The Main Event is a thorough study of the Catholic Faith, beginning in the fall and finishing in the spring annually. It is called the Main Event because it is the most significant annual catechesis (teaching of the Catholic Faith) offered at our parish.
Who should come to the Main Event?
The Main Event is open to anyone who wishes to come. Any adult Catholic wanting to understand the Faith better – and especially to see the “why” behind many of our beliefs and practices would benefit from this series. The Main Event will also serve as a venue for catechist certification for catechists in the Diocese of Madison.
The Main Event is also the regular (required) preparation for:
- unbaptized adults desiring the Sacrament of Baptism;
- non-catholic (baptized) Christians desiring to enter full communion with the Catholic Church (wishing, that is, to “become Catholic”);
- adult Catholics desiring the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Where and when does the Main Event take place?
The Main Event meets on Tuesday evenings, at St. Patrick Church (404 E. Main Street). The first meeting for the new year will be September 7, 2010. Sessions will be held on every subsequent Tuesday, with a break at Christmastime. It will start back up again January 18, 2011 and last until May 17, 2011 with weeks off for Holy Week and Easter Week (April 19 & 26).
There is also The Main Event - Wednesday Edition, which meets on Wednesdays from 1:00 - 2:30 pm in the conference room on the floor housing the parish offices at St. Patrick. Depending on the week, the Wednesday Edition features either a DVD or audio recording of the previous evening's Main Event presentation. Feel free to bring your own lunch or snack if you wish. For more details about The Main Event - Wednesday Edition, contact Ann Delmore at 271-3090.
What is the schedule for the evening?
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7:00-7:15 pm: Evening Prayer
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7:15-7:20 pm: Opening, Announcements
- 7:20-8:30 pm: Presentation, usually by Msgr. Kevin Holmes, with Q&A time
- 8:30-9:00 pm: Small Group Discussion
- 9:00-9:30 pm: Social Time (with those attending “Catholicism 101”)
What is the content of the sessions of the Main Event?
The two basic texts for the Main Event are the Holy Bible and the Compendium, which is the shorter version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, arranged in question-and-answer format. The first part of the year will be a DVD series on Salvation History as it unfolds in the Scriptures; participants would greatly benefit from reading the portions of Scripture on which each DVD session is based.
Participants will also benefit from reading the brief section of the Compendium on which most of the presentations are based. The presentations themselves will also draw from the longer Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Compendium is clearly cross-referenced to the Catechism, so motivated participants can also prepare for each session by reading the relevant sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This schedule shows which topics and corresponding Compendium questions will be covered at each Main Event session.
| Date | Topic(s) | Questions |
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September 7, 2010 |
Salvation History in Sacred Art | |
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September 14, 2010 |
Scriptural and Theological Foundations | 1-32 |
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September 21, 2010 |
(DVD Series) Salvation History: Introduction to the Bible |
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September 28, 2010 |
(DVD Series) Salvation History: The Early World |
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October 5, 2010 |
(DVD Series) Salvation History: Patriarchs |
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October 12, 2010 |
(DVD Series) Salvation History: Egypt & Exodus, Joshua, and Judges |
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October 19, 2010 |
(DVD Series) Salvation History: The Kingdom of God: United & Divided |
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October 26, 2010 |
(DVD Series) Salvation History: The Exile, Return, and Maccabean Revolt |
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November 2, 2010 |
(DVD Series) Salvation History: Jesus Christ: Messianic Fulfillment |
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November 9, 2010 |
(DVD Series) Salvation History: The Early Church & The Church Today |
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November 16, 2010 |
Trinity & God the Father | 33-50 |
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November 23, 2010 |
Creation & The Fall | 51-78 |
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November 30, 2010 |
Fullness of Revelation: Jesus Christ | 79-135 |
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December 7, 2010 |
The Holy Spirit | 136-146 |
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December 14, 2010 |
The Holy Catholic Church | 147-195 |
| Break for Christmas and New Year | ||
| January 18, 2011 |
The Blessed Virgin Mary The Last Things |
94-100, 196-199 200-217 |
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January 25, 2011 |
The Sacramental Economy |
218-250 |
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February 1, 2011 |
Baptism and Confirmation | 251-270 |
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February 8, 2011 |
The Eucharist | 271-294 |
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February 15, 2011 |
Reconciliation and Anointing | 295-320 |
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February 22, 2011 |
Holy Orders and Matrimony | 321-350 |
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March 1, 2011 |
Other Liturgical Celebrations |
351-356 |
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March 8, 2011 |
Prayer in the Christian Life Jesus & the Age of the Church |
534-540 541-556 |
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March 15, 2011 |
The Tradition of Prayer The Life of Prayer |
557-566 567-577 |
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March 22, 2011 |
The Lord's Prayer: Our Father | 578-598 |
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March 29, 2011 |
The Dignity of the Human Person | 357-400 |
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April 5, 2011 |
The Human Community God's Salvation: Law and Grace |
401-414 415-433 |
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April 12, 2011 |
Commandments 1 – 3 | 434-454 |
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April 19, 2011 |
No Meeting - Holy Week | |
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April 26, 2011 |
No Meeting - Easter Week | |
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May 3, 2011 |
Commandments 4 – 6 | 455-502 |
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May 10, 2011 |
Commandments 7 – 10 | 503-533 |
| May 17, 2011 |
Life in the Parish: Deepening Your Roots |
How will the small group discussion work?
People preparing to join the Catholic Church and receive the Easter Sacraments will be in the same small group each week, as will other regular participants of The Main Event. People who are coming for catechist certification are not required to participate in the small group discussion but are more than welcome to join in!
The presenter will offer discussion questions which the group can use. One or two trained leaders will moderate the discussion in each group. The purpose of the small groups is to share reflections and to grow in community, so the discussion leaders are there to facilitate that (and to clear up any misunderstandings), not to “steer” the discussion.
Must someone participate regularly or could someone come only on occasion?
Only those preparing for a Sacrament have an obligation to attend regularly. Parishioners (or indeed anyone) interested in a particular topic is entirely welcome to come for that session only. But we do anticipate that most participants will be fairly regular in their attendance.
What should I do if I want to attend the Main Event?
No pre-registration is necessary. You may simply come to St. Patrick on any Tuesday we are meeting, and follow the signs. If you would like to speak to someone first, please contact Marc Laudonio (Director of Evangelization and Catechesis) at marc.laudonio@gmail.com or by telephone at 257-5000.
Should I get a copy of the Bible and Compendium before I actually come for a session? That would be fine. The Compendium is available any in any bookstore and from your favorite online source. Copies of the Scriptures and Compendium will also be available for sale at the Main Event. When purchasing a Bible, a Catholic New American Bible or Catholic Revised Standard Version translation is recommended.
And, by the way, what was that “Catholicism 101” that was mentioned in the schedule?
Catholicism 101 is a three-week introduction to the Catholic Faith that is offered on a recurring basis throughout the year. It meets simultaneously with the Main Event. (There is another page on the website with more details.)
Click here for previous Main Event study questions!
| XCalendar (List View) (Next 3 Upcoming Events) | |
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Tue, September 14
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM |
The Main Event The Main Event is a thorough study of the Catholic Faith based on the Scriptures and the Compendium, the shorter question-and-answer version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In 32 weeks, we will work our way through the Story of the Scriptures and the organic, synthetic presentation of the Catholic faith in the Compendium. In each meeting, there is a presentation on a section of Scripture or the topics covered in one small section of the Compendium, with time for questions and structured small group discussions. Anyone interested in a particular topic is welcome to come for that session only, but many participants do attend regularly. |