Grace Ahlers, left, faith formation associate for Newman Catholic Student Center at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, leads discussion during The Search at St. Mary Parish in Iowa City earlier this month.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
IOWA CITY — The Catholic community in downtown Iowa City is reaching out to those with questions about faith, whether they have been Catholic for years or are just beginning their journey.
St. Mary Parish recently began offering The Search, a seven-week video and discussion series that tackles universal questions about the meaning of life, finding purpose, and what happens after death. The videos, published by the Augustine Institute, feature experts from multiple fields of science, medicine, psychology, art and religion, according to the institute’s website.
The Search begins “with a very wide lens and then starts focusing on specifically Christian teachings,” said Father Andrew Rauenbuehler, the parish’s pastor. He became acquainted with the program a few years ago while teaching religion at Assumption High School in Davenport. “I find it intriguing, compelling and engaging. It’s a great springboard to conversations.”
St. Mary hosts the program in the parish hall on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. Participants watch a video on a different topic each week and engage in small group discussion.
The parish and Newman Catholic Student Center at the University of Iowa in Iowa City highly encourage people considering the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) program this fall to participate in The Search. However, the program lends itself to open-ended discussion for broad groups of people, said Grace Ahlers, faith formation associate at Newman Center. During the first event on Sept. 2, themed “What Do You Seek,” participants discussed everyone’s fundamental desire for happiness and the ways that pleasure, power, money, etc., are ultimately unable to satisfy this desire, she said.
About 55 people from multiple stages of life attended the first night, said Brandon Landolt, the parish’s director of formation and evangelization. “The discussion just seemed to flow,” he said. “I was worried people wouldn’t be ready to talk until the second week. I was glad to see that people weren’t afraid to start sharing their thoughts and opinions right away.”
Though the program is new, Father Rauenbuehler is encouraged by the bonds beginning to form among participants. “Bringing longtime Catholics and parish members together with prospective and new ones leads us to intentionally start building Christian community.”
Persons interested in attending one or all of the remaining sessions may sign up at https://tinyurl.com/ICTHESEARCH. Contact Landolt with questions at icstmaryaff@diodav.org or 319-337-4314.
