Small Faith-Sharing Groups at Lourdes

Are you in need of a group of people
with whom you could talk about
the most important things in life?

If you…

A. Don’t know who you’d meet with, but would love a small group;

B. Already have a small group and are open to others joining; or

C. Would like to begin to host a small group, either with people you know or people you don’t;

…we would like to help!

Hopefully we can do the work of forming groups throughout Advent, and groups can start meeting in January. If you want to participate, fill out the form to the right/below (depending on your device).

For this to work and have a shot at becoming true community, we ask that in the beginning everyone commit to 6 sessions, whether they happen weekly, biweekly, or monthly. After that, your group can decide if they want to keep going, splinter off, etc.

Possible group themes:

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"Breaking Open the Word" - in-depth discussion of the readings from Sunday Mass.

Engaging with the Sunday Scriptures is actually supposed to be a major part of the process of becoming Catholic, particularly in its open-ended initial stage. If you or someone you know is considering Catholicism, this would be a great topic for your/their group.

Suggested guide: One Sunday at a Time by Mark Hart.

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"Weekdays with the Saints" - consideration of the examples of the saints

Suggested guide: Pray for Us by Meg Hunter-Kilmer. This book includes many saints of whom most Catholics are unaware, and saints from throughout the world are well represented.
 

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Other resources/topics for group discussion:

• Into Life series - video series from the Sisters of Life about accompanying mothers in crisis pregnancies
• Witness - how to tell the stories of grace working in your life. The author has a contact form on the page; he offers to help you create a reading and action plan for your group.

 

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If you feel less than fully equipped to lead a group, Revive Parishes has this free short course on effective small groups: Small Groups with Lisa Brenninkmeyer (reviveparishes.com) and the Archdiocese has a list of these tips: The Big Power of Small Groups (archstl.org)

Some existing parish groups to tap into: Women's Scripture Study, Moms Transmit the Faith. Contact Laura ([email protected], 314.726.6200 ext. 7) for more information on those groups!