Religious Education

Adult Faith Formation Opportunities (2009-2010)

Weekly Bulletin Handouts (September – May)

In the Fall of 2008 we began a series of weekly bulletin handouts to help parishioners to grow in their knowledge of the faith in just a few minutes a week.  The handouts are already 3-hole punched so you can save them and add them to your binder for future reference. The handouts for 2008-2009 related to Prayer and the Creed.  In 2009-2010 we will focus on the Sacraments and the Moral Life.  If you missed a weekly handout, extra copies are available in binders in the entrance of church at each parish.

Lighthouse Catholic Media

You can have access to the best teachers and preachers from around the world explaining the Catholic faith in your car, your workplace, your home, or anywhere you have a CD player.  CDs are available in the displays in the entryway of each parish – pick one up and listen today.

How to Find Your Way Around the Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a great resource to grow in knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and His Church but its size can be intimidating.  Many people have a copy on their shelf gathering dust instead of changing their lives.  Take a few hours this year to learn more about the Catechism.  We’ll learn about its structure and organization and take you into the Catechism to learn your way around and discover the treasures of this wonderful gift of the Catholic Church.   FREE.  Catechisms will be available for purchase. Sunday, January 24 after the 8:30am Mass.

Bible Study – Mary Mother of God

We will begin another four-week Bible study in January.  This second DVD in the the Footprints of God series follows Mary on her extraordinary journey on location in Turkey, Israel and Greece with popular Catholic author and speaker Stephen Ray as guide. Down-to-earth teaching on subjects like Mary’s Immaculate Conception, Assumption into Heaven, and her role of intercessor, and more are offered in an energized, high-impact style that combines the best elements of a travel documentary, biography, Bible study, apologetics course, and church history review.   The study will have a 20-30 minute video portion followed by questions and discussion.  Meets after the 8:30am Sunday Mass on January 31, February 7, 14 and 21.

EPIC Church History Study

The epic story of the Catholic Church spans thousands of years. With an unlikely beginning in a remote outpost of the Roman empire, the Catholic Church now claims over a billion living members.  The persecutions, martyrdoms, conquests, and triumphs all came together to shape Western civilization as we know it today.  Our identity as Catholics means that we are the inheritors of the deeds of holy men and women who for 2,000 years have built a great civilization and spread the Gospel throughout the world.  Church history is not just the recitation of popes, people, places, and events; it is a story of adventure, intrigue, rebellion, reform, and devotion.  Come and join the adventure of Church History.  This study meets Tuesday mornings at 10am, January 5, 12, 19, 26 and February 2, 9, 16, and 23 or Thursday evenings at 6:30pm, January 7, 14, 21, 28 and February 4, 11, 18 and 25.

ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) (8-week studies for Women)

The ENDOW program is designed for today's "women in the pew', women who are neither theologians nor philosophers, but are faithful wives, mothers and career women.  We will begin with Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Women: It is addressed to "all of the women of the world" and in it, Pope John Paul II gives thanks to all women, reinforces the special gifts of women, and calls to mind all of the contributions women have made throughout history. To accommodate a woman's busy schedule, there is no homework involved in the ENDOW program.  All of the material is read aloud and discussed when the group meets.  The cost for the materials is $60*  Scholarships are available.  Will begin January 24, Register Now.

Knights of Divine Mercy (For Catholic Men)

Centered in Christ, the Knights of Divine Mercy is an apostolate of Catholic faith formation for men, ages 18 or older.  Inspired by Pope John Paul II’s millennial call to develop the art of prayer through communities focused as training grounds in holiness and schools of prayer, the Knights of Divine Mercy seek to assist men in discovering a masculine spirituality as we explore the great spiritual treasures of our Catholic faith.  Every first Friday evening, September through May.

Basic Catholic Catechism Course (16-Lesson Course)

The Basic Catechism Course was written for the training of teachers preparing students; parents providing the spiritual needs of their children; people helping friends and family to develop and expand their knowledge of the Faith.  The course is a self-study correspondence course – you study the lessons and take the tests before coming to study group.  The study group for this 16-lesson course will be held 8 weeks in the Fall 2009 and 8 weeks in the Spring of 2010.  The study group will have a lecture to further explain the main points of each lesson and then go through the answers to the questions.  The cost for materials is $50*.  ($70 for couples taking the course together.)

Advanced Catholic Catechism Course (36-Lesson Course)

The Advanced Catechism Course develops the four main topics of the Faith as introduced in the Basic Course: Faith (The Apostles Creed), Grace (The Sacraments), Christian Morality (The Ten Commandments) and Prayer (The Our Father). (Participants must have completed the Basic Catholic Catechism Course)  Cost for materials $70*.

And there’s more!: Praying Morning or Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours after daily Mass, prayerful reading of Scripture known as Lectio Divina, bus trips to Men of Christ and Women of Christ Conferences, evenings of reflection, Fr. Rick’s teaching blogs, parish libraries, and much more.

To register for any adult faith formation opportunities or for any questions please contact Marie Lins at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

or cell (608)469-3982 or at the St. Ignatius Parish Office on Wednesday mornings from 8-10am at (608)437-5348.

*No one will be turned away for an inability to pay in these challenging economic times.   Just let me know that finances are an obstacle so we can find a way to make it work.

