We meet in the church. Dates are as follows:
  • Friday, February 19, 2021, 7:30-8:30 pm
  • Friday, February 26, 2021, 7:30-8:30 pm
  • Friday, March 5, 2021, 7:30-8:30 pm
  • Friday, March 12, 2021, 7:30-8:30 pm
  • Friday, March 19, 2021, 7:30-8:30 pm
  • Friday, March 26, 2021, 7:30-8:30 pm Led by our St. Bartholomew Choir

• Holy Thursday Mass April 1, 2021, From 7:30-8:45 pm in the church. This is a very powerful Mass experience.  There are readings about Jesus; there is a washing of feet (usually 12 parishioners) and great music.  At the end of Mass, the priest reposes the Eucharist.  That means he processes along with all the ministers who were on the altar and the choir.  They all walk through the church and then place the Eucharist in the Tabernacle. The door of the Tabernacle is left open so people can pray.  But remember it is almost Good Friday.  There is evening prayer much later after this Mass. (The Eucharist is removed from church after evening prayer.)  The next time we celebrate Mass is at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday Night.  During this Mass, we experience the meaning of the Last Supper, the celebration of Communion, the roots of the priesthood, and celebrate our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

• Good Friday Outdoor Living Stations of the Cross April 2, 2021, presented by our High School Youth Group at 7:30 PM in the parking lot. We will walk outside as the sun sets with live actors from our High School Youth group. They will lead us in prayer and song and reenact the events of that day.

• Good Friday Walk with Jesus, April 2, 2021, for children from 10 - 11:15 am. We walk the four Stations of the Cross with live child actors.  We witness the Last Supper and also take the bread and drink juice along with Jesus.  We visit the Garden of Gethsemane,  hear of the Crucifixion of Jesus and end with our last station, the Ressurection.  The Walk with Jesus is celebrated with a song and explanation of why this day is called Good Friday.
  We are looking for children actors to perform our Walk with Jesus. Rehearsal will take place on TBD, 2020 from 4 - 6 pm in our gym.  Leslie Viviano and  Connie Boruch, our Jesus Day Retreat Coordinators, will direct this program. It is never too early to email our office and sign up to help!