Catholics have questions; program provides answers

Rev. David LeFort, pastor of Our Lady of Hope parish in Whitehall and St. Ann's in Fort Ann, wants his flock to always feel free to ASK.

ASK stands for Adults Seeking Knowledge, the parishes' new adult-education effort. A group of parishioners meets monthly to ask, answer and discuss questions related to the intricacies of being Catholic.

Participants are encouraged to inquire about whatever is on their minds related to Church matters, either out loud or by anonymously submitting questions on index cards.

Question time

ASK was begun after Father LeFort and Maureen Smith, the parish's youth minister and director of faith formation, noted a rise in the frequency and complexity of the questions they were hearing at coffee hours, during programs and after Masses.

"We talked about how we were going to do this," said Father LeFort. "What is it they really want to learn about? What is it they're really interested in? How do we meet their needs? In the first official session of this, we simply said, 'This is your time to ask any question related to faith, whatsoever.'"

Father LeFort and Ms. Smith use history, doctrine, moral theology and other resources to answer questions. They eschew "quick answers" in order to promote deeper understanding.

"We're going to give them something that will really ground them," said Ms. Smith, so they can say, "'This is why I believe what I believe.'"

First session

ASK began in April, when the parish scheduled a night to answer questions about the death of Pope John Paul II, the conclave process and the election of a new pontiff.

Parishioners' concerns ranged from the physical (is the pope's death really confirmed by a hammer-tap to his forehead?) to the spiritual (what role does the Holy Spirit play in the conclave and election?).

Participants have posed questions regarding birth control, teaching teens about sex, married priests, Eucharistic theology, Mass requirements and stem-cell research. The latter will be the next session's topic. Ms. Smith and Father LeFort hope to clear up which kind of research the Church supports, which it abhors and why.

Taking risks

Father LeFort said that ASK will continue for as long as he is the pastor because of the dialogue it has begun.

"This is a huge risk we are taking," he said. "There are going to be very difficult questions, and very emotional and personal questions. Sometimes, truth and the full understanding of our faith is going to challenge us, and that challenge might hurt a little bit, but my hope is to stay with this."

Ms. Smith hopes that the ASK program will create and cement bonds among parishioners and with the staff -- and that participants will leave sessions armed with knowledge about "what we believe and why we believe it.

"We started the program to fill need that our community was looking for. This is here to help them grow in faith and deepen their faith. We also see that it is helping to build communities, which is one of the nice little surprises."

(Catholics have asked questions about the Church's teachings on capital punishment and prison issues. One woman wondered about the term "the new evangelization," used by Pope Benedict XVI, and asked how Catholics can evangelize in their daily lives. Another person inquired why the Sign of Peace occurs when it does in the Mass.)

(5/26/05)