Adult Faith Formation

"We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves." St. Thomas Aquinas

Families experience great stress, overwhelmed by the influence of mass media and the economic pressures that keep some families in poverty and almost require both parents to work in order to pay the bills. Parents look to the Church for guidance and help to grow closer as couples, stronger as families, and better able to prepare their children morally and spiritually for life in this complex and challenging society. "Those who are already disciples of Jesus Christ . . . [need] to be constantly nourished by the word of God so that they may grow in their Christian life.^"

Three Major Goals of Adult Faith Formation

1) Invite and Enable Ongoing Conversion to Jesus in Holiness of Life.
2) Promote and Support Active Membership in the Christian Community.
3) Call and Prepare Adults to Act as Disciples in Mission to the World.

Scripture and tradition form the core content of all adult catechesis, for the Church has always considered them the "supreme rule of faith." Through them we receive "the very word of God," and in them resounds "the voice of the Holy Spirit." Sacred Scripture provides the starting point for reflecting on the faith, while the Catechism of the Catholic Church serves as the "reference for the authentic presentation of the content of the faith." Use of Scripture and the Catechism—including the sources from which it draws, those to which it refers, and other catechetical resources based on and consonant with it—will help adults grasp the content of the faith and its practical application in Christian living.

The maturation of the Christian life requires that it be cultivated in all its dimensions: knowledge of the faith, liturgical life, moral formation, prayer, belonging to community, missionary spirit. When catechesis omits one of these elements, the Christian faith does not attain full development."

The ongoing development of a living, explicit, and fruitful Christian faith in adulthood requires growth in six dimensions. Each of them is a fundamental aspect of Christian life and a foundational content area for adult faith formation.

The Six Dimensions

1) Knowledge of faith
2) Liturgical Life
3 )Moral formation
4) Prayer
5) Communal life
6) Missionary spirit

Every disciple of the Lord Jesus shares in this mission. To do their part, adult Catholics must be mature in faith and well equipped to share the Gospel, promoting it in every family circle, in every church gathering, in every place of work, and in every public forum. They must be women and men of prayer whose faith is alive and vital, grounded in a deep commitment to the person and message of Jesus.

Excerpted from Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process whereby adults enter the Catholic Church. RCIA classes are held weekly and over the course of several months those who attend the RCIA classes are educated on what the Catholic Church believes and are given the opportunity to ask questions about those beliefs. 

Just because you start RCIA, doesn't mean you are committed to finish. If you are merely curious about what Catholicism is, please feel free to come. All are welcome.

Click here for more information on Most Holy Trinity's RCIA program!