‘Our parishes are relatively small, yet many people in our communities hunger to learn more about their faith, to deepen their prayer life’
And again he said, “To what should I compare the
At the Blessing of the Water service, part of the Lay Formation Program in Saskatoon, which includes lay leaders from the Dioceses of Saskatoon, Keewatin-Le Pas, Prince Albert, and the Eparchy of Saskatoon. Front row, from right to left: Vincent Ignatiuk, Doris Woods, Michael E. Averyt, and Perlita Manipon.
These words of Jesus aptly describe the work of the Adult Faith Education Office in the Diocese of Prince Albert in
Unlike urban and large town centres, we are a rural diocese, with limited parish and diocesan resources. We do not have the facilities for large, multi-day meetings and programs, and the geographical size of the diocese and distance between parishes is so great as to make travel for short programs impractical. However, these are merely challenges to be met, obstacles to be overcome.
Our diocesan vision statement is: “To help our people rediscover Christ, the Incarnate Word of God.” Our office tries to fulfill this mission chiefly by supporting and facilitating adult faith education on the parish level, with deanery and diocesan programs building on that foundation.
Our parishes are relatively small, yet many people in our communities hunger to learn more about their faith, to deepen their prayer life, to enter more fully into the mystery of the sacraments, and to live out their faith in relation to others. How can this best be done in such circumstances?
Michael E. Averyt with Father Mariusz Zajac of Saint Dominic parish in Hudson
With the assistance of the parish priests, as Adult Faith Education coordinator I try to find lay people willing to facilitate study sessions. Many do not feel confident in leading such sessions, so we try to give them pointers on how to use video and audio materials from our Diocesan Resource Centre. This takes minimal preparation on the part of the leader, who, after the presentation, would moderate discussion from questions provided in a printed study guide. However, this presents a challenge to me, namely finding the right material for a particular community or situation.
One size does not fit all. What may be appropriate in
We have a good Diocesan Resource Centre that lends materials to parishes and individuals, which we mail out to our remoter communities. Many of the requests for materials do not come from small study groups, but from individual people. That doesn’t matter. If we can help only one person, we are doing our job.
I meet with our Adult Faith Education contacts in the parishes at least once a year on my travels throughout the diocese. It is uplifting to hear of their experiences in leading their groups, learning what their needs are and how we, on the Diocesan Pastoral Staff, can assist them. It is also important for them, since they often feel isolated and unsupported in trying to further adult education in their parishes.
Michael E. Averyt discusses workshop topic with Jill Clapson, from St. Lucy’s parish
I meet with our Adult Faith Education contacts in the parishes at least once a year on my travels throughout the diocese. It is uplifting to hear of their experiences in leading their groups, learning what their needs are and how we, on the Diocesan Pastoral Staff, can assist them. It is also important for them, since they often feel isolated and unsupported in trying to further adult education in their parishes.
One of my joys this past year was meeting with a retired school teacher in a small hamlet, where there is no Adult Faith Education program. She wanted to provide some adult catechesis for the parents of children who were, at the same time, attending sacramental preparation classes. She knew the material, but just needed to talk through possible game plans and approaches. It was wonderful to see her confidence and enthusiasm grow in the course of our meeting and I was pleased to hear that her sessions were much appreciated by those parents.
Although we have the occasional deanery or diocesan workshop, most of our work is centred in the parish, working behind the scenes quietly, like the yeast in Our
Lord’s parable. But that is how God often chooses to work—not in the grand and spectacular, but in the small and humble, that the faith of a few will inspire transformation of the many.
Michael E. Averyt is adult faith education coordinator in the Diocese of Prince Albert in
