---

(The 37th annual Spring Enrichment will be held May 10-13 at The College of Saint Rose in Albany. It offers 150 courses, workshops and lectures. Open to all, it includes certification courses for catechists and youth ministers, theological refreshers and major presentations on topics from faith formation to the future of the Church. The full schedule appeared in the March 11 issue of The Evangelist and is also at www.rcda.org. For more information, call the diocesan Office of Evangelization, Catechesis and Family Life at 453-6630.)

Open up
"Reading the Scripture for the First Time," May 10, 1:30 p.m.

During the annual Spring Enrichment May 10-13 at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, one presenter will hone in on Scripture and how to get the most out of it.

"It's a way of reminding ourselves what we've already known," said Sister Katherine Hanley, CSJ, associate dean and director of St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Albany. "Scripture is ever new and ever wonderful, and we could continue to read it forever and ever and we would be delighted."

She said that adults approach her all the time about reconnecting to the Bible, noting: "I'm experiencing an incredible hunger for more exposure to Scripture in all parishes throughout the Diocese."

But how do Catholics know what they're reading? Sister Kitty will talk about different literary devices used in the Bible - poetry, letters and prophesy, for instance - and the difference between taking Scripture seriously and taking it literally.

The "biographies" of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke vary, she explained, so we need to take them seriously: They are not biographies, but efforts of young churches to sketch portraits expressing a point of view.

Further, letters like those from St. Paul are usually inspired by happenings in the writers' communities. Sister Kitty will delve into historical background and discuss how to "make it our own."

Come home
"Inviting Them Home to Christ and the Church," May 11, 10 a.m.

When Anna LaNave came back to the Church in college 10 years after falling away, it was through the help of evangelical Christians. There was no one around at the Catholic parishes near her to help her talk about God or rediscover her faith.

So, when she stumbled upon Landings International, an organization that has helped reintegrate returning Catholics for 20 years, she became involved. She knows how important it is to seize opportunities for deep conversion.

"We are called by virtue of our baptism to understand faith and share it," said Mrs. LaNave, a regional coordinator for Land-ings International in Arlington, Va.

She will describe how to interact with fallen Catholics without pressuring them to come back - as well as how to lead them to the next step once they have decided to return - at a Spring Enrichment workshop.

"Having this adult conversation is so important to our goal, which to me is not getting them back to Church, but reintroducing them to Jesus," she told The Evangelist.

Mrs. LaNave believes that the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is not the right place for returning Catholics.

"The dynamic is not correct and it doesn't honor who they are, which is fully initiated Catholics," she said.

There are numerous programs for returning Catholics. Many parishes in the Albany Diocese participate in the national "Catholics Returning Home" initiative, for instance.

But there seem to be very few ministries for this group, Mrs. LaNave said, adding that people in the pews need to feel empowered to minister to these individuals.

Her first tip is to refrain from making friends feel guilty: for example, do not say it will ruin your Christmas if an inactive Catholic friend doesn't attend Mass with you. And if the person does come along, do not chastise him or her for receiving the Eucharist.

"Confession is probably the scariest thing you can imagine for returning Catholics," Mrs. LaNave explained.

Instead, she said, invite them to Mass and parish social events. If the friend has a question you're unsure about, do not wave it off as a "mystery of the faith." Research the answer together. Create a discussion group or mobilize a team of active Catholics to mentor the individual.

In the second portion of her workshop, Mrs. LaNave will explain how to form someone spiritually once he or she has made the return. Let people tell their stories and their reasons for shying away, she said: "They see how God has been active all through their lives even when they weren't in church."

Demonstrate to them an authentic Catholic life, she added. Talk about vocations and to what they believe they are called.

"This is a journey for somebody," Mrs. LaNave explained. "They're willing to tiptoe back to church, but they may tiptoe out again. The best thing they can do is to continue to be involved in the community."

Ch-ch-ch-changes
"Staying Sane in a Changing Church," May 11, 1:30 p.m.

In the wake of parish closings and mergers, Catholics may feel lost; after all, the Church is supposed to be a stabilizing constant in a chaotic world.

Rev. Thomas Konopka wants them to know it still can be. He'll lead a workshop at Spring Enrichment for parishioners, leaders and clergy in the midst of change.

A social worker at the Consultation Center in Albany and a sacramental minister at St. Clare's Church in Colonie, Father Konopka approaches change from a systems perspective.

Change creates more change, he noted: If a church closes, it affects not only parishioners, but, perhaps, students at parish schools or needy people in the community whom the church served.

"You've got a whole new reality happening," he said. "Everything's a huge spiderweb."

At businesses, some people want change, some don't and some are ambivalent. "You need to work with that part of the group," he said, referring to the latter segment.

The concept used with businesses also applies to parishes. "Organizations have been changing for years," Father Kon-opka explained. "The Church is a group and it's not exempt from normal group dynamics."

He recommends guiding unsure individuals through the stages of change often used in addiction recovery, to let them make choices rather than forcing them into anything. "They become more involved in the change when they realize they're part of the decision."

Finally, Father Konopka will stress that change is part of what it means to be Christian. "It's part of conversion," he said. "Jesus calls us to change: to change our hearts, to be people who constantly change the world because our hearts are changed."

Jesus, he continued, is the beginning and the end, the unchanging fixture. People fearing change should focus on Him and praying to Him.

(04/22/10) [[In-content Ad]]

---