Formation in the Diocese

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

-Matthew 28:19

Formation is central to our mission in the Church to share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the whole world and  Our diocesan plan for 2023-2028 identifies as a priority that we would “Provide intentional and ongoing faith formation for all.” Formation also equips us to live out one of our other pastoral priorities that all the people of God would be co-responsible for the mission of the Church. This is a challenge to all of us to be leaders in the various ministries throughout our Church and to continually be open to engaging in formation so that we can be “authentic witnesses of the Christian life” (Evangelii Nuntiandi 41).

Below are some upcoming opportunities for formation that we encourage you to consider participating in. If you are interested in one of the below opportunities but cost is an issue, or if you have any ideas or suggestions for formation that you would like to receive then please get in touch at formation@rok.catholic.net.au

 

Love & Responsibility Webinar

This is the first of what will hopefully become quarterly formation webinars in our diocese. Love & Responsibility is a groundbreaking book that was written by Pope John Paul II when he was a bishop in Poland. It is about human love and explains relationships between persons, especially concerning sexual ethics, in the context of human dignity. The core ideas of this work would develop into the Pope’s hugely influential ‘Theology of the Body’, which is a thorough explanation of human sexuality that explores how God is revealed through his creation of humanity. This teaching is still immensely relevant to many of the issues and debates that are present in society and the Church today.

This webinar will be presented by Hayley Lanzon, the Parish Faith Coordinator at Gladstone parish. Earlier this year she was supported by the Diocese and her parish to attend an intensive course on Love & Responsibility in Sydney with Christopher West from the Theology of the Body Institute. Hayley will be sharing about her experience of the course as well as some of the core messages from Pope John Paul II’s teachings in Love & Responsibility.

There will be 2 seminar times to enable as many people as possible to attend. The seminars are on Tuesday the 2nd of April from 7pm to 8:30pm and Saturday the 6th of April from 10am to 11:30am. These seminars are open to all however due to the nature of the topics being addressed it is recommended that all participants be at least 16 years of age. Click here to register.

 

Catholic Foundations – Being Sacramental

Catholic Foundations is a formation program offered by the Archdiocese of Brisbane which is open to all Catholics but especially for those who are volunteers involved in a ministry of the Church. This April-June there is a 9 week module on sacraments which will cover Liturgy, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Holy Orders, Anointing, & Marriage. This is the first time that members of our diocese will be able to access this. Sessions are on 7pm on Monday nights starting on the 15th of April.

Our diocese will be hosting 2 local ‘hubs’. One hub will be in Rockhampton at the Duhig Centre. The other hub will be an online hub via Zoom which to provide the opportunity for those from other parishes to participate online. We may still add other local hubs in some parishes. Click here for more information about registering.