“Do you love my sister Bernadette?” asked Father Vincent Hawkswell as he introduced a new session of his Catholic Faith course one Sunday afternoon.
The group of about 30 attendees at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre in Vancouver were somewhat perplexed by his strange question, until one participant blurted out, “How can I love her? I don’t even know her!”
To which Father replied: “And how can you be sure you love God unless you really know him too?” (Readers of a certain age may recall the Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmy-Lou Harris classic recording To Know Him is to Love Him, which speaks similarly to the heart at an authentic human level.)
The Catholic Faith course is the collaboration of Father Hawkswell and Maureen Creelman, a longtime friend and associate in teaching others the Catholic Faith.
Father Vince officially “retired” from parish work with all its administrative burdens four years ago, while Maureen retired from full-time teaching in 2010.
Having left his “day job” behind, Father quips that he is now “a full-time priest” – saying Mass, hearing confessions, and teaching the faith – all work that is fundamental to his priestly vocation, he says.
Maureen brings her 36 years as a professional teacher to this project. The course is free and fully funded by Father and Maureen’s retirement income which, they joke, makes one less thing to leave behind when crossing the finish line into eternity.
The Catholic Faith comprises 36 weekly sessions and covers the essential content of what Catholics believe. It draws heavily from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, and orthodox Christian writers.
It is also inspired by Maureen’s and Father’s reflections on their own Catholic upbringing in families that understood, treasured, and practised the teachings of the Church.
Although the majority of participants are committed Catholics who wish to do a deeper dive into the faith, anyone is welcome to join the class, including casual inquirers and even skeptics who are interested to know something about Catholicism.
Each attendee is given a binder of resource materials and a Bible, and attendance can be as flexible as you wish, depending on your particular needs. Some will take in all 36 sessions, while others may wish to attend a topic here and there to “fill in the blanks” on teachings they feel a little unsure of.
This course brings people together, so it’s only natural that provision for some “party time” has been included. There’s a Christmas party on Dec. 29 this year, and another celebration next June when the course wraps up for the summer.
My wife and I joined the course last January, and we resumed this fall to see things full circle. It has brought clarity to our understanding and increased our love of the faith, while equipping us to be more effective evangelizers.
We’re also looking forward to the Christmas party!
Mark Ruelle is a parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta.
Father Hawkswell teaches “The Catholic Faith in Plain English” free of charge every week: Sundays, 2–4 p.m. at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre (33rd and Willow, Vancouver); Mondays, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at St. Anthony’s Parish (2347 Inglewood, West Vancouver) and 7–9 p.m. at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre; and Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. in St. Clare’s Parish Hall (2888 Delahaye Drive, Coquitlam).
