RECongress 2007 - Period 1: Friday, March 2, 2007

CONGRESS 2007 WORKSHOPS & LINKS
THURSDAY	• Youth Day Info • Youth Day Schedule • Youth Day Workshops
WORKSHOPS FRIDAY: SATURDAY: SUNDAY:	Page Links • Period 1 • Period 2 • Period 3 • Period 4 • Period 5 • Period 6 • Period 7 • Period 8	PDF Links • Friday PDF • Saturday PDF • Sunday PDF
EN ESPAÑOL VIERNES: SÁBADO: DOMINGO:	TALLERES • Sesión 1 • Sesión 2 • Sesión 3 • Sesión 4 • Sesión 5 • Sesión 6 • Sesión 7 • Sesión 8	• español PDF
2007 FEATURES	• Youth Day • Theme • Cardinal Online • Photos • Schedule • Speakers • Order Recordings • Comments • Exhibitor Listing • Exhibitor Categories • Statistics

Sometimes the Old Testament is presented merely as preparation for the New Testament, or an old way of thinking replaced by Jesus’ teaching. But the Old Testament was the source of Jesus’ human understanding and language about God his Father. We will explore how the Old Testament forms the essential context that we need to understand Jesus’ message. The key Old Testament motifs are not sin and punishment, but the astounding claims about God’s love, compassion and loyalty to us – and how we need to respond to it with all our hearts!

Fr. Lawrence Boadt has served as President and Publisher of The Paulist Press since 1998. After the Los Angeles native joined the Paulist Fathers Order, he taught Old Testament studies at Fordham University, at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., and at the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C. Fr. Boadt is author of several books and commentaries, and writes a regular magazine column and a weekly Catholic newspaper column.

1-02 Reconstructing American Community: Catholic Parishes’ Contribution to American Culture

Isolation and individualism permeate the culture and society that we live in. Many parishes around the world are organically growing Small Christian Communities and related communal groups as an innovative way of experiencing parish. One of the contributions that Catholic parishes can make to the world is the generation of genuine communities with social capital that enrich the world around us. Time will be given to considering how such communities can move beyond self-nurture to concern about public mission.

Serving nearly three decades as a priest, Fr. Pat Brennan 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.

It takes hard work to keep a marriage intimate and healthy. In this session, you will learn how to set the mood, tone and atmosphere in your relationship, make your marriage your top priority, and learn that your circumstances might not always be able to change but your attitude can change and that makes all the difference. Jim Burns will speak frankly about romance and intimacy, communication and conflict, friendship and fun, and growing toward spiritual intimacy with your spouse. You will receive practical help to refresh your marriage and be encouraged with a strategy for keeping a marriage healthy.

Dr. Jim Burns is founder and President of HomeWord and host of their daily and weekly radio broadcasts, which air on over 800 stations. A frequent presenter and award-winning author, Burns has written a number of books and magazine columns for parents, youth workers and students. He is author of the book, “Creating an Intimate Marriage,” which is also available in audio format.

In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world.” Sounds like a real stretch, unless we understand the beginning of that chapter – the love song we call the Beatitudes. They are not a newer, harder set of Commandments; they are the gift we have been given so that we might be a light for others. Come and discover your own beatitude and risk letting your light shine.

Kathleen Chesto is an author, a retreat director and religious education/family life consultant. The former parish and diocesan Director of Religious Education has taught kindergarten through graduate school and has 15 years experience speaking internationally to groups of parents, catechists, directors, clergy and care-givers. Chesto is author of numerous books and videos on spiritual and family life and recipient of many awards for her work.

Most people who work in ministry are idealistic. Paradoxically, this places them in great danger of burnout. Mindful of the Augustinian conviction that “to those who faithfully attend to their vocation, God will provide the grace to fulfill their vocation,” Australian Dr. Michael Downey’s ongoing exploration of lay teachers’ daily work experiences that nourish and sustain their spirituality sheds light on what is important for lay people working in ministry. The insights shared in this workshop are applicable in a wide range of situations and ministries.

Based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Dr. Michael Downey is an author and lay teacher who consults with dioceses and schools both in Australia and the United States. He has been assistant principal in a variety of all-boys, all-girls and co-ed primary and secondary schools in Australia. Dr. Downey is a speaker at education and religious education conferences across Australia and in the United States. His latest book is entitled “Hear! I Am.”

