Denver Catholic

BOOK I 5 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I SEPTEMBER 4, 2013 If you love the Church, read this book BY JOSEPH BURNS Sherry A. Weddell has done a great service for the Church in writing her new book, "Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus" (Our Sunday Visitor, 2012). No other book I've read in the past 40 years does a better job of describing the condition of the Church in the United States, the symptoms of that condition, the primary cause, and the path to renewal. Allow me to use Weddell's own words to summarize the book's message. After interviewing many thousands of parishioners, and more than 1,600 diocesan and parish leaders, she wrote: "What have we learned? We learned that there is a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon between the Church's sophisticated theology of the lay apostolate and the lived spiritual experience of the majority of our people. And this chasm has a name: discipleship. We learned that the majority of even 'active' American Catholics are still at an early, essentially passive stage of spiritual development. We learned that our first need at the parish level isn't catechetical. Rather, our fundamental problem is that most of our people are not yet disciples. They never will be apostles until they have begun to follow Jesus Christ in the midst of his Church." After hundreds of interviews with leaders throughout the country to determine how many of their parishioners were committed disciples of Christ, Weddell arrived at the number: 5 percent. This shocking number may be the most important key Where there's a Will… BOOK Title: "Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus" Author: Sherry A. Weddell Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor, 2012 to understanding the remainder of the book: it is only when we clearly see our true condition that we are able to seek realistic cures. And Weddell does a superb job of charitably describing this startling reality. Weddell has amassed a small mountain of additional data that supports her description of the massive loss of faith among Catholics in America. Just three among the many statistics make this dramatic loss clear: 1. 10 percent of all adults in the United States are ex-Catholics (that's a loss of more than 30 million). 2. Nearly four times as many Catholics have left the Church as have entered. 3. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still "practicing." Weddell skillfully describes the unusual situation found in most parishes that contributes directly to this dramatic Catholic exodus: in most parishes it is See Book, Page 12 Creating a Will is an important way to record and remember what matters most to you … Personally – Secure an inheritance for your loved ones. Financially – Ease the distribution of your assets and minimize taxes. Spiritually – Let your Will strengthen your parish and our Catholic community. The Catholic Foundation of Northern Colorado is here to help you understand the advantages of creating a Will. After all, you can't take it with you. But you can give it a way to serve the greater good. Discover how your Will can include a bequest, trust, annuity, life insurance policy or real estate property—and how you can honor our Catholic values in the name of your family. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … but treasures in heaven. MATTHEW 6:19–21 What better way to leave your legacy than in the love of Jesus Christ? By creating a Will, you can … Give it a way. 303.468.9885 | 1.866.437.1842 | www.TheCatholicFoundation.com Inspired Planning & Giving Our planning services are offered as a courtesy to our donors.

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