Catholic Café Series

Please join us again in the Fall when Sunday Faith Formation restarts! See you then!

We invite all adults who want to grow in their faith and get to know other parishioners to join us every Sunday at 9:15 AM in McNally Hall.

Faith Formation for adults begins through the Catholic Café. We rotate through studies in the Bible, Church history, and Sacred Tradition in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. No matter where you are in your faith journey, we invite you to join us. I’m excited to see what new things God has in store for us, and I look forward to sharing our experiences in class!

The next study will begin on Sunday, September 24th, 2023 at 9:15 AM, so you can attend while your children are in Faith Formation classes. For those of you who have non-Catholic family members and friends that sometimes challenge or want to better understand Catholic teaching on salvation, I highly recommend the guidebook so you can use it for future reference. If you want one, there is a sign-up sheet in the commons. You can contact Mark De La Hunt with any questions.

Catholic Café Series Information

Class: 2022

The Ascension Lenten Companion: Year A (2023)

God wants to give you more. How will you respond this Lent?

Has your relationship with God grown stale? Has it lost its spark? Are you plagued by a particular sin? Something you can’t shake? Are you just tired from the day-to-day grind of your life? These all show that God wants to give you more. And this Lent can be when God gives it to you.

Fr. Mark Toups, an experienced spiritual director, leads readers inward to invite the Lord to heal those areas where they need it most. He follows the same format that tens of thousands enjoyed in Advent with his popular Rejoice! journals. Readers will receive daily guidance as well as supplemental videos, to help enter more deeply into Lent and remain focused throughout the season.

Catholic Answers School of Apologetics: World Religions: A Snapshot Online Course

Successful evangelization and apologetics require not just knowing your faith but knowing your audience. Different groups of people have different objections to Catholicism—the difficulties a Protestant may be facing with the Church (trying to understand Catholic teaching in the light of Scripture) will likely differ significantly from the difficulties facing an atheist who rejects the very idea of Scripture. But what if the person you’re speaking to believes in a non-Christian religion?

In this course, Joe Heschmeyer (Catholic Answers’ newest apologist) tackles that question, looking at the biblical view of other religions to answer questions such as:

Why care what other religions teach?
How should a Christian view other world religions?
How do we know that Christianity is uniquely true? What distinguishes it from the other religions of the world?
What’s the difference between faith and religion?
What should you do if you know nothing about the other person’s religion?
What, if anything, can we learn from other religions?

Perhaps most importantly, what are some good icebreaker questions to help you find out more about where the other person is coming from and what he believes?

Particular lessons explore the basics of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Mormonism, Sikhism, and Taoism. If you want to know how to be a better Christian witness, or if you’re just curious about what the rest of the world believes, this is your starting place!

Class: 2021

Romans

One of the most reflected upon yet controversial letters in the New Testament is the subject of this year’s Catholic Café – The book of Romans. We will present 8 sessions, using a video series hosted by Dr. Andrew Swafford, Associate Professor of Theology at Benedictine College.

Class: 2020

The Bible and the Virgin Mary

Produced by Scott Hahn’s St. Paul Center and narrated by dynamic Catholic speaker, Matthew Leonard with cameos by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, this study will help you better understand Marian devotion’s long Christian history. The study unveils the mystery of Our Lady that is woven into the fabric of Sacred Scripture. Twelve visually stunning lessons convey the beauty of the doctrine and devotions surrounding Mary, bringing them to life in a powerful, new way. To enrich the study, stories of Church approved Marian apparitions are also shared.

Class: 2019

Galatians: Set Free to Live

Presenter Jeff Cavins explains how Christ fulfilled the Law and set us free to live in the Spirit. Learn what “justification” means and how faith and works are an integral part of it. Discover how we become heirs to the promises and blessings of Christ through faith.

Class: 2018

The Mass

Why is the Mass so important? Why is it the “source and summit” of the Christian life? It is the most beautiful encounter between friends and it is an anticipation of the play that will be our permanent preoccupation in heaven. Walk through the Liturgy with Bishop Barron and be transformed through insights on this most privileged and intimate encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Class: 2017

Catholicism: The Pivotal Players

Bishop Barron is on a journey to unlock the truth behind the Catholic Church’s most influential people. This is a multi-part firm series that illumines a handful of saints, artists, mystics and scholars who not only shaped the life of the Church but changed the course of civilization.

Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church - Bedford, VA > Faith Formation > Catholic Café Series