FORMED — Catholicism on Demand — is now available through the Augustine Institute for parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Joseph  Mission. Videos and audio books are in Spanish & English. Sign in with your email address to watch at  https://watch.formed.org/browse.

Catechesis means an education of children, young people, and adults in the faith of the Church through the teaching of Christian doctrine in an organic and systematic way to make them disciples of Jesus Christ. Those who perform the ministry of catechesis in the Church are called “catechists.” (Definition from Glossary to Catechism of the Catholic Church (“CCC”), Second Edition.)

Opportunities for adult catechesis in the parish include:

Apologetics Class (aka Church Teachings Class) taught by Fr. Kris Sorenson, Pastor. “Apology” or “Apologetics” here means an explanation or defense of the Christian Faith, and the class seeks to particularly educate Catholics concerning certain doctrines and practices, part of the Catholic Christian Faith for centuries, which today are typically misunderstood or rejected by persons outside of the Faith. The class is held in the evening several times throughout the school year at both OLL and SJM. See the Calendar for specific dates and times.
     Fall 2021 Schedule and Handouts may be downloaded here.

Sacraments & Pre-Baptismal Class taught by Fr. Kris Sorenson, Pastor. The class is open to everyone and gives an overview of the seven sacraments of the Church. It is a requirement for parents and prospective godparents to attend before an infant is baptized so that parents and godparents have a better understanding of the graces given in baptism and obligations towards the infant they are assuming. The class is bilingual in English and Spanish and is held quarterly at OLL. 

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) (English)
Rito de la Iniciacion Christiana de Adultos (RICA) (Español)
In the first centuries of the Christian Church, someone who wanted to be a disciple of Jesus and baptized as a Christian was a “catechumen” for quite a lengthy period of time, sometimes years, while he or she learned about the Faith, the teachings of the Church, and converted his/her life to the moral standards of Christ Jesus. Today this “catechumenate” process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), which is normally a two-year program. 

Classes are typically taught during the school year:

• OLL, English, Monday, 7:00-8:30 PM, Hall
• OLL, Spanish, Sunday, 10:00-11:45 AM, Hall
• SJM, English, Sunday, 9:30-11:30 AM

More information on the RCIA program can be found on the website for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Adult Catechesis classes include:

• Spanish RICA, Formación de la fe y Adultos Crecimiento, Sunday / /Domingo 10:00-11:45 AM, OLL Hall.
• Formación de la fe – Adultos Estudio Biblico, Sunday /Domingo 8:30-10:30 AM, SJM.
•  English Adult Faith Formation at 6:00 PM on Thursdays at SJM during the school year.

Estudio Biblico (Bible Study in Español) is held at OLL Wednesday afternoon from 2:00-3:30 PM and from 4:00-5:30 PM. Also at SJM (check for date and time).

El Grupo de Oración (Prayer Group in Español), which includes some teaching, is held at OLL Friday from 7:15-9:00 PM in the Church, and El Grupo Jovenes in the Hall from 7:30-9:00 PM.
At SJM, El Grupo de Oración is on Friday from 5:00-6:00 PM.

Prison Ministry at the California City Correctional Center provides catechesis to the inmates weekly on Wednesday afternoons, 12:30-3:00 PM, and assists our Pastor with a monthly Mass.

Study Resources
See the How Can I Learn More?

For Other Learning Opportunities for Adults and Youth at the Parish
See the Evangelization page.

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