RECongress 2005 - Period 5: Saturday, February 19, 2005

5-01 Seeking Healing & Wholeness Through Music, Meditation and Movement (workshop closed)

Participants will be gently guided toward finding inner peace and solitude through beautiful music, simple movement and gesture, breathing techniques, prayer, Scripture and meditation. Wellness and healing of body, mind and spirit are emphasized in this prayerful and relaxing session.

In response to recent crises in the Church, some critics have called for a wholesale reform of Catholic practices, structures and principles, including the governance of the Church, the way priesthood and ministry is understood, and the role of the laity. What are the limits and possibilities of a Catholic reformation in the 21st century? What are the historical precedents? This workshop will identify ways of thinking about these problems and questions from a Catholic historical and ecclesiological perspective.

With the help of the Prophet Ezekiel, God breathed new life into dry bones. Come see how, as movement artists, we can honor the backbone of our tradition, while using movement and dance to breathe new life into our assemblies gathered in prayer. Explore the gifts of sign language, procession, gesture, dance and drama as ways of engaging our assemblies – children and adults! – in the enlivening work of the Spirit. Let’s get “dem dry bones” dancing!

Betsey Beckman is a freelance liturgical dancer, choreographer, spiritual director, retreat leader, author and storyteller based in Seattle. She spent six years on the teaching staff at the Institute for Transformational Movement in Seattle, and six years performing with the liturgical theater company Fountain Square Fools. Now she is a presenter/performer at numerous national conventions. She has written a book and has produced audiocassettes on movement prayer.

Laura and David Ash are the music directors at St. Patrick and St. Anthony parishes, respectively, in the Seattle area. They have composed and published three albums of liturgical music and for years have collaborated with Betsey Beckman in creating music for numerous liturgical dance offerings, including the video, “The Dancing Word/Miriam and Mary.”

Don’t let discipline problems diminish your joy and excitement of spreading the Good News. This workshop will challenge you with the concept “discipline for character development,” as well as offering insights, encouragement and practical suggestions so you can anticipate and often prevent discipline problems before they arise.

5-05 Enough Is Enough! Stand UP! A Rallying Call for People Who Believe in the God of Love, Justice and Mercy (workshop closed)

With wars, terrorism, violence all around us, followers of Christ must begin to stand up like never before and tell a hurting world that we not only believe in the Gospel message of love and forgiveness, but that it really can work to heal our brokenness. Now more than ever it seems time for us to “stir into flame the gift that God has given to us … for the Spirit does not make us cowards, but fills us with power” (2 Tim 1:6‑7). Christ tells us there is an alterative to an eye for an eye, but it takes courage and the power of the Spirit. Clearly, it is time to, in the words of the old hymn, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.”

Grayson Warren Brown is an internationally known liturgical composer, author, recording artist and speaker. He began his liturgical ministry in the late-1960s in a small inner-city parish in New York City and has 20 years of experience working in a multicultural parish. Brown divides his time among writing, composing and traveling the country presenting workshops, speaking at conventions, and conducting parish missions.

This workshop will deal with the religious and civil questions regarding same-sex marriage. Emphasis will be placed on how we, as a Church, might approach this important societal concern.

In the midst of our hectic lives we need to take time to stop and reflect on how each moment is graced. Using song, story, art and multimedia presentations, participants will reflect on the child as sacrament, the catechist as agent of blessing, and how our journey through the curriculum is a pilgrimage.

Suffering is a universal part of the human experience. We, as Christians, are offered a paradigm that can help make sense of suffering, transforming it into the redemptive energy necessary to build the “kingdom of heaven” here in our midst. Join inspirational author and musician Jeanne Cotter in reflecting upon the Grace of the Cross.

Jeanne Cotter is an acclaimed recording artist, performer, speaker and author. With formal education in theology, psychology and music, she offers concerts, parish missions, retreats, ministry workshops and personal growth seminars throughout the United States. Cotter’s works are published through Mythic Rain, GIA Publications and Oregon Catholic Press.

Throughout our lives we are called to move past fear and convention into a deeper experience of all that love is. Such love entreats: open your heart; reach far, because so much is possible; learn how to embrace your own thresholds.

Children are a gift from God graced with the ability to touch, smell, taste, hear and gaze upon all of creation. This workshop will seek to awaken the love of God, our Creator, in the hearts and minds of pre-school-aged children. Learn how to develop a series of lessons that will deepen the awareness of God's loving care for each of us through the use of our senses.

Continuing the work of more than 25 years, this multi-talented group of catechists and educators strive to help others appreciate the importance of experiencing God's love concretely during the formative pre-school years. Workshops offered by the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Early Childhood Board are informative, inviting and fun.

5-11 How Can We Become Sexually Liberated? Reclaiming the Bond Between Christian Love and Justice (workshop closed)

Almost a half‑century ago our culture underwent a “revolution” that promised “sexual liberation.” While there were some positive aspects to this movement, it also left an aftermath of wounded lives and exploitative attitudes. In the meantime, except for further warnings and mandates, the institutional Church has failed to invite a genuine dialogue regarding healthy and responsible sexuality. This presentation addresses the urgent need to listen to the “love stories” of God’s people and to reclaim the longneglected connection between biblical love and justice.

