August 5, 2005

Patrick Madrid to lead apologetics seminar
at St. Mary Parish in Mitchell

By Sean Gallagher

Patrick Madrid, author of nearly a dozen books on Catholic apologetics and publisher of the apologetics magazine Envoy, will lead a seminar on apologetics at 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 at the Family Life Center at St. Mary Parish in Mitchell.

“Answer Me This: How to Respond to Common Questions About Catholicism,” according to Madrid, will have a threefold goal. He said he hopes the participants will leave being able to explain the faith more intelligently, defend it more charitably and share it more effectively.

The event is open to the public. Admission is free. A free-will offering will be collected.

In a telephone interview with The Criterion, Madrid said that he intends to show those who attend the seminar how Scripture and the evidence of Church history combine well to give sound answers to commonly asked questions about Catholic beliefs and practices.

But he also noted that simply gathering the proper evidence to explain the faith is not enough. Catholics need to answer questions put to them with gentleness.

Madrid said that he hopes that those who come to hear him speak at St. Mary Parish will be able to approach what can sometimes be difficult situations where objections to the Catholic faith are raised with “a sense of calm confidence, not being angry, not being defensive, certainly not being triumphalistic or anything like that.”

Following the conclusion of the
seminar, a general open forum question and answer session will be held.

In addition to writing several books about the faith, Madrid has given seminars on apologetics and evangelization across the country and throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America.

During his visit to the Bloomington Deanery parish, Madrid will be hosted by Catholic Women in Faith, based in nearby Bedford.

(For more information on Madrid’s seminar, call 812-849-3570 or 812-275-6539.) †

 

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