This is an introduction to Catholic Apologetics, developed and taught by Mr. John LaBarbara. This class explores the foundations for many of the important teachings of the Church by looking at the writings of the early Church Fathers, Vatican II, the magisterial documents and encyclicals since Vatican II, and the Scriptures. In this class, you’ll discover the “why” behind many of the Catholic Church’s practices. This class is also a great way to learn basic apologetics so you can be equipped, in the words of St. Peter, to “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
St Joan of Arc (Arvada): Mondays 9:30am – 11:00am
Information Sessions: Aug 3 and Aug 31 – 9:30am
St Peter (Monument): Mondays 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Information Sessions: Aug 3 and Aug 31 – 6:30pm
St Michael the Archangel (Aurora): Wednesdays 9:30am – 11:00am
Information Sessions: Aug 5 and Sep 2 – 9:30am
St John Paul II Center (Denver): Wednesdays 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Information Sessions: Aug 5 and Sep 2 – 6:30pm
This course, developed and taught by Dr. Seth Fabian, teaches the student to read the Divine Comedy as Dante intended us to: as a work of practical literature for Christians striving to be more Christ-like: literally a guide to salvation. We will follow Dante’s footsteps and see how pride and selfishness create chaos on Earth and lead to Hell (Inferno), how the human soul purifies itself by learning to desire and to love rightly (Purgatorio), and how our journey ultimately leads us back to our origin in the shared vision of our Creator (Paradiso). Lectures will focus on Dante’s portrayal of human desires and the consequences for good and ill of our daily choices.
Above all, the class will examine a Catholic poet and his Catholic poem. The beauty of Dante’s poetry, the uncanny realism of his psychology, and his awesome descriptive powers are always in the service of his ultimate purpose: demonstrating Truth as revealed in the lived experiences of the souls he encounters in Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Divine Comedy is a call to conversion that demands a response from its audience– this response will be the focus of our discussions. Let us use Dante as a lens to examine our daily choices and life-long aspirations.
Saints Peter and Paul (Wheat Ridge): Tuesdays 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Information Sessions: Aug 4 and Sep 1 – 6:30pm
The Catholic Church has inspired the greatest art in the history of the world. Drawing upon the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Church has inculcated a sacramental imagination used to express faith tangibly in visual art, architecture, literature, and music. This new class offering, developed and taught by Dr. Jared Staudt of the Archdiocese of Denver, will explore 2,000 years of Christian art, tracing its stages from its foundation to the early Church, to the splendor of the Middle Ages and the Baroque, and its decline through the secularism of modern culture. The course will look at the major artists and masterpieces of Christian culture, as well as the historical and spiritual movements that shaped them.
Holy Name (Sheridan): Tuesdays 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Information Sessions: Aug 4 and Sep 1 – 6:30pm
In this new class, developed and taught by Mr. Daniel Campbell, we will study what God’s plan is for our holiness, with a particular focus on law and the life of grace. We will first look at law, which St. Thomas Aquinas writes is God’s instruction in our holiness. We will study how God’s law (the eternal law, the natural law, the human law, the Old Mosaic Law, and the New Law of Christ) teaches us about His plan for our holiness. It is, then, our obedience to God’s law that manifests our love for Him, for as Jesus Christ tells us, “if you love me, keep my commandments” (Jn 14:15).
All Saints (Denver): Wednesdays 9:30am – 11:30am
Information Sessions: Aug 5 and Sep 9 – 9:30am
St John Paul II Center (Denver): Thursdays 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Information Sessions: Aug 6 and Sep 3 – 6:30pm
