Spirituality & Faith Development
When we look at contemporary society closely, it is very clear that people are interested in spirituality and faith development.
In his book Brave New Church, William Bausch says, "People are hungering for direction, purpose and meaning to life. They are seeking rituals to express spiritual feelings that are routinely denied or suppressed in our culture. They are desperately seeking God, especially the young. "As Church
we can satisfy the longing for God that people possess because,
in spite of everything, we have kept the essential Christ. But
we must find ways to proclaim him anew once more. There are small
signs of hope. For one thing, Catholicism has survived 2000 years
precisely because it has shown a most remarkable capacity to renew
itself. We must tap into that genius again," he says.
The Diocese
of Maitland-Newcastle believes that faith development is a life-long
process. Our Diocesan Pastoral Plan says: "To grow to Christian
maturity and participate fully in Christ's mission, all of us
– clergy and religious as well as lay men and women, youth and
children – must continually deepen our understanding of the faith
through formation that is faithful to the Scriptures and Sacred
Tradition."
There
are many groups and programs in the diocese that foster and implement
this vision. Some
of these include:
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