Category Archives: Adult Faith Formation

Program for Women – Tuesday, October 2, 6:30pm

Program for Women 2012-2013 begins Tuesday, October 2.  This year’s theme focuses us on the door of faith, always open for us, beckoning us to rediscover more about the core of faith as love offered and accepted, an invitation to ponder the biblical revelation of love and say ‘yes’! Through reflection, prayer, sharing with a fabulous potluck, we will enter that door of faith together every first Tuesday evening, beginning October 2, 6:30 start in the Social Hall.  All Welcome! (Bring one of your favorite Fall recipes)  Moderator: Sr. Evelyn Ronan, SND

Adult Faith Formation Calendar – September 23, 2012

AFFC LogoSeptember 25: Introducing the Bible Today: Challenges and Opportunities 
5:30 p.m. at Boston College, Corcoran Commons, Heights Room
Richard Clifford, SJ, professor of Old Testament and Pheme Perkins, professor of Theology

September 27: Workshop on Ballot Question # 2, Proposal to Allow Physician Assisted Suicide
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Parish, Waltham
Doctors, lawyers and ethicists will discuss the proposal.  This is a great opportunity to become familiar with the details of this proposal, which we must all work to defeat.  See www.stopassistedsuicide.org
To register email: anncussan@rcab.org

October 2: Program for Women
6:30 p.m. in the Church Social Hall
This year’s theme focuses us on the door of faith, always open for us,
beckoning us to rediscover more about the core of faith as love offered and accepted, an invitation to ponder the biblical revelation of love and say ‘yes’!
Through reflection, prayer, sharing with a fabulous potluck, we will enter that door of faith together every first Tuesday evening, beginning October 2.
All Welcome! (Bring one of your favorite Fall recipes)
Moderator: Sr. Evelyn Ronan, SND

October 6: Men’s Group
7:30 to 9:00 a.m. in the Church Social Hall
Group meets the first Saturday of each month, after 7:00 a.m. Mass for informal discussions on questions of concern to Catholics. Coffee and donuts are served.  Moderator, Deacon Tom Smith

October 11: Book Discussion Group – Voting and Holiness: Catholic Perspectives on Political Participation, edited by Nicholas Cafardi
7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Parish Center
This will be a discussion, an effort at enlightenment, of the ways in which our views and opinions on public issues are shaped or conditioned by our religious beliefs, and the kind of involvement the Church should have in the political process.

St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Commission
(Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org)

Adult Faith Formation Update – September 16, 2012

AFFC LogoAdult faith formation is built on the premise that we all have a need for greater appreciation of both the basics of our faith as Christians and the particulars of our rich Catholic traditions. We have been blessed in the 21 st century with resources unimaginable even fifty years ago to help in our search for understanding and wisdom, for a greater “comfort level” with the complexities of scripture and theology and for improving our ability to explain our faith to ourselves, our children and those with doubts. Guided by the Holy Spirit, our ultimate teacher and intellectual guide, we need to stretch our minds as we grow, learn more and more, and thus move closer and closer to God.

Faith Formation Calendar

September 20, 5:00pm: “Women in Interreligious Dialogue”
Rosemary Radford Ruether, Carpenter Emerita Professor of Feminist Theology, Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union, Co-sponsored by the Boston College Department of Theology, the School of Theology and Ministry, and The Church in the 21st Century Center

October 2, 6:30pm: Program for Women
Nourishing faith’s journey through an evening of reflection and sharing and a wonderful potluck in the Church Social Hall, 6:30 p.m. start – all welcome. Moderator: Sr. Evelyn Ronan, SND

October 6, 7:30 to 9:00am: Men’s Group
Moderator Deacon Tom Smith; St. John’s Social Hall  (Group meets the first Saturday of each month.)

October 11: Book Discussion Group
Voting and Holiness: Catholic Perspectives on Political Participation, edited by Nicholas Cafardi; St. John’s Parish Center.

St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Commission (Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org)

Adult Faith Formation Update: September 9, 2012

AFFC Logo(1) The first four books on the schedule of the Book Discussion Group are:  September 13Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor
October 11: Voting and Holiness: Catholic Perspectives on Political Participation, edited by Nicholas Cafardi
November 15: Faith: What It Is and What It Isn’t by Terrance Tilley
December 6: Making the Eucharist Matter by Frank Anderson
All meetings are from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.  Although the books selected for each month are mostly under 200 pages and can generally be purchased for less than $20 (or borrowed from the library), we recognize how difficult it is for some to read each one. Thus, people often come to these gatherings with a broad understanding of the topic, author or focus of the book, rather than a grasp of the specific details. This is fine. For more information about the Book Discussion Group please contact the Adult Faith Formation Commission or call one of the leaders of the group – Peter Mongeau, Anita Martin , Julie and Frank McConville or John Stewart.

