ACES Classes for Men and Women
Join Jack and Karen Henz, our parish's husband-and-wife catechist team: Certified Catechist Trainers and graduates of the Kino Catechetical Institute. Learn the truth about your faith from an adult perspective, where your questions are discussed and answered. A mature adult Catholic faith is a blend of both "head" and "heart" knowledge.
The classes are focused, two-hour Bible and/or other studies, using a study guide, over 8 to 10 weekly sessions. Each session typically includes a video presentation from a Catholic-based organization such as Ascension Press, Word on Fire, the Augustine Institute, and others. All the video and Study Guide content is reviewed and approved by Catholic Bishops or their representatives.
Class time includes an overall group discussion of the video with prepared questions; individual questions and reflections are encouraged so everyone can learn from each other. The classes are open to both men and women.
Online registration is required for all attendees, even if they decide not to purchase a study guide. You may purchase the registration materials for yourself only or purchase one set and share with your spouse. No fee is required to join the class if you already have the book(s), or simply want to come and listen to the video and discussion.
A study guide, and sometimes other books, are included in the registration cost, which includes tax and shipping charges. The parish provides beverages, refreshments, and handout materials at no charge. Class registration and payment are completed entirely online. Please note: the class instructors may not accept payment for registration, and the parish staff are not able to register you in person at the parish office. If you do not wish to pay online, arrangements will be made after you register to pay by check or credit card through the Parish Office.
All classes meet on Thursdays in the Blessed Carlo Acutis Center (next to the Faith Formation Office).
Starting in September 2025, two different classes will be offered on Thursdays - one in the morning and a different one in the evening.
The Thursday Morning Class
Video Series and Study Guide: Lectio: Peter–Cornerstone of Catholicism with Tim Gray, PhD, from the Augustine Institute.
Classes meet: Starting on September 4 through November 20, 10 sessions on Thursdays, 9:15-11:30am in the Blessed Carlo Acutis Center (next to the Faith Formation Offices)
Registration Fee: $27 per person includes a Study Guide, the paperback, Peter: Keys to Following Jesus, and other handouts.
Class content:
The focus of the class will be what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus, using Peter's life from Scripture as our model.
The character of St. Peter is both inspiring and confounding to many of us. How could a stubborn and compulsive fisherman become the "rock" upon which Jesus would build his Church? Jesus foresaw the strength of a formidable leader when he founded his church - the prime minister who would lead and teach his people on earth, since it was intended to exist as he established it, until he returns. Jesus chose Peter for particularly strong, human characteristics as his first "CEO" - someone who would initiate the organizational structures which would carry their successors well into the future of a physically established church.
You will receive a deep insight into the person of Peter within the time, places and cultures in which he encountered Jesus and led the early apostolic Church. Bringing together biblical accounts, historical evidence, Church teaching, classical art, and personal insights, Dr. Tim Gray gives a fresh perspective on Simon Peter that is relevant to our lives. The recent election of Pope Leo XIV has inspired renewed interest in the origin, purpose and function of the Pope in our Catholic Church. Learn about the biblical, scriptural and historical background of the Pope.
After all is said, if Jesus could bring out the very best in someone like Peter, then there is hope for the rest of us.
The Thursday Evening Class
Video Series and Study Guide: Eternal Rest with Brant Pitre, PhD, Michael Barber and others from the Augustine Institute.
There will also be in-person presentations by representatives of the Diocese of Phoenix Funeral Homes and Cemeteries, Catholic Hospice, and the Corpus Christi Funeral Ministry.
Classes meet: Starting on September 11 through November 13, 8 sessions on Thursdays, 6:15-8:30pm in the Blessed Carlo Acutis Center (next to the Faith Formation Offices)
Registration Fee: $20 per person includes a Study Guide, and numerous handouts.
Class content:
Have you thought about your final departure from earthly life; what do you envision this process to be? If you have passed, or are not able to make decisions, who will know what your final wishes are, and who will decide what's best for you?
All the sessions are organized in order to grasp and understand the whole picture of the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of an event that we will all personally experience, and witness many times with family and friends. This in turn will give you the information from a Catholic perspective, to help you decide and communicate what you would like your final wishes to be in order to avoid making your loved ones speculate about what you might want. How death will impact our families emotionally, spiritually, and financially should cause us to pause and reflect beforehand. We cannot plan and manage all aspects of our passing to new life, because each of us has a separate journey known only to God. But we can take time to reflect on what it means to us and our loved ones, to prepare ourselves spiritually, and to die as well as we can within God's graces as a Catholic.
What happens when we die? Why do people avoid speaking of death?
Four of the sessions will include videos, which will explain how Catholics understand death, and how we can prepare not only ourselves, but our families for an event that we will all experience, no matter what our age. The video presentations by the staff of the Augustine Institute, who are all Catholic biblical scholars and theologians, will be followed by a group discussion in our class.
Must you have long-term care insurance to pay for 'Hospice' care? How do you select a hospice provider? Will you have a funeral Mass? If yes, what details (music, verses) would you like included? Do you want cremation or in-ground burial; what is the full understanding of the Church's teaching on 'cremation'? What is the reason for a 'Vigil'? When and how should our families eulogize their loved ones?
Because it is such a difficult process for many of us to think through on our own, and we are often dependent on others to make decisions on our behalf as we age, other resources and the speakers will provide a practical understanding of, and suggest some free Catholic tools to help us write down, what we would like our final wishes to be. In preparation, you may want to reflect on one or more of the following questions.
- As Catholics, why are our final wishes important after we're gone, and who will make these decisions? How do you want others to celebrate your transition to eternal life? How do we plan for this event in line with Catholic beliefs?
- Have you thought about how you would want your loved ones to respond to doctors and nurses with medical, end-of-life decisions, if you are not able to do this?
- What is a Catholic perspective on end-of-life care such as hospice vs palliative care, advanced medical directives, POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments), DNRs, strong painkillers, etc. Which ones are supported by the 2000-year belief of the Catholic Church?
