Natchez — Catholics in the Natchez area reconvened their neighborhood faith sharing groups in the Why Catholic? program on Ash Wednesday.

The program will continue for six weeks during the season of Lent and will end on Palm Sunday.

According to Ruth McWilliams, chairperson of the program for St. Mary Basilica and chairperson of the area’s planning committee gives adults the opportunity to learn more about their faith.

“This is an adult faith formation program based on the scriptures and on Catholic beliefs that offers adults an opportunity of sharing their faith and learning from others in home-based meetings,” she said.

McWilliams explained that this program is presently offered in most congregations in the Diocese of Jackson, and evaluations from the first six-week season of this program in the fall of 2008 found that Catholics were enthusiastic about this format of sharing their faith and learning from others.

McWilliams chaired an area-wide planning group made up of parish members from the three Natchez parishes — Assumption, Holy Family and St. Mary Basilica, Fayette, Woodville and Gloster.

She estimates that there are 200 participants from the St. Mary congregation, 65 from Holy Family, 60 from Assumption and 10 to 15 from Gloster and Woodville.

This series will continue until Palm Sunday, April 5.