Outstanding new video-based Faith Formation Series launched

San Francisco, March 4, 2014 – An exciting, new, comprehensive, faith formation video-based program known as Symbolon is being launched by the Augustine Institute, in conjunction with Lighthouse Catholic Media and Ignatius Press.

Through beautifully crafted presentations and state-of-the-art video, speaker and author Dr. Edward Sri leads a dynamic team of outstanding teachers to provide a clear and compelling vision of Catholic beliefs and practices.  Featured presenters include Dr. Tim Gray, Johnnette Benkovic, Patrick Coffin, Teresa Tomeo, Jason and Crystalina Evert, Leah Darrow, Jim Beckman, Curtis Martin, Chris Stefanick, and Ted Sri.

Featuring on-location filming in Rome, the Holy Land, Calcutta, and elsewhere, Symbolon opens up the “big picture” of the Catholic faith.  It provides pastors and other leaders with a superb resource for the New Evangelization as well as authentic and engaging catechesis.

Symbolon comes in two parts, the first of which—Knowing the Faith (ten episodes; 5 DVDs)—is being released now, the second part—Living the Faith (ten episodes; 5 DVDs) will come in the fall. Knowing the Faith focuses on the core beliefs of the Catholic Church: the Trinity, the story of creation, the fall, and redemption; the Church, Mary and the saints, and the Last Things. Living the Faith will focus on the sacraments and the moral life.

Excellent for RCIA, parish adult faith formation, men’s groups, women’s groups, family life ministry, catechist formation, and individual home study, Symbolon includes full-color companion resources—a Leader’s Guide and a Participant’s Guide to take people deeper into the life of faith.

“Many people have a fragmented understanding of the faith, " notes Dr Sri, who is an Augustine Institute professor of theology and director of the Symbolon program. "They might know there are 12 apostles, 10 commandments, 7 sacraments and 3 Persons of the Trinity, but how does it all fit together? We wanted to build a series that walks through the entirety of the Catholic faith in a way that would shape their lives.”
 
“We wanted to build a program that walks through the entirety of the Catholic faith in a way that would shape people’s lives. This series will help people know their faith and how to live it, as they grow in their relationship with Christ and the Church”, Dr Sri adds.

The Augustine Institute, a nationally known graduate theology program, produced Symbolon, and has joined forces with two major Catholic media apostolates, Lighthouse Catholic Media and Ignatius Press, to distribute Symbolon through parishes, bookstores, and online.  

“It is truly amazing that the Augustine Institute and Lighthouse Catholic Media were both ‘officially’ founded in the same year, in the same month, and on the same day: the Feast of the Assumption 2005.  We believe that through God’s Grace and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercession, this new partnership will help millions of more Catholics fall more deeply in love with our Lord and His Church!”, says Mark Middendorf, President of Lighthouse Catholic Media.

“We at Ignatius Press are excited by our evangelical collaboration with the Augustine Institute and Lighthouse Catholic Media”, according to Mark Brumley, President of Ignatius Press. “These are two apostolates thoroughly focused on serving the Lord and his Church. Symbolon is a great resource. May the Lord bless the users of Symbolon!”

More information on the Symbolon program, including video clips and sample resources pages from the series, is available at www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/symbolon and www.ignatius.com. Symbolon is available for order at those websites and at local Catholic bookstores.

Symbolon director Edward Sri, Lighthouse Catholic Media President Mark Middendorf, and Ignatius Press President Mark Brumley are available for interviews about Symbolon. To request an interview, please contact: Rose Trabbic, Publicist, Ignatius Press at (239) 867-4180 or rose@ignatius.com