New Initiatives in Adult Faith Formation

by Julianne Donlon, Adult Faith Formation Director

“For too long as a Church, I think we have been tired and unimaginative in responding to the reality that is happening around us….We can ignite the faith if we stop fighting one another and put our energy into listening and responding to God’s people, who are as hungry as ever for the gospel.”
Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas
Forward to American Catholics Today

In an age of uncertainty and increasing cynicism the Catholic Church must seize the opportunity to reach out to the marginalized, the searching and the hungry and renew the commitment to catechizing and evangelizing engaging our adults and young adults. This is a time of unparalleled opportunity and possibility. We see in this society a widespread spiritual hunger – a quest for meaning and for a deeply personal experience of God and of community.

“The churches of America, in these opening years of the twenty-first century, face a historic moment of opportunity. Surveys record an unprecedented desire for religious and spiritual growth among people in all walks of life and in every region of the nation. There is an intense searching for spiritual moorings, a hunger for God. It is for churches to seize the moment and to direct this often vague and free-floating spirituality into a solid and lived-out faith.” (Reality Check for 21st Century Churches – Gallup)

The Pew Forum Study of 2007 presents the following statistics which may help us to understand our Catholic population and the changing face of Catholicism in the United States.
Catholics represent 25% of the U.S. population which has remained steady in recent decades due to immigration. Latinos represent 45% of all Catholics 18 – 29 years of age. One in three adult Catholics is Latino.

The church has retained 70% of native-born American Catholics. 10% of Americans are former Catholics. About half of those who have left the Church describe themselves as “unaffiliated”.
44% of U.S. adults have switched religious affiliations. 2.6% of Catholics are converts. Fluidity of religious affiliation is striking.

These statistics are not meant to alarm us but to enkindle in us the fervent desire to minister with energy and vibrancy as we confront the problems of living in a secular world. 2009 marks the 10th Anniversary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops document “Our Hearts Were Burning” and with it, a renewed commitment to adult faith formation in the Diocese of Green Bay. To celebrate the progress that has been made in our Diocese and to pose solutions to the challenges we face, a booklet called “Hearts on Fire- Shared Wisdom in Adult Faith Formation in the Diocese of Green Bay” has been created by the Department of Education. This booklet represents a kaleidoscope of the diversity of catechesis in our Diocese and includes reflections from Bishop Ricken, Bishop Morneau, Fr. Alfred McBride, Fr. John Girotti, Sister Diane Baumann, Carlos Hernandez, Mary Sedlacek and Carol Wilda among others.

The booklet includes submissions from 22 individuals who have experience in ministering to adults in our Diocese. The authors of the individual articles were asked to reflect upon a facet of adult faith formation that they have personally encountered or have focused upon in their ministry. As such, this booklet reflects the hard work and dedication of those in this Diocese who reach out to our adult community. There are practical tips for ministering to adults, proven strategies that have borne the test of time and new and innovative ways of reaching the adult community within our parishes. It is my hope that this booklet will continue to inspire us to renew the commitment to working with adults in a vibrant and intentional manner.

If you would like an e-copy of this booklet please contact the Department of Education at the Diocese of Green Bay for more information.