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By Josie Bopp
She was looking for ways to bridge the generational gap in the Church. He was looking to connect with more like-minded people. They both encountered Jesus in a fuller way, propelling them further in their faith.
What Kari Kilgore of Beresford and Corey Chicoine of Jefferson, both of the Holy Angels Pastorate, have in common is the Dischipleship Immersion Groups (DIG) Program offered by Pastorate Director of Discipleship and Evangelization Michael Denz. Bringing together seven parishes separated by dozens of miles and unique community identities is no small task, but Michael says casting a vision for where the culture is and the need for an ongoing, transformative encounter with Christ is where it all started.
Responding to the culture
Armed with the book “From Christendom to Apostolic Mission,” Michael explained to pastorate members that today’s society is not friendly to the Catholic faith, nor to people who pursue a life of faith, and the Church is called to respond.
“In the past, it was possible to be lackadaisical,” Michael said. “Society by its own culture would lead you back to a stable life with good morals, church, etc. Now it’s the exact opposite. You have to prepare yourself for a society that will actively try to get you away from your faith with everything it offers.”
Michael says DIG is a bootcamp, a training ground to help adults learn how to navigate the culture we find ourselves in and how to be disciples. Historically, many religious education and formation programs focus on the formation of children, and while that is time well spent, he says many adults haven’t been given the opportunity to continue to grow in the faith.
“Pope St. John Paul II says in Catechesi Tradendae that catechesis that stops short of the threshold of maturity is essentially useless,” Michael said, something that DIG could begin to address in the lives and experiences of the members of Holy Angels Pastorate.
The program, which was created to be as accessible and flexible as possible knowing the modern-day challenges of busy schedules, was built upon five pillars, similar to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: creed, sacraments, morality (love), prayer and evangelization. There are three meetings per month: one in-person with a meal and two online. Despite the unique cultures spanning multiple parishes, Michael says DIG is something anyone in any phase of life can participate in to begin to listen to Jesus’ words and seek first the kingdom in their lives.
“DIG isn’t the only way, but it’s important for people to have something concrete that’s designed to guide them into discipleship,” he said.
A chance to focus
Navigating the culture and the generational gaps in the Church is what drew Kari to the program. A member of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Beresford, she said that as her two children, now in middle school, began to grow up in the faith, she realized there was a gap between young children in religious education in the Church and the involvement of the older population of parishioners.
Growing up Catholic, Kari said she remembers being actively involved with church in her youth, and while she never fully walked away from the faith as an adult, the “why” didn’t take on significance until the reality of navigating raising a family in a changing culture brought the importance of a relationship with God home. It’s easy for church to become one thing among many in the rush of different life stages, she says.
“As a wife, mom and working full time, it’s easy to get busy with all the day-to-day activities,” Kari said. “DIG gave me the opportunity to quiet the noise and focus on my relationship with God to remind me that he is always there for me, to grow in my faith.”
Cultivating relationships
For Corey of St. Peter Parish in Jefferson, signing up for DIG was similarly about cultivating relationships with other people of faith. Corey said he and his wife, Kathleen, enjoyed an active and faith-filled community life during their years at South Dakota State University, and after moving back to his hometown to join the family farm, he was looking for ways to connect with others.
“The cool thing about DIG is that it’s pushing us to incorporate our faith into other parts of the week and have those conversations outside of just that hour of church per week,” Corey said.
In a rural area, where “everybody knows everybody,” walking an intentional faith life can have its challenges. Even though it’s a small community, Corey says there are people moving into the area and having the platform and the space like DIG to forge those connections is important.
“Life can be tough in different phases,” Corey said. “Parenting and family life can be hard, and just to be able to have a faith-filled community to lean on, there’s some serious fruit to be gained.”
Getting back to God
For both Corey and Kari, what began as a desire to be more involved and build community quickly became something much more personal.
“My first thought in joining the program was to meet people in my parish, but ultimately it made me realize that I need to slow down, turn the radio off, sit in silence, and listen and pray more,” Kari said. “This program was more about reminding me about my relationship with God. Once you have that, you become a true disciple for God and the rest will follow.”
Kari and Corey say they both have seen the fruits of making a commitment to grow in their faith and pursue a life of discipleship, from the impact on their families, to the way they spend their time.
“It’s amazing how good it can be when you don’t realize what you’re missing,” Corey said. “I see super fruits that come from just spending more time in God’s word and growing deeper in your faith life, so that when life then comes at you hard, to already have that prayer life, that deep relationship with God, it helps you walk through it and a community of people to support you. You don’t know what you’re missing until you go.”
