By MARNIE McALLISTER
Record Editor
The Archdiocese of Louisville’s annual Faith Formation Celebration honored more than 100 people at the Flaget Center late last month. The celebration recognized outstanding catechists and those who are continuing their education to share the message of Jesus Christ.
Art Turner, the director of the Office of Faith Formation, said the work of catechists and his office transcends “religious education.”
Faith formation is based on six pillars, he said. They are “promoting knowledge of the faith, liturgical catechesis, moral formation — which includes Catholic social teaching and outreach — teaching to pray, education for community life and missionary initiative.”
“These pillars go beyond educating the intellect, they help to ‘form’ one’s life,” said Turner. “Faith formation is about helping each person develop an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ and his church while helping that same person identify the gifts and talents they bring to the community to help build up the body of Christ.”
Three people who have been formed this way are this year’s recipients of the Roncalli Awards. The awards, named for St. John XXIII (Cardinal Roncalli), recognize “catechists who have been ignited by the spirit of Vatican II to spread the faith through catechesis.”
This year’s Roncalli Award recipients are:
• Kathy Fehder is principal of Corpus Christi Classical Academy, which has tripled under her leadership in the last three years. She is also the founder of Blanket Louisville, which she started to teach her children about outreach, but has grown to provide more than 100,000 blankets thus far to homeless individuals.
• Monica Hill has served as a catechist at St. Augustine Church in Lebanon, Ky., for 20 years and completed the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Discipleship Program in 2011. She has also been a scout leader for more than three decades.
• Joan Huber is the youth minister and coordinator of religious education at the Cathedral of the Assumption while also working full time at UPS. She serves on the board of the National Catholic Youth Conference and is involved in Teens Encounter Christ.
Several others were recognized during the celebration:
Twelve people completed the two-year Discipleship Program conducted at St. Augustine Church in Lebanon. The program focuses on spiritual and theological development. Those who completed the program are: Ginger Brunecz, Louise Deep, Lynn Fenwick, Gina Garrett, Stephanie Gootee, Sandra Jones, Paula Newby, Jami Sandusky, Kimberly Spalding, Paul Terrell, Kathy Tucker and Andrea Willett.
Forty-nine catechists who have completed 20 hours of formation classes were named associate catechists.
Twenty catechists who have completed the associate level plus 120 hours were named advanced catechists.
Fifteen catechists who completed the advanced level plus 80 hours were named master catechists.
Sacred Heart Academy received the Father Thomas Duerr Award, which is presented to a parish or school where all of its catechists have completed the associate level certification in catechetical ministry.
Ten individuals were also recognized for completing RCIA coordinator training. They are: Sandra Blanford, Polly Duncan-Collum, Tim Grove, Andrew Hennessy, Margaret Joseph, Christine Pacheco, Gloria Ritter, Fred Schuhmann, Paula Silliman and Doug Wolz.
