Diocese of Allentown
Adult Formation Newsletter
January 2018
Greetings!

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter and learn about all of the great offerings that we have planned for the coming months!
We hope that you are able to join us at some of the wonderful events and courses that we have available for you!

In Christ,
Office of Adult Formation
Diocese of Allentown
610-289-8900
The Institute for Catechesis and Formation
Learn Your Faith + Live Your Faith + Love Your Faith
Join us to enrich your faith with ICF courses taking place in the Winter and Spring of 2018!
CAT I - The Creed
An overview of fundamental Catholic teachings based on the founding Symbol of our Faith. This course provides catechists with a foundation in the basic tenets of the Catholic Faith, and is a good starting point leading to further study.
ICF 101 - Christian Anthropology
This course will examine who God is as the One who seeks to share Himself with His creation. A brief survey of Salvation History will be traced to Jesus Christ, the Redeemer who saves humanity, and teaches us what it means to be a human person.
ICF 104 - The Sacraments
The Sacraments are intimate, personal encounters between God and His people. This course will present an overview of these signs of God's love for us, by which He makes a personal connection with us and conveys grace - His very life within us.
ICF 106 - The Church
The Church is the place of encounter between God and His people on earth. This course will provide a brief overview of the origins of the Church; Her identity as One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic; and what it means to be "the Body of Christ" on earth.
The Institute for Catechesis and Formation is intended to provide an opportunity for all of the faithful to delve deeper in their understanding of God's saving plan for us all.
Theology of the Body Seminar
Rescheduled
Come join us for our final seminar which will delve into Pope Saint John Paul II’s groundbreaking teaching known as the Theology of the Body! This seminar is for anyone recognizing the need for a restored relationship with God, others, and the created world.
This seminar will take place in the Religious Education building of St. Mary Parish in Kutztown from 9:30 to 11:30am on the date listed below. The cost is $20 per person. Register at www.allentowndiocese.org/icf !
Saturday, February 3, 2018
The Beauty of Love
This seminar will discuss the different vocations of love that we are all called to and will show how each points to our ultimate end in God’s loving embrace. The presenter will be William Hamant, Ph.D. of DeSales University.
Questions: Please email
or call 610-289-8900, Ext. 2021
National Presenter Matt Fradd
Matt Fradd is a Catholic apologist and chastity speaker. He works with the Internet-accountability company Covenant Eyes , to help protect families from online pornography and assist individuals in overcoming porn addiction.
The Man Talk
In this talk, Matt Fradd Iays out a vision for authentic Catholic masculinity and a plan for how to achieve it.

Following the example of some of history’s greatest and wisest Christian men, he shows you how to build the strengths and practice the habits that will make you a true man of God: a man of courage and strength who lives for others, a man who is fully alive.

All men are invited to this powerful talk. Fathers are encouraged to bring their high school age sons.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018
7:00 P.M.

DeSales University
(Bishop McShea Student Center)
2755 Station Ave.
Center Valley, PA 18034

Please register at: 
Questions, please call:
610-289-8900 ext. 2028
Parenting the Internet Generation
Pornography is a pervasive problem today for people of all ages, especially teens. However, many parents aren’t sure how to protect their families, beyond using traditional internet filters.  

In this presentation, Matt Fradd will offer parents a detailed look at the way pornography harms us and offer practical strategies that parents need to implement if they are to protect their children from the lies of an over-sexualized culture. 

Wednesday, February 7, 2018
7:00 P.M.

DeSales University
(University Center)
2755 Station Ave.
Center Valley, PA 18034

Please register at: 
Questions, please call:
610-289-8900 ext. 2028

Faith and Spirits
Faith and Spirits  was created to provide a forum for all adult Catholics to learn more about their faith in a comfortable setting. It is offered at various locations throughout the Diocese with a variety of engaging speakers and intriguing topics. Come enjoy an evening out, a meal with friends, and an opportunity to deepen your faith!
The Shroud of Turin
Join us as Sr. Rose Mulligan, I.H.M. of Immaculata University explores a relic known as the Shroud of Turin. What is the Shroud of Turin? Where does it come from? What can relics like this tell us about Christ? These questions and more will be discussed. There is no cost to attend and no registration is required. There will be menus available for ordering food and drink at your expense.

