By Marnie McAllister, Record Assistant Editor
One Why Catholic? group at Incarnation Church has become just what organizers envisioned for Why Catholic? participants.
Their small group has become a Christian community. The group — which includes married couples and single adults — gathers once a week to pray, share some refreshments and learn from one another about their faith. They also volunteer together.
On Nov. 28, members of the group prepared and served a spaghetti dinner to families enrolled in DiCaFF, the religious education program sponsored by Incarnation, Mary Queen of Peace, St. Paul and St. Lawrence churches.
Two hours into the event, Susan Bolton was still smiling as she carried a full tray of garlic bread.
“We take Why Catholic? to another level,” Bolton said, smiling. She said this to one of her companions in the group, Jenny Milby. The group came together for the first time last fall in the Milby’s finished basement where they began by sharing stories about their faith.
“As a group, we’ve been very service oriented,” Milby said. “We’ve adopted a family for Christmas (for whom they are buying gifts) and we go caroling to the shut-ins at Christmas.”
When they go caroling, Milby said, her husband dresses up as Santa and the group — which is joined by others in the parish — also delivers treats to homebound parishioners.
This fall, Why Catholic? is focused on prayer. The Incarnation group has taken that very seriously.
They have learned about different forms of prayer and shared with one another the ways they pray, said Grover Bolton, husband of Susan Bolton.
“I’m learning that I’m not alone, a lot of people (in the group) pray the way I do,” said Grover Bolton.
“We’re not traditional when it comes to prayer,” he noted. “We normally say the ‘Our Father’ at the end of our sessions. But I think we all pray in our own way. We don’t always do it out of the book.
“We do find ourselves talking to God and Jesus throughout the day, more like an old friend,” he added.
Last month, the group started what they hope will be a monthly tradition. They are visiting different faith communities — both Catholic and non-Catholic — to experience the different ways they pray and worship.
Their first visit took them to Love Fellowship Missionary Church in Shively.
“The way they worship is very vocal. If people in the pews feel moved to say, ‘Amen,’ they do it. It really moves you,” Milby said. “We really had a good time. Their choir was the best.”
