Year 4: Year of the Sacraments (July 2014 - July 2015)

CARA Survey on the Sacraments

In February 2008, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University surveyed 1,007 self-identified adult Catholics in the United States. The primary focus of the survey is participation in the sacramental life of the Church as well as beliefs about the sacraments.  Read details from Sacraments Today: Beliefs and Practices among U.S. Catholics on their website.

Bridging Between Years

Last Year the Archdiocese launched the Year of Strong Catholic Parents.  Parishes may want to bridge their efforts from last year into the Year of Sacraments by offering inter-generational programs on the Sacraments.  One program for reaching both children and parents is provided by Our Sunday Visitor under the name, People of Faith, Generations Learning Together that has six sessions on Celebrating the Sacraments.

The final year will focus on fostering reflection by Catholics on the purpose and meaning of all of the sacraments, with particular attention to Eucharist and Reconciliation. This year may include but is by no means limited to some of the following elements:

  • Dedicating homilies to educating parishioners on the meaning and purpose of the sacraments
  • Offering special retreats or programs of reflection on some or all of the sacraments at the parish, deanery or Archdiocesan level
  • Providing catechetical instruction about the sacraments in bulletin inserts, e-mails or other forms of communication
  • Developing new aids for examination of conscience
  • Reaching out in the community to Catholics who are rarely or infrequently at Mass by creatively and imaginatively using various forms of communications
  • Embedding the concerns of social justice and vocational awareness in all efforts.