The Essentials

The Essentials is an 8-week mini-course on the basics of the Catholic Church with a concentration on What Makes Us Catholic or different from other Christian denominations.

Attend any or all sessions which interest you or fit your schedule!  It's a smorgasboard of Catholic identity.

Concentrating on particular Catholic worldviews, beliefs, practices and church structures, the course assists Catholics who need a refresher course or an introduction to their faith or for those active Christians from another Church interested in learning what makes Catholicism different from their own upbringing.

On Select Monday nights, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Portable 2 (P2)
Mar. 9 thru June 29

Attend any or all sessions which interest you or fit your schedule!
No Registration required. Admission is Free!
Pick and Choose which sessions interest you!
 

Mrs. Gina Simmons fell in love with Scripture study in 2002 and facilitates Bible studies at our parish. She has led A Quick Journey Through the Bible, The Bible Timeline, A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible, The Book of Isaiah, The Origin of the Bible, Revelation-A Kingdom Yet to Come, The Bible and the Virgin Mary, and Follow Me-Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John. Gina and husband, Richard, have three children and she loves to share the Word of God with others.

Fr. Ed Koharchik, MA, MLM, MAPS, is pastor of our parish. He holds Masters degrees in Liturgical Studies and Liturgical Music, both from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and a Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Studies from The University of St. Thomas in Houston. Fr. Ed was a team member with The North American Forum on the Catechumenate for twenty years. He served on the Diocesan Presbyteral Council and currently serves on the Diocese of Austin's Diocesan Liturgical Commission and leads the diocese's RCIA task force.

Mr. Chris Sperling  is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Texas. He is an Approved Consultant in EMDR (since 2019) and a Certified Therapist in EMDR (since 2017). Chris is a diaconate candidate.



Mrs. Helen Osman is a church communication specialist having worked with multiple levels of church organizations. She is president of SIGNIS (World Catholic Association for Communication) and was chief communications officer of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, organizing media preparations for the visits of Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 and of Pope Francis in 2015. She previously served as editor and communications director for the diocese of Austin.