ADULT FORMATION
On October 29, our adult formation program was pleased to have Fr Doug Clark, STL, theologian and editor of our diocesan newspaper, The Southern Cross.
Fr Clark presented to us, “Who Do We Think We Are As Catholics?” Over 30 adults gathered to learn from Fr Clark’s depth of study and breadth of experience/insight into ecclesiology (study of the church).
Fr Clark outlined some basic truths of the Church, taking us through a 21st Century approach toward the models of the Church described by Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J nearly 35 years ago. These models are valuable tools to the discovery of how we relate to (or fit into) the Church both as individuals and as a people.
As he led us through this exploration of each of these models, we gained a deeper appreciation of who we are as Church:
Institution[structure, hierarchy]
Community[People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit]
Sacrament[a synthesis of Institution & Community]
Herald[proclaims Word of God, evangelization]
Servant [of the poor, and indeed of all our fellow humans]
