Parishioners link to affirm on-going adult religious ed

Toni Ambrosino wants to transform "pew potatoes" into informed, active Catholics.

That's why she's now heavily involved with adult-level faith formation in her parish, St. Mary of Mount Carmel in Gloversville.

"We felt we owed the Church some service," she said, referring to herself and other parishioners. "We wanted to get people out of the pews, start really understanding their faith and stop being pew potatoes."

Adult Catholics

She, her husband, Jim, and other parishioners formed an adult faith formation board, and put out a survey to gauge what parishioners might be interested in. She found they were interested in quite a bit.

Over the past six years, AFFirm, an acronym that stands for "Adult Faith Formation Is Really Moving," has presented more than 30 programs and educational series to parishioners at St. Mary of Mount Carmel and Sacred Heart Church, also in Gloversville.

"Many people want to learn more," she explained, "and that's who this is for [so they are] re-inspired and re-ignited about Christ and His work."

On-going effort

AFFirm presents programs throughout the year -- small-group reflections, movies, workshops and sit-down lectures -- in order to cater to myriad educational tastes and availability times.

AFFirm has hosted speakers from St. Bernard's Institute of Theology and Ministry in Albany, and the Dominican Retreat House in Niskayuna, as well as officials from the Diocese, local priests and deacons, and independent speakers.

AFFirm is also working with the parish's Generations of Faith program to expand the curriculum for the adult end of the spectrum.

Spirit-led

Running an adult faith formation program isn't always easy, Mrs. Ambrosino admitted. AFFirm's programs are a volunteer effort on the part of the participants, program directors and, often, the speakers themselves.

Mrs. Ambrosino spends a lot of time on the phone making arrangements, doing research, and sending flyers and announcements to local papers and churches.

"We get our ideas through the Holy Spirit," she said. "It's the 'hearts-are-burning, Road-to-Emmaus' thing. We always found a topic, and we always found someone to help us with that topic, because, when you're doing something for God, He helps you."

(AFFirm has hosted a social justice night with Fred Boehrer from the Catholic Worker center in Albany; a night on heaven, hell and purgatory; a discussion about "saints for our time"; a refresher course on the Mass; an interfaith dialogue by a rabbi and an imam; a discussion of the Catholic perspective on ecology; a look at Marian devotions; and a talk on the Eucharist.)

(6/21/07)