- Are Small Faith Communities new? Actually, the concept is about 2000 years old. In the early days of Christianity, small groups of believers gathered in each other’s homes to worship and share their faith. As these groups became larger some of the intimacy and fellowship experienced by the small groups was lost. In the 1960’s, Pope Paul VI proclaimed the future of the Church was in the re-establishment of Small faith Communities to foster community, prayer, scripture study and service.
- What does this mean for me? If you join a group, you will have the opportunity to really get to know other parishioners (more than familiar faces at Mass), you will grow in your faith through prayer and learning to apply Scripture and church teachings to your life, and you will experience the rewards given to everyone that reaches out to serve others.
- Are SFCs unique to Saint Richard? No. The development of Small Faith Communities within parishes is a worldwide movement in the Catholic Church. If you should move to another parish, it is very likely that SFCs would be a part of your new parish as well.
- How do “Zones” differ from “Small Faith Communities”? Zones simply refer to where you live. St. Richard Parish serves a large geographical area, so it is divided into 17 zones, each designated by a letter of the alphabet. This distinction was devised some 12 years ago to insure that each parishioner was better served. Each zone has a zone leader who is responsible for different ministries within any given zone. There may be several SFCs within a given zone.
- What are “special interest” Small Faith Communities (SFCs)? Some Small Faith Communities have developed out of a common bond….young and middle age couples, single young adults, older singles, stay at home moms, seniors, etc. You are welcome to attend any of these, as all the SFCs are open to anyone that would like to join.
- How often do you meet? In the past the small faith communities met on a monthly basis, however over the past few years some of the materials lent itself better to meeting in consecutive weeks. Now, the majority of the groups meet in a 6 week sessions, typically one in the Fall and one in the Spring. However, we do have groups that meet in different intervals.
- Do I have to go to every meeting? No. Typically each meeting is independent of the other meetings. However, regular participation is important in order to reap the optimum benefit not only of the material presented but of getting to know your fellow parishioners as well.
- How do I join a group? It’s simple. Contact Debbie Tubertini at 601.366.2335 ext. 107 or email at tubertini@saintrichard.com [1]. She will review the variety of options regarding your preferences of group type, meeting time and location to help you decide which group best fits your needs.
- It all sounds great, but I can’t afford a sitter. We’ve got you covered. Free babysitting is provided at the church on Wednesday evening.