By Gretchen Keiser

Some 200 people who came to the Presidential Hotel last weekend for a workshop on adult faith formation found it to be a personal look at their own faith as well as a reflection upon the faith life of their parish.

The predominantly lay audience, including people from Charlotte, N.C., the Savannah diocese, and rural parishes in the Atlanta archdiocese such as Blue Ridge, Dalton, Cedartown and Clarkesville, spent Friday evening and all day Saturday examining the status of adult faith – by looking at their own faith and that of their parish.

The workshop – “Called to an Adult Faith in a Church for Adults” – was sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education and led by Father Jacques Weber, S.J., associate director for adult education in the Office of Continuing Education for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas.

Following a format which examined specific questions and led in process from one to another, participants rated the maturity of adult faith in their parishes and responded to questions which asked what most helped and what most hindered becoming a mature Christian. A second stage asked when Catholics are immature in their faith – or mature in their faith – why is this so? Eventually, questions and responses shared by tables with the whole gathering, led to the development of specific ways to mature personal faith and to help a parish mature in faith. The initial program, which was also designed to take participants through similar questions concerning the development of church, was abridged as the study of adult faith proved to be more than enough material for the day and evening program. Those involved were seated at tables of about eight, which served as small discussion groups and placed for reflection. When appropriate, representatives of each table shared the group’s conclusions with the whole gathering. Friday evening and Saturday morning sessions began with prayer services and the program concluded with a liturgy.

The hope was that the weekend workshop would build upon last year’s program that looked at the framework of adult catechesis, according to Sister Lorraine Masucci, R.S.M., consultant for adult formation in the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education. The adult faith weekend was designed to “take the bare bones of adult catechesis and put some theology on it,” she said. The nature of the weekend was largely determined by evaluations from last year’s program. This year’s evaluations will also provide a bridge into the coming year’s plans.

In his presentation and guiding, Father Weber recalled those involved in their “own story” – the journey of faith they are on which leads to adult mature faith. They then looked at the story of Jesus. The bringing together of the two stories leads to the basis from which decisions are made as an adult in faith.

Some of the specific decisions voiced by tables at the end of the workshop for maturing personal faith included looking at one’s life in the light of different stages of conversion; deepening prayer, Scripture study and frequenting the sacraments; changing oneself rather than “the system”; and surrendering to God and to greater love for others.

Some of the decisions concerning parish faith were to invite people to be open in voicing their questions of faith; to make personal invitations to people to become involved in parish ministry; to meet in prayer and study as parish ministers; to encourage formation of base communities; to intercede in prayer for parish faith growth; and to form groups to help in the preparation of homilies.