Our Mission

Our Lady  of the Lake’s Faith Formation programs are offered to support the parents as the primary educators of their children.  The role of the primary educator is so vital to the mission of Jesus Christ, that the Church calls the family, “The Domestic Church.”

Our Lady of the Lake provides the opportunity for families to experience and grow in their knowledge of the Catholic faith, prepare for and celebrate the Sacraments,  and deepen their relationship with Jesus through prayer and liturgy.  We assist them in becoming disciples of Jesus and to become a part of a vibrant, active Catholic community.

Our Goals

Goal 1: Create a more experiential and tangible experience of faith formation for the youth and families of our parish. 

Goal 2: Provide parents with the language and skills to continue a conversation of faith in the home

Goal 3: Foster an intentional community that extends beyond the parish walls.

Our Formation

Every family is unique, as is their faith journey. Our hope is to help guide and support families along their pathway. We use many resources from Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries - Pathways

Pathways resources encourage the at-church community even if the majority of the catechesis is happening in the home. Community is essential in the life of the Church and we desire for families to gather often to support one another. The premier weekly gathering is Sunday Mass. It is our prayer that as families fall in love with Jesus and their community, that they would hunger to live in a weekly communion available to them at the Mass!

What parents at other parishes experiencing Pathways have shared:

"We have been so happy with our experience in Faith Formation. I like the model of arriving with our children, then dividing into separate groups to learn and reflect about the same theme at developmentally appropriate levels, and then coming back together for prayer. This structure supports our ability to talk together as a family after the sessions. My husband and I also value the parent formation time where we reflect and share with other adults about living and deepening our faith through the everyday experiences of family life." Marie 

"I've really enjoyed the program. I was initially surprised by the parent participation, but it has been such a great experience. I love the material of the book as well as the group roundtable discussions we have!" Francesca

"Our family's experience with Faith Formation has been phenomenal. The team provides a warm, educational, thoughtful and non-threatening atmosphere to explore our own faith as parents, and to support our children throughout their own spiritual growth. The home lessons are completely manageable for a busy family, and inclusive for all ages which has been a blessing for our family. I also really enjoy the Village meet-ups as they provide an opportunity for families to grow together as one faith community." Sue

Registration for the 2026-27 academic year of the OLL Faith Formation program is now open.  The 90-minute sessions will take place on Sundays with 3 different start options:  8:30am, 11:45am and 4:00pm.  There are a total of 11 sessions that take place between September and May.  You will remain with the same session for the academic year.  It is intended that the family comes together for the 11 sessions.  The children will be separated into age appropriate groups and the parents will be together in a separate group.  Please note that for those youngsters who are also preparing for the celebration of Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation, there are 2 additional sessions that they will attend.  Families will continue the learning process at home as a family at times that are convenient for the individuals.  As practicing Catholics, weekly attendance at Sunday Mass is expected and the children will still be using the Mass Passports.   We are limited as to how many can participate in the different options so you will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.  You can access the registration form by clicking on the button below.

Registration fees for the 2026-27 can be found on the registration form and discounts are applied if you register by May 31 and July 31. 

All completed registration information may be mailed or dropped off at the Our Lady of the Lake Pastoral Center, 22 Lakeside Avenue, Verona NJ 07044.

Sacramental Preparation

The policy of the Archdiocese of Newark stipulates 2 years of formation for students preparing for First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation.  Children will receive these sacraments after completing two consecutive years in the program.

Families will take part in both SEEK and ROOT, the foundation for the Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministry model. It is broken up as follows...

SEEK: 4 Sunday At Church Family Gatherings: 9/20, 10/4, 10/18, 11/1

• Seek for Children is a Vacation Bible School-style experience designed for children in grades K-5. Through songs, activities, and teachings children will get to know a God who is love and be given a shared vocabulary to begin conversations of faith with their parents.
• Seek for Teens is a youth night-style experience designed for teens as they journey with their parents in the first steps of formation. Through games, discussions, witnesses, and teachings teens will get to know a God who is love, be grounded in their primary identity as children of God, and be given a shared vocabulary to begin conversations of faith with their parents.
• Seek for Parents is a small group experience designed for parents as they journey with their children in the first steps of formation. Through discussions, activities, reflections, and video witnesses and teachings parents will get to know a God who is love and be given a shared vocabulary to begin conversations of faith with their children.     

 ROOT: 7 Sunday At Church Family Gatherings: : 11/15, 12/6, 1/3, 2/7, 3/7, 4/18, 5/2

• Root for Families (grade 8 and below) is designed for families with children in grades K-8. Through 6 at-home Family Meetings led by their parents and 6 at-church Family Sessions, children will get to know the Trinity and the essential teachings of our faith contained in the Creed. This experience is designed to be accompanied by Root for Parents.
• Root for Teens (grade 9 and above) is designed for high school teens. Through 6 self-led mini-series (each is 5 (15-minute) modules), 6 self-led Teen and Sponsor Meetings, and 6 at-church Family Sessions, teens will get to know the Trinity and the essential teachings of our faith contained in the Creed.
• Root for Parents is designed to meld into the fast-paced lives of modern parents. Through 6 self-led mini-series (each is 5 (15 minute) modules), 6 at-home Family Meetings (grade 8 and under), and 6 at-church Family Sessions, parents will get to know the Trinity and the essential teachings of our faith contained in the Creed. They will be given a vocabulary of faith and empowered with the knowledge to share the faith with their families.