“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way
                          and opened the scriptures to us?”  - Luke 24:32

                        Welcome to our Adult Faith Formation page!

At Our Lady of the Valley Parish we offer a variety of adult faith formation activities that address the needs and interests of the Catholic community. In addition to in-house classes and talks with guest speakers we provide access to a variety of Catholic web sites that give adults the tools they need to grow closer to God and to assist them in developing a mature and well-built faith. Through these offerings adults are challenged to increase and nourish their understanding of the Catholic faith and the Catholic Church. Please see the links below.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes Adult Faith Formation as an essential process inviting Catholic Christians to integrate their own life experiences with knowledge of the faith, love of God, and love of neighbor. It is a complete initiation into the life of the Church as a way of forming a Christian conscience and a desire to act as Christ’s hands and feet in the world. In their description of Adult Faith Formation the Catholic Bishops identified key areas of adult Catholic formation: Knowledge of the faith, Liturgical Life, Moral Formation, Prayer, Communal Life and Missionary Spirit.

"Our adult faith formation ministry must engage the particular needs and interests of the adults in each local community. To be faithful and effective it will offer, over time, a comprehensive and systematic presentation and exploration of the core elements of Catholic faith and practice - a complete initiation into a Catholic way of life. It will do so in a way that is accessible to adults and relates to their life experiences, helping them to form a Christian conscience and to live their lives in the world as faithful disciples of Jesus.
"This integration of actual life experience, diverse adult learning needs, the study of Scripture, and the teaching of the Church's tradition will create a vibrant learning environment. It will also challenge the creativity of those who establish the direction, plan the content, and provide programs of adult faith formation. Meeting the challenge will be both demanding and rewarding." - Excerpt from Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States.