The Faith Formation of Adults That Bring Their Children For Baptism

Witczak, Rev. Michael (Advisor); DeMasi, Sandra (Author); Schreiber, Margaret (Other); Kelleher, Margaret Mary (Other)

Degree awarded: D.Min. Liturgical Studies/Sacramental Theology. The Catholic University of America

237 p.

http://hdl.handle.net/1961/cuislandora:28275

Witczak, Rev. Michael

http://hdl.handle.net/1961/cuislandora:28275

Schreiber, Margaret; Kelleher, Margaret Mary

Religion; Theology

2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Sacramental programs preparing adults for the Baptism of newborns in most Catholic parishes are considered less of a priority than sacramental programs preparing children for Confirmation and first Eucharist. As a result, minimal resources and efforts are extended there. Programs of sacramental catechesis for infant Baptism should put adults at the center of the Church's catechetical efforts. The Church believes that the faith formation of those who bring a child for Baptism is of great importance, and it is the Church's most basic and necessary duty to inspire all parents of children to be baptized to a true and living faith. What is proposed and implemented is a parish plan that will cultivate a Baptismal and Eucharistic spirituality within adults who bring children for Baptism. The plan is inspired by and modeled on the baptismal catechumenate--the RCIA--the norm for Christian initiation and the paradigm for all catechesis. The parish plan was implemented in six New Jersey parishes in the form of a four-phased method: Preparing the Parish Staff, Forming a Baptismal Team, Running the Project, and Evaluating the Project. Two of the parishes opted only for Phase 1, while four of the parishes have completed three phases, making adjustments as needed in the form of an ongoing evaluation. In addition, overview presentations of the project were given on a diocesan level in Las Cruces, NM; Orange, CA; Newark, NJ; and Trenton, NJ. A one session presentation of the project was also presented at the pastoral formation of deacons in the Archdiocese of Newark. As the result of the implementation of the program, a parish plan for Baptism catechesis evolved: three steps before Baptism--Pregnancy Gatherings, Gathering for a Catechetical Session, Gathering in Preparation for the Child's Baptism--and a final step following Baptism--Gathering to Remember. Only one parish involved in the project has implemented the final step. The goal of the adult faith formation process as presented in this treatise is to foster the formation of an adult community whose faith is well formed and lively, who will more effectively pass that faith on to the next generation.

Text; Dissertation

DeMasi_cua_0043A_10572

The Catholic University of America