By Thea Jarvis

At the tender age of six, Sister Jose Hobday had a backyard run-in with one of her brothers.

The respected authority and lecturer on prayer, who grew up in the southwestern United States and traces part of her ancestry to Native American Indian stock, was approached by her mother, who asked what the problem was.

"Leave me alone," was the answer for the miserable child.

With a mother's insight, the woman knew her daughter was feeling isolated and unloved and, like most of us, couldn’t admit to her own loneliness. She went out to the yard and expressed her love to the crying child.

"I want to tell you a story and I want you to remember it always," she began. "Close your eyes and hug yourself -- rock back and forth. As you rock, imagine yourself on the breast of Jesus. He loves you. He always loves you."

"If you're ever alone," her mother continued, "and have no one to hug you, remember that He's always there."

This story, related by Jane Wolford Hughes at the "Adults Growing in Faith Workshop" held February 12-13 at the Presidential Hotel, expressed the heart of adult catechesis -- reaching out to the adult learner in a spirit of healing and hospitality and letting him know he is loved and cared for.

The workshop, which drew 152 leaders in adult catechesis from 61 parishes throughout the archdiocese, was a concerted effort at developing skills among those responsible for ministry to adult Catholics on the parish level.

"Faith development in the adult is the core of catecheses, the center of catechetical experience," said Father Jim Kelly, director of the Office of Religious Education who, with adult education consultant Sister Lorraine Masucci, organized the weekend activities.

Father Kelly noted the Church's heightened emphasis on the adult's ongoing faith development. Heretofore, much attention was devoted to the teaching and formation of children. The perception now is that all catechetical formation -- from childhood to teenage years and up -- must be moving towards that fullest of faith experiences, the adult response.

"The shift of focus to adults is what we have to catch up on," Father Kelly observed.

"Catching up" and developing new methods for reaching adult learners was precisely what the workshop was all about.

Jane Wolford Hughes, Director of the Institute for Continuing Education in the Archdiocese of Detroit, and Neil Parent, representative for adult education at the United States Catholic Conference, together took workshop participants through a skills-building process that was creative and practical.

Among their observations were:

* The design and approach of adult education should be based on the fact that adults are self-directed. Good adult education should allow adult learners to participate through an expression of their own experience.

* Adult education should be selective, specifically directed to the life-tasks adults must deal with on a day-to-day basis. Courses that are too general in scope will probably appeal to few.

* Adult catechesis is most effective in an innovative parish that is open, flexible, communicating and people-centered.

* The climate of adult catechesis should include an emphasis on learning, not teaching, and an encouragement and affirmation of those new to adult education programs.

* The "lecture" format is not generally useful in adult education. The concept of a facilitator leading and/or directing a group is more conducive to learning.

The "Adults Growing in Faith Workshop" included the announcement and distribution of the Archdiocesan Guidelines for Adult Catechesis and a special program for the formation of leadership in adult education, part of the "Growing in Christ Jesus" program. Both have been developed by and are available through the Archdiocesan Office of Religious Education.

Topping off the work of the weekend was an afternoon liturgy and festive "Feast of the Round Table" Saturday evening. The round table motif was a theme running through the entire workshop and symbolized the open, friendly sharing that occurs when people gather as equals around a table.

Judging from the smiling faces and high spirits of the adult education leaders who experienced the weekend, the Archdiocesan Religious Education staff followed one of the guidelines set forth by Jane Wolford Hughes in her talk on the learning climate: Make people feel, "You're special so we went to a little extra trouble for you."