MADISON — Catholics all over the world are preparing for the Year of Faith proclaimed by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, which is to begin this October.
In his recent document on the year of faith, Porte Fide, the Holy Father states, “Ever since the start of my ministry as the Successor of Peter, I have spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ.” The Holy Father goes on to explain that he wants to arouse a desire in the hearts of the faithful to make a profession of faith that is sincere, hopeful, and full of conviction.
He shows us that such a profession of faith comes from one’s own assent to a deeper and concerted effort to study the foundations of the faith found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He quotes Blessed John Paul II as saying, “This Catechism will make a very important contribution to the work of renewing the life of the Church.”
In the Seat of Wisdom Diocesan Institute we offer faithful adults many opportunities to begin an in depth study on the overview of the Catechism of the Catholic Church through our Core Curriculum. In addition to the Core Curriculum we offer opportunities to look at specific topics/doctrine that allow students to delve even deeper into the mystery of the faith.
Beginning this September, The Seat of Wisdom Diocesan Institute will offer a special series of courses on the Sacraments taught by Abbot Marcel Rooney, O.S.B. on Tuesday evenings each month.
We know as Catholics that God has always intended to share his inner life with us. Christ made this plan effective by instituting the Sacraments. Abbot Rooney, an expert on liturgy and a world-class scholar, will unpack a different Sacrament each month taking us through the second pillar of the Catechism and sharing both the theological and liturgical foundations for each of the Sacraments.
Courses to be offered include:
- Baptism: Sept. 18 and 25
- Confirmation: Oct. 9 and 16
- Reconciliation: Nov. 6
- Holy Eucharist: Jan. 8 and 15
- Anointing of the Sick: Feb. 12 and 19
- Holy Orders: March 12 and 19
- Holy Matrimony: April 9 and 16
All the courses in this series are offered at the Bishop O’Connor Center from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
To register or for more information, contact the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis at 608-821-3160 or see the Seat of Wisdom Diocesan Institute page at www.madisondiocese.org/Ministry/EvangelizationandCatechesis/SeatofWisdomDiocesanInstitute.aspx regarding more coursework, dates, and times.