In this session, Fr. Bob Fabing will explore the origin and significance of our experiences of love, joy, need, fear, sorrow and anger. He will focus on how to bring these experiences to Christ, and how Christ will personally and sacramentally bring us and our experiences to God. Fr. Fabing will touch upon his experience as a marriage and family therapist and spiritual director as a source for our finding this sense of support and consolation in our emotional journey. He will also be using music from his recently re‑recorded CD, “Let Me Follow.”

Fr. Bob Fabing has founded 48 marriage counseling and family therapy centers called the Jesuit Institute for Family Life Network, with locations in California, Oregon, Africa and Mexico. He is Director of the 36-Day Program in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola at the Jesuit Retreat House in Los Altos, Calif., where he lives. He is author of four books and composer of seven liturgical music compilations.

The Scriptures are God’s living Word among us, “a lamp unto our feet.” But how often are they read like ancient words that have no impact on us today or, even worse, like a page out of the Wall Street Journal? What can you do to proclaim readings in ways that bring God’s shining Light to the world? If you are involved in liturgies in any capacity – Mass, Rites of Christian Initiation, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, weddings, funerals, etc. – this practical training session will give you the information you need to help Scripture leap off the page and into your assembly’s hearts.

Amy Florian is a liturgy and bereavement consultant with over 30 years of experience in parish ministry. Her regional and national appearances span the country, as keynote or workshop speaker, leading training sessions or giving retreats. She was a regular columnist for Liturgical Catechesis magazine until January 2005 and has written dozens of articles and two books. Florian also serves as Executive Director of Stauros USA.

1-08 The Making of the Church: Five Insights Vatican II Can Still Offer Us (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

Our Church is always on a pilgrim journey. Until Jesus returns we will always be “a Church in the making.” This workshop will consider some ways in which the teachings of Vatican II can guide us in the process of becoming more fully the people God wants us to be.

Dr. Richard Gaillardetz is the Murray/Bacik Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Toledo, Ohio. A frequent speaker at academic and pastoral conferences, he has also authored numerous articles and six books, including “A Church in the Making.” In 2000 Dr. Gaillardetz received the Sophia Award from the faculty of the Washington Theological Union in recognition of “theological excellence in service to ministry.”

1-09 When Kids Grieve: Parents, Schools, Congregations and Communities Working Together (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

This seminar will explore, in practical ways, the well-spread (and believed) myth that grief is an adult experience. Children and teens also grieve, often alone or with distorted pictures, and can experience grief as lifetime scars without healthy care and support along the way. This seminar will engage you so that you will engage children.

The Rev. Richard Gilbert is Executive Director of The World Pastoral Care Center, based in Elgin, Ill. The Anglican priest is a member of the Board of Directors of The Association for Death Education and Counseling, and editorial advisor to Illness, Crisis, Loss, Healing Ministry and The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care. He is extensively published and has two books available.

God is timeless, but how do we keep our evangelization efforts timely? How do we keep our catechesis from looking “dated”? God may be unchanging, but we cannot be. Seeking a breath of renewal? Searching for some fresh ideas? In the words of Christ, “Come and see.”

Mark Hart is an author, evangelist and teacher. He has taught on junior high, high school and college campuses, and has spoken at World Youth Days, LIFE TEEN national events, youth conferences and eucharistic congresses. He has lead retreats, missions, camps and conferences in over 50 dioceses around the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Though Vice President of LIFE TEEN International, he is known to tens of thousands simply as the “Bible Geek.”

In the Eucharist we encounter and receive Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who calls all of us, as St. Augustine says, “to become what we receive.” How does the Church, the Body of Christ, become more and more the “instrument of peace” in a world of violence, hatred and division, and how does the liturgy name, nurture, celebrate and express this truth?

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 North American and Australian Catholics, U.S. Evangelical Lutherans and several other Protestant denominations.

We are so self-conscious: Am I living fully? What am I doing right or wrong? All the while, we’re missing the point. Join Terry Hershey, who believes that getting your act together is highly overrated! The more important issue: How do we re-train ourselves to appreciate simple pleasures? Is there a spiritual practice that we can incorporate into our lives, that opens our eyes to the simple pleasures that surround us? Laugh and learn with Terry about making the choice to receive life’s gifts. Life is to be lived, not managed. We will learn what it means to be open: available, curious, willing to be surprised by joy.

Terry Hershey lives, writes and teaches the subject of his eighth book, “Sacred Necessities: Gifts for Living with Passion, Purpose and Grace.” Founder of “A Few Things That Matter” Seminars, Hershey is a Protestant minister and landscape designer on Washington’s Vashon Island, near Seattle. He speaks throughout the country on relationships, spirituality and gardening.

