Since the November information sessions, 105 of the Springfield diocese's 131 parishes have signed up to participate in the Why Catholic? program, a process of adult faith formation and evangelization that covers the basic teachings of the Catholic Church.
Seminar highlights, dates and times | |
| Launching Why Catholic? The workshop provides the approach and assists in creating a tailored plan to implement Why Catholic? as a total parish experience. The workshop covers responsibilities of the Why Catholic? parish team, tools for involving maximum parish participation, invitational strategies, and how to plan and execute a successful Why Catholic? night. It also explains how to utilize Why Catholic? with sacramental programs and highlights the contents of the Parish Kit. Please bring your parish kit to this workshop. (Target audience: pastor, pastoral staff, Why Catholic? team, and catechetical leaders.) Sunday, April 13 at St. Elizabeth, Granite City, 1:30-4 p.m. Monday, April 14 at St. Boniface, Edwardsville, 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 at St. Anthony, Effingham, 6:30-9 p.m. Wednesday, April 16 at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit, Mt. Zion, 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, April 17 at St. Joseph, Chatham, 6:30-9 p.m. | Friday, April 18 at St. Anthony, Quincy, 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, April 19 at St. Frances Cabrini, Springfield, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Nuts and Bolts of Evangelization The workshop offers practical and concrete strategies for outreach and invitation to especially nominal and inactive Catholics. (Target audience: pastor, pastoral staff, Why Catholic? team and evangelization-invitation leaders.) Saturday, May 17 at St. Agnes, Springfield, 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m. Sunday, May 18 at St. Boniface, Edwardsville, 1:30-4 p.m. Monday, May 19 at St. Frances Cabrini, Springfield, 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, May 20 at St. Isidore, Bishop Creek, 6:30-9 p.m. Wednesday, May 21 at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit, Mt. Zion, 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, May 22, St. Anthony, Quincy, 6:30-9 p.m. Friday, May 23, St. Ambrose, Godfrey, 6:30-9 p.m. |
"To have that many parishes sign up shows that there is great enthusiasm for the program," said Chris Malmevik, associate director for Catechesis Formation for the diocese and the diocesan Why Catholic? coordinator.
"The next step in the process is to have parish teams trained at two different workshops, ‘Launching Why Catholic?' and the ‘Nuts and Bolts of Evangelization,'" said Malmevik.
These workshops have been scheduled at a variety of locations in April for the ‘Launching' workshop and in May for the ‘Evangelization' workshop. (See sidebar for dates, times and explanations of both workshops.)
Sister Kathleen Collins, SFCC, from RENEW International will conduct all the initial team training sessions. "Additionally, in the near future we will have Spanish-speaking training for our Hispanic Catholics," Malmevik said.
Why Catholic? defines what Catholics believe and how they live, pray and worship. Additionally, it fosters the goals of Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, the United States Bishops' pastoral plan for adult faith formation. The program is designed to be a four-year process for providing direction in catechisis as well as evangelization outreach based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Additionally, the same team will be training to lead the "Evangelization" workshop that deepens understanding of Catholic evangelization and explores the relationship between evangelization and catechesis, Malmevik said.
Adults who take part in Why Catholic? will usually meet in small groups, focusing on encouraging each other in prayer, worship and generally putting faith into action on a daily basis.
"Why Catholic? is based on the four pillars of the Catechism," said Malmevik. "For that reason it follows four books divided into 12 sessions.
"Most parishes will have six sessions in the fall and six sessions in Lent," she said. "In between the two sessions there will be an adult faith formation (gathering) and a retreat at the end of the 12 sessions."
Registration forms and reminders for the workshops were sent to pastors on March 3 and March 14. They should be returned to Chris Malmevik at the Catholic Pastoral Center by April 3 for the "Launching Why Catholic?" workshop and by May 8 for the "Nuts and Bolts of Evangelization" workshop. For more information on either workshop, call Malmevik at (217) 698-8500, ext. 178.