New Adult Faith Formation Series kicks off on the Upper East Side

Last Thursday night, September 11, 2014, saw the beginning of a new faith formation series at The Church of St. Catherine of Siena, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Fr. Jordan Kelly, OP, is leading the series, Journey to the Heart of Faith, which meets at the Church every Thursday evening for the next three months. Beginning with “Amazed and Afraid: God Becomes Man,” the series will end on November 20 with “It’s All About God.” In an interview Fr. Jordan spoke about the importance of adult faith education: “Catechesis within the Church, but especially Adult Catechesis, has long been at a crisis point. Statistics demonstrate that we have lost two entire generations of Catholics who have not been formed in the faith, or who have not been properly formed in the faith. Statistics likewise demonstrate that we are in danger of losing the third generation. Combing both prayer and instruction, Journey to the Heart of Faith is a new attempt to address this challenge.” “The objective of the series is that through faith formation and prayer the participants may be led to a deeper encounter with Christ through which they truly come to know and love the Lord – the heart of our Faith.” Fr. Jordan spoke of his hope for those attending the lectures, a “hope that they will take with them the encounter with God and resolve to truly live as intentional disciples of Jesus Christ.” The series continues this Thursday, September 18, with a talk entitled “Happy Are We: The Teachings of Jesus.” Fr. Jordan entered the Order of Preachers in 1999 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2003. He has been pastor of The Church of St. Catherine of Siena since 2010 and also serves as the director of The Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York, which offers comprehensive pastoral care to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, and the Hospital for Special Services. Before coming to New York, Fr. Jordan served as a teacher and administrator at Fenwick High School in Chicago, a high school run by the Dominican friars.

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