In the familiar story of Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) we find the model for - Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us -, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops Pastoral Plan for adult formation. This passage from the gospel of Luke shows the need we all have for ongoing formation in faith. In it we see two adult disciples who, upon encountering the Risen Lord, grow stronger in love, knowledge, commitment, and zeal. As happened with the disciples then, so today. Those who are disciples of Jesus Christ need to be constantly fed by the word of God so that they may grow in their life as Christians.
The Catholic bishops of the United States call the Church in our country to a renewed commitment to adult faith formation, positioning it at the heart of catechetical vision and practice. (OHWB 6-12).
Arguably, one of the coolest pieces of Adult Faith Formation is special events. Events help feed our souls, encourage parish interaction, and are fun! It is a great reason to get off the couch and try something different. For a list of events, please visit our Calendar page!
One special event of note was the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast day Celebration, at the 7:00 p.m. Mass on Friday, August 15th.
As the celebration started, there was a knocking at the Church doors. The congregation turned around to see who was knocking. Father Patrick came back to answer the door and we all welcomed the RCIA Candidates to join the celebration as we welcomed them to the Church.
The Women's Choir lifted our hearts, spirits and voices! The music was simply amazing! Many of the songs from the movies Sister Act and Sister Act II were featured.
Assumption BVM Church is run by Franciscan Friars, and St. Francis would have been proud to see that one of God's smaller creations also joined us at this feast day mass, even though it might have drove some of us "batty!"
After mass, there was an ice cream social. Free ice cream was provided for all by Breyers and Good Humor.
Food was also provided.
Another exciting event we had in the past was the House of Hope Benefit Concert. Yes, the event was held right in our Church. You can check out the details by clicking here!
The Parish BookCart is located in the gathering area of the church, near the scrip table.
The BookCart has books on prayer and praying, suffering and loss, Christian living, the Saints, our Catholic tradition, and spirituality. The cart also contains a current collection of Weavings, a spiritual journal with short reflections that focus on a variety of spiritual subjects. For those of us who might not feel up to reading an entire book, these journal reflections are just the right length. Check it out!
Summer is a great time to sit on the deck and treat yourself to a good book.
You are invited to use the books for prayer/reflection before Mass, or at any time you would like to stop into the church for some quiet time. You may also take a book home with you. Simply fill out the form provided on the BookCart’s clipboard, and return the book when you have finished.
The parish also makes available the Little Blue Books for Advent, Little Black Books for Lent, and Little White Books for Easter to help us pray during the different liturgical seasons of the church year.
Each week, the parish bulletin features an Adult Faith Formation Update. In the upcoming months, the column will shift gears and feature The Stewardship Corner, with articles on stewardship… prayer, financial giving, and service.
The Stewardship Corner will also spotlight a fellow parishioner from Assumption B.V.M. Parish or St. Stanislaus Parish in ……
" What? We have Crime Scene Investigators here at Assumption and St. Stan's? " you ask.
The answer is no.
This CSI stands for Church Stewardship Investigation ® . Our CSI's are constantly on the lookout for people suspected of being good stewards within our parishes and will keep you aware by posting an APB in our bulletin!
For more ways to grow your faith, visit our Links for Soul Surfers page. You'll want to dive in!
If you would like more information on these or any other adult faith formation activities, please e-mail Pam, lk2432@yahoo.com
Sometimes it seems as if we can't find time for a few quiet minutes with God. Yet, prayer gentles us, encourages us, heals us, and stretches us. If you have access to a computer, this prayer website is a Godsend. Instead of choosing to play computer solitaire, why not take ten or fifteen minutes and go to www.sacredspace.ie. The site, sponsored by the Irish Jesuits, is Scripture-based and very user-friendly.
The Irish Jesuits offer a webpage with daily meditations and music, which can be downloaded onto your mp3 Player or Ipod. You may also pray the meditation at your computer on Windows Media Player. You can find the meditation and instructions at www.pray-as-you-go.org.
OCP has a neat contemporary Catholic website, www.spiritandsong.com, with FREE MEMBERSHIP! Some of the perks include free mp3 music downloads of the latest Catholic/Christian music, artist podcasts, e-newsletters, and lots of other good stuff.
For the Young and Young-at-Heart!
Listed below are the websites for several area and state retreat centers
The Norbertine Center for Spirituality, part of the St. Norbert Abbey facility in DePere, has a website that lists upcoming programs, retreats, along with a listing of various opportunities in which to join the Norbertine Community in prayer. The site offers online registration and contact information. The address is www.norbertines.org. The email address is norbertinecenter@yahoo.com.
1000 N. Ballard Road, Appleton (920) 733-8536 offers several opportunities for spiritual growth and adult formation. The retreat center’s website is www.montealverno.org. The email address is montealverno@juno.com
Retreat Center, Located in Neenah. www.mttabor.net
Looking for excellent resources for your family? Browse to www.familyandchurch.org website produced by Wisconsin Directors of Family Ministry; resources for parish staff use and downloadable pages for individual families. New topic, resources, activities and prayers each month.
Looking for a good website to get information written for Young Adults... full of valuable stuff? Then check out www.bustedhalo.com BustedHalo is a web e-zine that speaks candidly on issues facing people in their 20's and 30's, which intersect with spirituality. Open to dialogue and to hearing the stories of young people, BustedHalo seeks to understand and to express the wisdom of Catholic and other religious traditions in a way that makes sense to the experience of those "spiritually seeking." The Faith Guides section provides basic snippets of Catholic information on the Mass, the Bible, prayer, saints, and a whole lot more.