Numerous faith formation opportunities available in Utah for Catholic adults

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During the local listening sessions for the Synod on Synodality, some participants expressed a desire to deepen their faith and to learn more about the Church, its teachings and the Scriptures. Some parishes in the Diocese of Salt Lake City are already offering such faith formation opportunities and several more are planning to address this need.

Parishes such as St. Thomas Aquinas in Hyde Park, St. Vincent de Paul in Holladay, St. Rose of Lima in Layton, Christ the King in Cedar City and St. George in St. George offer Bible study programs. Some are offered in English or Spanish; others are provided separately for men and women. Some are seasonal while others are ongoing. St. Thomas More Parish in Cottonwood Heights offers a program during Lent called “One day Bible study” over the course of six weeks.

“What people like the most about this is the fact that you can miss a class without getting lost, because there is a new passage every week,” said Tami Bernstein, director of the parish’s faith formation program.

Other parishes have signed up for programs where parishioners can study online. The Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City provides access to “Formed; The Catholic Faith on Demand,” a free online portal for access to Catholic videos, audios and books. Another example is Saint Thomas More Parish, which will be starting a program called “ChristLife,” the central focus of which is helping people build a closer relationship with God so that they become ready to evangelize, Bernstein said, adding that participants from other parishes are welcome.

At Christ the King Parish, Claudia Molina teaches a weekly Divine Will class in Spanish. The class focuses on “living our heaven here on earth,” following the example of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Molina said. “The Our Father, this is not just prayer; it is a way of life. That is what we’re trying to accomplish here on earth with this process.”

This summer, St. George Parish organized a five-week Summer Speaker Series in conjunction with a parish in Arizona. It was presented live, in English, with talks from FORMED.org followed by guided reflection questions for discussion. Parish leaders hope to develop some kind of ongoing program this fall.

“The Summer Speaker series attendance demonstrated that there is an ongoing need for adult faith formation in our parish, and we look forward to how that will develop this fall,” said Kathy Snyder, a parish volunteer catechist for adults.

St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Park City offers several opportunities for faith formation, most of which are open to people beyond the parish. A monthly summit brings in a speaker on specific topics of interest to the faithful. On Sept. 15, local parishioner and convert Justin Hibbard will speak about his experiences, including the 11 years he spent as a Baptist pastor before joining the Church. He will also share ways Catholics can connect and converse with Protestants about their faith. Other upcoming summits include an October presentation by the Windrider Institute and a November young adult/vocations summit.

“These are interesting ways we can provide something beyond what people are getting at Mass,” said Anthony Jewett, the parish’s director of evangelization.

In addition, several groups led by St. Mary parishioners seek to enrich the faith experience of participants. These include Fr. Gray’s Film Club, a quarterly activity where participants view a Windrider Institute film and afterward have a discussion with Fr. Christopher Gray, pastor. Groups such as the Divine Mercy Devotion Group, Jesus Christ: The Way, The Truth, and The Life, Beginner’s Guide to the True Person of Jesus Christ, Languages of the Church, Wine, Dine, and Divine are all offered in English. The Way of Christ formation classes are offered in Spanish.

The Abba Prayer Group and the Men’s Prayer and Reflection Group, along with the Monday night Rosary and Potluck Group, provide regular opportunities for St. Mary parishioners to pray together.

Another prayer option for Utah Catholics may be the Ignatian Exercises that have been offered by certified Ignatian director Catherine Morgan, and her husband Ralph Morgan, Ignatian coordinator, in the diocese for the past seven years.

The spirituality exercises are based on the prayers, meditations, reflections and directions gathered by St. Ignatius. Traditionally, participants immerse themselves in a 30-day Spiritual Exercises retreat, but in the early 1980s, a 30-week form was developed. With this program, participants commit to daily private prayer, which includes Scripture, reflection and journaling, weekly small group meetings where they share their prayer journey, and periodic individual spiritual companioning.

The course, which follows the liturgical year, is offered online. It has been a successful format, the Morgans said.

“The people who are coming to a group session are in the comfort of their own home and they are tending to be more open and more sharing,” Ralph Morgan said. “They may just feel safer than in an in-person group.”

Another advantage to this format is that people in areas outside the Salt Lake Valley can participate more easily. In their sessions, the Morgans have had Catholics from other states along with people from the Wasatch Front and southern Utah. Already, parishioners from St. George, Kanab, Cedar City and Logan have signed up for this year’s session.

More than 45 Utahns have been through the exercises since the Morgans started offering them in Utah. Catherine Morgan has been practicing the exercises herself for more than 20 years and has seen her prayer life deepen in unanticipated ways, she said. “A lot of people say ‘I didn’t know I could have this kind of relationship with Christ; I didn’t know I could be this close to him. I didn’t know how involved he was in my life.’ For that reason, this is life changing.”

In the past the Morgans have offered twice-weekly sessions on Monday and Thursday evenings. This year if there is sufficient interest, the second session may be held during daytime hours. This year’s course will begin Sept. 19. Those who are interested in participating may contact Ralph Morgan at 405-255-9598 no later than Sept. 5. There is a $20 fee per session for the exercises. A onetime $60 fee covers registration, books and materials.