Faith Formation Commission

The diocesan Faith Formation Commission began its work in May 2007 and has been charged with implementing the goals set by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) publication Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States (OHWB). This recognizes that for more than a generation the Church has insisted that adult faith formation is “the chief form of catechesis” (Sharing the Light of Faith, National Catechetical Directory) and is, in fact, the “central task in the catechetical enterprise” (Adult Catechesis in the Christian Community). In his tasking of this Commission, Bishop Finn noted that:

The huge frontier of lay witness is before us, and the faithful need academic and spiritual formation if they are to live their Catholicism beyond the pew on Sunday morning. Without the full engagement of the lay vocation for the transformation of the world, the work of the New Evangelization will not be realized. The foundation for this apostolic work must be an adult faith formation which supports growth in holiness, virtue, knowledge of the Faith, and a strong sense of the sacramental and communal nature of the Church.

The United States Conference of Catholic bishops writing in OHWB note that “all believers need and are called to build vibrant parish and diocesan communities of faith and service.” They add:

Such communities cannot exist without a strong, complete, and systematic
catechesis for all its members. By ‘complete and systematic,’ we mean a catechesis that nurtures a profound, lifelong conversion of the whole person and sets forth a comprehensive, contemporary synthesis of the faith, as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. . .

Adult faith formation, by which people consciously grow in the life of
Christ through experience, reflection, prayer and study, must be ‘the central task in [this] catechetical enterprise,” becoming the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence as well as that of old age.’

To make this vision a reality, we the Catholic bishops of the United States,
call the Church in our country to a renewed commitment to adult faith formation, positioning it at the heart of our catechetical vision and practice. We pledge to support adult faith formation without weakening our commitment to our other essential educational ministries.

The bishops call on dioceses to create a “diocesan plan for adult faith formation, created in consultation with pastors and other parish leaders. . .” and for parishes to designate an adult faith formation leader and to form “a core team of parishioners committed and responsible for implementing the parish vision and plan for adult faith formation.”

The Commission completed the Adult Faith Formation: Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and published it on April 27, 2009. Below are the members of the Commission. To see our plan, please click here.

Claude Sasso, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor, Chair
Fr. Steve Cook, Pastor, St. Peter's Church
Deacon Ken Greene, Director, Family Life
Scott Mc Kellar, Director, Bishop Helmsing Institute
Deacon Ralph Wehner, Director, Worship Office
Tom Skorupa, St. Therese North Parish
Christine Sanders, St. Ann Parish
Tony Douglas, St. Andrews Parish
Bridget Brown, NW Mo. State Campus Minister
Vonda Ovaitt, Holy Trinity AFF Leader
Angela Patrice, AFF, St. Gabriel Parish
Katherine Ranniger, DRE, AFF, St. Gregory Barbarigo Parish
Joann Roa, Director, Hispanic Ministry

For more information contact the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization at:
(816) 756-1850 ext. 222 or email: sasso@diocesekcsj.org.