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atnolic NEWS HERALD »DI 1331103 3W
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September
Volume
9
&
1999
10,
Number
2
Serving Catholics
in
Western North Carolina
in
the Diocese of Charlotte
Faith formation not simply a classroom ministry Diocese celebrates
monk at Belmont Abbey dies at age 88 Senior
...Page
catechetics, catechists with Faith Formation
Week
3 By
JIMMY ROSTAR
Associate Editor
CHARLOTTE
East Timor
plunges into
— For thousands
of young people across the Diocese of Charlotte, parish-based faith formation classes are a
anarchy ...Page
7
primary means of developing as believers. And while the classroom model is an important and perhaps the most traditional
— — way
the diocesan Office of Faith
Formation fosters the process, many opportunities exist for people of all ages to learn more about their faith. As the Diocese of Charlotte celebrates Faith Formation Week Sept. 19-25 with the theme "God our Fa-
News UMEX participates
gather
in
Hickory
14
...Page
ther, God of Love," parishioners are asked to reflect on the catechetical mission of the church and to give thanks for the people charged with advancing that mission here in western North Carolina. It's a mission pushed forward not only by the diocesan office, but also by hundreds of dedicated men and
women in parishes across the diocese who are devoted to a singular purpose.
"The
memory
In
attempts to assist a person deal with the realities of life from the perspective of his or her relationship with Jesus," said Father James Hawker, diocesan vicar for education. "Everything that the Office of Faith faith
Bishop Curlin recalls the
charisma of Mother Teresa
16
...Page
journey has various twists and turns, and the prism of faith
tvery Week
Formation does, and the purpose of everyone at the parish who is involved in catechetics, is to assist people to mature in faith." Father Hawker, who oversees all education-related activities of the diocese, said faith
sive ministry.
Editorials
& Columns
formation It's
is
an exten-
a ministry, he said,
must involve the parish community, parents and a dedicated relationship with God. Of course, the that
...Pages
4-5
Entertainment
people doing the teaching are key as ..Pages
10-11
well.
"One very important point is to remind catechists and catechetical leaders than an integral component of
Faith Formation is
m
Week
celebrated
Sept 19-25
...See stories
throughout
this issue
—
their mission is their witness the extent to which they reflect in relationships the qualities that are integral to faith," said Father Hawker. If catechists exemplify such
Photo by Jimmy Rostar
Parishioners of St. Peter Church in uptown Charlotte lead the recessional following a Mass Sept. 5. Church members brought tools of their trades musical instruments, stethoscopes and books, among them which they placed at the foot of the altar during the Offertory procession to commemorate Labor Day. It's the fourth year the Charlotte parish has hosted such a procession.
—
—
structured programs also do a lot of informal catechesis by their witness,"
He
he added.
formation through small faith communities, lecture series, sacramental preparation programs, Scripture study groups, family clusters, multicultural settings and the
highlighted a
grams
number of pro-
available to adults, including
faith
In the Diocese of Charlotte, one structured program Father Hawker
mentioned primarily comprises students not in Catholic schools who come to their parish for religious education. They prepare for the initiation sacraments of Eucharist and confirmation, and learn what it means to live the Catholic faith as maturing people. It's the classic faith formation model, and a great number of children and teen-agers benefit from these parish programs. But there are many manifestations of faith formation happening outside those formal classroom structures, too, said Dr. Cris Villapando, director of faith formation programs for the Diocese of Charlotte. "Faith formation strives to shape the religious culture of the community," he explained. "It tries to do that by forming attitudes, habits and values. "Hopefully we can achieve this day in and day out not only with young people but with adults, which
—
Internet.
"Over and over, we are trying to explode the models of faith formation and reach out to adults in whatever settings they might be in," Villapando said.
Adults involved
in
home-school
catechesis, initiation ministry, preparing youth for confirmation, run-
ning vacation Bible schools and ministering to people with disabilities also experience the support of the Office of Faith Formation, Villapando said. And so do adults engaged in diocesan programs such as lay ministry, formal ministry and catechist certification. Retreats and days of recollection also nurture the catechetical spirit.
The office's intent to pay special attention to adult religious education falls
in
line with
the recently pub-
lished
qualities as respect,
becoming more and more a new realization: that faith formation
sensitivity in
doesn't end by 12th grade."
formation the chief form of catechesis in the church.
Hawker
said,
compassion and their ministry, Father they can even further
succeed in their educational mission. "Catechists who are involved in
is
Villapando said the Office of Faith Formation strives to animate the faith in the lives of adults as well.
"General Directory Catechesis," which calls adult
See FAITH
FORMATION,
for faith
page
8