Formed In Faith
Sharing the Word through Faith Formation, Archdiocese of Louisville
Survey on National Religious Education Week
Ms. Lori Dahlhoff, Executive Director of NCEA Religious Education Department, asks for your input on National Parish Religious Education Week. The feedback you provide will be vital in planning for the future.
A development team of parish, diocesan, and national leaders from multiple ministry organizations is discerning what a national celebration highlighting parish catechesis might look like for 2015 and beyond. Your responses to the survey questions will help this team in its work. The questionnaire should take 2 to 7 minutes to complete.
Webinar: Evaluating Your Adult Formation Program
January 12, 2015 – 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Presenters: Marylin Kravatz-Toolan and Peter Ries
Co-sponsored by National Conference on Catechetical Leadership and William H. Sadlier, Inc.
Register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6984339016301265410
This session will help participants to:
• reflect on hopes and dreams for life-long faith formation
• define the meaning of ongoing adult faith formation
• assess how one’s ministry enables faith formation opportunities for adults
Two more webinars on AFF are planned:
Connecting and Responding to Those We Serve, January 28, 2015 – 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Survey Options: Practical Applications, February 9, 2015 – 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
More information: https://nccl.wildapricot.org/page-1728993
Epiphany Greetings!
May you and yours be much blessed during the ancient feast (January 4) and weekend of the Epiphany 2015 —
“We saw his star at its rising!” — “Then, he sent them to Bethlehem . . . having been warned in a dream.” According to the Gospel, the Magi received three signs to heed: (1) a star in the heavens, (2) the words of Herod, and (3) an ominous dream.
The Faith-Formation staff at OLFE invites you to reflect on the signs you have received from the Creator during the year past, and how you might hear and see God’s grace in your life throughout 2015.
Happy New Year! Share the Good News with all you meet.
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Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from us to you! We look forward to seeing and serving you through 2015. –Faith Formation Staff
New Year’s Resolutions with Faith Formation
Each New Year we all start off with resolutions to better ourselves. Why not make one of your resolutions about taking the time for Faith Formation?
Here are 5 upcoming events in January from the Archdiocese of Louisville Office of Lifelong Formation and Education:
Theology of Church
Dates: Thursday, January 8, 2015
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Locations: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
Presenter: Art Turner, Director of Faith Formation, Archdiocese of Louisville
Cost: $10.00 (check payable to ALMI)
Registration: Register prior to class to insure class availability. Contact Linda McLemore at
email lmclemore@archlou.org or (502) 448-8581 ext. 1324
Catechist Credit: 2.5 hours applies toward Theology in the content area of the Church
This class explores the meaning and mission of the Church and the role of Baptism has within it.
Development of the Church I
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2015
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Location: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
Presenter: Art Turner, Director of Faith Formation, Archdiocese of Louisville
Cost: $10.00 (check payable to ALMI)
Registration: Register prior to class to insure class availability. Contact Linda McLemore at
email lmclemore@archlou.org or (502) 448-8581 ext. 1324
Catechist Credit: 2.5 hours applies toward Theology in the area of Church
This is a study of the development of the Church and the mutual impact of history on the development of tradition.
Justice Workshop: “Solidarity with the Poor”
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2015
Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Cathedral of the Assumption Undercroft
Presenters: Various Presenters
Cost: $25 (includes lunch) (check payable to ALMI)
Registration: Register prior to class to insure class availability. Contact Linda McLemore at
email lmclemore@archlou.org or (502) 448-8581 ext. 1324
Catechist Credit 7 hours applies toward Theology in the content area of Justice
This is an experiential workshop focusing on the Gospel call to serve the least in our community and to experience God in the poor.
Be sure to check our Professional Development Calendar for more Faith Formation opportunities.
Click to access Spring-2015-Development-Calendar1.pdf
Seven Ways to Evangelize Those We Love During Christmas
During the Christmas season, many of us will gather with family members who have stopped practicing the faith. We might feel powerless and wonder what we can do to light a spark within the one who has checked out. “What does God want me to do?” Sometimes our previous attempts have fallen on deaf ears.
Old methods no longer work. We cajole; we appeal to their sense of right and wrong; we proselytize; we recite teaching and doctrines. The sad irony is that if such doctrines and teaching meant anything to them they would not have left in the first place.
