Adult Religious Education

Adult Religious Education or sometimes called “Adult Faith Formation” at Saint Catherine’s is at the center of our parish life. It is by no means on the periphery of the Parish’s evangelization and educational mission. Pope John Paul II identified evangelization as “the Church’s effort to proclaim to everyone that God loves them, that He has given Himself for them in Christ Jesus, and that He invites them to an unending life of happiness.” Adult Faith Formation, as it is envisioned at Saint Catherine’s does the following:

1. “Every disciple of the Lord Jesus shares in this mission. To do their part, adult Catholics must be mature in faith and well equipped to share the Gospel, promoting it in every family circle, in every church gathering, in every place of work, and in every public forum. They must be women and men of prayer whose faith is alive and vital, grounded in a deep commitment to the person and message of Jesus.
2. “The Church’s pastoral ministry exists to sustain the work of the Gospel. One way it does this is by nourishing and strengthening lay men and women in their calling and identity as people of faith, as contributors to the life and work of the Church, and as disciples whose mission is to the world. To grow in discipleship throughout life, all believers need and are called to build vibrant parish … [community] of faith and service.
3. “Such communities cannot exist without a strong, complete, and systematic catechesis for all its members. By ‘complete and systematic’ we mean a catechesis that nurtures a profound, lifelong conversion of the whole person and sets forth a comprehensive, contemporary synthesis of the faith, as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This catechesis will help adults to experience the transforming power of grace and to grasp the integrity and beauty of the truths of faith in their harmonious unity and interconnection—a true symphony of faith.
4. “Adult faith formation, by which people consciously grow in the life of Christ through experience, reflection, prayer, and study, must be ‘the central task in [this] catechetical enterprise,’ becoming ‘the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence as well as that of old age.’ This can be done specifically through developing in adults a better understanding of and participation in the full sacramental life of the Church. (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, 2-5).

Opportunities for Adult Religious Education are:

• weekly Bible Study;
• weekly classes on the Faith, usually done with those becoming Catholic;
• the various programs hosted by the Siena Forum for Faith and Culture;
• various activities of faith and culture;
• discussions hosted by the Dominican Friars Healthcare Ministry;
• Singles for Christ (a group who meets once a month).