2) The St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Commission will hold the first of its 2012/2013 monthly meetings on September 19. If you have any ideas, suggestions or proposals please send them along and they will be considered quickly.

3) Some Boston College programs of interest:

“Women in Interreligious Dialogue”
Thursday, September 20, 5:00 p.m.
Rosemary Radford Ruether, Carpenter Emerita Professor of Feminist Theology,Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union, Cosponsored by the Boston College Department of Theology, the School of Theology and Ministry, and The Church in the 21st Century Center.

“Introducing the Bible Today: Challenges and Opportunities”
Tuesday, September 25, 5:30 p.m.
Richard J. Clifford, S.J., STM professor of Old Testament, Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., STM professor of New Testament, and Pheme Perkins, professor, Boston College Theology Department, Cosponsored by Paulist Press, the School of Theology and Ministry, and the Boston College Department of Theology.

“An Archbishop’s Perspective on Handing on the Faith” 
Monday, October 1, 4:30 p.m.
Most Rev. Harry J. Flynn, Archbishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Cosponsored by The Church in the 21st Century Center and STM.

St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Commission
(Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org)

Adult Faith Formation Update – Book Discussion Group

The first two books on the schedule of the St. John’s Book Discussion Group are:

September 13: Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor
Ms. O’Connor once described herself as a “hillbilly Thomist”, pointing out that she read Aquinas for twenty minutes every night. This novel, 129 pages, is readily available in paperback. We will also discuss Father Gallagher’s chapter in Faith Maps, “Flannery O’Connor: Assaulting the Imagination”, a wonderful, brief analysis of the thought behind her writing.

October 11: Voting and Holiness: Catholic Perspectives on Political Participation, edited by Nicholas Cafardi
The Conference of Catholic Bishops has once again issued a “call to political responsibility”, urging Catholics to become informed citizens and to analyze issues and candidates before voting. Our October discussion will give people an opportunity to explore some of the specific connections (and non-connections?) between Catholic teaching and the political issues of 2012.

All meetings are from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.  Although the books selected for each month are mostly under 200 pages and can generally be purchased for less than $20 (or borrowed from the library), we recognize how difficult it is for some to read each one. Thus, people often come to these gatherings with a broad understanding of the topic, author or focus of the book, rather than a grasp of the specific details. This is fine. For more information about the Book Discussion Group please contact the Adult Faith Formation Commission or call one of the leaders of the group – Peter Mongeau, Anita Martin , Julie and Frank McConville or John Stewart.

St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Commission
(Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org)

Not a Catholic? Thinking about becoming a Catholic? Baptized but not confirmed? Catholic but want to know more about the Catholic faith?

CONSIDER THIS: The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults offers you the opportunity to come and see what it’s all about. The RCIA is a journey that begins with your questions. There is no obligation to join as you discover more about our Catholic faith: the decision is ultimately yours to discern if this is to be your spiritual home. We will convene in October from ten to eleven in the Church Rectory on Sunday mornings. The Catholic faith community at St. John’s Church looks forward to your response. Please contact the Church Office at (781) 235-0045 or Svea Fraser at sveafraser@comcast.net, (781) 237-7560.

Adult Faith Formation Update

AFFC LogoNext week we will resume our weekly notices of faith formation programs, events and activities. Our hope remains that through these notices we can provide members of the parish with helpful information about opportunities not only at St. John’s but at neighboring parishes and at Boston College and other colleges. Today we want to alert everyone that the St. John’s Book Discussion Group will gather in early September to discuss Flannery O’Connor and her first book, Wise Blood. Flannery O’Connor has become very popular since her premature death in 1964 at the age of thirty-nine. A Catholic writer of novels, short stories and essays and woman who carried on extensive correspondence with many leading literary and religious figures of the day, Ms. O’Connor has been seen as sometimes controversial, often inspirational and always extremely interesting. There is no formal “membership” in the book discussion group. To become involved simply send an email to the address below.

St. John’s Faith Formation Commission
(Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org)

Tell Us Which Programs Interest You!

AFFC LogoTo assist in our planning the Adult Faith Formation Commission is looking for expressions of interest in one or more of the following programs –

1) Scripture study – small groups, meeting either in homes or at church; mornings or evenings, weekdays or weekends; systematic reading and discussion of sections of old and new testaments.
2) Book discussion group – reading and discussing one book a month (generally about 200 pages) on a range of topics.
3) Discussions of general issues of concern to Catholics – broad-ranging discussions of issues, challenges and opportunities of concern to Catholics; weekday mornings or evenings.
4) Lectures and discussions – 30-45 minute talks by knowledgeable men and women followed by questions and discussions; weekday mornings or evenings or Sunday afternoons or evenings.
5) Film discussion group — viewing and discussing one film a month, documentary or fiction with religious theme; weekday or Saturday evenings.

