Our Call to Life-Long Religious Education

Father Kevin and his family are still on their pilgrimage in Italy this week. Please keep them in your prayers, especially for safe travel.

In John’s Gospel, Christ commissioned His disciples to go out into the world to continue His ministry given to him by God the Father. He sent the apostles to go in all directions with a specific goal in their hearts: to proclaim His Gospel and to bring people into communion with God. The Holy Spirit would guide their mission. The apostles and their successors, the popes, obediently complied with Christ’s directive. Today, not only Pope Benedict, but also the bishops and priests of the world continue the mission of Christ. But where do we, the lay faithful, fit in?

Each one of us, by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation, is called to be a disciple of Christ. We are to spread the Gospel of Christ and lead others to God. Parents have a special role as the primary teachers of the Catholic faith to their children. The documents of Vatican II emphasize this by stating, “parents are the first preachers of the faith to their children.” The Religious Education ministry is here to assist parents in that role. We are very committed to providing opportunities for children and teens to learn about our faith. This is accomplished by teaching and formation on Scripture, Tradition and the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. We also strive to model Catholic practices, values, and promote participation in Mass and the other Sacraments. Religious Education formally takes place in PRE, HOPE (our 7 th and 8 th grade Youth Group), TRUTH (our high school Youth Group), and in St. Maria Goretti’s school.

Religious Education is not just for children though. Every adult, as a disciple of Christ, must strive to learn about the faith. After all, we can’t teach and guide others what we, ourselves don’t know. We need to strive to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of Scripture, the doctrines and teachings of our Catholic faith; strengthen our prayer life and regularly utilize the Sacraments. Here at St. Maria Goretti, opportunities for growth and formation for adults are: Bible Basics, a lectionary based Scripture study on Sunday mornings; Catholicism 101, presenting the fundamentals of our Catholic faith on Sunday morning; Adult Bible Study which meets on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings; St. Philip Neri Oratorio which meets the first Thursday evening of each month. In addition, several groups provide opportunities for formation: the Silver Angels, the Altar Rosary Society, the Holy Name Society, the Confraternity of Christian Mothers, Christ Renews His Parish, and Basic Christian Communities.

We take religious education and formation very seriously here at St. Maria Goretti. Each one of us in this Parish community is called to be a disciple of Christ and to transform our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit. We are all on a life-long journey together. May we take advantage of opportunities to grow in our faith and love of God. If we don’t follow Christ’s directive, who will?

In Christ’s Service,

Connie Anderson

Director of Religious Education