Theology Table

HOPATCONG  It’s a typical Tuesday night at Frank’s Pizza here as a small group of regulars sit at their usual table looking over dinner specials as they get ready to order. Yet this less-than-typical bunch of diners, consisting of local Catholics and some other locals, gathers on Tuesdays at the local eatery for something not found on the menu: spirited conversations about Catholic teaching and worship and how believers can live out those values today.

Take a seat — and then pass the garlic bread — at the weekly Theology Table, where Catholics and non-Catholics alike come together for an almost stream-of-consciousness discussion on a wide range of topics on faith and life that they can dream up. Deacon Tom Friel of St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, moderates this rotating group of conversationalists, who have been nourishing their hearts and minds with lively dialogue about such subjects as Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, popes, same-sex marriage, U.S. history and local, parish or personal goings-on. Participants bring questions, including those about Catholic teaching, or come up with questions, during the conversation, while the deacon gives the Church’s perspective.

“All people are welcome, including other Christians or religions, agnostics and atheists. People can speak their minds or even vent their issues with the Church, while also engaging in discussions in a respectful tone,” said Deacon Friel, who leads the Theology Table on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. with his wife Kathy. “It’s also an opportunity for me to tell the truth about how we Catholics live and about the theology that we use as a rudder for our value system. Over the years, this forum has helped bring many people to the Church or back to the Church,” he said.

As news blared from a TV overhead, eight group members focused on talking about Scripture readings for the next Sun­day Mass, the U.S.’s Founding Fathers and Pope Francis’ marrying two flight attendants on the papal plane. That night, The Beacon took a seat at the large table in the middle of the restaurant, flanked by two rows of booths. After the group ordered dinner, Deacon Friel, who helped found the Theo­logy Table 10 years ago, broke out his smartphone and recited the readings for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time, including the Gospel of Mark 1:29-39, when Jesus finds that local townspeople do not respect him in his own time.

In no time, talk moved to the Founding Fathers, who “lived the Christian lives” and “knew the Bible,” Deacon Friel said.

“The Founders said that they could not rule an immoral people,” said member John Plick, linking religion with morals.

In almost free association, the group moved from topic to topic, such as the Pope Francis’ marrying of two flight attendants on his plane on Jan. 18. It sparked debate as to the conical validity of their marriage, because it did not go through the usual processes. One woman said, “What’s next — a wedding on a Ferris wheel, in a forest or while skydiving?” Then, Deacon Friel assured the group that the Vatican had vouched for validity of the flight attendants’ wedding.

After dinner, discussions turned to local concerns. Deacon Friel spoke of helping stop local youth from continuing their involvement in the occult: practicing witchcraft, wearing pentagrams or playing with Ouija boards.

“Catholics often don’t realize the supernatural power of the Eucharist. So many people take it for granted,” Plick said.

The conversation of the group — which consists of all Catholics — seemed lower-key than some previous Theology Tables, which have engaged in heated but respectful debates on various issues. The gathering welcomes a diverse membership that adds diverse perspectives. They have included a candidate for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Jude’s, and her young daughter; Nancy Patak who is a Methodist woman; and a Nigerian man, who reported that all public radio stations in his native country broadcast the rosary during the day. Then there was an emotionally scarred Vietnam veteran, who over several nights, detailed his painful combat experiences, Deacon Friel said.

Sitting among the group was Scott Patak, a St. Jude’s parishioner and Theology Table participant for two years. Deacon Friel invited him to the gatherings — an experience that led him to get more involved in the rural Sussex County parish as a local Knight of Columbus and an usher. His wife, Nancy, a Methodist, joins him at the table on occasion.

“There is lively conversation, which gives me the kind of information that I would not find in a Bible study. Here, we can have different opinions but agree to disagree,” Patak said. “My wife, the Theology Table, and my getting more involved in St. Jude’s all have encouraged me to think about religion and spirituality more. I have grown in my spirituality,” he said.

From the booths nearby, some diners chose to listen in on the group without joining the conversation. Deacon Friel got up from the table, walked to a booth and talked with a regular, who enjoys getting his weekly “shot of religion.” Over the years, many people have moved from their places in the booths to places at the table to join the conversation. Some others, inspired by the spiritually nourishing dialogue, have discovered or re-discovered their Catholic faith and have returned to church, the deacon said.

At the end of the night, Deacon Friel and his wife told The Beacon that they started the Theology Table in a local bar — inspired by the Theology on Tap outreach movement to young adults, set in local pubs. Kathy Friel called the table gatherings, which attract up to 15 people each week, “fun, fellowship and a support group for us.” The deacon told The Beacon that the discussions often give him ideas for the homilies that he delivers during two weekday Masses at St. Jude’s.

“People need to see that it’s fun to talk about religion, spirituality and the Church with some lightness,” Deacon Friel said, before leaving the eatery. “Like in my homilies, I want to give people hope — that they have work to do but that they are on the right path.”