Director of Eastern Christian Formation: Mrs. Lynn Wardach
"With us, everything should be secondary compared to our concern
wtih children and their upbringin in the instruction and teaching of the Lord."
- Saint John Chrysostom
Remember, we are not just providing resources, but we are here to walk with your, supporting and guiding you in your family's education in our Byzantine Catholic faith. Your journey is our journey, and we are committed to making it a fruitful one.
Feel free to contact me and let me know how I can help you.
Lynne Wardach
Director of the Office of Eastern Christian Formation for the Byzantine Eparchy of Passaic
Email: ECF Director
To ECF teachers,
As we all prepare for the start of the new catechetical year in these last few weeks of summer, I would love to bring this program to your attention.
It was created in response to the isolation crisis a few years ago and has proven to be an excellent way for Eastern Christian families to find local fellowship and support for our way of life. I am sharing this resource with you because it has been so successful these last three years, bringing families together and strengthening our faith.
The ByziClassroom is an initiative of ByziKids magazine that supports and encourages families to gather together to share their Byzantine Catholic faith in an in-person rather than online setting. By utilizing the readily available resources of Byzikids magazine, the 45 ByziClassrooms that already exist throughout the United States meet monthly to support each other, pray for and with each other, and share crafts and activities that enrich their faith education.
Those who register will gain access to the ByziClassroom webpage on ByziMom.com, where they can download the following resources for your gatherings each month:
- The current digital issue of ByziKids with all the resources needed
- A copy of the monthly lesson plan
- The link for printing the opening prayer booklet
- A printable of the Icon of the Month to coordinate with the guided study.
- A snack suggestion (with the recipe!)
- Lyrics to the original song of the month, with an m4a link so you can listen and sing along with Khouria Sylvia!
These printables are available to make starting a ByziClassroom in your parish or deanery even easier!
Agenda for the Initial Meeting with Parents
How can your parish or homeschool co-op get started?
Sign up link to receive information each month directly from ByziKids!
I’m happy to share this valuable and user-friendly resource with you. I would encourage you to reach out and invite your neighboring Byzantine Catholic parishes to see if this program might help support fellowship among these young families who so desperately need faith support for their children now.
Our kids must know that there are so many other like-minded Byzantine Catholic friends who can become their “church family.”
They need peers to rely on when the world around them speaks so loudly, and they are tempted away from the faith. For this reason, this monthly gathering idea is a priceless tool. It provides them with a supportive community, enriches their faith education, and helps them build a strong foundation in their Byzantine Catholic faith.
Prayers for you and your work!
Respectfully yours in Christ,
Lynne
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Lynne Wardach
OFFICE OF EASTERN CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Life presents us with many challenges and great questions. In our continuous efforts to bring religious education of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic to a new level, which would correspond to the demands of today and to the needs of people, we are excited to share with you the news about completion of the Eparchial Inquiry Program “Come and See.”
It is a resource, which aims to share the Good News – the transforming message of the Gospel within the context of the Byzantine Catholic Tradition and which was designed with two-fold goal in mind: 1) to be beneficial to all the existing Byzantine Catholics and serve them as the ABCs about our Church and Tradition, 2) it is also an invitation to all those who are in search of a new spiritual home, who want to learn more about God and build lasting personal friendship with Him. It is an introduction about who we are and what we believe and it aims to grow awareness and participation in the great Christian richness of our Byzantine Tradition and speak about its practices. It is an invitation to a journey to experience the Mystery of God.
Most Reverend Kurt Burnette, our Bishop, in His welcoming message to the Program says: “…If you are seeking Caesar Augustus and the powers of this world, then go elsewhere. If you are seeking the God who lay as a child in a cave in Bethlehem, then you are welcome here. Jesus remains with us today in his Body which is the Church. We begin every Eucharist with the words, “In peace, let us pray to the Lord.” If you are searching for a place to pray to the Lord, “in Spirit and in Truth”, if you are seeking a place where you can find inner peace, “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding,” then welcome to our church.”
We hope this work will help you to find answers to life questions you were looking for, will strengthen your faith, will educate you about Byzantine Catholic Tradition, but the most important thing – will ultimately help you to grow closer to God and to develop/strengthen your personal relationships with Him. It is the invitation we are sending to you to meet personally with Jesus through the prayers, Sacraments, parish life, serving others and living your vocation.
If this work helps at least one person to discover the meaning of life and of vocation, and/or if it helps at least one person to remain faithful to his/her call, or if it brings at least one person closer to God, or if it helps at least one person to find his/her path to the Church and to God, to answer important life questions – it will fulfill its purpose.
PDF version here Come and See
One of many roles of the Office of Eastern Christian Formation (Religious Education) is to ensure continuing formation for individuals seeking to advance in their knowledge about faith and God, make spiritual progress in their lives, and come closer to God, regardless of age.
Religious education helps us understand our identity as God’s children and how to live out this identity. Knowledge empowers us. Knowledge about God helps us to grow spiritually.
It is our mission and privilege to serve your educational and spiritual needs!