BELMONT — Parishioners of Queen of the Apostles Church took a closer look at discipleship and humility this Lent, taking part in a multimedia Lenten study entitled “Foot Washing: A Model of Christian Living.”
During the four-week study crafted by their pastor, Father Frank Cancro, participants considered the humble act of foot washing as they contemplated how they could better serve Christ and each other. They also considered what actions they could take to ensure lasting conversion in their own hearts and the hearts of others.
The study was part of the parish’s ongoing small community faith groups, which enable parishioners to interact more closely with one another and encourage each other’s faith beyond weekly Mass attendance and general parish activities.
This particular Lenten study focused on the commitment of washing another’s feet – following the example of Christ with His disciples at the Last Supper – and the personal outreach to others that foot-washing signifies. To boost interest in the program, button pins advertising the effort were even handed out to parishioners that read “Got feet? Let me wash ’em.”
“Our Small Community Faith Study Group programs are published twice a year, one in Advent and one in Lent,” explains Debbie Seeger, the parish’s faith formation director. “These studies provide an opportunity to build community among our parish members and to educate the participants in the faith. It is also designed to challenge those involved to take their faith into the reality of everyday life.”
The DVD studies are produced in-house with video assistance from parishioner John Oshman.
The growing Belmont parish has seen these study groups becoming more and more popular as new members are called to serve in this ministry of helping others grow their faith.
Parishioners who are homebound and anyone else who is interested can also take part in the studies by going to the parish’s website to view the materials and find the Scripture, questions and prayer for each week’s study.
Father Cancro notes, “This small group process is a significant part of our overall commitment to not only forming Catholic adults in the faith, but also challenging them to put on the mantle of discipleship.”
One of the study group facilitators, Roger Duncan, says the effort “brings others together in such a holy and sacred time of the year” and “help us to grow stronger and closer together as family.”
“We are to grow in wisdom of understanding our faith and who we are as children of God,” Duncan says. “It is a time to come together as community to open our hearts to receive what this time of the season truly means. As we share our thoughts on the readings and Father’s commentary, we begin to understand perhaps what each of us believes and how we can live out a deeper understanding of God’s call for all of us.”
During the seasons of Lent and Advent, the parish’s usual Bible studies go on hiatus so that parishioners can focus instead on the small faith group studies.
According to facilitator Mary Kane, “The small faith group study of ‘Footwashing’ provided the most robust and lively discussion of any of our previous studies. Father Frank presented the simple tradition of the washing of the feet and used it as a powerful message that enabled us to deepen our understanding of what it means to be a Catholic in today’s world.”
She notes, “We are called to be servants and wash between the toes of others. We will never look at feet the same way.”
– SueAnn Howell, senior reporter