RECongress 2005 - Period 8: Sunday, February 20, 2005

This presentation looks at the Church’s tradition in how it makes decisions about life-and-death issues. What are ordinary and extraordinary means? What does the Church say about organ transplants? About feeding tubes? What principles and values should families be aware of when making medical decisions, often in emergency situations? This workshop will help you be prepared!

Marie Vianney Bilgrien has worked in Hispanic ministry for about 20 years. She formerly served as Professor of Moral Theology in the Diocese of Shreveport, La., and is on the adjunct faculties of Loyola University, New Orleans and the Aquinas Institute in Oregon. The former Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Baker, Ore., is currently Project Director at the Tepeyac Institute in Texas.

Paul was the first theologian and the greatest pastoral leader for forming new converts into being a Church centered on Christ’s death and Resurrection. St. Paul’s most important pastoral letter for forming true communities of faith was his First Letter to the Corinthians. By exploring this Letter section-by-section and theme-by-theme we shall find the profile for a vibrant Church today.

It is a gift to love the unlovable – the condemned prisoner, the unborn, the AIDS/HIV patient in the last stages. It is Grace to make others love them. Two very different ministries happily collide to lift you out of the trench warfare of the consistent life ethic debate. Share the stories, Scripture, and the music of Shantigarh, which speak out for the “least” of our brothers and sisters and have the power to break a “heart of stone.”

Influenced by classical, folk, rock and even ska (thanks to his teenage children and students), John Bonaduce serves as Director of Music Ministry at Our Lady of the Valley in Canoga Park, Calif., and Vocal Arts Teacher/Director of Liturgical Ministry at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. Bonaduce’s most recent CD is the “Shantigarh Requiem for the Unborn,” a program presented annually at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

Fr. Chris Ponnet is Pastor of St. Camillus Center for Pastoral Care, located near the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he also serves as Board Certified Chaplain for USC/Norris Cancer Center and USC University Hospital. Fr. Ponnet is Director of the Catholic HIV/AIDS Ministry, Co-director of Pax Christi Los Angeles, and Pastor/Spiritual Director for Gay and Lesbian Ministry, all for the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

In their 2003 document on “Faithful Citizenship,” the U.S. bishops speak of those many Catholics who no longer feel “at home” in this country. At the same time many Catholics have “left” the institutional Church. How can we offer to such “pilgrims and strangers” a spirituality that will anchor them in authentic faith?

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 is a repeat of Session 1-13.)

The “General Directory for Catechesis” has challenged us with a new model for all catechesis – the catechumenate. This workshop will examine the major dynamics of the catechumenate and explore how they promote one, unified vision of catechesis for the parish community.

This workshop will explore techniques for engaging junior-high young people in catechesis. Ideas for prayer, Scripture and other faith connectors will be presented. This workshop will be interactive, so bring one idea that has worked for you!

The recent scandals within the Church have left the laity with a sense of hopelessness and lack of direction. Yet the mandate of Jesus is still active and the call to go forth and preach to all nations is still an essential part of our baptismal responsibility. This session will address the identity of the laity and their renewed call to evangelization and proactive leadership.

8-09 To Worship in Spirit & Truth: Liturgical Preparation for Liturgists and Catechists Alike! (workshop closed)

Whether in Sunday Liturgy or prayer services in the religious education program or school, the process for preparing liturgies far too often becomes reduced to “picking out songs” and choosing who will do what. Liturgical preparation is more than that – it is a prayerful and collaborative process, one that makes the difference between perfunctory ritual and life‑giving celebration. Participants will take part in a simple process with musical and liturgical resources and practical ideas and skills to lead others to a more communal prayer experience – whether small or large, with children or adults, or intergenerational.

This workshop will explore the new developments in the theology of the laity as articulated by the Second Vatican Council. Unresolved issues and open questions remaining after Vatican II will also be considered. Finally, some recent setbacks in the ongoing development of the theology of the laity will be discussed.

This workshop explores the role of Mary in prayer and catechesis, with special emphasis on the “Luminous Mysteries,” which Pope John Paul II introduced in his recent letter on the Rosary. Just as Eucharistic Liturgy draws us into the Paschal Mystery by way of the particular Gospel stories (and other Scriptures), the Mysteries of the Rosary provide a particular narrative for contemplating the Paschal Mystery with and through Mary. Participants will experience a contemplative method of praying the rosary with song, Scripture and icons.

What is “vocation,” and how do we discover it? How do we know what God is calling us to do with our lives? What are some strategies for faith-filled decision-making? What can we learn from the setbacks that always seem to follow opportunities? Many people face these questions for the first time as young adults. This workshop, geared toward young adults but appropriate for seekers of any age, offers strategies for vocational discernment.

Effective Catholic catechesis in the black community requires catechists (and other pastoral leaders) to enable the spiritual legacies of the local community and the larger church to mutually inform and enrich each other. This workshop will propose strategies for local faith communities to develop the black Catholic faith tradition so that God may further work in and through them for the benefit of all!

We all tell stories everyday. Learn to release the storyteller in you (and your students)! We will focus on stories from world literature, Scripture, and our own lives. We’ll develop basic storytelling skills, learn audience participation techniques, and look at how we can turn the significant events of our lives into stories that are truthful, artful and compelling, enhancing ministry at every level.

8-15 Three Fundamental Problems in American Culture that Keep Christians from Leading a “Good” Life

An analysis of American culture at a very fundamental level with a view toward exposing those underlying cultural values that subvert the very “good” that they claim to be advancing. This session will also offer a Christian/Gospel response to those false cultural values.

