Catholics mass for lessons in faith

A member of the parish council at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Rotter-dam, Mr. Marino said he heard God’s call 10 years ago and is now involved in parish evangelization. “I am here for courses on that, and to pursue God on a deeper level,” he said. “So I set aside some business and I’m here on the mystery trip.”

The event, organized by the diocesan Office of Evangeliza-tion, Catechesis and Family Life, drew about 1,000 registered students for its 164 courses and sessions. Last year, 1,100 attended.

Though most are adults, many teenagers attend specialized evening sessions. In all, about half are catechists and many serve in other ministries, said Steven Mawn, the chief organizer of the extravaganza.

Betsy DiBennedetto, a catechist at St. Edward the Confessor parish in Clifton Park, said she came “to learn more about our faith so we can teach it to the young people and pass it on to them.” She said that religious education, these days, is richer for its open exchange with teenagers.

In his keynote address, Rev. Richard Fragomeni, a priest of the Albany Diocese and professor at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, discussed “The Word of God in the mission of the Church.” He recommended that Catholics be “in relationship to Christ through prayer, sacraments and contemplation.” In an interview, Father Fragomeni said the message was inspired by the last year’s bishops’ synod on the Word of God, held in Rome.

After hearing the talk, Marie Slattery, a catechist for Sacred Heart Church in Berlin, said she liked his primary tip for busy Catholics: “Pay attention.” She explained that “We’re all so busy and multi-tasking that we need to do that, just stop and pay attention.”

Mrs. Slattery said an intergenerational approach to religious education does that, by gathering people of different ages for a meal and then lessons. At Sacred Heart and its neighboring parish, St. John Francis Regis in Grafton, such a program draws about 30 people to each evening. The two parishes are merging later this year.