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.
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).
For more information and to sign up, please click here.
For more information, please email Katie Schermerhorn at ktschermerhorn@gmail.com.
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.
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.
For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.
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.
For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.
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.
Requirements: must have attended a CRHP weekend retreat prior.
For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.
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.
For more information, please contact Mark Dannenfelser, Director of Adult Faith Formation, at mdannenfelser@olachurch.org.
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.
For more information, please contact Vanessa Delvillar at
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.
For more information, please contact Karen O’Toole at karensotoole@yahoo.com
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.
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.
Sponsor Couple for the Engaged
Lay ministers (married couples) meet with engaged couples as part of the marriage preparation process. Training is required.
For more information, please contact Kelly and Andrew Moore at
Jim Eyre
Commission Ministry Head
Current and Upcoming
Offerings
Wednesday Men's Group Winter/Spring Program
The OLA Wednesday Men's Group (WMG) is announcing its Winter/Spring 2020 program, and sending out this invitation to other OLA Men to participate.
We will be reading and discussing Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput (of the Philadelphia, PA Archdiocese). In this book, Archbishop Chaput critiques the new realities of "post-Christian America" in an effort to assist faithful Catholics in navigating 21st century US society. The program will follow a study guide, with light weekly reading assignments.
We will begin on Wednesday, January 22nd with a video intro of the topic, along with an overview of how we will structure the program, from current OLA WMG members.
Those interested in joining us are encouraged view the video primer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtElRVDdY-k) to learn more about the book we will study, as well as obtain a copy of Archbishop Chaput's book (see title above - about $10 on Amazon).
The OLA WMG was founded in October of 2016, with a commitment to OLA Men seeking a classic, mid-week, evening meeting format. Our group offers brotherhood, fellowship, and a deeper appreciation of our Catholic faith, to OLA's male parishioners. The group meets weekly on Wednesday evenings from 7:00PM to 8:30PM in the Library of the church's office. For more information, please email us at OLAWednesdayMensGroup@gmail.com, or contact Matt Foley at (404) 240-0235 or Kevin O'Toole at (404) 451-3092.
For Women
Common Thread. Women's small groups are groups of 10-15 women who meet in each others homes to support one another in their journeys as individuals, spouses, mothers, and Christians. Part social and part reflection, these groups promote deepening friendships through faith-filled connections.
For more information, please contact Amanda Reilly and Catherine Rice at olawomensgroups@gmail.com.
For Men
Bible Study for Men – Friday Morning. The Friday Morning Men’s Bible Study attends the 7:30am Mass and then meets at Oglethorpe University for breakfast and bible study.
For more information, please contact Pete Cabrelli at
Saturday Men’s Discipleship Group. This group meets every Saturday morning at 7:30 am in the OLA Parish Library. We discuss a variety of issues that men face and utilize both scripture and Christian teaching to guide us with the issues on our hearts. We are a very diverse group of men, at all different places in our Christian journey. We are striving to become better men, better husbands, better fathers…Better Christians. The group is open to all men who wish to join.
www.facebook.com/groups/olasatmorningmensgroup/.
For more information, please contact Declan Reilly and Ralph Williams at
olasatmorningmensgroup@gmail.com.
Wednesday Men’s Group. The OLA Wednesday Men’s Group (WMG) invites all OLA Men interested in visiting and/or joining our Small Faith Community. WMG was founded in October of 2016, with a commitment to OLA Men seeking a classic, mid-week, evening meeting format. Our group offers brotherhood, fellowship, and a deeper appreciation of our Catholic faith, to OLA’s male parishioners. The group meets weekly on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm to 8:30pm in the Library of the church’s office. WMG devotes about half of each session to a discussion of the upcoming Sunday’s readings. And we explore other Catholic topics and issues with the remainder of the group’s time.
For more information, please contact Matt Foley at (404) 240-0235 or or Kevin O’Toole at (404) 451-3092 or OLAWednesdayMensGroup@gmail.com.
“God loves things by becoming them.’” (Introduction to The Universal Christ, by Richard Rohr)
Course Facilitator: This course will be taught by Mark Dannenfelser
Cost: Students need only to purchase the book (on their own); estimated cost $12.50
To Register:
To lear more about OLA's Adult Faith Formation Programs, please click here.
Adult Faith Formation: Current and Upcoming Offerings
The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything Course
Four Tuesdays: February 4 - February 25
7-8:30pm in the Chanel Center
Students will read and discuss Fr. Richard Rohr’s most important book to date - The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything.
The 4-week course will be packed with opportunities for student to:
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learn about a forgotten teaching on Christ,
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experience Christian contemplative practices,
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participate in community through reflection, discussion and prayer, and
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intend to be a more loving, engaged presence in the world.