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September 5, 2023, Waterford, Connecticut – As they begin a new year of teaching religion to children, where can catechists turn for help and inspiration? Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP, offers an answer in her latest book, Saints and Mentors for Catechists. 

Referring to the Catholic belief in the Communion of Saints – the connection between those of us on Earth and those who have gone before us – Sister Janet writes in her introduction of the support we can find in saints. “As catechists in today’s church, we have the assurance that we are surrounded by those who have lived, experienced, and shared the word of God throughout the centuries by their words and their lives.”

In her book, Sister Janet shares the stories of saints who spread the faith as catechists in earlier times of Christianity. She also offers reflection questions to help catechists realize the dignity of their role in sharing the Word of God.

An Adrian Dominican Sister, retreat leader, and consultant for catechists and adult faith formation leaders, Sister Janet once served as Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit. She received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL). 

Sister Janet has written numerous catechist books and resources, including Spirituality for Catechists and The Creed: A Catechist’s Guide. She also writes annual Advent reflection booklets.

Saints and Mentors for Catechists is available at the Weber Center Shop at the Adrian Motherhouse Campus and from Twenty-Third Publications. Weber Center Shop is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. The shop is closed for lunch from noon to 12:45 p.m. The book can also be ordered by calling 517-266-4035 or emailing [email protected].  

August 25, 2023, Adrian, Michigan – Many of us long to escape struggle. But Sister Kathleen Duffy, SSJ, offers a retreat day reflecting on how to find hope amid struggle. In Embracing Struggle: Walking in Hope with Teilhard de Chardin, she reflects on how his approach encourages us to continue to struggle for the kind of change needed in our Church and our world.

The retreat is from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, September 16, 2023, at Weber Retreat and Conference Center.

Sister Kathleen, a Sister of St. Joseph, is President of the American Teilhard Association, former editor of Teilhard Studies, and Professor Emerita of Physics at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. 

The cost of $45 includes lunch. Registration is required and available at www.webercenter.org; click “programs.” Registrations may also be made by calling 517-266-4000 or emailing [email protected]. Limited scholarships are available.

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. Traveling east on Siena Heights Drive, pass the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and turn left just before the solar panel-covered parking lot. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.