In their Pastoral Letter, “Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us”, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called parishes to focus on Adult Faith Development as one of their highest priorities.

We [the USCCB] are convinced that the energy and resources we devote to adult faith formation will strengthen and invigorate all the charism that adults receive and the activities they undertake, in the Church and in society, to serve the Gospel of Christ and the people of today. Every Church ministry will be energized through a dynamic ministry of adult catechesis.1

After noting in paragraphs 40 and 41, the benefits of effective adult faith formation on children and youth and the need for adult faith formation serving as “the point of reference for catechesis for other age groups, the USCCB states that

the Church wisely and repeatedly insists that adult faith formation is ‘essential to who we are and what we do as Church’2 and must be ‘situated not at the periphery of the Church’s educational mission but at its center.’3 (no. 42)

Through this page, we will share ideas which have worked well in various settings and have contributed to the faith development of adults at various ages and stages in their lives.On the Your Ideas? page, you are invited to share your ideas. This will be updated periodically.

 

Resources for Download

Evangelizing: Come Home for Christmas; Come Home for Easter

United States Catholic Cathechism for Adults

Scripture Reflection Process

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1 United States Catholic Conference. U. S. Catholic Bishops. Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States, no. 39 (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 1999).

2 United States Catholic Conference, Department of Education, Serving Life and Faith: Adult Religious Education and the American Catholic Community, no. 157 (Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1986).

3 U.S. Catholic Bishops, To Teach as Jesus Did: A Pastoral Message on Catholic Education, no. 43 (Washington, D. C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1972).

 

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