RECongress 2005 - Period 1: Friday, February 18, 2005

Opus Dei, thanks to the book “The Da Vinci Code,” is the most talked about and most mythologized group in the Catholic Church. John Allen, who is writing a journalistic study of Opus Dei, will separate myth from reality. Allen, though not a member of Opus Dei, has enjoyed unprecedented access inside the group.

John Allen Jr. is the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and a Vatican analyst for CNN. He appears regularly on television and radio outlets around the world as a commentator and lectures widely on Vatican affairs. Allen has a weekly Internet column in which he writes about Vatican affairs. He is currently working on a book about Opus Dei.

Liturgical composer Mark Friedman and choreographer Donna Anderle explore the “liturgical school year” and share music and creative liturgical ideas that follow the cycle, seasons and special days which our young people experience during the school year – from the Opening of the Year Mass through end‑of‑year Graduation. Let the celebration and singing begin with this energizing workshop that will enable teachers, DREs, music directors and planners to allow their young people to more fully participate and appreciate the experience of liturgy and worship.

Well-known liturgical dancer and choreographer Donna Anderle has served on liturgy committees for several national associations and conferences. Anderle co-founded “The Good News Company,” a touring group, and operates her own dance studio. Presently, she is Assistant Liturgy Director at Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, Ohio, and teaches at the Cincinnati Ballet Company as well as at Northern Kentucky University.

Liturgist and teacher, Mark Friedman is a music director and published composer, whose music appears in missalettes and hymnals nationwide. He is a contributor to Today’s Liturgy for Children. Friedman is a frequent workshop and keynote presenter at nationwide conventions and seminars on liturgy, religious education and music. He is currently Music Director and liturgist at St. John Fisher Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Help children and young people inherit the faith through music. Uncover the mysteries of our faith through Sacraments and song. Learn techniques to incorporate singing with catechesis. There will be special emphasis on Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.

In addition to serving as workshop coordinator for GIA Publications, David Anderson serves as Director of Music and Liturgy for Ascension Church in Oak Park, Ill., where he directs four choirs and coordinates a large Taizé ecumenical outreach of prayer and song.

The U.S. Catholic bishops have been criticized, often severely, for their response to the sexual abuse scandal. Some even criticized the way the Vatican reacted to the crisis. Still others have called for the laity to become more active in consulting – or “managing” – the temporal affairs of the Church. How do we think of these issues in ecclesiological terms? By way of response to the crisis, what kinds of reforms are appropriate and possible within Roman Catholic theology and self-understanding? In addition to identifying “lessons learned” from the sexual abuse crisis, the workshop will take the crisis as a test case for exploring these larger questions.

Scott Appleby is Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame and Director of their Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. With an interest in American Catholic history and world fundamentalism, he has authored a book titled “Church and Age Unite! The Modernist Impulse in American Catholicism,” and has co-authored or co-edited several other books.

Are you looking for creative catechetical methods that enhance the process of religious learning for elementary-age children? Are you seeking enrichment in your vocation as a catechist? You’ll leave this workshop with six simple suggestions to energize you as a catechist and with practical ideas on how to evangelize children.

Nancy Bird has been involved in religious education for over 25 years as a professional Master Catechist, parish catechetical leader and youth minister. As Northeast Regional Manager for RCL, she has traveled the country as keynote and workshop presenter, appearing at NCEA, and the East Coast Conference, all the while continuing as a catechist in her parish.

Early Christianity was a communal experience. Leadership, conversion, a deeper understanding of Jesus and mission were some of the consequences of this communal experience. Jesus’ words, “That they may be one,” continue to lead us toward community. The question before us at this time in salvation history is why now? And then, what do we mean when we speak of “community”? This workshop will address the need for community in both our nation and the Church, and how to structure and develop communities within parish life.

Rosemary Bleuher is Associate Director of Adult Faith/Small Church Community Formation for the Diocese of Joliet, Ill. She has been with the diocese for more than 20 years, most recently directing their RENEW 2000. She has given keynotes, training seminars and workshops throughout the United States and Canada and has authored numerous articles on small church communities.

As attendance at parish events dwindles and people are more reluctant to contribute financially, the parish must, nevertheless, plan for the future. This workshop will explore the importance of pastoral planning and the Reign of God, which must become the parish’s mission. Discover strategies and structures that fit the parish’s emerging values of mission, vision and heart. Information will be shared on lay empowerment, the formation of parish “schools of ministry” for training and formation, and the importance of relational evangelization in Bible study groups and family‑based religious education.

Fr. Patrick Brennan, serving nearly three decades as a priest, is Pastor of Holy Family Church in Inverness, Ill. A licensed psychologist, he is currently specializing in “re-imaging” parishes to help develop evangelization and to build genuine experiences of community. Fr. Brennan is also President of the National Center for Evangelization and Parish Renewals.

This session will offer reflections on the spiritual foundations of forgiveness in traditional black theology: How does the theology of the Cross affect African-American understandings of Reconciliation, healing and transcendence?

Born in East St. Louis, Fr. Joseph Brown has been a member of the Society of Jesus since 1967. He is Professor and Director of the Black American Studies Program at Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale, Ill. Prior to serving at SIU, he was Director at the Institute for Black Catholics Studies at Xavier University. Fr. Brown has written two books, “A Retreat with Thea Bowman and Bede Abram” and “To Stand On the Rock.”

Are the Beatitudes simply another list of things to do, a more demanding set of Commandments for the serious Christian? Come and consider the possibility that Jesus was naming our gifts, not offering a challenge. What is the gift, the “blessing,” you are called to be for your family, the Church, the world? Who are the people in Scripture who model that blessing?

Kathleen Chesto is author of numerous books, articles and videos on spirituality and family life. She has been recipient of the National Professional Association of Parish Catechetical Directors’ Emmaus Award for Excellence in Catechesis, the National Association of Catholic Family Ministers’ Award for service to marriage and family, and the Hartford Seminary’s Distinguished Alumna Award. Her most recent book is entitled, “Know Me, Hold Me, Sing to Me.”

1-10 Here’s the Church, Here’s the Steeple, Open the Doors, Where Are All the Young Adult People? (workshop closed)

Is your church looking a little less crowded these days? Is it always the same people doing the same things year after year? Is the “average” parishioner beginning to look a bit gray on top? This workshop is for people wishing to inject some new life into parish life. It’s also for young adults who are tired of waiting to be asked.

Chicago archdiocesan priest John Cusick served as an associate pastor until 1977 when he joined the faculty of Loyola University’s Niles College, the archdiocese’s college seminary. Concurrent with his seminary work, he served as Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry until appointed its Director. Fr. Cusick is also on staff at Old St. Patrick’s Church in downtown Chicago.

In his encyclical on faith and reason (“Fides et ratio”), John Paul II claims that understanding God’s kenosis, the self-emptying of Christ, is the primary task of theology today. Taking his cue from the Holy Father, Dr. Michael Downey explores the implications of the kenosis, not only for how we understand God, but also for our understanding of the Church and our life as the Body of Christ here and now.

Spiritual writer Dr. Michael Downey serves as the Cardinal’s Theologian for the Los Angeles Archdiocese. He is founding North American editor of Spirituality journal and Editor of the award-winning “New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality.” In all, he is author or editor of more than 20 books, as well as dozens of journal articles, essays and book chapters.

In this session Fr. Bob Fabing will develop themes from his new book, “The Spiritual Life.” He will explore the meaning and significance of the discovery of the unconscious in the history and flow of ascetical theology in the Church. This will highlight the interfacing of psychotherapy and spirituality bringing to light the holiness of our everyday life struggles to be our true selves in our individual worlds and relationships. Fr. Fabing will center this in what Christ has revealed in the meaning of holiness and prayer in saying, “Insofar as you give to these sisters and brothers of mine, you give to me.”

Fr. Bob Fabing has founded 44 marriage counseling and family therapy centers from San Diego to Portland, Ore., through the Jesuit Institute for Family Life Network. He is Director of the 36-Day Program in the Spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola at the Jesuit Retreat House in Los Altos, Calif., where he lives. He is also author of four books and composer of eight liturgical music compilations.

This globalized and globalizing world is a deeply fractured world. The scandalous division between rich and poor, between North and South of our planet challenges every committed Christian. Christ is present in disguise in the refugee turned away at our frontier, the hungry peasant in South America who can no longer sell his maize, and the starving and persecuted families in Sudan. Catholic social teaching articulates an option for the poor that – if we embrace and promote it – has colossal implications for stewardship in the Church. Structures of sin are at work; we, as stewards of all creation, should strive to create life-giving structures of Grace. (This workshop is repeated in Session 8-05.)

Julian Filochowski is Director of the Tablet Publishing Co., based in London, England, where he is also Sabbatical Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University. He has held many leadership positions in international Catholic networks and recently retired from as Director of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. Filochowski has given keynotes and lectures throughout the United Kingdom, the United States, Asia and Latin America.

Mary emerges as a unifying figure in our culturally diverse Church, as a person of hope and healing in a Church that often seems broken and divided, and as a woman who empowers all those in search of new ways to be faithful. Join visual artist, Bro. Michael McGrath, O.S.F.S., and Fr. Richard Fragomeni for a presentation integrating art, meditation, music and dance with images and prayers from their new book, “Blessed Art Thou.”

Richard Fragomeni, a priest of the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., is Associate Professor of Liturgy and Homiletics and Chair of the Department of Word and Worship at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He has been active in parish renewals and diocesan workshops and has been keynote, speaker or presenter at many national events. Fr. Fragomeni also has authored a number of articles which have appeared in a variety of journals.

Michael O’Neill McGrath, a brother of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, is a nationally recognized artist, speaker and leader of retreats and workshops. He has been the recipient of awards from the Catholic Press Association for his covers of America magazine. His work regularly appears in Catholic and Christian publications.

This workshop will explore ideas to use with junior-high youth in ministry settings. Ideas for evangelizing, for including family members, for engagement in justice work and for building a community of friends will be presented. This workshop will be interactive, so bring one idea that has worked for you!

Carole Goodwin has spent over 25 years in full-time ministry, and is currently Director of Youth Ministry and Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky. The former Director of Religious Education, youth minister and pastoral associate has taught all ages, from first grade through graduate school. She is presently an adjunct professor at Spaulding University in Louisville and the University of Dayton in Ohio.

1-16 “When Evildoers Assail Me...” – Pastoral Responses to Workplace Violence

“Mobbing,” or workplace bullying, is a well-known phenomenon in Europe, and is becoming more common in the American workplace. Employees can experience various forms of social alienation, personal insult and professional jeopardy, leading to high levels of stress, depression and despair. This workshop will examine mobbing as a pastoral issue, drawing on both biblical traditions and the Church’s social teachings. It will identify effective approaches to ministering to victims of mobbing and admonishing those who assail them. If you know people who claim to have been pushed or forced out of their jobs, then this session is for you and them.

Dr. Greer Gordon is Director of the Frederick Douglass Unity House and a member of the faculty of the Department of African/African American Studies and Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth. The Baton Rouge, La., native is a former teacher, religious education director and consultant.

There are a wide variety of ways parishes across the country approach the Sacrament of Confirmation and its preparation phase. One proven and powerful strategy is to look to the signs and symbols of the Rite of Confirmation to help us prepare our young people to more fully experience the Sacrament of Confirmation. Participants in this workshop will identify the key elements of the Rite of Confirmation (symbols, actions, readings, etc.) and explore creative ways to present the faith to our young people through those elements.

Mike Hagarty has been involved in youth ministry since 1980 as a parish and diocesan youth minister, high school teacher and coach. He has been a lecturer at Washington Theological Union and a former staff member at the Center for Ministry Development. He is currently Youth Ministry Consultant for the Diocese of Raleigh, N.C.

Does the silent little snicker deep in the recesses of old Sarah really matter in this biblical story (Genesis 18:1‑15)? Though hidden away in a tent throughout the tale, Sarah’s private little outburst offers testimony to the power of a good laugh in the discovery of God’s presence in our lives.

Dr. Gina Hens‑Piazza is Professor of Biblical Studies at the Jesuit School of Theology and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. Author several books and numerous articles, she has written and lectured extensively on topics of biblical justice, ministry and the role of biblical women. Currently, she serves on the editorial board for the Catholic Biblical Quarterly. Her latest book, a commentary on the Books of Kings, will be published in 2005.

We live like ill‑taught piano students. We don’t hear the music; we only play the right notes. What does it mean to hear the music of life? Our faith journey is not a contest, or a race, or a beauty pageant (where we are working for the wrong rewards of achievement, affluence and appearance). Instead, our life journey is Grace’s invitation to a dance. Now, we can see our world with new eyes. We ask new questions and see with eyes of wonderment. At the dance we know that life is not just the number of breaths we take. Life is those moments that take our breath away. Are you ready to celebrate? Are you ready to dance?

Terry Hershey is founder of “A Few Things That Matter” Seminars. He is a minister, writer and landscape designer on Vashon Island, near Seattle. He speaks throughout the country on relationships, spirituality and gardening. He is a regular on the Hallmark TV show, “New Morning,” and author of “Soul Gardening.” His newest book is “Sacred Necessities for People Who Love Life.”

The “General Directory for Catechesis” reminds us that “turning toward the face of God” (GDC 56) is essential in order for the renewal of parishes and the success of catechesis to be real. But how do you help others encounter Christ? How do you add the right invitation and the right circumstances to your current programs that, on a large scale, will help people experience this deep conversion? If we are going to succeed in adult catechesis on a wide scale, this necessary aspect must be addressed. Bill Huebsch will lay out practical ideas and tested approaches in this workshop.

Since 1975, Bill Huebsch has worked in both diocesan and parish education programs, with nearly a decade of that time spent in Catholic publishing. In 1990, he established The Vatican II Project to keep alive its spirit and energy. In recent years he has published a dozen books, along with many booklets, articles and screenplays.

Daring to set the Holy Spirit free and really permit God to flourish within us, this musically supported workshop will focus sensitively yet urgently on the often soul-wrenching challenge of “change” – change in our work, in our Church, and in our personal spiritualities.

Jim Marchionda is composer of several music collections. For the past 10 years the Dominican priest has traveled throughout the United States as a full‑time preacher of parish missions. Since each mission involves the parish children, Fr. Marchionda says this challenge of preaching has inspired some of his new musical compositions. The former Vicar Provincial for the Central Province Dominicans has made many appearances at Congress.

Grace abounds … in promises and people, land and presence shared with the Holy One, in the Gospel and in life shared with us in Baptism. We are graced, given the same relationship with God that Jesus knew in the grace of the Spirit. But there are journeys involved, out into the unknown, across borders, into one’s own heart and into the hidden places of others who travel with us. We brush the edges of death and transformation, of wild hopes and dashed dreams. Grace gives us eyes to perceive with God’s grand vision and graciousness. Come be dazzled, go home in a daze and have your eyes washed out to see Glory lurking everywhere!

Theologian and storyteller – Megan McKenna has taught in Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Boliva, Peru, Dublin and at St. John’s in Collegeville, Minn., the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, St. Elizabeth’s in New Jersey, in addition to other universities. An Ambassador of Peace for Pax Christi USA, McKenna is also an author; her latest books are “Praying The Rosary,” “New Stations of the Cross” and “She Who Brings Peace.”

This session will demonstrate how to use the Theory of Multiple Intelligences to build and refine the values, knowledge and practices of individuals growing in their Catholic faith.

Bob Pavlik’s career as a teacher, professor, administrator and author spans 39 years. He renewed his K-12 teaching experiences during a recent sabbatical, experimenting with Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Today, he coordinates a team to help existing schools transform their programs and help various groups design and open new schools.

This workshop will focus on research-based and time-tested ways of raising a faith-filled family. Mary Jo Pedersen will offer practical resources and strategies for learning how to pray, learning about and celebrating the faith, and how to reconcile and break bread at home. She will provide effective ways to help families be more intentional about becoming the “domestic church.”

Mary Jo Pedersen has been a teacher and author in the areas of family ministry and faith formation for over 20 years. She presents workshops and retreats both locally in Omaha, Neb., and nationally. She has served on the staff of the Family Life Office in the Omaha Archdiocese for 20 years and is currently an advisor to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Marriage and Family Life.

Moral theologians today speak of “social sin,” that is, evil as embodied and institutionalized in social and legal structures. Can and should we speak correlatively of “social grace”? Where can God’s gifts be found today? How can the Church make God’s grace visible and effective for people of our times?

