Theology on Tap begins againBy KARA KOCZUR,
SIOUX CITY, Iowa Globe staff reporter
Saints and martyrs, Mary and the pope will all be discussed at the spring sessions of Theology on Tap, which begins March 29.
This will be the third Theology on Tap series the diocese has put on. So far, the program has gone pretty well, said Kathryn Fairchild, one of the organizers, with an average of 15 to 30 people showing up for each session.
RENEW Theology on Tap is a young adult ministry program that originated in Chicago. It is an international program for young adults, 18 to 40, single or married, and takes place at bars and restaurants. Each Theology on Tap session has a theology topic and a speaker, as well as a question and answer period, followed by time for fellowship.
“[Theology on Tap] is one of the few things we offer,” Fairchild said. “I think there’s not a lot out there for that in between age.”
The spring series is based on topic suggestions from previous attendees, Fairchild said. Besides the first session, two more Theology on Tap opportunities will occur in April and May.
“A lot of people in our generation didn’t really receive full catechism or maybe at this point they’ve forgotten some of the stuff they may have learned a long time ago,” Fairchild said. “They just know we have these saints days, [but] what do they mean? They want to know more about these people.”
Mark Thomason will help young adults learn more about them March 29 at Minerva’s with his talk on “Modern Saints and Martyrs, what can we learn from them?”
“A lot of the modern people dismiss religion as superstition,” said Thomason, diocesan director of catechesis, evangelization and RCIA. “Modern saints dispel that and prove that religion is still relevant today.”
Catholics today can also identify with the saints and still need them, he said. Modern saints are those who struggled through the post-industrial revolution. Humans live in a very different world now compared to the time of St. Francis of Assisi, Thomason said, which is one of the reasons many people ignore the saints.
There are still St. Francis’ in the world today, they just adapt to the era, he added.
“I think it’s more and more important that we live the lives of the saints and utilize the saints,” he said. “We all have our little kids’ saints books, but we drop off there. [Saints] really are the best teachers.”
Thomason will mention some of the well known and not so well known saints, such as Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Miguel Pro, S.J., and others.
“I think the big difference is the extraordinary courage of most of them,” Thomason said.
For example, Miguel Pro, S.J., had to sneak around Mexico to say Mass during the Mexican Revolution and to do so he had to wear disguises such as a clown and lawyer.
Link (here) to the full story
Photo is of Miguel Pro being executed by the Mexican Communist government
This will be the third Theology on Tap series the diocese has put on. So far, the program has gone pretty well, said Kathryn Fairchild, one of the organizers, with an average of 15 to 30 people showing up for each session.
RENEW Theology on Tap is a young adult ministry program that originated in Chicago. It is an international program for young adults, 18 to 40, single or married, and takes place at bars and restaurants. Each Theology on Tap session has a theology topic and a speaker, as well as a question and answer period, followed by time for fellowship.
“[Theology on Tap] is one of the few things we offer,” Fairchild said. “I think there’s not a lot out there for that in between age.”
The spring series is based on topic suggestions from previous attendees, Fairchild said. Besides the first session, two more Theology on Tap opportunities will occur in April and May.
“A lot of people in our generation didn’t really receive full catechism or maybe at this point they’ve forgotten some of the stuff they may have learned a long time ago,” Fairchild said. “They just know we have these saints days, [but] what do they mean? They want to know more about these people.”
Mark Thomason will help young adults learn more about them March 29 at Minerva’s with his talk on “Modern Saints and Martyrs, what can we learn from them?”
“A lot of the modern people dismiss religion as superstition,” said Thomason, diocesan director of catechesis, evangelization and RCIA. “Modern saints dispel that and prove that religion is still relevant today.”
Catholics today can also identify with the saints and still need them, he said. Modern saints are those who struggled through the post-industrial revolution. Humans live in a very different world now compared to the time of St. Francis of Assisi, Thomason said, which is one of the reasons many people ignore the saints.
There are still St. Francis’ in the world today, they just adapt to the era, he added.
“I think it’s more and more important that we live the lives of the saints and utilize the saints,” he said. “We all have our little kids’ saints books, but we drop off there. [Saints] really are the best teachers.”
Thomason will mention some of the well known and not so well known saints, such as Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Miguel Pro, S.J., and others.
“I think the big difference is the extraordinary courage of most of them,” Thomason said.
For example, Miguel Pro, S.J., had to sneak around Mexico to say Mass during the Mexican Revolution and to do so he had to wear disguises such as a clown and lawyer.
Link (here) to the full story
Photo is of Miguel Pro being executed by the Mexican Communist government
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