Earlier this year St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Attleboro invited members of the community to attend “Discovering Christ”, a seven-week course focused on some of life’s most basic questions dealing with the meaning and purpose of life.
“Response to our inaugural program was overwhelming,” according to Chris Donoghue, a member of the team putting on the program. “Registration filled up quickly and we had a waiting list of potential participants. Men and women of differing ages and backgrounds came together for an enjoyable, and for many a powerful experience. It was amazing!”
Because of the popularity of the program the parish will again run “Discovering Christ” this Fall. The free course will be held at the parish center on Wednesday evenings, starting Oct 4 and running through Nov 15.
Each weekly session starts with dinner, which provides participants the opportunity to get to know each other better. There is a relevant video teaching that is presented after the meal which focuses on topics such as “why are we here” and “who is Jesus.”
Following the video, participants are invited to share their reactions — what they think and how they feel about what they have heard — in a safe and non-judgmental environment.
“It is important that people realize this is not a “typical” religious education program; in fact we strongly invite and encourage anyone regardless of their current religious affiliation or lack thereof, to attend,” Donoghue explained.
“It is about your personal story, your experience and how we believe together we can find meaning and ultimately joy in the ancient message of Christianity. A lot of us are so busy with the day to day activities of living, and the stress that comes with family and work obligations or other specific hardships we may face, that we lose sight of the bigger picture. This program gives participants a chance to take a moment and put things in perspective.”
The course is open to anyone age 18 and older regardless of religious background. For more information or to register visit facebook.com/dcattleboro or email mercysje@gmail.com