Welcome to the final installment of Catechists in Action, a feature that has enabled us to be a “fly on the wall” of a number of catechists in this past year. In this final installment, we meet Marge Garbacz, Director of Religious Education at St. Symphorosa Parish in Chicago, IL. Among the many hats that Marge wears (including “parish carnival coordinator”!) is the coordinator of the parish RCIA process. Marge has assembled an impressive team of catechists and sponsors to accompany the catechumens and candidates on their journey. In these upcoming segments, we will have an opportunity to see how Marge, as a catechist of adults, implements sound and effective techniques for catechizing adults. In this segment, Marge gives us an overview of what we are about to witness in her RCIA process.
RCIA
Three Tips for Working with the RCIA
Every DRE has his or her own approach to ministry. In my parish, our faith formation philosophy is to meet people where they are. I know it’s a pretty simple idea, but when we think about the variety of people from so many different backgrounds who come together in the Church, it is important to remember that the same approach won’t work for everyone. This attitude can prove to be especially important when working with […]
Adult Faith Formation
Adult Faith Formation – Laying the Foundation
I met this morning with Maryellen, the staff liason for Adult Faith Formation at St. Barnabas, for our first meeting to begin laying out a vision for what we hope to accomplish in AFF this year. We both agreed that the place to begin is NOT with a program but with a VISION and a PLAN! With that in mind, we are looking to meet with the Faith Formation Commission of the Parish Pastoral Council […]
Adult Faith Formation
Adult Faith Formation: Creating a “Greenhouse Effect” in the Diocese of Joliet
Recently, I had the privilege of spending a day with a 50–60 catechetical leaders in the Diocese of Joliet, IL, exploring adult faith formation. Here is the title and description of my topic: A Change of Climate: How to Create a Parish “Greenhouse Effect” that Fosters the Growth of Adult Faith Formation Adult faith formation is not accomplished via a program or an event or even a series of events. Rather, it is stimulated by […]
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