Fran Ferder, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and a clinical psychologist, is Co-Director of TARA (Therapy and Renewal Associates), a counseling and consultation center in Seattle. She is also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. She maintains a busy speaking schedule nationally and internationally. Individually and together with Fr. John Heagle, she has written a number of books.

John Heagle, a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., and licensed psychotherapist, is on faculty in the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. He is also Co-Director of TARA. Both Fr. Heagle and Sr. Fran Ferder are internationally recognized speakers and authors of several books, articles and tapes on spirituality and human relationships, including “Tender Fires: The Spiritual Promise of Sexuality.”

Many people have been taught not to trust their own experience of God. But every spiritual tradition teaches that this is all we have when approaching the Great Mystery. The wisdom of the ages called this experience “mysticism.” Come and be inspired by the language of mystics, poets and saints. Experience a breath of fresh air in reclaiming the best wisdom of our own religious traditions – while healing the all‑too‑common wounds of modern religion.

An afternoon performance of Marty Haugen’s latest work, which highlights the central stories and themes from the Gospel of John. Using a wide variety of musical styles, the familiar figures of John’s Gospel – the Woman at the Well, the Man Born Blind; Mary, Martha and Lazarus; and Mary Magdalene – invite us to “come and see” the Risen Christ. (Performed by an intergenerational cast of soloists and instrumentalists including Tony Alonso, Melissa Cuddy, Ray East, Serenity Fisher, David Haas, ValLimar Jansen and Michael Mahler, all under the direction of John Flaherty.)

For over 25 years, composer Marty Haugen has presented workshops and concerts across North America, Europe, Polynesia, Asia and Central America. His range of musical compositions continues to appear in numerous hymnals for U.S., Canadian and Australian Catholics, U.S. Evangelical Lutherans, and several other Protestant denominations.

Images of black men and women have been distorted and abused for centuries in the United States. How can we reclaim our bodies as “black and beautiful” and made into the image of God? By doing so, we free ourselves, opening doors and pathways to the greater participation of persons of African descent in the Church.

The movie theater is fast becoming the place in which big stories are told, values are formed, and hearts are won. In our preaching, teaching and prayer, movies are an important form for us to understand and use. This workshop will look at why some movies matter, how to read them in the light of Christian faith, and how to use them in our ministry.

Australian Jesuit priest Richard Leonard is Director of the Australian Catholic Film Office. He is also a consultant to the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Media Committee and a film critic for all the major Catholic newspapers “down under.” He has given missions, retreats, lectures and workshops on the media, film, theology and culture across Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

How can we awaken and enliven the faithful? How can we draw forth the power, the passion and the faith‑filled participation of young people in the Church? How can we “do Church” and “be Church” more effectively in the service to, and the empowerment of, the gift and grace of our young people? Come, see, jump in and experience the adventure.

Presenter, workshop clinician, composer, performer, Jesse Manibusan travels extensively as emcee, keynote and speaker, with appearances at conferences throughout the United States and Canada. Manibusan was composer of the 2003 Religious Education Congress theme song, “Bearer of Hope, Restoring Spirit.”

This session will take a closer look at church leadership in the contemporary Church, focusing on lay participation and collaborative ministry. Drawing upon the experience of ministry in the United Kingdom, models of leadership applicable to the unique character of the church will be examined.

Since 2000, Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon has served as the ninth Bishop for the Diocese of Nottingham, England. The London-born former provincial for the English Dominican Province has served in a variety of pastoral and academic posts, including lecturing at Blackfriar’s College at Oxford University.

Based on the interpersonal evangelistic approach of Jesus, this workshop will provide a practical methodology for sharing the Gospel message with teens. By interacting with video case studies, you will learn practical skills in relationship building, articulating the strand of the Gospel that best suits the need of the individual, and initiating conversations of faith.

Frank Mercadante is founder and Executive Director of Cultivation Ministries, based in St. Charles, Ill. Since 1991, this former director of youth ministry has trained thousands of youth ministry leaders across the United States and internationally. He has designed and written numerous youth ministry resources and has authored three books.

One of the challenges of the present age is to affirm and support the role of family in society and in the Church. Family life begins, however, in the vocation of marriage. In this workshop we will re-examine the Church teaching that the vocation of marriage, grounded in our baptismal call to holiness, is a vibrant and powerful journey to union with God through committed love. Some practical suggestions for reclaiming this profound truth in the home, classroom and parish will be explored.

The “General Directory for Catechesis” calls us to create lifelong faith formation for all ages and generations. Learn how to fashion a lifelong, systematic and comprehensive parish curriculum that engages all ages and generations in learning together. Explore a variety of models of lifelong faith formation created by parishes across the United States and Canada. Discover the benefits that will come from an integrated approach to faith formation and its potential for invigorating parish and home life.