8-16 The Glory of God is People Fully Alive: Creativity and Strategies for the Classroom (workshop closed)

Religious educators seek to initiate children into the Christian community, to educate them in the Christian truths and traditions, and to form them in the Christian life and vision. This workshop explores strategies and methodologies in religious education for 4‑ through 12‑year‑olds that emerge from a multi‑disciplinary philosophy of education and are rooted in the experiences of children. It offers an approach that supports children to live Christian lives, right here, right now. This presentation will include video, music and audience participation.

Brendan O’Reilly is a teacher, lecturer, catechetical writer and, currently, Administrator of the “Alive-O” Catechetical Programme for Ireland and Scotland. He has taught all levels from primary to post-primary and has lectured in religious education at various third-level institutes in Ireland and in Africa. O’Reilly is currently working with Veritas Publications on catechetical texts.

Since the 1970s Maura Hyland has been working in religious education in Ireland as a teacher, catechist and author of religious education texts for use at the national level. Most recently she has been employed as Director of Veritas Communications, an agency of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference, and is Publisher of the National Catechetical Programmes of Ireland.

Frances O’Connell, a primary school teacher for over 20 years, is a writer for the “Alive-O” series from the National Catechetical Programme in Ireland. In this work she has brought her experiences of working with 4- through 12-year-old children. Her particular interests are music, song, prayer and ritual, and she has composed liturgical music and written rituals for primary school children.

This session will take a look at effective strategies and resources to help improve the partnership between parents and the parish in nurturing faith. Mary Jo Pedersen will offer helpful hints to both parents and teachers and demonstrate practical methods for integrating faith formation into everyday living.

8-18 Planning for Effective Religion Programs Through Evaluation (workshop closed)

What makes a religion program effective? Is it enough that young people show up? Is it enough that they learn faith facts? Which facts? How should these facts be presented? Does it count how young people practice faith? Here is a workshop that marries theory to practice in helping catechetical leaders, catechists and teachers better understand what evaluation is and what it is not. NCEA Assessment of Catechesis/Religious Education, or ACRE, couples what we know from education and from catechetics into a tool that helps evaluate the effectiveness of a religion program.

Dr. John Poggio is co-Director of the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation and Professor of Educational Psychology and Research at the University of Kansas. His work involves K-12 student learning assessment and higher education testing and placement. Dr. Poggio has authored over 200 papers and, in collaboration with Diana Dudoit Raiche, is working on a book to unpack the data from the Revised Student Assessment.

Diana Dudoit Raiche is currently Executive Director in the Department of Religious Education at the NCEA (National Catholic Educational Association) in Washington, D.C. She has been responsible for the NCEA’s religious education assessments and ACRE (the Assessment of Catechesis/Religious Education) for students since 1997. Working with Dr. John Poggio, she guided the 2001 revision of the NCEA ACRE and its Spanish edition in 2004.

Whole community catechesis is a vision which replicates, in many ways, the manner in which the faith of the early believers was nourished. This entertaining session will explore a variety of ideas from some surprising sources to help ministers both introduce and sustain this life‑giving process in their parish.

Jo Rotunno currently serves as Catechetical Specialist for RCL in Allen, Texas. Previously, she held management positions with four religion publishers. She served the Los Angeles Archdiocese as a Catholic school teacher, parish catechist and master catechist for 25 years before moving to Texas with RCL. She offers workshops throughout the United States, and is author of the recent book, “Heritage of Faith: A Framework for Whole Community Catechesis.”

Born in Boston, but raised and educated in California, Sr. Gretchen Hailer is a seasoned catechist and media educator who designs print, audio and video resources in faith formation for children. She is a catechetical consultant for publishers, dioceses and parishes. Sr. Hailer is a member of the ecumenical/interfaith dialogue, conductor of workshops and retreats, and presenter on various topics to Catholic, ecumenical and interfaith audiences.

People of gratitude are people who create more joy and are more likely to help others. As we recognize and acknowledge another’s goodness we enhance our own life and become more positive. What a wasted day we live if there is no joy, no laughter, or no awareness of the beauty and goodness around us. We’ll look at ways to gift our world with gratitude and laughter and enhance our own psychological and spiritual well-being.

This session will address the challenge of getting people to think globally about HIV/AIDS in order to awaken a local response and engage your students or local parishioners to support global and local HIV/AIDS responses. Helpful materials, tools, resources and creative interactive activities will be discussed, shared and experienced.

The Easter event did not only concern Jesus; is it at the heart of the birth of a living community called to be a sign of Easter victory and joy. In an age of violence, war, terrorism, poverty, fragmentation and alienation, we turn to the power of Easter to reconstitute ourselves as a living community.

8-23 What Does My Religion Have to Do with Incarcerated Children? (workshop closed)

What in our American culture has caused us to demonize so many of our youth? How can we have allowed the juvenile justice system, with its initial mission to protect young people, to now send over 200,000 kids each year through the adult system? Chaplain Javier Stauring will facilitate a panel with formerly incarcerated youth to bring light to the cycle of violence that is perpetuated when we allow children to be tried and sentenced as adults. The panel will also offer suggestions on how people can get involved in caring and advocating for children that are impacted by the criminal justice system.

Since 1996, Chaplain Javier Stauring has overseen one of the largest Catholic Detention Ministry volunteer programs in the nation and is presently Co-Director of the Office of Restorative Justice for the Los Angeles Archdiocese. He also serves as Policy Director for Faith Communities for Families and Children, an interfaith coalition in the Los Angeles area. In 2003, Stauring was one of three people worldwide to be honored by Human Rights Watch for his advocacy work on behalf of incarcerated youth.

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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 8

Religious Education Congress
Sunday, February 20, 2005
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

2005 PERIOD 8

Religious Education Congress Sunday, February 20, 2005 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Religious Education Congress
Sunday, February 20, 2005
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.