Men’s Bible Study Fuels Emergence of “St. Patrick Fishermen”
Since March 1999, a group of St. Patrick Parish men have been coming together at 7 a.m. on Saturdays to share God’s word and find a deeper insight into the practical application in their lives.
These weekly sessions have fueled a growing desire among the adult men for deeper spirituality, greater service to others, more meaningful fellowship, and new ways to spread the word of God to others.
Out of this desire has come a rebirth. Taking inspiration from the group of Galilean fishermen whom Jesus led to become fishers of men, the Bible study group has spent months praying, discussing and finally reorganizing into the “St. Patrick Fishermen”.
The Fishermen will maintain regular Saturday morning Bible discussions centering on the Sunday readings and their life applications, but also will seek out and embrace additional spiritual activities and programs, service work, and social activities.
The “St. Patrick Fishermen” branding will be an identifiable and strong sign of the group’s renewed commitment to using the scriptures to guide an active and vibrant journey of spirituality, spreading the “good news” to other men.
A more formal organization was created to provide structure, spirit and direction to this new mission. Five groups, each led by men of St. Patrick, which will oversee the content and format of the regular Saturday morning sessions, as well as the additional spiritual activities and programs, service work, social activities, and administration, communications, and recruiting that the Fishermen will do.
A focus/oversight group will formulate Saturday morning lesson plans, themes and templates. Another group will oversee an enhanced Saturday morning bible study mission. Regular weekly sessions are Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. in the school library.
A spirituality group will investigate additional Catholic studies, and organize at least one overnight retreat per year. A service group will seek out and make available at least one service opportunity per quarter for the men’s Bible study as well for the parish at large. And to enhance fellowship, a social group will plan at least two social events each year.
Providing oversight to this effort will be two parish men, Joe Gates and Lou Bracksieck, who will assist each group as necessary and ensure that all groups are active and engaged in the work of God.
The St. Patrick Fishermen will be visible in and around the parish. Do you feel a calling to join?By John Mura
(Submitted by Tim Grove)
Marriage Website:
A new Catholic website designed for every couple. The U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as part of its Marriage Initiative, has created a rich new Web resource for married and engaged couples
Bible Study/Sharing Groups
Men’s Saturday Group:
Focuses on the Sunday readings, meets each Saturday from 7:00-8:30 am in the school library.
Weekly Bible Study Groups:
Sessions last from 6-12 weeks and focus on a particular area of Scripture. Groups are open to all.
Monday Morning Study Group:
Meets from 9:30-11:30 am.
Thursday morning Study Group:
Meets from 8:30-10:30am.
Contact the parish office for more information.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.)
For adults interested in joining the Catholic faith. Meet weekly (Sept.-May) for catechesis and formation preparing to become members of the Catholic Church. Full initiation once a year at Easter. Contact the parish office for more information. RCIA Team: Parishioners serve as catechists, mentors, and sponsors for persons wishing to join the Catholic Church. Team and candidates meet weekly (Sept. – May).
Ministry of Mothers Sharing (MOMS)
MOMS is an eight-week program that provides moms of all ages a beautiful and spiritual journey directed toward four values:
- Seeking God in the daily tasks and family relationships,
- The dignity of each human person and all of God’s creation,
- The Christian’s responsibility to practice discernment and stewardship of gifts, and
- The value of Christian community and networking with other leaders.
Forms: Program registration, Mission Statement, What to expect, schedule, Contacts, Childcare info
Small Faith Sharing Groups
Faith sharing groups have been forming and reforming at St. Patrick since 1998, when the Archdiocese of Louisville coordinated a spiritual renewal process known as Renew 2000. More than 200 parishioners joined small groups over five seasons. During those six-week seasons, small groups of 12 parishioners gathered at the parish or in parishioners\' homes to pray, listen to the proclamation of the upcoming Sunday scriptures, share their personal response to those scriptures, offer prayers of support for one another, and resolve to act on God\'s behalf in the coming week.
One group that has continued to meet for prayer, faith-sharing, mutual support, and action in God\'s name, is the St. Anne Group. Members of the group testify that they have helped each other survive the shattering effects of divorce, the trauma of cancer, and the wearying stresses of everyday life.
Parishioner Larry Jones calls it a “fertile place for my faith to flourish.” Julie Westoff says it is “how we as a family started to feel a part of the St. Patrick community - a part of the Body of Christ.” Bonnie Nalley described it as her “spiritual advisor.” Rick Nalley says it is the “driving force for putting my faith in action.”
A typical St. Anne group meeting goes something like this:
“We open with the lighting of our Renew candle and gather hands in a circle in prayer to ask for the loving guidance of Jesus to empower us to be instruments of His peace and love and to learn and grow in our faith,” said Larry Jones.
“With that, the entire flavor of our meeting is initiated. We have worked with themed books, scripture study, with discussion topics and found most to be very engaging,” Jones said. “We rotate the hosting and facilitation of the study and faith sharing to different members of the group and will detour occasionally for the special seasons of Advent or Pentecost or Lent.”
“In this group we have given ourselves to many tasks - formation, education, service, support/comfort, and even celebration,” said Lee Peplinski, who is a St. Anne participant along with spouse, Cathy, daughter, Alicia, and son, Peter. “St. Anne’s makes it real at a very personal level.”
Reaching out together in service to others has become one of the St. Anne Group’s hallmarks. The group has provided meals and food baskets for Centro Latino in Shelbyville. St. Anne members have assisted with the Hispanic Family Christmas Project. They have Christmas caroled and have helping St. Patrick families who are moving.
During a recent Easter season, certain members of the St. Anne Group served as leaders for other seasonal faith-sharing groups that gathered to reflect on the Easter mysteries.
It is a sign of the group’s maturity in faith that they acknowledge their gifts and sharing them with those in need.
New enrollment for small, faith-sharing groups at St. Patrick usually happens prior to the Lenten season and again in the fall. If you would like to find out more about the experience of being in a small, faith-sharing group, contact Tim Grove at tgrove@stpatrick-lou.org
Adult Faith Formation Series
St. Patrick is dedicated to offering Catholic faith enrichment opportunities that will help you grow in your love and knowledge of God -- the Creator, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit -- and provide occasions for you to meet other parishioners and develop friendships. The St. Patrick Adult Faith Formation Team schedules programs during the fall, winter, and spring and announces those programs through brochures and the Sunday bulletin. The Team also maintains a monthly Media Cart, which contains contemporary books, CDs, and DVDs for your adult faith enrichment. Programs on personal and family prayer and marriage enrichment have been very popular in past years, as well as men\'s and women\'s retreats, Bible study and Generations of Faith, a faith formation program for all ages. The Adult Faith Formation Team follows the guidance and direction of the U.S. Bishops in their pastoral plan entitled, Our Hearts Were Burning With Us. For more information about adult faith formation opportunities, contact Tim Grove at tgrove@stpatrick-lou.org
|
