The four parishes of West Essex plan to present the annual Lenten Adult Spirituality Forum Faith Quest on Wednesdays March 15, March 22, March 29 and April 5 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Aloysius Parish in Caldwell.

The program is open to the public and the three speaker topic areas are:  Prayer and Spirituality, Sacred Scripture, and Faith in Practice.

Faith Quest is an initiative of St. Aloysius, Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament in Roseland, Notre Dame in North Caldwell and St. Thomas More in Fairfield.

Prayer in Spirituality Presenters:

March 15:  “Living a Vulnerable Life – The Experience of Being Loved That Changes Everything” with Msgr. Joseph R. Reilly, Rector, Immaculate Conception Seminary, dean of the School of Theology.

March 22:  “Way of the Cross:  How to bring problems to peace” with

Dr. Ginger Grancagnolo, a  lecturer, author and private counselor with  30  years of experience in education, psychology and theology.

March 29:  “Spirituality of Fatima” with Fr. James Manos,  Pastor, St. Luke’s, Ho-Ho-Kus. Manos was previously pastor of St. Thomas More, Fairfield and St. Vincent de Paul, Bayonne.  Manos will look at Fatima in light of how Sister Lucia viewed the apparitions of the Blessed Mother and lived out the lessons in her own life.

April 5:    “Carrying the Cross & Encountering God’s Mercy in our own lives” with Richard Fritzky, author, professor at Fairleigh Dickinson , father of 12 and grandfather of 20. Fritzky is a quadruple amputee who has personally witnessed God’s great mercy in his own life.

He has devoted his life to his faith, his church, public service, community service, his students, his writing and most especially his family.

 Understanding Sacred Scripture Presenters

March 15:  “St. James, Controlling the Tongue as a Means to Holiness” with

Dr. Robert Miller, assistant professor, Philosophy & Religious Studies, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY.; senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology; and a board member for the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary – USA.

March 22:  “Easy Method of Prayer for Difficult Times” with

Jesuit Father Roger Haigh. With early roots at St. Aloysius in Caldwell, Haight has taught on five continents and is a published author.

March 29:  “Devotion to the Blessed Mother Rooted in Sacred Scripture” with

Fr. Juan Pablo Esteban Carrillo,  parochial Vicar, St. Thomas More, Fairfield.

April 5: “Our Father” as a Prayer of a Priestly People” with

Fr. Douglas J. Milewski,  associate professor of undergraduate theology at Seton Hall University.

Faith in Practice Presenters:  

March 15:  “Faith in Action:  Welcome the Stranger” with Dr. Andrea Bartoli, dean, School of Diplomacy & International Relations, Seton Hall University.

March 22: “To Love Without Tiring: Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the Making of a Saint” with Mary Bertani,  pastoral minister, licensed therapist, experienced presenter on adult spirituality and formation.

March 29:  “Catholic Sisters and the Shaping of America”

with Dr. Marie Marmo Mullaney, professor of history at Caldwell University.

Mullaney shares her research on the contributions religious sisters have made to the growth of the United States.

April 5:  “Catholic Teaching on End-of-Life Issues and the Dangers of Doctor-Prescribed Suicide” with Jennifer Ruggiero, director, Office of Respect for Life, Diocese of Metuchen.

An offering of $3 per session or $10 for the four week series is requested to help defray expenses.  Pre-registration is also requested.  For a brochure and registration form, contact any of the other sponsoring parishes.