Season 3 of Why Catholic? -- Get Ready for It

It is time to prepare for the next 6 small group sessions of Why Catholic? on the theme of  “Celebration of the Christian Mystery: Sacraments."

This week, your parish bulletin editor was sent bulletin announcements designed to help with RENEW Why Catholic? promotion.  Other suggestions for recruiting participants can be found in the Renew Parish Resource Manual, on the RENEW website (http://www.renewintl.org/), and by contacting Mr. Sal Della Bella -- Director of the Archdiocesan Office of Lifelong Formation & Education (OLFE).

Here is a suggested timeline for the upcoming season.

(Please see your RENEW Parish Team Handbook for more specifics.)

***  Sign up Sundays – Occur before the new Why Catholic? season

        (Example: January 29 & February 5)

***  Begin Small Groups -- 6 group sessions begin during week of February 20                  

***  March 2012 – Retreat Leader Training

(The Retreat Leader Training event was originally scheduled for February 2012. It will begin to prepare interested individuals to act as parish retreat leaders for various Why Catholic? themes.)

Times and locations for "onsite" Small Community Leader Training  -- for all new and existing small group leaders  -- have been set. We have heard from many that it would be helpful to share ideas/suggestions/challenges of the Why Catholic? group process with other small group leaders. An opportunity to do so will be provided, along with time to describe the process for the next 6 sessions. Please invite all of your small group leaders to attend!

For those who cannot attend in person, online training will be available via our website at   http://www.archlou.org/whycatholic.  Click on Download Center and then WhyCatholic? Small Community Leader Training Videos.

If online training is not an option, obtain a training DVD of the training from the Faith-Formation division of OLFE, at 502-448-8581.  

***  Times and Locations for Onsite Training -- January 2012

·   Tuesday, January 17^h – St Augustine, Lebanon  7-9 PM

·    Wednesday January 18 -  St Margaret Mary,  7-9 PM

·   Thursday January 19 -  St James, Elizabethtown  7-9 PM

(Please have small community leaders RSVP to  Ms. Linda McLemore: LMCLEMORE@ARCHLOU.ORG or 502-448-8581 for these training sessions.)

Hopefully your small groups from Lent 2011 still have their booklets (The Celebration of the Christian Mystery - Sacraments).  For this Lent we will be completing the booklet doing session 7-12..  If you are in need of additional books please go to the RENEW website, or contact RENEW by calling toll-free order: 888-433-3221

Check out our Louisville Why Catholic page on Facebook!  Log onto your Face- book account, then search for Louisville Why Catholic.  Be sure to "Like" our FB page.

In addition, the Archdiocesan calendar for Why Catholic? -- and other resources -- can be found at:

    www.archlou.org/whycatholic 

You might want to use your Twitter account to follow the Archbishop, @Archbishop Kurtz. And you can follow official Archdiocesan news, stories, etc., @ArchLouKY.

More information and resources will be disseminated, including
curriculum materials for youth and children, small group resources for Sacraments, and additional training opportunities/support.

Contact the Faith-Formation at OLFE for assistance --  e-mail:  SDB@archlou.org  and/or phone: 502.448.8581.