You have free access to Formed

By Kaelanne Jordan

mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org

The Catholic Religious Education Development Institute (CREDI) is encouraging Catholics to take advantage of Formed, a free digital faith formation platform available to parishioners, as part of efforts to deepen spiritual engagement.

The platform—often described as the ‘Catholic Netflix’—offers Bible studies, films, talks, children’s programming, and spiritual reflections designed to support prayer and learning at home. However, many Catholics within the Archdiocese of Port of Spain remain unaware that they already have free access.

Djivan Thomas, administrative assistant at CREDI, said the main challenge is visibility rather than availability.

“One of the main reasons is simply awareness. While the Archdiocese has provided access, many parishioners may not have heard about it clearly from the pulpit, in parish communication or through social media.”

He continued, “In addition, some people assume that online faith resources are complicated or require payment.”

CREDI has been working with parishes to promote the platform through parish leaders and diocesan communication channels in hopes of encouraging more Catholics to integrate the resource into their daily spiritual lives.

Thomas emphasised that the platform is not intended to replace traditional worship but rather to strengthen it. “Prayer and Mass are the foundation of our Catholic life, and nothing replaces them. However, our faith also invites us to continue learning and growing in understanding,” Thomas said.

He explained that Formed helps Catholics “deepen what they already practice. It helps people understand the Scriptures, the Mass, the sacraments, and the teachings of the Church in a way that strengthens prayer and enriches participation in the liturgy. It’s not a replacement for parish life, it’s a tool that supports it,” he explained.

Formed is available at no cost to Catholics within the Archdiocese and can be accessed by registering online or through the mobile app using an email address.

“Simply go to the Formed website (https://formed.org) or download the app. Choose ‘Sign up as a parishioner’, search for their parish, or the Archdiocese and create a free account with their email. Within a few minutes they can begin exploring the platform.”

The platform also provides content tailored to different age groups, allowing entire families to engage with faith-based material together.

“One of the strengths of Formed is that it supports faith formation at every stage of life. Children can watch faith-based cartoons and learn Bible stories. Youths and young adults can explore topics about faith, vocation, and Catholic identity. Adults can participate in Bible studies, theological talks, and sacramental formation. Families can watch content together and use it as a starting point for conversations about faith. It becomes a shared resource for the whole household,” Thomas emphasised.

During Lent, the platform included reflection series, studies on the Passion narratives and guided prayer resources aimed at helping Catholics journey through the season more intentionally.

Thomas said the platform is most effective when it is used to support prayer rather than simply for viewing content.

“The key is to use Formed as a guide for prayer and reflection, not just entertainment. For example, someone might watch a short reflection then spend time in prayer journalling or reading Scripture. Families can watch together and discuss what they learned. Used in that way Formed becomes a tool that supports prayer, fasting and spiritual renewal.”

CREDI hopes that the platform will become a regular part of parish faith formation in the future.

“Our vision is that every parish in the archdiocese actively integrate Formed into its faith formation and evangelisation efforts.”

Success, Thomas said, would mean thousands of Catholics, families, young people, catechists, and parish groups using Formed regularly to deepen their understanding of the faith and strengthen their relationship with Christ. “Ultimately, the goal is not simply higher numbers, but a more informed, engaged and spiritually renewed Catholic community.”