The Catholic parishes in Waterloo are committed to providing life-long faith formation, enrichment and spiritual growth opportunities for adults of all ages.
The parishes created a full-time paid professional staff position, the Director of Adult Faith Formation, in 2006. The Director of Adult Faith Formation collaborates with the pastors, pastoral and formation staff of the Waterloo parishes and is responsible for coordinating, developing, implementing, publicizing and evaluating opportunities for adult and young adult formation, enrichment and spiritual growth in the Waterloo parishes.
We believe that "adult faith formation must be 'the central task in [our] catechetical enterprise'" and "'the chief form of catechesis. All the other forms, which are indeed always necessary, are in some way oriented to it.'"
We believe that a person's understanding and appreciation for their faith grows and develops with time. "Faith is living and active … it grows and develops over time … it learns from experience … it adapts to changing conditions … it goes through seasons."
We believe that in order to be effective ministers of adult faith formation "we must, like Jesus, join people in their daily concerns and walk side by side with them on the pathway of life."
We believe that adult faith formation and education opportunities should:
• "Invite and enable on-going conversion to Jesus Christ;
• "Promote and support active participation in the Christian community;
• "Call and prepare adults to act as disciples in mission to the world."
[U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter on Adult Formation, Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, #5,13,8,68-74]
Our goal is to provide both experiential and systematic formation, enrichment and spiritual growth which enables Catholic adults to:
• identify their personal religious experience;
• appreciate other person's religious experience;
• understand Catholic teaching, tradition and heritage;
• and live better lives as Catholic Christians in the twenty-first century.
Our strategy is to provide a wide choice of adult formation, enrichment and spiritual growth opportunities which are available in a variety of formats and which respect the diversity of adult Catholic experience and needs based on age, gender, religious experience, faith development, life tasks, church participation and learning styles.
We value individual life experience, respect the diversity of personal convictions, and welcome the wisdom of every participant. We encourage conversation and dialogue. We will never intentionally embarrass or offend participants.
We believe that effective adult formation:
• respects and affirms participants as adult persons;
• incorporates and respects participants' personal experience;
• provides adequate opportunity for participation and discussion;
• addresses issues in a way which is relevant and helpful to adults.
Learn More
• Click here for a list of adult formation and enrichment opportunities.
• Click here for our weekly bulletin of adult formation and enrichment opportunities.
[Last Update: 09.06.19]