Households

Households are medium-sized intentional communities of parishioners (and their families) gathered under a particular charism and united under a community covenant. Households gather monthly in homes to eat, pray, and 'do life together'! Monthly gatherings are open to anyone: Catholics, non-Catholics, seekers, and those just curious about Jesus. Those who commit intentionally to a household will be encouraged to join a small group within their household which gathers biweekly. 

The motto of household night is: "Be loved and be fed."

Households eat, pray, serve, and love together! The primary purpose of households is to help the members grow in their relationship with Jesus together - and community is the most effective way to do that! After all, there are no "solo disciples". Discipleship cannot be lived (and definitely will not flourish) in isolation. Households provide real relationship: authenticity, accountability, and accompaniment.

Households also each have a "mission expression" - some way that the whole community serves the world outside of the parish or church. When Jesus commissioned the seventy new disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God, He sent them out two-by-two. Mission is also not meant to be a solo project. This could be service to the poor, advocating for the unborn, caring for the disabled, or evangelism in the wider South Bend area. 

Yes! Please bring a dish to share. 

If you've got kids still at home, please bring them to household night also! Household nights are meant to be loud, messy, and fun! 

There is something in households for everyone.

Anyone is welcome to attend any household night, and we encourage it! Households are for everyone. It doesn't matter where you are on your journey. Whether you're new to Christianity or coming back to faith or been Catholic your whole life, there's something here for you.

There is no obligation or expectation that comes with joining a household night. Simply come as you are.

If you would like to become a committed member of a household, you must become a registered parishioner of our parish. Why? For community to flourish, it must be a two-way street. While households will serve you, love you, pray with you, and care for you, the expectation is that every member of a household will also take that yoke upon themselves to serve their fellow household members and the parish at-large as well. 

If you would like to become a committed member of a household, simply approach the household leader of the household you'd like to join and let them know. They will match you up with a "big": a current member of the household to walk with you, and you will begin a formation process before signing the Household Covenant and becoming an official member of that household. 

Yes! We encourage families to bring their whole family to household nights. When a person or couple commits to a household, their whole family comes with them! Households are a way of serving the whole family, not just the parents. And bonus: children whose parents are part of a committed small group will 'learn the ropes' of discipleship from their parents and other members of their household family; and those children are much more likely to remain lifelong disciples. 

A household charism is a unique expression of the group love for Jesus and the Catholic Church. A household's charism will be reflected in the name of the household.

For example: a household named "Ave Maris Stella" would have a devotion to Our Lady, Star of the Sea; a household named "Guardians of the Divine Will" would have a devotion to the divine will of God; a household named "Sons and Daughters of the Resurrection" would have a devotion to the Risen Jesus. 

*In this context, we are not speaking of the ordinary/extraordinary charisms of the Holy Spirit (although those are definitely operating within households!) We are using the term 'charisms' more like a religious order would. For example: let's look at our local convent, the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. Their charism is perpetual adoration, which their whole community centers around. 

Simple: just test them out! We encourage everyone to try out a few different household nights before committing to one. You might choose a household because the charism resonates with you, or you might just love the people in a particular household. 

Nope! Households are hosted in the homes of the leaders or in the homes of those who have expressed interest in hosting. There is no obligation to host people at your own home unless you want to! Your job is to come as you are. Bring some chips and gaucamole (or anything sharable!) and simply be with us and pray with us.