The Adult Faith Formation Committee at St. Clare Church on Staten Island, an active ministry born about 20 years ago, is planning a mental health and spirituality seminar that members hope will serve as “a wellness fair, after the Masses on a Sunday – with little workshops.”  

Organizers said the in-person seminar is in the planning stage, hoping to present it in early autumn with guest speakers. In a related effort, the ministry recently began a spiritual support group for caregivers of people with mental health illness, in-person meetings held monthly.       

“It is a ministry of understanding, of accompaniment – to give caregivers a place to come and talk, to find a place where there is a sympathetic ear,” Claire Smith, parish director of Adult Faith Formation (AFF), told The Good Newsroom in an interview. “They are mostly parents or children of someone who has mental illness.” Smith noted those available to listen include the parish counselor and a parish member, both of whom are licensed social workers.                                             

Smith said the AFF ministry stays busy in planning and sponsoring “educational, spiritual, and fun activities; we do all kinds of things, we’re always planning something. The members range in age from their 40s to 90. There are 14 active members…This is vitally important, because if the adults don’t know their faith, how could they pass it on to their children? Our goal is to form adults so that they know their faith.”              

Within the Adult Faith Formation Committee is the Ignatian Prayer Group, which offers retreats and prayer meetings based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. The committee also offers Advent and Lenten retreats and other meetings that involve contemplative prayer and spiritual exercises. Some gatherings are in-person events, others via Zoom. And there are social gatherings for single seniors 55-plus.   

The Adult Faith Formation Committee, as part of its mission statement, cites the words of St. Augustine: “I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe.” 

Vitally alive in faith 

The ministry says it has two goals:

“To form a parish that is vitally alive in faith. We seek to provide a parish climate and an array of activities and resources designed to help adults more fully understand and live their faith” and “To form adults who actively cultivate a lively baptismal and eucharistic spirituality with a powerful sense of mission and apostolate. Nourished by word, sacrament, and communal life, they will witness and share the Gospel in their homes, neighborhoods, places of work and centers of culture.”

Organizers also encourage fellow St. Clare parishioners to visit formed.org, follow the instructions, register, and view free Catholic videos, audio programs, e-books, and movies on their computer, tablet, or smartphone.   

Maureen Italiano is a ministry member and one of the two licensed social workers who assists  the caregiver support group. She said she is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the parish Adult Faith Formation Committee.  

“The prayer, sharing, and planning have all contributed to my growth as a Catholic woman. I’m pleased to belong to the committee, enjoying the friendship with other committee members,” Italiano said. “Adult Faith Formation focuses on the challenges of ongoing faith development for adults. The parish has made a commitment: understanding that faith is a gift, and the more we study the faith, the more that gift will grow.”