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Emmaus Family Faith Formation
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"Were not our hearts burning within us when he spoke to us along the way?"
- Luke 24:32 -
For whom is Emmaus: A Family of Faith designed?
Everyone! It is designed for the whole family!
For 3k - 5th grade, it is our main event!
For Middle School, it is the heart of the program, with additional Youth Group offerings.
For High School, it is a great family connection point, in addition to our main offering of Small Groups.
For Parents, it equips them to teach and lead their children in the faith. If parents want to go deeper for themselves, the Rescue Project is a great place to start.
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What is Emmaus: A Family of Faith?
The Holy Cross Parish faith community (the churches of St. Bernard in Middleton, St. Francis Xavier in Cross Plains, St. Martin of Tours in Martinsville, St. Mary in Pine Bluff, and St. Peter in Ashton) uses a family-based model of religious education or faith formation. The family-based model is part of our effort to better support parents as the primary educators, especially in the religious education, of their children.*
The vision for "Emmaus: A Family of Faith" is to support and nurture strong Catholic families in which children learn the joys of following Jesus Christ and the truths of our Faith through the witness of Christian life given by their parents. We hope to encourage and equip parents to fulfill their God-given duty and privilege of educating their children in the Catholic Faith.
We will do everything possible to help you! Answering a personal or tough question with an honest, "I am not sure, but let me get back to you" is a perfect way to share with your children that we are all learning and growing in faith together! Your children do not want you to be a know-it-all. They want you to be honest and open as we allow Jesus Christ to transform our very lives!
*paraphrase of Gaudium et Spes, #48 -
2025-2026 ScheduleWe will host TWO monthly "Emmaus: A Family of Faith" events in which all families (parents and children) come together to learn and pray. The first of these two meetings will present the monthly theme with a featured speaker for the parents while the children have break-outs to learn together in their grade groups (when you register, you'll be able to indicate your preference between Wednesday evenings or Sunday mornings, both held at St. Bernard). These will take place once a month from October - April. There will be a kick off event in September and wrap up event in May, both held at St. Francis Xavier.
New this year, we will have a second opportunity for families to gather together for a "Pizza & Prayer" event that will be held on the third Wednesday of most months at St. Francis Xavier.
Parents are asked to lead lessons for their children in the home during the remainder of the month with the provided materials. You have the flexibility of choosing when to do these at-home lessons.
This year we will be exploring the Profession of Faith as our theme. We will kick off on Wednesday, September 17th at 6 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier. You can find the full schedule below. Please email [email protected] with any questions.
Wednesday Evening Schedule (typically First Wednesday of the month)
@ St. Bernard, Middleton (SBM)- 5:50 p.m. - Sign in and find your seat in the Church
- 6:00 p.m. - Official start time
- 7:15 p.m. - Dismissal
Sunday Morning Schedule (typically the Sunday directly following the First Wednesday of the month)
@ St. Bernard, Middleton (SBM)- 10:00 a.m. - Mass
- 11:00 a.m. - Brunch in Higgins Hall
- 11:45 a.m. - Approximate start time in Higgins Hall
- 1:00 p.m. - Approximate dismissal
Pizza & Prayer Schedule (typically the third Wednesday of the month)
@ St. Francis Xavier, Cross Plains (SFX)- 6:00 p.m. - Dinner in Fellowship Hall
- 6:40 p.m. - Prayer in the Church
- 7:00 p.m. - Approximate dismissal
2025/2026 Schedule- Wednesday, September 17 (Kick-Off) @ SFX
- Wednesday, October 1 OR Sunday, October 5 @ SBM
- Wednesday, October 15 (Pizza & Prayer) @ SFX
- Wednesday, November 5 OR Sunday, November 9 @ SBM
- Wednesday, November 19 (Pizza & Prayer) @ SFX
- Wednesday, December 3 OR Sunday, December 7 @ SBM
- Wednesday, December 17 (Pizza & Prayer) @ SFX
- Wednesday, January 7 OR Sunday, January 11 @ SBM
- Wednesday, January 21 (Pizza & Prayer) @ SFX
- Wednesday, February 4 OR Sunday, February 8 @ SBM
- TUESDAY, February 17 (Mardi Gras Pizza & Prayer) @ SFX
- Wednesday, March 4 OR Sunday, March 8 @ SBM
- Wednesday, March 18 (Pizza & Prayer) @ SFX
- Wednesday, April 15 OR Sunday, April 19 @ SBM
- Sunday, May 17 (Wrap-Up) @ SFX