Please send us an email message or call with your name and the program(s) of interest: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org or 617 969 0950 (John Stewart).  There is no obligation, no commitment! Thanks.

St. John’s Faith Formation Commission
Linda Colozzi, Pat Kelleher (chair), Sister Evelyn Ronan (advisor), John Salvati, John Stewart and Anne Wachtmeister

Adult Faith Formation Update – June 17, 2012

AFFC LogoJane Regan is a professor of theology and religious education at Boston College. Much of her research and writing have focused on adult faith formation, adult learning theory and adult spiritual development. She often serves as consultant to national groups on matters relating to faith formation. A few years ago she wrote a article in America with the very provocative title “Adult Faith Formation: Will it Catch on This Time?”. The major point of the article was that many in the church have been talking for years about the need for more emphasis on adult faith formation, but, sadly, the results have been meager. She offers four major recommendations or sets of ideas for people involved to ponder:

1) Shifting more of the emphasis and resources to the “faith-building” potential of families and adults generally would eventually have a wonderful impact on the education of children and youth. Parents (and grandparents) should obviously be the primary educators of their children, so helping more adults become comfortable talking about their faith makes them much more capable of explaining God’s presence in the lives of young people.

2) The fundamental focus of adult faith formation should not be on conveying information but on transformation in how people think of their lives as Christians. Adults, she argues, should be invited to look beyond the “what” to the “so what ?” We should be asking how we can better relate our spiritual lives to our daily “worldly” lives.

3) “Sustained, critical conversation is an essential component of the faith formation of adults.” Telling stories of real life incidents and talking seriously about things that matter is helpful for all of us. Among other things, it leads to better understanding and appreciation of the foundations of our faith and the implications of living a solid Christian life.

4) “The goal of adult faith formation is not only to enrich the faith life of the participants and strengthen the parish community. It does these things in response to the church’s primary task and reason for being: to evangelize.” Sharing what we know and believe is critical, especially as more and more baptized Catholics rarely, if ever, attend Mass or think seriously about the course of their spiritual lives. Professor Regan’s ideas about faith formation deserve to be taken seriously and considered by all. The documents of Vatican II made dramatically clear that each of us has a role to play in the Church. We have all been blessed to be part of a parish with a rich tradition of acting on that belief.

St. John’s Adult Faith Formation:  AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org

Adult Faith Formation Update – June 10, 2012

AFFC LogoThe Adult Faith Formation Commission has been meeting monthly for over a year now.  We feel we have accomplished a lot, but clearly there is much more to be done. Among the programs and ideas we are considering or seriously planning for next year are:

  • Continuation of the monthly gatherings for both men and women
  • Expansion of the very successful parish book discussion group
  •  Small group discussions of the book Faith Maps
  • Greater use of the magnificent film series “Catholicism”
  • Showing and discussion of the film “The Way” (Martin Sheen)
  • Continuation and expansion of the scripture study groups
  • Lecture/discussion programs, including special talks during Advent and Lent
  • Occasional weekday morning discussions for older members of the parish
  • Sunday afternoon workshop on “growing our faith through story-telling.”

As always, we would love to receive comments and suggestions. As thinking Catholics we all recognize the need to expand our understanding and appreciation of the gift of faith that has been given us. Inevitably the big challenge is finding the time and discipline to really do it! As we have said many times, our goal is simply to be of help to you in this effort.

The parish Book Discussion Group will be meeting during the summer to select the ten or so books to be read next year. We would love your suggestions. Because we meet monthly the books must be relatively short (200 pages or less), readily available, and inexpensive (under $20). Since the group was created eight years ago we have read books on an amazing variety of subjects and themes relating to Catholicism, Christianity and religion generally. We have read novels, biographies, books on church history, scripture, spirituality, prayer, liturgy, parish life, the sacraments, the papacy, books of poetry and books on the traditions and beliefs of Muslims and Jews. Our discussions are generally serious but always with some levity, sometimes contentious but always conducted in a spirit of genuine Christian love and respect for the opinions of all. If you want more information on the book group or want to be added to our mailing list, write to Peter Mongeau (pmongeau@verizon.net), who has labored long, hard and creatively to make the group so successful. Peter is assisted in leading the group by Anita Martin, Frank McConville and John Stewart.

St. John’s Faith Formation · AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org