Hitting the Road: Faith formation sessions to teach, inspire

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
August 16, 2007

Given busy schedules, it's sometimes easier to bring faith formation opportunities to the people.

"While I'm okay at the administrative role, my real gift is to teach," Thomason said. "As the director of catechesis, I should go out and catechize. As the director of evangelization, I should be going out and evangelizing. My education is geared toward spreading the faith."

The evangelization and R.C.I.A. sessions aren't scheduled until spring, but the first of three topics to be addressed in the catechetical sessions is just around the corner.

Taking it to the people

The catechetical sessions are geared for catechists - both leaders and volunteers - and parents. There will be several sessions in central locations.

Why Be Catholic? is the title of the first catechetical series. The same material will be presented at all eight locations offered later this month and in September.

Thomason said he picked Why Be Catholic? as the first topic because the diocese follows the national trend of about 30 to 50 percent Mass attendance.

"We want people to try to embrace their faith and love it," he said. Through self-exploration as to why they chose to become or remain Catholic, Thomason said he believes faith will take on more meaning.

The second session, Leadership & Virtues, will be presented on nine dates in October. The host parishes are being finalized. The third and final catechetical session will address The Eucharist and The Church and will be presented on nine dates in late February and early March.

The sessions will be taught at the adult level and then the parents or catechetical leaders will take information and translate it for the children, Thomason said.

These sessions will be short and in convenient, central locations because Thomason realizes it is difficult for people to drive across the diocese to attend presentations like these and even more challenging for people to commit to a class for several weeks.

"We are asking them to take part in an hour of teaching and an hour of prayer. That's about the length of a movie - two hours," said Thomason.

For each of the catechetical sessions, there will be an hour of teaching from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. for catechetical leaders and volunteer catechists, followed by an hour of prayer that will include adoration and Scripture. A parent session is slated for 6:30 p.m. Since material will be same at both sessions, participants have the option to attend whichever session best suits their needs.

"These are geared for Catholics to learn a little more and become stronger in their faith," he said. "We want people to have a common catechetical vision so that we are all working on the same page."

Pre-registration is not required for the free sessions and participants may attend at any location.

Evangelization sessions

Ten evangelization series, set for April, will feature two sessions on each of five topics.

The first session, Evangelization and Peace, will look at two papal documents: Evangelii Nuntiand by Paul VI and Pacem in Terris by John XXIII.

Session two is titled, Apologetics: What We (Catholics) Believe, and Where to Find it.

Session three, Who God Is and How He Loves Us, will explore Benedict XVI's documents Sacramentum and Deus Caritas Est.

Session four is a second offering on apologetics, looking at how to defend the faith by speaking the truth in love.

The fifth session, The Laity and The Eucharist, will look at two documents by John Paul II - Christificeles Laici and Ecclesia De Eucharistia.

"These will help people go to the next level. These are more about how to defend your faith, share your faith - how to evangelize," said Thomason.

These sessions are expected to last about 90 minutes, including a one-hour lecture and 30 minutes of prayer. Thomason plans to bring in some guest speakers.

If a parish or group in the diocese is interested in hosting a session, they are asked to contact Thomason.

"You arrange the place and the people and we'll come out and teach on it," he said.

Thomason said all people are called to become evangelists and these sessions will help them learn how to share their faith.

RCIA sessions

The spring R.C.I.A. and Mystagogy sessions are designed for anyone who has worked on an R.C.I.A. team or has gone through the process.

"It's a national statistic that about 50 percent of people who go through RCIA end up falling away from the church," said Thomason. "One of the reasons is that they don't have mystagogy (ongoing faith formation process)."

The first session, What is Mystagogy? How to Keep the Fire, will be presented twice - March 31 and April 7. Locations are to be announced.

The second session, Jesus and the Catholic Church - Dominus Iesus; will be offered on April 1 and 8.

For updates, check out the diocesan Web site - scdiocese.org.