Category Archives: Adult Faith Formation

The Adult Faith Formation Commission (AFFC) meets monthly to plan programs and activities aimed at helping members of St. John’s parish to expand their understanding of all aspects of their faith. Our approach, quite simply, is to try to figure out what people want and need and somehow deliver it to them!  We have from time to time asked for your ideas and suggestions and we have received some, but the need for feedback is ongoing, so we encourage you to write or call and let us know just what we can do to help you.  At our meeting last week, we discussed our Programs for Lent.  The parish has purchased the ten-part documentary video, Catholicism, produced by Father Robert Barron, S.J.  This production has been broadcast on WGN America, EWTN, Relevant Radio and the Word of Fire You Tube Channel.  Also, Father Barron has a website (http://www.wordonfire.org) that offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries and weekly sermon podcasts.  The ten segments begin with Amazed and Afraid: The Revelation of God Become Man and end with World Without End: Last Things.  Accompanying the DVDs are detailed study guides for each “lesson”, discussion questions and background notes.  We are not quite certain how we will organize the viewing and discussion of these presentations, but clearly they constitute a terrific overview of our basic beliefs as Catholics, a wonderful “refresher course” that would benefit all of us.  If you have ideas on how to use this material, please contact us right away!  In addition to making maximum use of Father Barron’s videos, we will have discussions of the slender book by Michael Paul Gallagher Faith Maps: Ten Religious Explorers from Newman to Joseph Ratzinger, and Father Bryan Hehir will enrich us with several lectures.  The February 12 St. John’s Book Discussion Group meeting will be devoted to Josef Pieper’s Guide to Thomas Aquinas.  Professor Pieper was at the forefront of 20th century Catholic philosophy and his book provides both an overview of 13th century religious ideas and a wonderful (though brief) analysis of the life and works of one of the most influential Catholic thinkers since St. Augustine.

Program of Interest:  Sunday, January 22, 7:00pm at Sacred Heart Parish, Newton Centre.  Social Security and Medicare: Protecting the Most Vulnerable in an Era of Cuts with Ellen Bruce, University of Massachusetts. Sponsored by the Sacred Heart Parish Justice and Peace Commission

Evening for Women: Tuesday, February 7, 6:30pm in the Social Hall.  Theme: A Journey Into the Heart of Prayer in St. John’s Gospel. Come with one of your favorite winter recipes to share!  All Welcome! Moderator: Sr. Evelyn Ronan, SND

Scripture Study Groups – We are off to a great start! Four groups have either started or will soon begin their study of the Gospel of St. Matthew.  There is room for more, so if you are interested please contact Marcia Grondin (marciaryan918@gmail.com or 781-237-6249).  There are groups meeting weekday mornings and weekday evenings, usually for an hour and a half either once or twice a month. The book we are using is The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible ($10).

Book Discussion Group – The meeting on February 9 will focus on A Guide to Thomas Aquinas by Joseph Pieper. These gatherings are the second
Thursday of each month, in the Parish Center, from 7:30 to 9pm. There is no formal membership procedure.  To participate simply send your name to
Peter Mongeau, the chair of the group (pmongeau@verizon.net), read the scheduled book and come to the meeting prepared to discuss it.  A list
of discussion questions and topics is sent to everyone on the email list a week or so before the meeting.  Please visit our page on the Parish website for more  information on the Book Discussion Group.

Lenten Programs – Lent will arrive in a little over five weeks! Among the Parish faith formation opportunities, we will have several groups discussing
a wonderful book by Michael Gallagher, Faith Maps: Ten Religious Explorers from Newman to Joseph Ratzinger. (Paulist Press, $16.95)  Father Gallagher’s
goal is to present to readers searching for wisdom and understanding (all of us!) the essence of the faith of ten major thinkers of the last hundred or so years.  The content is challenging, to be sure, but written with an acute awareness of the questions ordinary people are asking, and in a style very appealing to the busy non-academic reader.

