Welcome to The Institute for Catholic Formation
The Institute for Catholic Formation serves as the headquarters for formation for all those who serve in ministry in our families, parishes, and schools.
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Discover the many ways the Institute for Catholic Formation can help you learn, grow, and share your faith. Choose from one of our featured links or just browse the site to enter the journey from encounter to discipleship.
Becoming Catholic
Catechist Formation
Forming a Parish Reading Group
Funeral Norms and Resources
Learning More About My Faith
Getting Married
Raising faith-filled children
Serving as a Reader or EMHC
Upcoming Events
Year of Renewal (Ambassadors)
Young Adult Events and Resources
Synod on Synodality
A person is said to be fully initiated in the Catholic Church when s/he has received the three sacraments of Christian initiation, Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. This is achieved through a process of preparation called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.
We are grateful to all our catechists and want to offer them support, resources, and formation. To make sure the young people and adults in our communities are served by those who are well-formed, all those who serve their parishes as catechists are required to enter into ongoing formation.
Get your friends together at your parish and start reading! This year, The Leadership Institute will help parishes get great discounts on books, provide a study and reflection guide, and then invite all those who have participated to join us for lunch and a conversation with the author.
From the beginning of the Church, Christian funeral rites and burial have been an important spiritual and pastoral practice. These resources are designed to introduce you to the revised funeral norms for the Diocese of Bridgeport, help a family plan a funeral, and discover related resources.
From daily readings to special reflections and from seasonal resources to timeless opportunities - discover a library of resources designed to assist you in your journey from encounter to discipleship.
Because Christian marriage is a sacrament, the Catholic Church wants couples to be well-prepared. In the Diocese of Bridgeport, some parishes offer their own formation. Others depend on the diocese. The diocesan marriage formation program offers preparation to help couples develop a better understanding of the sacrament; to evaluate and deepen their readiness to live a married life, and to gain insights into themselves as individuals and as a couple.
To help children to grow in their faith, we need to start earlier than ever – and since many millennials have drifted away from their own faith – it will take all of us to make a difference in the lives of young people today.
Liturgical ministry is an excellent opportunity to fulfill your baptismal call of service to one another. An engaging liturgical celebration utilize the talents and gifts that God has given this community to the fullest extent. Whether participation is through “behind the scenes” preparation and planning or through a public role of service within the Mass, such as reader or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC), your participation brings life to our celebrations.
Find all the great events and learning opportunities offered by the Institute for parish leaders, clergy, parents, and liturgical ministers. Sort by category, save the events to your calendars, sign up for our newsletter, and view previous webinars - all in one convenient place.
Bishop Frank Caggiano invites any practicing Catholic, age 18 or older, to prayerfully consider serving as an Ambassador for Christ in our Diocese.
If you feel called and wish to join the Ambassador Ministry, a new cohort will be forming in January 2022.
Young adults are persons in their late teens, twenties, and thirties who represent diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, educational, vocational, social, political, and spiritual backgrounds. They are college students, workers, and professionals; they are persons in military service; they are single, married, divorced, or widowed; they are with or without children; they are newcomers in search of a better life.
On this page, we offer links to upcoming events, suggestions for your own formation, and more.
Pope Francis has called upon the Church to rejuvenate her synodal roots. He has opened a two-year synodal process which he hopes will reframe and renew our common journey forward. First and foremost, the Synod is a call to pray, listen, and discern together what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church today - all for the sake of the Church’s evangelizing mission.
The Institute Presents
Conversations on Race
Hosted in 2020, but still relevant today, take a look at these great webinars and the resources we keep updated as we work together to end the sin of racism.
Fratelli Tutti
Pope Francis asks for recognition of the dignity of each person, in order to build a more just world. In his third encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti,” meaning “Brothers and Sisters All,” the pope compiles and categorizes the main proposals of the social discourses of his pontificate.
Laudato Si
After five years, what has your family or parish done to implement the Holy Father's challenge to care for creation? Learn more at our Laudato Si page.
True Love That Lasts
What if you could grow the enjoyment and love between you and your spouse by asking one simple question each day? Join the True Love That Lasts Movement and enjoy its benefits - each and every day.
New General Directory
The new Directory for Catechesis presents fundamental theological-pastoral principles for the ministry of catechesis while responding to current social conditions and cultural forces that shape the church’s communication of the Faith. Check out some great resources and plan to join us for our webinar series.
Preparing for Mass
As you prepare for your own ministry, you must also prepare your heart and mind for the celebration of Mass each week. To help, we have collated some great resources, videos, and articles so you can grow in your own faith before sharing what you have with others.
