| September 24, 2007 | Volume 82, Number 24 | |
|
|
Adult Education for CatholicsRecently my wife and I attended our class reunion at Marquette University, a Jesuit university in Milwaukee. What struck both of us was the strong sense of Catholicism that still permeates the campus; no fear of secularism or criticism from those who deem religion no longer relevant. In a recent editorial in the Virginian Pilot, the editors wrote in support of Governor Kaine’s pre-K initiative, but with some doubt as to the process: “How much religious teaching will the state tolerate in the faith-based program?” (Monday, August 20, 2007) The axiom, of course, is that teaching religion is detrimental, that it somehow causes serious damage to the development of the child. Likewise, Catholics are under continuous assault from all quarters and never far from the spotlight. When the settlement of the Los Angeles archdiocese was announced for the sexual abuse cases, Jay Leno for three nights in succession had some outright nasty and not very humorous comments about the Church. In the secular climate of the time, comments like his are not surprising. However, we as Catholics, in order to counteract the intolerance of a secular society, should embrace our religion even more.
For me personally, this has been a wonderful experience. The class is taught much like a college class; there is a book and there are assigned readings. The discussions are of the highest level, and clearly indicate there is a strong desire among parishioners to learn more about our Catholic Church. This past spring we read the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. Even though many may have a negative perception of a catechism as a text, it is a remarkable book that precipitated great discussions and a great deal of learning. This fall we will be reading H.W. Crocker’s book: “Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church — A 2,000 Year History.” It is a dynamic history of the Church filled with important facts and interesting observations. I encourage all adult Catholics to consider participating in adult education at their church. All of us should see Adult Catholic Education as life-long learning and a way to continue to learn about the Catholic Church.
About Us | Archives | Around | Articles | Columns | Contact Us | Hispanic Apostolate | Home | Letters | Opportunities | Parish Profile | Shortakes | The Catholic Diocese of RichmondCopyright © 2006 The Catholic Virginian Press. Articles from Catholic News Services, including Fr. Dietzen’s column, may not be reproduced here due to copyright considerations.The Catholic Virginian is a biweekly publication serving the people of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. This website includes some, but not all, of the articles from the print version of The Catholic Virginian.For subscription information Contact Us. |
One way is for all of us to participate in Adult Catholic Education and to learn more about the Catholic Church and its tenets. For more than a decade now I have been teaching adult education classes at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk while the children are in religious education classes.