SWANNANOA — Father Brian Becker, pastor of St. Margaret Mary Church, is using an engaging format to share the faith with parents of his faith formation students.
Called “Fireside Chats,” these informal sessions for adults are being conducted in the church during the time when the kids are in their faith formation classes. The six-part series of sessions includes teaching on a particular topic, followed by a time for questions.
So far, Father Becker has offered two “Fireside Chats,” with four more scheduled between April 14 and May 19. In February, he spoke about prayer, and in March he spoke about living the Catholic faith every day of the week.
Father Becker said he borrowed the format from his days as a parochial vicar of St. Mark Church in Huntersville.
“Fireside Chats are drawn from American lore, and it is used to explain things that need a long chat in a relaxed atmosphere, just as gathering around the fire is informal, so people can listen as things are taught and explained,” he said.
It is an effective way to give an in-depth treatment for issues too complex to cover within the limited timeframe of a homily, he said.
Sarah Kramer, who organizes faith formation for the parish, sees these “Fireside Chats” as a helpful tool for evangelization.
“The parents are really excited to have some formation for themselves,” Kramer said. “It is greatly needed as parents because we don’t have the opportunity to have an interactive situation where we get to be catechized, as the children do.”
Antonio Garcia, the local Hispanic vicariate coordinator, has been simultaneously translating the “Fireside Chats” into Spanish.
“The chats are wonderful! The first one Father did on prayer, he did it in English, and there were a few parents who were there who were Hispanic. I asked them if they understood any of it and they said they did understand a little of it,” Garcia said.
Yet they wanted to make the information available to everyone, so thanks to some new equipment Garcia can now translate each talk for people who are more comfortable conversing in Spanish.
“I think it is so important for the community to hear the message in Spanish. The whole point is to help them at home. Every bit of information they can receive from their pastor is important,” Garcia noted.
“This gives the parents themselves a chance to engage in and learn what the children are learning,” Father Becker added. “We wanted to do some things specifically directed to the parents, with topics more suited to them and growing their faith and their ability to support their children’s education in the faith.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter