Religion Briefs for June 9, 2012

Young adults to meet for interfaith sharing

Q7, a new discussion group organized by the Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge, is forming to bring young adults together to talk about faith from their various religious perspectives.

The Rev. Robin McCullough-Bade, federation executive director, explained the Q7 name. “It’s for people who ask questions 24/7,” she said.

Q7, led by federation intern Matt Hoffman and board member Patrick Garrett, of the Bahá’í faith, will begin meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at LaCaretta’s, 4065 Government St. and continue meeting weekly through July 10. The organization is intentionally not defining what ages beyond post-high school fit into the “young adult” category.

The meeting format, frequency and venue could change as the group evolves from these initial five weeks of meetings, McCullough-Bade said.

“It’s just another way to bring people together for greater understanding of people who are different and maybe come from another faith perspective,” she said. “I think they are going to be talking about how people live out their faith. How are you consistent with your values with day to day situations that come up? … How do you integrate faith into daily living?”

Lay leader to direct spirituality center

Dianne Hanley has been named executive director of the St. Joseph Spirituality Center, a position previously held by Sister Cynthia Sabathier for 12 years.

Hanley is the first layperson to hold the position, which previously required a sister of the Congregation of St. Joseph.

Hanley is also co-chairwowan of the Transit Research Team for Together Baton Rouge and has served as assistant director of parish social ministry at Catholic Charities of Baton Rouge.

New book club reads Eddy’s biographies

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Baton Rouge is forming the Time for Thinkers Book Club to read biographies of Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science.

The book club will begin this month with “Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer (Amplified Edition)” by Fettweis & Warneck.

Call Durinda Robinson at [phone] or go to http://www.christiansciencelouisiana.org.

Catholic Diocese gets new media liaison

Bishop Robert W. Muench has appointed Donna Carville as media liaison for the Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge.

Carville, a retiree from Dow Chemical, succeeds Mary Beth Chevalier, who had held the position since August 2010.

Carville worked for Dow for 30 years in plant operations, business and public affairs. She holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from LSU. Carville is also a recent graduate of St. Joseph Seminary College’s Religious Studies Institute and has had extensive training in media relations and crisis communications and management.

Carville and her husband Charlie, a longtime Plaquemine veterinarian, have four children and five grandchildren. She is a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Plaquemine where she is the adult faith formation and RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) coordinator, an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and a lector.

Cenacle retreat offers 2-to 6-night options

Cenacle Retreat House, 5500 St. Mary St., Metairie, is offering Reinventing Our Identity as Sacraments of Christ: Our Biblical Origins, a retreat led by the Rev. Anthony Ewherido, of Warri, Nigeria, and offered in various lengths, all beginning July 19.

Options include two nights for $225, three nights for $295, four nights for $365, five nights for $435 and six nights for $500.

Call Susan Halligan at [phone] for more information or to register.

Other Cenacle offerings for July include:

• All for Me or Me for All? — July 13-15 with the Rev. Donald Blanchard as presenter.
• House Open for Directed Retreats — July 19-27.

For information on the retreat house and its programs go to http://www.cenaclesisters.org/metairie.

Compiled by Advocate staff