For 45 years men and women from across the Diocese of Albany and beyond gathered for the annual Spring Enrichment program. While originally an event for catechist formation (training), over the years it expanded to encompass many church ministries and provided opportunities for a broad spectrum of attendees. They came together to learn more about their faith and nurture their relationship with the Lord Jesus. They were able to gain new insights and ideas about their church ministries and check out the latest available resources for church ministry. They could gather for prayer and worship and network between sessions.
Spring Enrichment was originally launched in 1973 by the Diocese’s Office of Religious Education. In time that office was rechristened the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis and in 2008 the Office of Evangelization, Catechesis & Family Life. With the OECFL’s dissolution in 2015 the program underwent a number of significant changes – including a shift from the traditional Monday-Thursday schedule to a Wednesday-Saturday one, as direction of the program was transferred to the Diocese’s Catholic School Office. And in 2017 the program was entirely subsumed into the Vicariate for Catholic Faith Formation and Education which consists of the Offices for Campus & Youth/Young Adult Ministry, the Catholic School Office and the Office of Lay Ministry & Parish Faith Formation.