Adult Faith Formation + Parish Leadership Courses

Students will learn the key underlying themes that run through the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church. They will then learn to evaluate how these themes are present in the beginning section of the Catechism by studying the foundations for Revelation and God’s plan of salvation. These foundational doctrines include man’s capacity for God, Divine Revelation, faith, the Trinity, creation and Original Sin.

In this course, the Old Testament is studied from a covenantal and narrative understanding in the light of Church teaching on the nature of the Sacred Scriptures. It will examine God’s response to the entrance of sin in the world. Emphasis will be on the study of the Pentateuch, and God’s covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses.

In this course, the Old Testament is studied from the covenantal and narrative understanding in the light of Church teaching on the nature of the Sacred Scriptures. Emphasis will be on the study of the history of the people of Israel from the time of Joshua through the Kings and exile, with highlights from the Prophets, Psalms and Wisdom literature.

This course examines the Church’s understanding of the historicity of the Gospels and the role of typology in the Gospels in light of the narrative of the Gospel of St. Matthew, described by Pope St. John Paul II as the Gospel of the Catechist. Emphasis will be on reading the Gospels as a continuation and the culmination of God’s plan of salvation, centering on the Person of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity.

This course continues the study of the New Testament through an examination of the early Church in Acts of the Apostles, the letters and theology of St. Paul, the Catholic Epistles and the Book of Revelation. Special focus will be given to the narrative of Acts and the scriptural foundation for the Church “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth” 1 Tim 3:15.

This course will study the Person of Christ as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It will examine the Person of Christ as the Second Person of the Trinity; His Divine and human natures, the purpose of His Incarnation; the historicity of the Resurrection; His establishment of the Church and the role of His mother Mary as His model disciple

This course will examine the Church’s teaching on the nature of the Church, the sacrament of salvation to the world. It will look at the role of the Holy Spirit in the animation of the Church; the role of the Church in God’s plan of salvation; the characteristics of the Church; the
roles and responsibilities in the Church, and the final destiny of her members.

Students are introduced to the study of Church history from the time of Jesus through the present era, focusing primarily on the Western Church. Topics will include the basics of Church history, the development of the doctrinal, and an examination of the Church and its mission within the larger historical context of society.

The course will examine the history, foundations, and dimensions of Saint John Paul II’s five-year catechesis on human love in the divine plan, popularly known as the Theology of the Body, 135 audiences given in Rome at the beginning of his pontificate

This course will identity the purpose of liturgy and sacraments in God’s plan of salvation and in the life of the Church today. It will examine Christ’s death and Resurrection as the source of all grace; the corporate nature of liturgy; the purpose of sacraments as the normal means of receiving God’s grace; the role of each sacrament in the life of the Christian. It will look at Sacraments in
light of Christ’s mission and God’s entire plan of salvation.

The course will examine the foundation of the Church’s teachings on morality as rooted in the uniqueness of each person as being created in God’s image and likeness. It will look at the Church’s teaching on morality as our life in Christ, a life ordered to Beatitude, virtue and holiness. It will discuss the importance of conscience, the nature of sin, and the demands of the first Three Commandments in the life of the Christian.

This course will examine the principles of social morality as summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It will discuss the person and society, participation in the social life, social justice, and commandments Four through Ten, the commandments that order social relationships, with an emphasis on the role of the family as the foundational cell of all society and social living.

Through Baptism, each person is incorporated into the Body of Christ and joins with the Church in fulfilling the mission of the Church, making disciples of all nations. This course will explore the role of lay people in the mission of the Church and their role in renewing the temporal order. It will examine the relationship between faith, service and lay leadership. Taking into account the principles found in John Paul II’s document Christifideles Laici students will analyze the call of lay people today, both to the world and to the Church.

“The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being (CCC 2559).” Jesus is our preeminent model of prayer as the source of our transformation into the life of God. This course examines stages in the spiritual life and the nature of prayer and Christian spirituality as understood within the Catholic tradition. Students will become familiar with Church teaching concerning the nature of prayer and spirituality and explore the insight, encouragement and practical wisdom provided by the great Doctors of the Church on advancing in the spiritual life.