“Who am I to judge?”
Pope Francis has set the tone for how we must approach and evangelize such folks. The first step is to leave our judgments at the door. A theologian once said it is God’s job to save them—not ours. God loves our non-practicing relatives as much as we do, and it is God’s job to touch their hearts.
Click the link below to read the rest of the article from TeamRCIA.
http://teamrcia.com/2014/12/seven-ways-to-evangelize-those-we-love-during-christmas/
Saint Juan Diego – The First Native Lay Minister in the Americas
On July 31, 2002, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Pope John Paul II declared Juan Diego’s canonization. Juan Diego, a poor Indian peasant and widower, became the Church’s first saint indigenous to the Americas. The Holy Father called this saint “a simple, humble Indian” who accepted Christianity without giving up his identity as an Indian. Members of Mexico’s 64 indigenous groups were present.
The Virgin Mary first appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill on December 9, 1531. The most famous part of this story centers on beautiful “winter time” roses gathered in his tilma (outer cloak) that were transformed miraculously into an image of Our Lady. Later in life, Juan Diego lived near the small shrine that had been constructed at Tepeyac. Stories refer to him as a holy, compassionate, and giving catechist who taught by word and especially by example.
Reflection: God called St. Juan Diego to play a key, evangelizing role in spreading the Good News to the people of Mexico. Overcoming his own fear and the doubts, by God’s grace, this small and humble Indio showed that the Good News of Jesus is a gift given to all people, in all cultures. Pope John Paul II used the example of St. Juan Diego to urge Mexican lay men and women to accept their responsibility for doing the New Evangelization and witnessing to the Gospel of Christ.
ArchLou and the Catholic Youth Foundation USA
Did you know that Butch Ekstrom of OLFE and Dr. Brian Reynolds, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, have each served for more than 10 years on the Board of Directors for the Catholic Youth Foundation USA (CYF-USA)?
Last Thursday through Saturday, they attended — as CYF Board Members — the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry, (NCCYM) at San Antonio, Texas. Sponsored by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, the NCCYM is the largest conference in the country for adults who minister to and with Catholic youth. About 2000 came together for NCCYM’s three days of keynote talks, workshops, prayer and worship, resource exhibits, and ministry networking.
The CYF-USA is the financial development arm of the Federation. It raises money and then distributes it — via grants, scholarships, and awards — to Catholic youth on local, diocesan, and regional levels and to promote effective and innovative youth ministry work to assure a faithful future.
Butch, Brian, and other Foundation board members oversaw a major $$ collection at the closing Mass of the NCCYM. They also put together a fundraising Pinata Raffle during the conference.
- CYF USA
- Give 10 on the 10
- Yellow dots to represent where donors are located.
- Pope Francis supports the CYF
- NCCYM store
- Pinatas could be found everywhere.
- More Pinatas.
- The raffle board.
- One of the vendors who sponsored the raffle.
- One of the Winners!
- Assuring a Faithful Future
For more information please visit the following websites:
Faith Club Dinner, Dancing and More!
Last week was a busy week here at OLFE. Our staff worked on multiple activities. To see what Maureen Grisanti Larison, Consultant for Adult Formation and Initiation, organized continue below. Continue to the next post to read about what Butch Ekstrom, Association Director of Faith Formation, was doing last week .
Wednesday, 12/3, the Faith Club held their annual Christmas Dinner and Dance.
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- Robert Dale Karaoke, 608 – 7386
The Archdiocesan Faith Clubs exist to meet the catechetical needs of adults (18 years of age and older) with developmental or intellectual disabilities. These clubs are sponsored by the Office of Lifelong Formation and Education. Maureen Grisanti Larison, one of the consultants from OLFE, works with facilitators to nurture faith formation and provide a social environment at the meetings. These facilitators lead groups at 5 different parishes once a month. During the club meeting members learn more about heir Catholic faith, make new friends, socialize, and engage in service activities. There are three large events during the year at which the 5 individual clubs come together to celebrate; the Christmas Dinner and Dance is one.
For more information about the Faith Club contact Maureen at the Archdiocese of Louisville Office of Lifelong Formation and Education, 502-448-8581 Ext. 1308 or email mlarison@archlou.org.
Formed In Faith 