Monday, February 26, 2018
6:30 P.M.

PJ Whelihan's Pub
1101 Rocky Road
Westlawn, PA 19609

Questions: Please email
or call 610-289-8900, Ext. 2021
2018 Diocesan Women's Conference
Women: Hearts Affire
Heritage Week
DeSales University
This annual celebration began in 2006, on the 40th anniversary of DeSales University, to honor the educational legacy of St. Francis de Sales as it has been carried on in the tradition of Salesian Christian Humanism.

The celebrations take place in the evenings, Sunday through Thursday, during the week in which the feast day of St. Francis de Sales (January 24th) falls in the calendar.
The March For Life
Love Saves Lives
Washington DC
Friday, January 19, 2018.

For information about busses leaving from locations within the Diocese of Allentown visit www.allentowndiocese.org/pro-life-and-social-concerns
Resource Highlight
RISE
A 30 - Day Challenge for Men
by Chris Stefanick & Bill Donaghy

Brothers, do you want tomorrow to be better than today? Are you willing to do what it takes to become a better man for yourself, your family, and those around you?

When you take the RISE 30-Day Challenge, you will gain the tools you need to take your life and relationships to the next level. Journey with men all over the world as we RISE together to claim our true identity.

RISE begins on January 15, 2018 and again on February 14, 2018. Click on the link below to register.
For more information or to register for RISE visit www.menriseup.org

For resources in our Diocesan library visit
or Call 610-289-8900, Ext. 2027.
Catholic Basics
How does man respond to God who reveals himself?
Sustained by divine grace, we respond to God with the obedience of faith, which means the full surrender of ourselves to God and the acceptance of his truth insofar as it is guaranteed by the One who is Truth itself.
The Catholic Mirror:
Reflections on Our Life in Christ
Resolutions
The passage from one year to the next is a time when many people resolve to make some sort of change in their lives. Often this results in short-lived efforts of diet and exercise. What if we moved beyond diet and exercise and took on a spiritual resolution?

Saint Augustine argues that what is best for the soul is truly best for the body because the soul is what gives life to the body (Cf. The Catholic and Manichaean Ways of Life). The more fully the soul lives, the more fully the body lives as well. If we really want to improve our lives, then shouldn't our resolutions be directed towards our souls?

The practice of making daily resolutions is an important part of the Christian spiritual life. Daily prayer should ideally consist of some sort of meditation which results in some resolution. The meditation can be from a Scripture reading as in Lectio Divina, or meditating on a mystery from the life of Christ as recommended by Saint Francis de Sales in Introduction to the Devout Life, but whatever we discern during this meditation is not meant to simply be a nice idea that we put in a corner somewhere like a knick-knack that we mostly forget about and look at only occasionally. In Scriptures, when people encounter Christ their entire lives are changed; when we encounter the Lord in meditation, we should make changes too. Your daily prayer encounter with the Lord should be a source of daily change in your life, small or large.

Perhaps for 2018 your resolution will be to make more resolutions... and keep them! Our resolutions, grown out of mediation and prayer, draw us ever closer to sanctity. Those who have achieved sanctity are immensely more impressive than any physical trainer. As important as physical health is, the most one could hope for is pronounced abdominal musculature, whereas in the spiritual life, on earth, the doors lie open to vast possibilities such as the bilocation of Padre Pio or heroic simplicity of Saint Thérèse. There is really no question as to which is greater.

Let us Praise the Lord.
-And give him thanks.
Thank you for reading. We pray that you have a blessed 2018. Hopefully we will see you at some of our events!

Deo Omnis Gloria.
Diocese of Allentown
Office of Adult Formation
2121 Madison Ave
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18017
610-289-8900
The Baptism of the Lord on Monday, January 8, 2018.
Rick Dooley, Assistant Director
Office of Adult Formation
610-289-8900, Ext. 2027
Mary Fran Hartigan, Director
Faith Formation
610-289-8900, Ext. 2026
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