Spiritual Life Ministries

 “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.” 

– Pope St. John Paul II

Spiritual Life Ministries help foster the spiritual life of the members of our

community through activities including retreats, prayer, special courses, and discussion groups. 

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For Everyone

Elijah Cup Vocations Ministry 

Join us in our prayers for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Every other week at one of the Sunday Masses, a different family takes the Elijah Cup home to pray for vocations to the religious life and priesthood – especially to the Society of Mary (Marist). 

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For more information and to sign up, please click here. 

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Additional Questions? Please contact Anne Stephens at astephens@olachurch.org.

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For All Adults

Centering Prayer Group

The group meets each Wednesday evenings from 7-8pm in the Upper Room.The Centering Prayer method presents the teachings of Christian contemplatives from earlier times in an updated form. The purpose of the ongoing prayer group meeting is threefold: 1. to pray, 2. to support one another in the practice of contemplative prayer, and 3. ongoing spiritual enrichment/study of contemplative prayer.

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Meeting Format: 20 min period of Centering Prayer; view a video, read a portion of a Centering Prayer book, or reflect on a scriptural text; brief period of open discussion. All are welcome. No experience necessary.

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For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.

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Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) 

Christ Renews His Parish is a retreat designed to give both the individual and the parish community an opportunity for renewal and growth in the spiritual life. This annual parish weekend has been offered at OLA since 1979. It is held  each February on the parish grounds and is available to any adult interested. The retreat lasts from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. The weekend is offered to parishioners by parishioners. Participants sleep in their own homes; all meals are provided.

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For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.​

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Second Touch (2T)

Relive the experience that awakened you at CRHP by joining us at this mini-retreat. Held each fall from Friday night through Saturday. 

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Requirements: must have attended a CRHP weekend retreat prior.

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For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.​

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Small Christian Communities (SCC)

Small Christian Communities are faith-sharing groups of 6 – 12 people. Several groups (25-30 groups) meet at various times of the day and days of the week. Some groups have been meeting for 15 or 20 years! Small Christian Communities are powerful vehicles for adult faith formation, providing opportunities for learning, prayer, mutual support, and the shared experience of Christian living and service. These groups meet in parishioners homes and use discussion materials rooted in Scripture and Church tradition. We invite you to participate in a small group or to get ideas for materials for your existing group. Look under the Everyone, Couples, Men, and Women listings for groups geared toward specific persons.

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For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.​

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Young Adult Ministry

All OLA young adults (college graduates to 35 years old) are invited to attend the Young Adult Ministry weekly Bible/Book Study. The group meets every Monday at 7:30pm in a meeting room at the parish. They also host regular social gatherings at local restaurants. 

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For more information, please contact Vanessa Delvillar at 

youngadults@olachurch.org.

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For Couples

Couples Small Faith Groups
Groups of 6-8 couples who meet once or twice a month in members’ homes for faith and fellowship.  Groups choose from several options for studies. Please contact us if you are interested in being a part of a Small Faith Group for couples.

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For more information, please contact Karen O’Toole at karensotoole@yahoo.com

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Mosaic: Interfaith Couples Ministry
This ministry was recently formed to offer support for couples who are in dual faith relationships. Parish leaders will work with our interfaith couples to determine their needs and how our parish community can best help them navigate the challenges – and joys – that an interfaith relationship can bring.

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For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.

Marriage Encounter/WEDS Group

Worldwide Marriage Encounter is the largest pro-marriage organization in the world and promotes weekend  experiences for couples who want to make their good marriage even better. WEDS groups meet for the purpose of supporting each other in dialogue and to help each other live out the concepts of the Marriage Encounter Weekend.  All couples who have attended a Marriage Encounter Weekend are invited to join the OLA WEDS group.

For more information, please contact Karen Sheehan at ksheehan2000@yahoo.com.

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Sponsor Couple for the Engaged

Lay ministers (married couples) meet with engaged couples as part of the marriage preparation process. Training is required.

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For more information, please contact Kelly and Andrew Moore at 

sponsorcouple@olachurch.org. 

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Current and Upcoming

Offerings

Bible Study: The Gospel of Luke 

Thursday Mornings, 8-9am beginning September 5 in the Upper Room 

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Art Keegan has taken on the mantle of Father Ed’s Thursday morning Bible Study! All are invited to join the Bible study on the Gospel of Luke beginning Thursday, September 5 immediately following the 7:30am Mass (approximately 8am). The sessions will take place in the Upper Room (Second Floor of the Church) and last about 1 hour. No need to read the Gospel in advance, but be sure to bring your Bible with you. Art will be using the New American Bible (Catholic). 

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Click here to download the course description.

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Course: Laudato Si' Creation Care Study Group 

Thursdays Evenings, 7-8:30 September 26- November 7, 2019, Upper Room @OLA

In the 4 years since Pope Francis gave his encyclical, Laudato Si’, there has been an active movement within the Catholic Church to integrate these teachings and lessons into the lives of the faithful, on international, national, and local levels.To bring Laudato Si' and its messages on creation care more deeply into our daily experience, OLA will be hosting a Creation Care study group this fall. We will read and discuss parts of Laudato Si’, exploring an integral ecology that considers the environment, our economy, our society, and how the most vulnerable among us are disproportionately affected by environmental crises. We will focus on practical actions that we can take, personally and as a Christian society, to care more directly and consciously for our common home.  For more information, or to sign up, please contact: Suzanne Degnats at sdegnats@gmail.com.

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Registration Information is coming soon!