August 19, 2019 // Local

St. Vincent parishioners ‘Seize the Faith’ in order to share it

Samantha Rohloff

Journalist

Sharing the beauty, goodness and truth of the Catholic faith with others is not only an exciting and joyful task, but also a meaningful and fundamental duty. The Seize the Faith Committee of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Fort Wayne, was created to do just that. The committee consists of different parish offices and ministries that integrate and work together to seek out special ways to share the faith in all its glory.

Originally taking the name “Carpe Fidem,” Latin for “seize the faith,” the group relentlessly works to evangelize. “The committee was formed to allow the talent, energy and passion of our parishioners to form an ongoing mission of adult faith formation for the entirety of the parish,” co-chairman John Faylor explained.

That effort consists of different departments coming together to seek out ways to share the faith in all its glory. One subcommittee assists adults in furthering and strengthening their faith; the writing subcommittee uses their charism to produce articles for the bulletin and Today’s Catholic. There’s also a video committee that records events put on by Seize the Faith to exhibit to those who missed them, to remind those who were there about the message, or to encourage people who have never been to a parish event to attend one and then go share the faith themselves. A podcast subcommittee is also being formed as another outlet to spread the faith to all.

The more platforms there are, committee members believe, the more opportunities to share the Catholic faith.

Another way they hope to form Catholics in their faith and inspire evangelization is by hosting prominent speakers who can encourage, educate and motivate with their words and stories. In November, the parish proudly and excitingly hosted prominent Catholic apologist and speaker Trent Horn, who gave advice on how to talk about tough moral issues. This year the Seize the Faith Committee is excited to announce an upcoming series featuring speakers Dr. Christopher Stroud, Dr. Ray Guarendi and Chris Padgett: The series is titled “Love, Life & Laughter,” and all the presentations are free and open to the public.

According to committee member Annie Obergefell, Dr. Stroud and his wife, Marianne, will discuss love — specifically, marriage and family — in the context of St. Pope Paul VI’s papal encyclical “Humanae Vitae.” They will share their own journeys of living as one in Christ through marriage and in professional vocations as obstetrician and midwife at their Creighton Fertility Model / Natural Procreative Technology fertility practice. The presentation takes place Aug. 25, 7:30-9 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 1502 E. Wallen Road, Fort Wayne.

Dr. Guarendi has something to say about the second topic in the series, “life.” Guarendi, the father of 10, is a clinical psychologist, author, professional speaker and national radio and television host who empowers Catholic parents to trust their parenting instincts, overcome the parenting challenges of today’s world and work through the “expert” advice that can sometimes undermine and prevent them from raising children for heaven. His talk takes place Sept. 15 from 7:30-9 p.m. in the church.

Speaking on the topic of laughter, Padgett is a Catholic father bent on illuminating the beauty of the Catholic family. “Chris is a musician and author who uses humor and a lighthearted approach to help children, adults and families understand and overcome roadblocks to living out their faith,” said Obergefell. His talk is slated for Oct. 6, 7:30-9 p.m. in the church.