FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY

WINTER 2018

The Office of Adult Faith Formation provides spiritual sustenance for Catholics from all walks of life.

"ADULT FAITH FORMATION IS AN ENORMOUSLY BROAD TERM," says Dr. Daniel Frascella, director of the office with that name at the Archdiocese of New York.

It’s likely Pope Francis would agree – and add that it is enormously important. The Holy Father has spoken repeatedly about to the Church’s need for more lay leadership, “animated by a sincere and clear faith,” and the experience of Christ’s merciful love.

Providing opportunities for lay people to grow in their faith is the goal of Dr. Frascella’s office, established in 2012 in conjunction with the Year of Faith. The Office was created to foster unity among the parishes and faith communities that make up the archdiocese by rooting everyone in a deeper understanding of God and his plan for the Church.

Yet with so many ages, diverse backgrounds, and varying amounts of free time among adults in the archdiocese’s 293 parishes, the scope of needs in daunting.

“We try to offer programs that can reach people at all stages of their faith journey,” said Dr. Frascella. For some, this might mean attending a mission at their local parish. For others, it might mean academic study. Still others might be drawn to a more immersive experience like a pilgrimage.

The following programs are available to – and make an impact on the lives of – parishioners throughout the archdiocese.

If you have so far missed Revive: Faith Every Day, the archdiocesan mission series, you might nonetheless be familiar with the concept of a parish mission. Some date the origin of these events to the 17th century. Though the particulars of the events have changed over time, at least one thing has remained consistent: Missions are driven by inspiring preaching.

In 2017, clusters held 70 Revive missions touching all parishes and drawing about 10,000 participants. Pulling it all together required the efforts of countless priests, religious, and lay people. Some clusters saw more than 300 attendees per night; St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in LaGrangeville drew 750-800 per night to a combined-cluster mission.

“It’s really bringing the community together,” said Fr. Robert Badillo, provincial superior of the Idente Missionaries in the U.S. and pastor of Our Lady of Solace-St. Dominic Parish, whose cluster presented missions in both English and Spanish. “You see priests of the other churches in attendance, helping… It’s more universal; more ‘catholic.’ Parishes have been isolated from one another – this is an opportunity for them to come together.”

The theme of the 2017 Revive: Faith Every Day mission series, the first of two, was “Purpose.” None of us can know the challenges and opportunities that God will put in our path on any given day, but by having a conviction about the deepest purpose of our lives, we develop the ability to respond to the people and circumstances God places in our life with grace and compassion. As His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan put it, Revive helps us realize Pope Francis’ vision of the Church as a ‘field hospital’ by welcoming “the wounded – you, me, and the folks ‘out there’ – into the saving embrace of Jesus, the Divine Physician.”

The theme of the 2018 mission series will be “Discipleship” and focus on how we can live our lives as true friends and followers of Jesus.

CHURCH MANAGEMENT

Through an alliance between the archdiocese and Villanova University, the Office of Adult Faith Formation now offers a Master of Science in Church Management (MSCM) for those who would like to make a career out of serving the Church as parish business managers or in other administrative positions.

“We need qualified, professionally trained lay men and women who are able to assist pastors in aspects of parish life,” says Dr. Frascella.

The MSCM is a two-year graduate business program covering the fundamentals of Catholic parish and ministry management. The first class of 22 students graduated in May of 2017; a class of 38 enrolled in 2017.

“The program is very practical – I can take what I learn and use it right away,” says Deirdre Fonseca of Resurrection Parish in Rye, who graduated in May.

ONLINE LEARNING

Through Enlighten: Faith Education for Today’s Catholic, a new program offered in conjunction with Fordham University, parishioners of the archdiocese have access to free online courses that explore Church history and teaching by examining scripture, sacramental theology, papal writings, and more.

While designed primarily for those in parish ministry, such as catechists and youth group leaders, the program is open to all interested in learning more about their faith.

Whether you’re running a bible study, delving into the faith yourself, or seeking high-quality video content for your kids, FORMED has something for you – and it’s available to all parishes. A product of the Augustine Institute, FORMED (dubbed by some “the Catholic Netflix”) offers audio, video, ebooks, and feature-length films. Family subscriptions are also available through the Office of Adult Faith Formation.

Charles Angelillo is a parish consultant for the Augustine Institute and a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Shrub Oak. “My parish just passed 300 users,” he says. “It is enriching many of our parishioners’ faith lives and being shared with friends and relatives who have left the Church.”

CHRISTLIFE: DISCOVERING, FOLLOWING AND SHARING THE LORD

For those seeking to encounter Christ and help fulfill the Church’s mission to spread the Word of God, ChristLife can open the door.

ChristLife is a parish-based, small-group discussion series that consists of three seven-week courses: Discovering Christ, Following Christ, and Sharing Christ. Its goal is to enable laypeople to share the transformative love of God with others. While this sort of overt evangelism might sound daunting to some Catholics, ChristLife participants learn that the main requirement is a willingness to share one’s own experiences.

Not all parishes currently offer the program, but more and more are adopting it. “There are some parishes that have been very successful in getting people who have drifted away, or aren’t even Catholic to begin with, to attend ChristLife,” says Dr. Frascella.

Even as we adopt the latest technologies for sharing the faith, one of the most popular and enduring means of doing that remains one of the oldest: the pilgrimage.

Every-other year, Cardinal Dolan leads the faithful to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. “We should all feel at home at this place. It’s the home of our mother,” he said during the inaugural pilgrimage in 2014.

The 2016 pilgrimage coincided with the Year of Mercy. “I came because I love Mary,” said Victoria Castillo of Good Shepherd Parish in the Inwood section of Manhattan. “Like everybody else, I was looking for grace and deeper meaning.”

The next pilgrimage to the National Shrine will take place in October 2018. According to Dr. Frascella, “The 2014 pilgrimage, which was the first we had done in a long time, had about 200 people on it. The second had 650. Hopefully it will continue to grow.”

Visit the Office of Adult Faith Formation online at nycatholicfaith.org.