A Mission to Strengthen Our Adult Faith Experience

One thing that has been clear to Fr. Bill and I for some time is that the adults in our collaborative parishes are hungry for opportunities to strengthen and grow in their spiritual and religious understanding on an adult level. In fact, one of the three priorities of our forthcoming Local Pastoral Plan is "Faith Formation of Adults and Families." We remain committed to supporting the wonderful faith formation programs for our children and youth, but as adults we are called to a deeper understanding of our faith and our relationship with God in Jesus Christ. I am especially grateful to Fr. Bill for heading up two major initiatives for adult faith formation in our collaborative: our Lenten Mission this week, and our series of informal adult gatherings for discussion through "Faith Matters" and "Theology on Tap".

Adults and teens from throughout our area will gather for our collaborative's powerful Lenten Mission taking place this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings from 7:30-8:30pm at St. Martha church. As we continue our spiritual marathon from Ash Wednesday to Easter, the theme this year is "Finish Strong". It is fitting that we have Jesuit Patrick Nolan, SJ, to lead us in spiritual exercises for the Lenten journey and beyond since the Society of Jesus to which he belongs is founded on the "Spiritual Exercises" of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Patrick has been very popular at other events where he has preached. So try to come all three nights and if you can, bring someone with you. Even if you can't make all the sessions, come to as many as you can because you don't want to miss this opportunity!

In addition to the "Theology on Tap" which began last Sunday, adults of all ages are invited on Monday of Holy Week, April 10, to the Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café in Plainville for the kickoff of "Faith Matters" the other component of our informal gatherings for coffee and adult beverages as we discuss spirituality and life. The speaker will be Fr. Peter Connolly, former pastor of St. Jude Parish in Norfolk. More details to come, but set aside that evening in your calendar now. May we all hunger for a greater understanding of our Catholic Christian faith, a treasured gift that we need to continue to unwrap and experience throughout our adult lives!