Formed: A Very Special Parish Christmas Gift

It’s that time of year again — Advent and Christmas are right around the corner, and many of us have already begun to look for the “perfect” gifts for our loved ones. We put a lot of thought into this search, hoping to find presents that will bring the recipients true joy and serve as a reflection of our love for them. This year, St. Anthony of Padua is pleased to give a meaningful and enriching Christmas gift to all our parishioners — a digital subscription to FORMED, at formed.org!

The online streaming platform FORMED is run by the Augustine Institute, the parent organization to Lighthouse Media. It provides subscribers with a wealth of Catholic resources — including programs, movies, audio content, and e-books — right at their fingertips.

“FORMED is a multimedia experience that allows Catholics to become better formed in their faith,” says Fr. Tom Donovan. “One of the goals of the parish for the coming years was to provide opportunities for formation. We had some exciting things planned that, in the age of COVID, we weren’t able to do. So, this is a response to that goal that is consistent with the state of the world we’re in right now, where people can view, right from their own homes, some outstanding productions that are done on the Catholic Church and the Catholic faith.”

With our parish-sponsored FORMED subscription, parishioners will be able to stream content on their smartphones and computers. “Smart” televisions — or any that are connected to a streaming device such as Roku, Apple TV or Google Chromecast — are also able to support programs on FORMED. Listen to well-known Catholic speakers like Scott Hahn and Bishop Robert Barron present on topics of the faith, engage in a Bible

study, keep the kids entertained with an animated children’s series on the saints, or settle in for a movie night sure to be good for the soul! Both English and Spanish-language programming is available. Indeed, FORMED truly offers something for everyone.

“There is something for all ages,” Fr. Tom says. “I expect and hope to see it being used in our school and made available to our high school students. There are catechetical learning opportunities, but also opportunities for entertainment. They have a well-curated list of highquality movies that are family-friendly.”

Fr. Tom hopes that FORMED will be a Christmas gift that serves the people of St. Anthony throughout the entire year as they continue to delve more deeply into their faith from the comfort of home.

“We’re always trying to teach and help people make the faith their own,” he says. “This is something new for our parish that we can link together with our reflections on Christmas and our New Year’s resolutions. We haven’t been able to have life, as usual, this year, so until we can get things fully launched and going again, this allows us to continue our mission to evangelize and grow in the faith.

“I just pray that it is a new and exciting way for parishioners to plug into not only their own experience but also the wisdom and the union of the larger Church and the faith that we all profess,” Fr. Tom adds. “This is our faith, and this is our opportunity to continue growing.”

To register for FORMED, visit http://signup.formed.org and then enter 62305 or St. Anthony of Padua Church, Quincy, IL.