I Want to Believe! Introduction - Come and See

Welcome to our third summer series, I WANT TO BELIEVE. We are happy that you are able to participate in our study.

Our intention is to help Catholic youth, young adults, Catechists, and families to read and study the Catechism and most especially the Sacred Scriptures. We do not intend on creating a school of our own, we are simply gathering as members of the Church to study her teachings and how to apply it in our life.

If we were to ask you how many times do you pick up the bible or even the catechism, many will say different things: Never. Not Much. When I have to find a quote to answer a question. When I have to prepare a talk for my group or for my Religious Ed Class. Even the Bible, we look for quotes to answer common questions we may have about our relationship with God, but we never pick it up to read the details behind the author’s intention or why the Church put the Scriptures together. There are some who think the Bible fell down from the sky, or that it came first before the Church. Some even argue that it is the only authority we should follow (Sola Scriptura). Some don’t get the mystery writings, the parables, or what we should take as literal or symbolic.

The purpose of this class is to build your interests in reading the Bible. Participants will go through a period of study with the help of the Catechism. Below is list teachers who will lead you in understanding what the Church teaches about Scripture:

Victor Dedaj is a Member (6 years) and one of the Moderators of YCNY – Young Catholic New Yorker. He leads bible study for young adult in the New York area. He continues to be an active member of the Young Adult Community of New York. Victor is also a member the charism Communion and Liberation (http://www.clonline.us/ or http://www.clonline.org/), which has helped him in his faith and leadership within YCNY. He was confirmed as an adult in the Catholic Church.

Joani Ramirez was born and raised in New York City and currently lives in the Bronx. Throughout her childhood and adolescence she has been an active parishioner of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral (http://www.oldcathedral.org/). After a year living upstate during her college years, she returned to live in New York City and to her old parish where a group of her childhood friends had formed a youth group as part of the Jornada Movement (http://www.jornadista.org/). In April 1995, Joani did her Joranda and had a profound personal encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ that breathed new life into her experience of the Catholic faith that she always professed. A few short years later the remaining members of our youth group joined the Nueva Alianza Ministry (http://www.lanuevaalianza.org/) and began to deepen our experience of our faith through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of New York (http://www.centrocatolicocarismatico.com/). Joani feels the call to serve the Lord in His Church as an integral part of her identity and faith as a Catholic. La Nueva Alianza ministry has focused on evangelizing and bringing people to a personal encounter with the Lord through the gifts and Person of the Holy Spirit using music, preaching, and intercessory prayers. At the heart of our ministry is a profound devotion and love for our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament and to His Blessed Mother. Though our focus has been to minister to the Spanish speaking adult community of Old St. Patrick’s, we have served with other ministries in working with the adolescent and young adult population in sharing our testimony and faith in our risen Lord.

Br Michael Perez is a member of the Religious Order called the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (http://www.blessedsacrament.com/). Born and raised in NYC, he entered into the order in 1963. He has a BA in History and Social Studies. He was a teacher in both public and Catholic High Schools. Worked in hospital ministry for 8 years and has worked in Lay Leadership Formation within the Hispanic Community as a teacher in the Instituto of the Centro Carismatico (http://www.centrocatolicocarismatico.com/). He is currently the Director of Novices for his Order.

Alexandra Bastien is a student of Nyack Christian College earning a Master's degree for Mental Health Counseling. She has always considered her faith in Christ as important in her life. She believes that God is calling her to become a Christian therapist. She was the co-founder of YCNY Bible Study Group, a family group of DHT. She was also the Young Adult Coordinator for the Diocese of Rockville Center.
When she is not studying, Alexandra teaches with the “Long Island Teen Freedom” as an abstinence educator to middle school children. She also works with a foster care agency. She volunteers with the Sisters of Life as a co-worker, and runs the St Clare House - community prayer house for women

Tony Felicissimo is the director of the Advocates of Life (http://advocatesoflife.com/) and a High School Religion Teachers at Cardinal Spellman in the Archdiocese of New York.

Alvin Peña is the director of La Nueva Alianza (http://www.lanuevaalianza.org/). He is also the Music director of the Church of St. Teresa’s in the Lower East Side. Alvin is a preacher and teacher within the Charismatic Renewal circles in the Archdiocese of New York.

Betsy Davila is a Religion teacher for St. Thomas Aquinas in the Bronx. She is also a co-worker in the Archdiocese of New York Youth Congress.

Bertha Peralta & Johnny Rodriguez

WHAT TO BRING:

1) Please bring your notebook, Catechism of the Catholic Church and Bible. To purchase a copy, please visit our section CATHOLIC STORES IN NEW YORK. For online participants, please use www.VATICAN.va
2) You are welcome to bring one guest
3) Please bring something to share as we will be having a Potluck Dinner.

WHERE ARE THE TALKS TAKING PLACE?

You must RSVP in order to receive the location of the study. Please give us:

Name:
Address:
Tele#
E-mail
Name of Church:
Name of Group or Ministry:

Send it to: DefendersOfTheHolyTrinity@gmail.com



Check out our next talk I WANT TO BELIEVE 3 - "In the Beginning was the Word..." What Word was that? (CCC 101-104)

Please read the paragraphs listed for the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Also, read Dei Verbum – Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Vatican II)