FORMED Website for Catholic Study Offered To Parishes in the Archdiocese

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FORMED, a website featuring Catholic study programs, movies, audio presentations and ebooks from reliable and popular sources, is being made available, at no cost, to parishes in the archdiocese for the next year.

Formed.org is a subscription-based website that is a partnership of the following Catholic apostolates: Augustine Institute, Lighthouse Catholic Media, Ignatius Press, Word on Fire, Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception and St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

Study programs include more than 300 video episodes, plus accompanying study guides, for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, sacramental preparation, Bible study, adult faith formation and youth ministry.

The video programs include “Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Catholic Faith,” by Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles, and “33 Days to Morning Glory,” a do-it-yourself retreat program in preparation for Marian consecration.

There are also 48 Lighthouse Talks, which are audio presentations geared toward evangelization; 40 full-length feature films for the entire family; and dozens of ebooks to enliven the faith of individuals and groups.

“There’s a variety of content available that would be of interest, for people who have very basic questions to people who want to go very deep in their faith,” said Daniel Frascella, director of adult faith formation for the archdiocese.
“This is a way for parishioners, on their own time, to learn more about the faith, by reading an ebook or doing a Bible study,” he said.

Frascella told CNY that the initiative, which is being underwritten for the coming year by an anonymous benefactor and the archdiocese itself, is a “collaborative effort” of his office along with archdiocesan Catechetical, Young Adults and Youth Ministry offices.

He said that he expects each of the offices will promote FORMED at their major upcoming events.

A team from the Augustine Institute will present evening training sessions at various sites throughout the archdiocese from Tuesday to Friday, Sept. 20-23, and at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 24.

Information about training sessions: archny.org/FORMED.
Mailings about FORMED have already gone out to pastors, and a webinar is planned for parishes on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Pastors have been showing “a steady response of interest,” especially to learn more about how to use FORMED “effectively in their parishes,” Frascella said.
FORMED provides guides to give leaders of parish groups an outline for their sessions as well as helpful tips designed to increase the confidence of parish leaders and enable the groups to expand.

He noted that a number of parishes have already taken advantage of the one-year subscription. Once parishes have enrolled, they can make access codes available to their parishioners.

Information about parish subscriptions: Elizabeth Guevera, director of operations, Office for Adult Faith Formation, (646) 794-2577.