John Roberto is founder of the Connecticut-based CMD (Center for Ministry Development), where he served as Director from 1978-2000. He is currently serving as a Project Coordinator for Family and Intergenerational Services. Roberto is creator or author of several curriculums, has authored or edited a number of religious education, youth and family ministry books and resource manuals, and presents workshops all across North America.

Richard Rohr will attempt to summarize the ancient, ever recurring and Christian tradition of “now” teaching – “the sacrament of the present moment.” He will try to connect the dots between the desert mystics, the Franciscan tradition and specific teachers like Augustine, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Brother Lawrence, Alan Watts, Paul Tillich,Thich Nhat Hanh, and most recently Eckhart Tolle. “Contemplation is not an elite exercise for the ascetical or the moral, but for anyone who can learn how to be here now, which might be the ultimate spiritual compass.”

The flow of the seasons pulses through both our inner and outer lives, moving in a circular process of life- death-life. Every step in the circle of life is an invitation to grow. Each of these movements calls us repeatedly to enter into and accept the seasonal periods of our lives. As we journey through these patterns of the year and of the heart, each step offers us a graced opportunity for further development and maturity.

Conflict is inevitable during the teen years, and every parent struggles with communication challenges of one sort or another during this life passage. Learn to distinguish those conflicts that are developmental in nature, and thus passing, from those that need to be addressed. In this workshop parents will be taught how to avoid common conflicts from escalating, strategies for
clearer parent-teen communication, and survival skills to transform conflict into harmony.

Patt Saso has been a marriage and family therapist for more than 16 years. She is co-owner of Saso Seminars & Counseling Services in Milpitas, Calif., where she has her psychotherapy practice. She has given presentations and been a popular seminar leader for more than 16 years. She and her husband, Steve, have authored an award-winning book and a set of parenting cassette tapes.

Steve Saso has over 30 years’ experience in the field of education as a high school teacher, administrator and pastoral counselor. As a media personality and professional speaker for more than a decade, he travels extensively giving seminars. He and his wife are co-owners of Saso Seminars & Counseling Services and authors of the award-winning book, “10 Best Gifts For Your Teen.”

Those of us educated in religion before the Second Vatican Council experienced a Church which sometimes appeared more legalistic than compassionate. As a result, our personal spirituality often reflected a preoccupation with laws. Today, Catholics find themselves in a different situation, one that has caused much confusion. This talk will address this confusion and offer some insight on developing a moral vision in keeping with Vatican II.

For the past 15 years Sr. Maureen Sullivan has taught theology at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. She also serves as a National Religion Consultant for the William H. Sadlier Publishing Co., a position that enables her to speak to Catholic school teachers, catechists and diocesan leaders across the country on contemporary theological issues. A Dominican Sister of Hope from New York, Sr. Sullivan’s latest book is entitled “101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II”; her next book is due out in 2006.

5-25 The Asian Family As Domestic Church – Report from FABC VIII (workshop closed)

The Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) held its eighth Plenary Assembly last August 17-23, 2004. The assembly studied the call for Asian families to be truly domestic churches in their complex world. The triple-dialogue with cultures, religions and the poor is happening in the church in the home – the family. How can the family become more like a domestic church? How can the Church be more like a family?

Ordained for the Diocese of Imus, Cavite, Philippines, in 1982, Fr. Luis Antonio Tagle was appointed Bishop of the diocese in 2001. Previously Rector of the Diocesan Major Seminary of Imus, Rev. Tagle has taught theology for over 25 years in various seminaries. He is a frequent speaker at our Religious Education Congress and other religious conferences.

5-26 The Year of the Eucharist: An Opportunity to Revitalize the Liturgy (workshop closed)

Vatican II’s “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” called for the reform and restoration of the Liturgy as a “sign of the providential disposition of God in our time, a movement of the Holy Spirit.” What have been the accomplishments of liturgical renewal? What have been the steps forward, and which have been steps backward? How can we restart the liturgical movement and revitalize our parish communities?

In 1990 Auxiliary Bishop Donald Trautman of Buffalo, N.Y., was named the ninth Bishop of Erie, Penn. The former seminary teacher and vicar general in his native Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y., also served as Pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Williamsville, N.Y. Bishop Trautman has served as chairman or member of several committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He has written extensively on Liturgy and Scripture.

Many people around the world now think Christian faith stands for political commitments that are almost the opposite of its true meaning. It’s time to take back our faith in the public square, especially in a time when a more authentic social witness is desperately needed.

Jim Wallis – author, preacher and activist – is currently Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners magazine and Convener of the Call to Renewal Network. A regular contributor on ethics and public life for MSNBC Online, Wallis is also author of numerous books and columns that have appeared in hundreds of newspapers and magazines. He travels extensively both in the States and abroad, organizing, preaching, debating, and leading seminars and retreats.

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2005 PERIOD 5

Religious Education Congress
Saturday, February 19, 2005
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

2005 PERIOD 5

Religious Education Congress Saturday, February 19, 2005 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Religious Education Congress
Saturday, February 19, 2005
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.