In this joyous season of Advent and as we approach the start of a new calendar year, it might be helpful to consider the tremendous opportunities we have for strengthening our spiritual lives – for going beyond our regular and prayerful participation in Sunday Mass and trying hard every day of the week to deepen, in some small way, our understanding of our Catholic faith and our relationship with God.  Our parish, like all successful faith communities, organizes a variety of faith formation programs and special projects. The parish website (stjohnwellesley.org) has complete descriptions and details, along with this section of the weekly bulletin. In summary we offer the following:

Scripture Study Groups – A meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 4 for those interested in discussing the Gospel of St. Matthew, using the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.

Book Discussion Group – Discussions are generally the second Thursday of each month. On January 12 we will look at the Book of Jonah and on February 9, A Guide to Thomas Aquinas, by Joseph Pieper.

Program for Women – Spiritual and social gatherings of women, in the evening, generally the second Tuesday of each month.

Men’s Group – Coffee, donuts and conversation, the first Saturday of each month, after the 7:00 a.m. Mass.

Advent and Lenten Lectures, study and discussion groups.

Collection of Books (free to be borrowed!) and periodicals in lower lobby of the church.

We are enriched by the many programs and activities offered the Archdiocese of Boston (www.bostoncatholic.org), by the many nearby parishes (see especially websites of parishes in Wellesley, Weston, Needham, Newton) and by one of the largest and finest faith formation programs in the country, The Church in the 21st Century at Boston College (bc.edu/church21).  The Boston College program includes conferences, lectures, publications, video and audio resources and courses, all of which are available to the public, as well as students and faculty of the college.

Finally, we urge you – we really beg you! – to let us know how we can help you, specifically, and better serve the parish, generally. Our Commission was created last spring because the pastor, Parish Council and Pastoral Planning Group recognized the need for one small committee of people to coordinate and promote faith formation.  We look forward to responding to your comments and
questions – and extend to all our best wishes for a blessed Christmas and an energized new year.

St. John’s Faith Formation Commission
Patrick Blomberg, Linda Colozzi, Marcia Grondin,
Pat Kelleher (chair), John Salvati, John Stewart, and
Ann Wachtmeister, Sister Evelyn Ronan (advisor).
(Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org)

NEW BIBLE STUDY – There will be a meeting of those interested in participating in the scripture study groups on Wednesday evening, January 4 in the Social Hall.  7:00pm (refreshments, socializing)  7:30 to 8:45pm (meeting).

At this meeting we will distribute the books ($10); discuss location, frequency, and time of meetings; begin forming groups; and gather any ideas or input you may have regarding the sessions. As we have said, our goal is to have enough groups so that everyone can find a meeting time and day and a frequency that fits their schedule, whether weekends, weekday evenings, weekday mornings,
etc.  Please mark your calendar now! If you cannot attend the meeting and definitely want to participate, please contact Marcia Grondin at:  marciaryan918@gmail.com.   If you want to pick up a copy of the book in advance you can get it at the rectory.

THREE GREAT BOOKS FOR ADVENT READING

Faith Maps: Ten Religious Explorers,  from Newman to Joseph Ratzinger  by Michael Paul Gallagher (We will be organizing some discussions of this book
during Lent.)

Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith  by Robert Barron (Father Barron is the founder of the international ministry, “Word on Fire” and creator
and host of a widely acclaimed documentary series and study program about the Catholic faith.)

The Gift of Years: Growing Old Gracefully  by Joan Chittister (Described by Father Andrew Greeley as “..the best book I have read on the subject of aging,
a dazzling work radiant with gems of insight on every page.”)

Many in the parish have been asking about scripture study groups. The Adult Faith Formation Commission listened carefully, investigated a number of options and is pleased to announce that several groups will begin either in December or soon after the start of the new year. These groups will be small (fewer than 12) and will meet at times, in locations and with a frequency most convenient to participants. The groups will use “The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible”, a wonderful publication based on the Revised Standard Version of the Bible (see Ignatius Press). Our first effort will be “The Gospel of Matthew”. The cost of the 87 page publication is $10.   In a week or so detailed information and a “registration” form will be available.  For now, we would deeply appreciate it if those who will definitely or even possibly participate could send us an email indicating their preferences for time and location. (affc@stjohnwellesley.org)