Letting Liturgy Matter

Introduction

Listeners will find much food for thought as Sister Joanne and Adrienne witness to the role of faith in their own lives and discuss the very real challenge it is for contemporary Catholics to uncover the truth about which Pope Francis writes in his apostolic letter On the Liturgical Formation of the People of God: It is God’s desire to share the Passover with us that puts us in communion with one another and with God, when we allow ourselves to be shaped by the liturgy and a praying community.

About our guests

Springfield Dominican Sister Joanne Delehanty has spent decades as a pastoral minister in the Black Catholic community, at St. Benedict the African Parish in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago and now at Our Lady of Africa and St. Bernard Hospital. She is an avid reader, and a charismatic preacher of the Word of God.

Adrienne Alexander is a Chicago-based Atlanta-born, faithful Catholic woman who has worked at AFSCME Council 31 since 2010 and currently serves as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. She serves on the board of the Catholic Labor Network, a nonprofit organization that works at the intersection of faith & workers' rights. Adrienne is a graduate of Agnes Scott College, a small, women’s college in Georgia, and earned her Master's degree in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Chicago with her husband Alex and their daughters Caridad and Esperanza. They attend St. Benedict the African.

Takeaways

Download our favorite bits of wisdom from this week's guests to share in social media.

• We are made the Body of Christ by our participation in the Paschal Mystery.
• Liturgy is a gift that reminds us what God is doing in us and for us.
• A faith life is a gift that connects spouses and families.
• Personal transformation is a key to powerful parish liturgical celebrations.
• Being part of a spiritual community can be a source of hope and refuge. It can also be painful for people who struggle with the failures of the Church.

Listen 

Adrienne’s Playlist

Bless Me (Prayer of Jabez) by Donald Lawrence.

Prayer by Cory Wong & Jon Batiste.

Flor by Los Rivera Destino

Resources

On the Liturgical Formation of the People of God (PDF)

Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Maternal Face of God

St. Benedict the African Parish, Chicago