Dr. Peter Phan, a native of Vietnam, is a priest of the Dallas Diocese. He formerly served as President of the Catholic Theological Society of America and is currently the Professor/Chair of Catholic Social Thought in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Phan is author of several books; his latest is titled “Being Religious Interreligiously.”

This session will re-examine the evidence from the first century of what it meant to be a Pharisee and Jew, to help us understand both Jesus and His contemporaries. It is ironic that Christian preaching and teaching have too often disparaged Pharisees and Judaism, since Jesus was born to a Jewish family, lived the life of a faithful Jew, regularly dined with Pharisees, and died with a placard over His head proclaiming that He was the King of the Jews. To understand first-century Judaism is to know Jesus’ starting place and cultural home.

Fr. Pat Mullen is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Associate Director of Pastoral Formation at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, Calif. He is a regular speaker at diocesan conferences in Reno, Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles. Raised in Holy Family Parish in Glendale, he has served two local parishes – St. Margaret Mary (Lomita) and St. John Vianney (Hacienda Heights).

In this era of ecumenical and inter‑religious sensitivity, we sometimes gloss over what divides us. Or, we might tend to measure our own worth by harping about the shortcomings of “them.” That’s not what this session is about. It’s about the positive: What makes us tick? Why be Catholic? Are there any core beliefs, practices, slants on life that make Roman Catholicism “unique,” or at least “distinct”? Fr. Dick Sparks, pastor and doctoral theologian, will walk us through this religious minefield – upbeat and affirming, but not sugar‑coated.

Fr. Dick Sparks, a Paulist priest, divides his time between being a workshop speaker/lecturer on the morality and ethics circuit and serving as Pastor of Newman Hall/Holy Spirit Parish on campus at the University of California, Berkeley. The former Associate Editor for Paulist Press is author of three books and several audio/video tape series.

Catholic Church documents consistently promote Baptism by immersion as the preferred method, but many churches still only offer Baptism by pouring. What does the Church teach on this issue? How do we encourage people to choose this method? How do you Baptize infants by immersion? What about adults? What does our history say about this? What do immersion fonts look like?

Paul Turner, a priest of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., is currently Pastor of two Missouri parishes: St. Munchin Church in Cameron and St. Aloysius Church in Mayville. He is a team member for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate and speaker at the Tepeyac Institute in the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, and at other conferences. He also writes the column “Bulletin Inserts” for Ministry & Liturgy magazine.

This session, presented by a clinical child psychologist and a seasoned early childhood educator, will explore practical ways to involve multiple senses in the religious education setting. Learn how this approach can accommodate for variations in needs and abilities while enhancing the learning experience for all.

Dr. Joseph White is a clinical child psychologist and Director of Catholic Family Counseling and Family Life in the Diocese of Austin, Texas. A former parish director of faith formation, Dr. White has spoken at numerous local, regional and national events for catechists, DREs and educators. He is author of several books and appears regularly in Our Sunday Visitor.

Ana Arista White has 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education. A former parish catechetical leader, she is a regular columnist for Catholic Parent magazine and author of several books on catechesis, including the recently published book, “Teach-It: Early Childhood.” White teaches pre-kindergarten and is Curriculum Specialist at St. Louis Early Childhood Development Center in Austin, Texas.

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CONGRESS 2005 WORKSHOPS & LINKS
THURSDAY	• Youth Day Schedule • Youth Day Workshops
FRIDAY: SATURDAY: SUNDAY:	• Period 1 • Period 2 • Period 3 WORKSHOPS • Period 4 • Period 5 • Period 6 • Period 7 • Period 8
EN ESPAÑOL VIERNES: SÁBADO: DOMINGO:	• Sesión 1 • Sesión 2 • Sesión 3 TALLERES • Sesión 4 • Sesión 5 • Sesión 6 • Sesión 7 • Sesión 8
2005 FEATURES	• Schedule • Speakers • Statistics • Youth Day • Registration Guidebook • Hotels • Theme Reflections • Comments • Exhibitor Listing • Exhibitor Categories
SEE PHOTOS FROM CONGRESS 2005

2005 PERIOD 1

Religious Education Congress
Friday, February 18, 2005
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

2005 PERIOD 1

Religious Education Congress Friday, February 18, 2005 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Religious Education Congress
Friday, February 18, 2005
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.