Adult Faith Formation

Various adult enrichment events and programs occur throughout the year at St. Mary’s. All are welcome!


Lent 2023

  • Lent Small Groups (see below under the main Small Groups Heading)
  • Many Lenten studies and videos are available for free on FORMED for St. Mary’s parishioners. Sign up at https://formed.org/signup.
  • Lenten Webinar series on “The Eucharist: The Work of our Redemption” – will be posted on this page Friday mornings during Lent.
  • Stations of the Cross will be Fridays at 5:00 PM in the church. Confessions will be at 9:00 AM Saturday mornings as usual – along with two other times (with multiple priests): Saturday, March 25 (9:00 – 11:00 AM) and Thursday, March 30 (6:30 – 8:00 PM).
  • 4-part Ignatian, Lenten Community Night series with Monique CM Keffer (on 4 consecutive Wednesdays beginning March 22 and continuing through April 12 – 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM)

“The Eucharist: the Work of our Redemption” Webinar Series

Lenten Webinar Session 1 – Celebration of the Paschal Mystery: Theological Foundations – (Presented by Dr. James Starke) View Webinar Here | PDF Handout

Lenten Webinar Session 2 – The Church at Prayer: The Introductory Rites – (Presented by Sr. Joyce Ann Zimmerman) View Webinar Here | PDF Handout

Lenten Webinar Session 3 – Proclamation and Response: The Liturgy of the Word – (Presented by Fr. Regis Armstrong) View Webinar Here | View Handouts

Lenten Webinar Session 4 – Joining in the Sacrifice: The Liturgy of the Eucharist – (Presented by Fr. Matthew Ernest) View Webinar Here | View Handout

Lenten Webinar Session 5 – Glorifying the Lord by Your Life: The Concluding Rites – (Presented by Fr. Ajani Gibson) View Webinar Here | View Handout

Small Groups

St. Mary of the Lake encourages all parishioners to be ON MISSION—knowing, following, and sharing Jesus– by participating in the community life of the parish. Small groups are a helpful way to grow in faith and support each other on the discipleship journey. There are opportunities to join small groups throughout the liturgical year. Groups of 6 to 12 people meet weekly (or as defined by the group). Form your own group or find an existing group to join. Join today by contacting Nathan Schuster – [email protected].

Bible Studies

There are many opportunities for Bible studies throughout the year. For more information or to begin a new Bible study please contact Nathan Schuster, Coordinator of Evangelization at [email protected].

Apps/Online Resources

FORMED: Enjoy a FREE subscription to FORMED – the “Catholic Netflix”. Entertaining movies, studies, talks, and popular eBooks—all in one place for your whole family! Goto https://formed.org/signup on your browser or search for FORMED in your App Store on your phone. Search by parish for St. Mary of the Lake/White Bear Lake in order to register for free.

HALLOW: The Hallow App has some free content, as well as a premium subscription called “Hallow Plus” that includes the rest of the content library. You can receive a 3-month free trial of Hallow by going to this link (under the partnership of Catholic speaker Matt Fradd – https://hallow.com/partner-mattfradd/). If you are a healthcare worker, you can access Hallow free for an entire year by signing up on this link – https://hallow.com/healthcare/. Otherwise, Hallow Plus is $60/year or you can receive a Family Pass (up to 6 accounts) for $100/year. Go to https://app.hallow.com/ or search for Hallow in your App Store.

AMEN: The Amen App is totally free! This app provides nourishing Catholic prayers, meditations, and Scriptures to draw your heart, body, and soul into a deeper resting place in God. Go to https://amenapp.org/ or search for Amen in your App Store.

Marriage in Christ Seminar

Marriage In Christ Seminar – Spring 2023

Marriage in Christ Info Session – Come on out to St. Mary of the Lake on Sunday, March 19 – in the St. Joseph Room – following the 9 AM Mass for a Marriage in Christ seminar info session. This will be an opportunity to learn more about these seminars and hear testimonies from couples who have previously attended. Learn how these 5 seminars this spring can assist you as a couple in developing daily habits of prayer, kind actions, and meaningful conversations. Nathan Schuster and the leadership team will be present to answer any questions.

Marriage in Christ OVERVIEW

Asking God to send his Holy Spirit into your marriage is the centerpiece of the five-week Marriage in Christ seminar. Through five sessions, you can learn: how to make the Lord the center of your married life, practice habits of love that deepen your love and strengthen your marriage and friendship, start to recognize the action of the Holy Spirit in your marriage, and see how your marriage can be a witness of God’s love for the world.

SPRING 2023 Dates/Times – 5 Mondays | April 17-May 15 | 6-8 PM

It’s five great date nights!

The cost for registration is $100 per couple – financial assistance is available if needed (please contact Nathan Schuster for more information)

Please register HERE – there will also be paper registrations forms available at the Welcome Table in St. Mary’s Church Gathering Space. If childcare is needed (or would be helpful) for these seminars, please note that in your registrations!

To pay by credit card, you can do so on St. Mary’s donation page – https://tinyurl.com/stmarys-payment. Please enter in the amount of payment under “Other payments” – and specify for Marriage in Christ Seminar. Please also adjust the Donation frequency to be “one time.” Make checks payable to: St. Mary of the Lake.

Marriage in Christ Lead Couples
Gus and Michelle Wagner
Jim and Aileen Hill
Matt and Heidi Hughes

Video – An Introduction to Marriage in Christ Seminar

To learn more about these seminars, please contact Nathan Schuster, Coordinator of Evangelization at [email protected]. (More information can also be found at https://marriageinchrist.com/.)


Watch the bulletin for important news and updates from St. Mary’s.

Please contact Nathan Schuster, Coordinator of Evangelization at nschuster[email protected] if you have any questions about adult discipleship opportunities.

Sacramental Preparation

Preparation for the Sacraments is separate from our four Faith Formation programs. Learn more about the Sacraments Here.