There is no need to apologize...

Hi All,

We've all heard the questions, "Why go confess to a priest when I can just confess directly to God?", "What's the difference between an annulment and divorce?" or "Why do Catholics think Mary is so important?". But how many of us can answer those questions for non-Catholics?

Therefore...

We will discuss "Apologetics" at our next meeting on July 15 at 6 PM at Jake's. We probably won't cover all possible questions that people will have, but this should be a fairly informative, if not lively, discussion about important questions that we all eventually encounter.

See you all on the 15th!



Addendum: Inevitably the topic of resources will come up, therefore we will provide a list of resources after our next meeting. We will have it listed on the blog the week after our meeting for anyone interested in learning more.

Next Meeting on June 17, 2009

Hi All,

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 beginning with casual discussion at 6 PM. We usually end around 8 PM, but this all depends on how well the discussion goes! We will also meet at Jake's again.

We plan to discuss the influence of Catholicism on society--sometimes subtly, sometimes not! We intend to cover topics ranging from media's coverage of Catholicism to the impact of Catholicism on the government.

We look forward to seeing you all!

Upcoming Meeting, May 13 at 6 PM

Hi All!

Our next meeting will be held on May 13 at Jake's in Five Points at 6 PM till late (officially just 6 PM to 8 PM).

Our theme for the evening will be "evanglization", Catholic style. Obviously, this word has a negative connotation for many people, but don't let that scare you, we do not mean "proselytezation". Instead, we mean the Catholic definition of "evangelization": the proclamation of Christ and His Gospel by word and the testimony of life, in fulfillment of Christ's command. We will discuss what this actually means to us as young adult catholics.

Since the Second Vatican Council there has been a great deal of ink spilled over how Catholic should evangelize and a great deal has been put into practice. We will look at these and discuss what we can actually do. And not, this does not mean going to door to door peddling the Catholic faith!

See you all on Wednesday!

Zach

Rosary in the St. Thomas More Chapel

Hi All!

We will gather tomorrow evening to say the Rosary in the St. Thomas More Chapel at 7 PM as part of our Lenten devotions.

Please try to arrive about 10 minutes early or so.

Parking can be found down the street in the nursing lot (the building across the street from St. Thomas More).

See you all tomorrow!

Zach

February 11 Meeting

Hi All,

Our next meeting will be on February 11 at 6 PM at Jake's Bar & Grill (note our new location!).

This time we will discuss some issues pertaining to young adult Catholics. For example, the Vatican recently released a new bioethics statement, which we will discuss.

We will also take this opportunity to discuss any other questions from previous meetings which may still linger.

We hope that February's meeting will set the direction and tone for the topics that we will discuss for the rest of this year!

Advent party

UPDATE: You can RSVP through this Wednesday December 10, 2008 for the party Saturday December 13.

Join us for our Advent party, on December 13 at Chris and Elizabeth’s house in West Columbia. This will be a night of fine food, drinking and fellowship! We ask that couples or individuals bring a side dish and beverages. The main course will be provided. Please RSVP to colayacs@gmail.com by December 6 10. Directions will be mailed once we receive your RSVP.

Hope to see you all there!!!

It's All About the Majority: The Catholic Laity

Hi folks!

Our upcoming meeting is all about us! We will discuss the role of the laity in the Catholic Church.

Since Vatican II there has been a lot of confusion regarding the proper role of the laity regarding their role in the Church. Many of you may remember our first meeting, where we briefly touched upon this topic--now we will devote a whole evening to discusing our role!

Just who are the laity? According to Lumen Gentium, a document from Vatican II, the laity should be "understood to mean all the faithful except those in holy orders and those in a religious state sanctioned by the Church" (#31). In other words, most of the people in the Catholic Church!

So, if most of the people in the Catholic Church are part of the laity, shouldn't there be more lay ministry and/or power sharing with the clergy? It would seem the role of the laity needs to be strengthened within the Church and that there needs must be a greater level of power exerted by the laity since the majority are not ordained or leading a professed religious life. In the name of collegiality, shouldn't the laity have more power? Just what is the proper role of the laity?

Perhaps we should follow the advice of Paul Lakeland:

The laity must take on an adult role, claiming accountability and responsibility
for their work and ministry. This means everything from democratically participating in decision--making to selecting bishops, collaborating with ordained ministers at the parish level, and working at diocesan and national levels to carry out the church's mission.

Or perhaps we should follow the reasoning of Hans Kung, who supports a greater role of the laity in terms of Church heirarchy. Kung is also an advocate of democratizing the Catholic Church.

So, come join us Tuesday, November 5, as we look at the role of the laity in the Catholic Church!