Hello everyone,

I am very excited to back again as the Coordinator of Religious Education for grades 6 through 12 for our Parishes. I look forward to building upon and expanding what we started last year. I truly appreciate your support in the past and look forward to working with you and your children as we enter the new school year. Following are some highlights of what to expect as well as the calendar for the year:

Middle School Program (grades 6 thru 8):

Wednesdays at St. Ignatius, 6:00 to 7:30 (see calendar for dates)

The first hour of the program will include large and small group work, Scripture exercises, music, lessons about the Saints, and practical teaching of the Faith. This part of the program continues to be developed in coordination with the St. John Bosco Society Catechists from St. Paul’s Catholic Center. The last 30 minutes will involve large group time overlapping the middle school and high school classes. During this class time, the students experience Praise & Worship music, personal testimonies, and other large group presentations and discussions. Parents of youth in grades 6 to 12 are strongly encouraged to attend from 7:00 to 7:30.

High School Program (grades 9 thru 12): selected Sundays and Wednesdays,

Wednesdays at St. Ignatius, 7:00 to 8:30 (see calendar for dates):

Also developed in coordination with the St. John Bosco Society Catechists, this half of the program meets on average twice per month. It is a similar, but more advanced version of the middle school program. By working on developing an understanding of the Holy Scriptures, we cannot help but deepen our faith. Inspired by the teachings and lectures of Pope John Paul II, Theology of the Body, (Ascension Press, ©2008) focuses on the Church’s teachings on human sexuality and relationships in the light of God’s intentions for our bodies. TOB will continue to be an important component of the program.

In addition to direct catechesis of our youth, one of the main objectives of the high school program is to bridge the gap during the teen years and link the students to their college and adult faith life. We do our best to answer their “why” questions. Remember that Confirmation is not and end unto itself and our program is for all students in grades 9 through 12. Students are expected to attend through the end of 12^th grade even if they have already been Confirmed.

Sundays at St. Mary: 6:00 to 8:00 (please note the time change from last year, see calendar for dates):

It is well known that by learning more about the lives of the Saints and calling upon them to intercede for us, we can grow in holiness. When we witness the true stories of their lives and what they contribute to our faith, we gain solid examples of how God would have us live and deal with circumstances in our own lives.

This will be the second year for the Dead Theologians Society as part of the curriculum for our program. DTS has over 400 chapters worldwide and is headquartered in nearby Black Earth, WI. It requires the support of several volunteers each class to prepare snacks and a meal. We are asking each high school family to volunteer for one Sunday night during the program. I will be sending out an e-mail to all high school families to sign up for a class time, probably in early September. This part of the program meets on average twice per month. To learn more about DTS in general, you can visit; www.deadtheologianssociety.com

The reason that this meets on Sunday nights is due to the availability of the DTS facility at St. Mary’s. The established chapter from St. Mary’s already meets on Wednesday nights, thus it is not available to us on our regular night. To prepare a facility even close to what already exists there would require extensive resources. Also, contrary to some rumors, this is an important part of the regular program.

Confirmation:

In the spring of 2011, we will Confirm the classes of 2012 and 2013. If a student from the class of 2014 wishes to be Confirmed, that is an open option (please let me know if that is your wish as soon as possible). The possible dates for the Sacrament will be offered to us this fall. High school families whose child has not been Confirmed should look for a separate Confirmation letter to arrive in the mail very soon containing more details about the Confirmation process.

New and continuing ministries:

St. Joseph’s Sister Parish Project (HS, soon to include MS)

MadCAAP HS (Mississippi) Mission Trip sponsored by 6:8 (HS)

Steuebenville North, Catholic Youth Conference (HS)

St. Paul’s Candlelight Mass (HS)

Youth Advisory Board (HS for now, eventually MS will have one, too) New!

Saints on the Silver Screen - monthly movie night (HS, possibly MS) New!

High School Youth Group (HS, eventually a MS Youth Group, too) Coming soon!

UW Concessions Fundraiser Coming soon!

Do we need more catechists and helpers???

Absolutely!!!! We need more of each in all grades. In addition to having the St. John Bosco Society Catechists doing a lot of the teaching, we still need support at all levels. One of the best ways to deepen your own faith is to share it with others. Many times, starting out as a teacher’s helper is a great way to learn the ropes. The amount of preparation time for each class is minimal and will be provided.

We would like to keep the group sizes as small as possible for optimal learning. We are looking for adults to help whether you have a child in the program or not. We have six fewer catechist volunteers from our Parish since the beginning of last year due to moves, changes in job status, and attrition. Please pray seriously to see if you are being called to teach this year. We really need your help. There are also opportunities for high school students to volunteer as helpers in Pre-K-5 and middle school classes. Please talk this over with your son or daughter and contact me as soon as possible. It could be counted as their God Project for Confirmation.

Summary:

Overall, our intention is that all of the components of the middle and high school programs will compliment each other to form a very solid catechesis in the basics of the Catholic faith for our youth. We are also hoping to spark some family discussions on various topics. Don’t be surprised to have your students asking you some questions or maybe even teaching you a few things…

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you might have. I would rather discuss things with you to clarify our program than to have you be unclear as to what we are trying to accomplish. My contact information is listed below. Our goal is to provide the best catechesis for the youth in our collective parishes and to involve the families as much as possible in order to encourage the best development of the Catholic faith in your children. Please keep our Parish in your prayers as we continue the development of the religious education program.

Steve Davies

Coordinator for Religious Education, Grades 6-12, St. Ignatius & St. Mary of Pine Bluff Parishes

608-437-5348 x105 (Parish Office)             608-220-2088 (personal cell phone)                                This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it