Catholics -- does your parish have a Bible study group? Do you attend?

As Catholics, we're used to seeing misinformation about our faith popping up here regularly, but I find it disconcerting to see how many believe Catholics a) don't read the Bible, or b) aren't allowed/encouraged to read the Bible. It seems to be second only to the "Mary issue" in terms of frequency.





When I answer such questions, in addition to clearing up the fallacy I usually also point out that many parishes have begun to schedule regular Bible study groups, because that's the case in my local parishes and some I know of elsewhere. Just out of curiosity, how widespread is this -- particularly in the US, where the fact that we aren't seen walking into church on Sundays carrying Bibles seems to be the only evidence some have to back up their assertion?

Catholics -- does your parish have a Bible study group? Do you attend?
There isn't a bible study offered in our parish. I was told by the man who leads the ones that have been offered in the past that "there wasn't any interest." Apparently people show up at first and then stop coming. Well...err...to be as charitable as possible, the guy is a very sincere man who is just a lousy teacher. (I have had my children take classes from him in our CCE program.) There is no way I would attend a class he gave and it would have nothing to do with disinterest in the Bible. I am afraid that bad Bible study teachers (they're knowledgable but not good techers) is frequently the norm in many parishes I have been in.





I personally attend our local seminary once a week and the teaching there is much better. Still there is no excuse for Catholics not to know the Bible and their faith. There are excellent Catholic books out there and Amazon stocks pretty much all of them.





I would like to see this program:





http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.com/





And programs like it brought into more Catholic parishes. Perhaps we need to make Bible studies available in a format that works for more people AND with good instruction.
Reply:Yes. I am attending a four year Bible study school through my archdiocese. And actually, they have just added a 5th 16 week course after the 4th year.





There are several Bible study groups in my parish alone, not to mention the hundreds of others at the other parishes in this city.
Reply:My parish has had a Bible study group for adults for the last 15 years, and for teens for the last 10 years. We've been lucky to go as a family for many years now to a family study group that was started about 7 years ago. As a parish, we've been lucky to have good priests who know the importance of individual Bible study, and who have continued to impress this importance upon every member of the parish!
Reply:No, we study Lord Of The Rings with my group of friends though...
Reply:I know what you mean and yes our Church has a Bible study group and no I cannot attend but I am amazed at the amount of Catholics who do not know their Faith or their Bible. They are content to show up at Mass sometimes on Sunday and that's about it so they have no idea how to defend their Faith against the horrible attacks like on this site. I really hate to say it but, Catholics are our own worst enemy. We do not know our Faith. I think (and I keep saying this) everyone should get a Catechism and read it every night and also the Bible just one chapter a night. Very few actually knows what our Church says. It is partly because of faulty teaching with some of the priests who were involved in the ghastly preparation done in some of the Seminaries but, still....If people really knew what the Catholic Faith taught--they would all be Catholic.
Reply:Don't know.





No.





No.
Reply:Today's Prophet did not answer the question and is completely confused about the Catholic faith. (The Catholic Church is STRONGLY against abortions and sexual promiscuity - I forget some of the other claims he made. Catholics DO have a relationship with our Lord, and the serious Catholic's I would say have an even stronger relationship than most protestants will ever understand, after all, we have Jesus truly and physically present in the Eucharist).





To answer the original posters question. Yes, my parish has a Bible study, as well as many other parish's in my area (Philadelphia). I attend Bible study at a different parish though, where there is a young adult group, about 40-50 of us each week diving into the Word.