What: A question and answer period on topics of concern about the faith, church teachings, and current issues.
When: Quarterly. The next session will be presented after Easter.
All parishioners and their guests are welcome and encouraged to attend! In the meantime, submit your own quesitons to be answered in the "Issues and Answers" question box found in the Upper Gathering Space. Your question will be answered during the next program, if possible.
The first program, held on November 5, 2007, was very well received because of the excellence of the presentations by Fr. Brad, Fr. Matthew, and Fr. Lew Gaetano, chaplain at Walsh University.
The second program, held on January 8, 2008, featured Fr. Brad, Fr. Matthew, and Mark Fuller, candidate for the Permanent Deaconate.
In the third program, held on April 22, 2008, Fr. Brad addressed the subject of Annulment Procedures and Liturgical Issues. Fr. Matthew presented the Church's teachings on Intrinsic Evil, Moral Decisions, and Just War.
The fourth program, held on September 16, 2008, featured Fr. Brad speaking about Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, "Spes Salvi," and the placement of the tabernacle in our church and in Catholic churches in general, and Fr. Matthew speaking about the coming changes in the words used in the Ordinary of the Mass and The Year of St. Paul and its indulgences.
The fifth program, held on March 25, 2009, centered on Vatican II, the worldwide council of Catholic Bishops initiated by Pope John XXIII. A very fine video was shown about the beginnings of the Council and was narrated by clergy, authors, and journalists who were either eyewitnesses or familiar with the Council's proceedings. Fr. Brad then spoke about his time as a seminarian during the Council years and how the Council affected those in formation at the time. Fr. Matthew spoke about the documents of the Council and the most visible changes that were wrought: in the liturgy and in the administration of the sacraments, to name a few. It was another excellent presentation by our knowledgable and engaging pastor and parochial vicar.
Because of the excellence of their presentations, the next session is eagerly anticipated. If you missed any of these sessions, you can borrow the DVD recording by Ed Mathein and/or Rick Bjornas from the Rev. Brad Helman Library, located on the lower level of the church, near the stairs and elevator.
