Fall is the season when young people head back to school, adults return from their summer travels, election campaigns get into full swing, and businesses gear up in earnest for the end-of-year push. This year, it is also the time when fifteen parishes across the diocese prepare themselves to launch a program that signals a shift in faith-sharing, community building and religious education targeted to Catholics of all ages.

Generations of Faith is not just a new diocesan program. Sr. Olive Murphy, Director of Religious Education, describes it as a “paradigm shift — a dramatic departure from our traditional way of approaching catechesis.”

For decades, children, youth and adults alike learned their faith through a series of classes based on the standard September — June school model. A shift in focus originated, however, with the Vatican’s promulgation of the General Directory on Catechesis, advising bishops and pastors to pattern all religious education on the adult catechumenal model already in place for the RCIA.

The RCIA, or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, is the process by which adults seeking baptism in the Catholic faith, or baptized adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, learn about the faith and ultimately choose whether this is a step they wish to take. The process begins with an inquiry phase in which catechumens get to know the Church, its teaching and its traditions. They engage in living the life of the faithful, deepening their own discipleship and learning for themselves what it means to “put on Christ” in their own daily lives. In the early Church this discernment occurred as a three-year process; today, it typically begins in September and concludes on Holy Saturday, when the “Elect” proceed through the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation administered at the Easter Vigil Mass.

Of course, the spiritual searching does not end on Easter Sunday. Rather, these sacraments of initiation are the beginning of a lifelong process — Mystagogia — in which all the faithful engage in developing a mature faith that guides us and grounds us through the stages and challenges of our lives.

Generations of Faith is a program being launched in parishes throughout the country, to support Catholics of all ages and levels of involvement in deepening and strengthening their spiritual life. While its core principles and structure were developed by John Roberto at the National Center for Ministry Development, it is specifically tailored at the parish level to address the particular needs, issues and culture of the parishioners to be served.

Sr. Olive describes the challenges that faith formation must address: “Families today are busy, even when they’re at home. Between competing demands of jobs, schools, youth activities, and community or professional concerns, people hardly have time to sit down and share a meal — much less take time together for faith sharing and prayer. Often, religious education shows up as one more demand. Children are often “made” to attend through Confirmation, but that sacrament is like graduation – the minute it’s over, they’re gone. In fact, we now see an entire generation of young adult Catholics who have only rudimentary knowledge of their faith, and minimal connection to any faith community. We have to wonder, where have they gone?”

Generations of Faith brings families and households together for fellowship, sharing, learning and prayer. The program is founded on the social dimension of learning, in which to learn is to become a full and active participant in sharing the life of Christ.

The curriculum is structured around key events of the liturgical year. For example, a session on the Triduum might prepare for Easter; a session on the rosary might lead up to a Marian feast day, and other sessions may be linked to primary feasts or events that are central to the traditions of a particular community. By anchoring the program in the ongoing life of the parish, participation becomes central to the learning process. Moreover, the intergenerational focus encourages meaningful inclusion of all ages and backgrounds, with small groups tailored to meet varied learning needs.

“This program,” Sr. Olive explains, “is focused on helping us live our Catholic faith at home and in the world. It is not ‘in addition to’ what is already being done, but rather, an enrichment and expansion of the existing celebrations and events in which each becomes not just a milestone or a social occasion but an opportunity to strengthen the faith and spirituality of everyone in the parish.”

Participating parishes put in place their own six-year plans, built around the four pillars of the catechism of the Catholic Church: creed, sacraments, morality and prayer. Each parish develops its own goals and objectives, and each selects the events that will provide the framework learning. Parish programs are planned by a Core Team, and then carried out by an Implementation Team. Each team is made up of the representative groups to be served: families with children and without, elders, young adults (both married and single), divorced and separated Catholics — all are encouraged to take their place.

Within the structure established by each parish, the Generations of Faith program includes several constants. As Sr. Olive notes, “ It follows the path of Ignatian Spirituality: constant, practical, an ongoing part of daily life. Each session will begin with a simple meal, an opportunity to come together and share the celebrations and challenges of their lives. Each session will include opportunities for faith sharing focused around common themes. Each session will incorporate a liturgy, and will include time for reflection that allows participants to hear the whisperings of the Spirit and integrate them into their lives. Parishioners throughout the diocese are welcome to take part in Generations of Faith — either in one of the parishes listed to the left, or by getting a program started in their own parish.

If you would like more information, please contact Eileen Limberg at the Department of Religious Education, 566-3366, or srdre@sonic.net