By Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, Vicar for Development
Did you know that there are some fantastic grant opportunities available for parish Faith Formation programs? Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens funds a grant for FORMED, an online resource that provides interactive Catholic learning content. I recently spoke to Rose Ruesing, Director of Faith Formation at Saint Anastasia in Queens, who joined the FORMED program after receiving the grant.
How did you (or St. Anastasia) find out about the grant opportunity?
We heard about the grant through an email from the Secretariat of Evangelization. Fr. Joe and Christine told me that, even though I had signed up, I should apply for the grant and attend the webinar. And it all worked out for us! I was familiar with FORMED because my home parish uses it for the parish and the school. When I saw how great it was, I really was interested in bringing it to my families at the parish.
What has the access to Formed meant for religious education at St. Anastasia? What kinds of materials does Formed offer?
FORMED has been a great resource for St. Anastasia in so many different ways. It allows people to be the masters of their own faith formation based on numerous topics. Each week, we print the “This Week on FORMED,” where different programs are highlighted based on the Church calendar or other events. For children, I have had the opportunity to use it in my religious education classes. The families were urged to subscribe. Having the subscription to FORMED allows me access to the workbooks online, which I am free to print to give it to them. It is a great deal! I will be looking to use FORMED for adult faith formation uses for the parish as a whole.
Why should other parishes take advantage of this grant opportunity?
I hope other parishes will take the opportunity to utilize FORMED for their parish. It is so versatile, as there is something for all age groups in the parish. It really is worth the investment, especially at a time where we have to be flexible in how we present Faith Formation at all levels.
Interested in learning more about the FORMED grant program? Please contact Father Gibino:
Vicar for Evangelization and Catechesis
Very Rev. Joseph Gibino
jgibino@diobrook.org
718.965.7300, Ext. 5417