Adult Faith Formation

Adult Faith Formation

What's Happening

eNews - Diocese of Manchester Email Newsletter
Advent Prayer Breakfast
"Bring Joy to Your World"
Speaker: Lynn Durham, RN Well Being Coach
Holidays present many opportunities to feel reconnected with spirit, family, friends, peace, love, and joy. You can make the holidays more of what you want and need - the Magic is in you. Come and discover how you can bring joy to your world.
Date: December 6, 2008
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Location: Sacred Heart Parish Hall, Laconia
Cost: $5.00 per person
Tickets: call Janet (603) 524-7503 by 12/1/08

The World of the New Testament
Presenter: Rev. Albert Tremblay, Obl. SB, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Belmont
Understanding the New Testament requires more than a willing heart and open mind. It also assumes that the reader is open to exploring the world view and self-understanding of the New Testament authors and community. Through various exercises and discussions, we will attempt to depart from the 21st century and enter into the world of our 1st century AD ancestors, so to see our faith from a new context. Such a perspective will then allow us to re-inform our reading of the Biblical text with an enriched appreciation of the narrative, setting, and assumptions presumed by the original inspired authors and communities. Class use: new American (NAB) or New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) .
Dates: Tuesdays from January 27 - March 17, 2009
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Location: Sacred Heart Parish Hall Building, Laconia
For more information: Janet Leroux (603) 524-7503

Adult Confirmation Preparation

Adult Catholics (ages 18 and older) who have been baptized, received First Eucharist and are practicing their faith but have not celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation are invited to participate in a preparation program.

Interested adults must inform the pastor or a member of the parish staff in their home parish that they wish to prepare for the sacrament. They will then be advised of the process for this preparation and what is required of the candidate.

Preparation programs differ, but most involve six to eight sessions. They may take place weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, and may be offered by the parish, or several parishes in your area. Existing opportunities for preparation are listed below. For questions about Adult Confirmation, please contact the Office of the Catechumenate or Eileen Smith at esmith@rcbm.org or (603) 669-3100, Ext. 174.

Monadnock Deanery
If, as a baptized Catholic, you are interested in preparing for thissacrament, please contact Anita Plourde at the Catholic Faith FormationCenter at 352-7662 or cffc-keene@verizon.net by October 10th. Day, time and location will be determined to accommodate those who register. Sponsored by the Catholic Faith Formation Center.

Souhegan Deanery
Confirmation preparation for adults will be offered at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Merrimack, NH, beginning on Wednesday, October 8 at 7 p.m. For detailed information, please call Christine Patterson at 424-3757, Ext. 7.

Called to Discipleship Core Course
The core course for the Called to Discipleship program fulfills the requirements for confirmation preparation. The following locations have current openings:
Saint Patrick Parish, Jaffrey, NH - starting October 4, 2008
Good Shepherd Parish Center, Berlin, NH - starting October 18
Click here for more program details and registration information.

Seven Sacred Pauses Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day Macrina Wiederkehr
Reading Suggestion: Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day by Macrina Wiedekehr

Macrina Wiederkehr opens the monastery door and invites readers to come in and learn how the practice of consciously pausing for prayer at the seven sacred moments of each day can make their daily passage through time a more sacred pilgrimage.

Using scripture, poetry, reflections, personal stories, and quotes from a rich array of spiritual teachers, Wiederkehr helps readers become more attuned to living in the present moment and develop a kindred spirit with the rich tradition of the sacred hours. Seven Sacred Pauses is a wonderful gift to those who seek to find balance in their busy days and to bring the practice of the Divine Hours home to their own hearts. Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris


Reading Suggestion: The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

If you are looking for a good read this summer look to TheCloister Walk by Kathleen Norris. Kathleen Norris writes about her experiences living in a Benedictine monastery in a masterfully written diary that follows the liturgical year. In her life after leaving the monastery, Kathleen Norris shares how her experiences in a cloistered world imparted meaning to her daily life and everyday events. ( TheCloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris, Published by Penguin Books)
Resource and Idea Book: Adults with Cognitive Disabilities/Mental Retardation: Approaches to Adult Faith Formation

Developed by the Secretariat for Family, Laity, Women and Youth of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, this resource and idea book addresses the need to better help people to integrate their faith with their daily lives and focuses on one adult Catholic population, adults with cognitive disabilities. Read more

About Adult Faith Formation

The Diocese of Manchester invites adult Catholics to consciously grow in the life of Christ through experience, reflection, prayer, and study. In their document, Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us , A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States, the Bishops encourage parishes and dioceses to make this adult faith formation central to their mission.

Ongoing faith formation flows from liturgy, family and home centered activities, large group experiences or retreats, and individual activities. Watch your parish bulletin, Parable , and Public Policy and Social Teachings for a variety of additional opportunities. The following list is not exhaustive.

Possibilities for Courses

  • The Laconia Christian Life Center and the Catholic Faith Formation Center in Keene offer a variety of courses, experiences and retreats. Visit www.catholicfaithformationcenter.org for offerings at the Catholic Faith Formation Center in Keene or download a brochure of course listings through the Laconia Christian Life Center.
  • C21Online stands for Church in the 21st Century Online, a Boston College initiative offering online, non-credit courses that provide stimulating opportunities for spirituality and renewal. View course offerings and find out more at www.bc.edu/c21online .
  • STEP, an effort of the University of Notre Dame Institute for Church Life, is open to any adult Catholic looking to deepen his/her faith or any minister who seeks continuing education. Because the Diocese of Manchester partners with the University in this effort, any individual from the Diocese receives a 20 percent discount per course. For a complete list of courses visit http://step.nd.edu .
  • Rivier College offers an institute for seniors, Rivier Institute for Senior Education (RISE) on campus in Nashua. Please visit http://www.rivier.edu/rise/default.aspx for further information.

Retreat Houses

Online Retreat Opportunity

Please visit Creighton University for an online retreat opportunity http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/cmo-retreat.html .

Resources

If you are planning opportunities for adults in your parish, school or community, there are many resources on adult learning in the Diocesan Administration Building. View a list of those resources . The resources are located in the Curriculum Library. Please contact Pat Gabree or Jo-Ann Ellison before dropping by.

Evaluating Internet Sources

Find a tool for evaluating internet sources at http://libguides.bc.edu/content.php?pid=1049 .