We all make our way through life by trusting in God’s Grace. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, having and not losing Grace was the business of Catholic life. But whatever happened to all that? Is Grace still part of the spiritual life? What are we saying about Grace today in the Church, and how can we help others see and live in this powerful divine source of love and life?

Bill Huebsch has served in several diocesan and parish ministry positions and now works in Catholic publishing, as President and Publisher of Twenty‑Third Publications. He is author of more than a dozen books, along with numerous booklets, articles and screenplays. In 2000 he established the Whole Community Catechesis project, to help parishes and dioceses around the world implement the “General Directory for Catechesis.”

Would you like some wonderful ideas for working with children, and a chance to renew your own faith at the same time? Come join Fr. Joe Kempf and Big Al (Fr. Joe’s blue, furry helper) for a very special presentation, with music by John Burland! Through demonstration, stories and down‑to‑earth wisdom, you will see how Fr. Joe helps children understand and love the message of Jesus. Even as you learn some great ideas to help children, let Jesus speak to that part of you which has the heart of a child.

Winner of the “Great Preacher Award” from the Aquinas Institute of Theology, Fr. Joe Kempf is a diocesan priest from St. Louis and Pastor of Assumption Parish in O’Fallon, Mo. Author of “No One Cries the Wrong Way,” he perhaps is best known for his videos for adults and children on celebrating Eucharist and Reconciliation. Fr. Kempf recently completed a series of DVDs called “Big Al Live – Gospel Values for Children.”

Recently the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops published a document titled “Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry.” This workshop will explore the background of the document and its implications for laity involved in the mission of the Church, especially in education and catechesis. This session will be an opportunity to understand the implications of the document and explore directions for its implementation.

Bishop Gerald Kicanas, ordained a priest for the Chicago Archdiocese, was appointed Auxiliary Bishop there in 1995. In 2001 he became bishop-designate for the Diocese of Tucson, Ariz., and two years later was installed as Bishop of Tucson. A speaker at numerous diocesan gatherings, Bishop Kicanas had formerly served as a pastor, high school teacher and counselor, and as Rector at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein in Illinois.

In this session, Keri Krout will reveal the eight gifts that those who love children absolutely must share with them.

Keri Krout, mother of seven children, is a columnist for Vancouver Family Magazine and author of a soon-to-be-published book. She is owner of Hand in Hand Consulting and Hand in Hand Child Development Center, based in Vancouver, Wash. A member of the Association for the Education of Young Children, her speaking engagements have taken her throughout all the Western states, as well as Oklahoma, Minnesota and West Virginia.

1-17 The Da Vinci Code, The Omen, and Brokeback Mountain: A Catholic Response to Contemporary Cinema (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

In the last two years, a number of films have raised issues which few Catholics have been able to ignore. What have these films put on our agenda, and what is our response? This workshop will both answer specific questions and provide a methodology for how we can face contemporary culture.

Fr. Richard Leonard of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is Director of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting. He has been a visiting professor at universities from Rome to Los Angeles. Dr. Leonard is a consultant to the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Media Committee and a film critic for all the major Catholic newspapers of Australia. He is also author of “Movies That Matter: Reading Film Through the Lens of Faith.”

The “National Directory for Catechesis” (NDC) reaffirms the principles that adult faith formation is both the “principal form” and the “organizing principle” of all catechesis. This session will explore the many dimensions of the ongoing and still urgent challenge.

Bishop Richard Malone served as former Director for the Boston Archdiocese’s Office of Religious Education, and as Secretary of Education for the Archdiocese. In 2004, he was installed as the 11th Bishop of Portland, Maine. He has produced and hosted television programs for Boston Catholic Television; was the archdiocesan liaison with the local Jewish community; and lectures nationally on Catholic education.

1-19 Stand in the Light: Don’t Just Do Something – Stand There! (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

We are summoned to “Stand in the Light,” to stand before God, alone and together with others drawn into the covenant God has with human beings. Where we stand is crucial – the ground we stand on is holy ground. But where do we stand? There are places in the world that reflect the Light of God more surely, more brightly and more clearly than others. It is time for us to stand up for what we believe about the God of creation, the God of covenant and the God of ecology/justice and light. Come stand in the Light and stand your ground – and hear the stories of God standing with us on Earth.

Megan McKenna is a theologian, author and storyteller. Her latest books are “The New Stations of the Cross,” based on the Scriptures used by John Paul II; an anthology, “Send My Roots Rain”; and “Christ All Merciful: Icons.” McKenna travels in Asia, Latin America, Europe and the United States, and has recently been named an Ambassador of Peace by Pax Christi, USA.

There is much that happens in the critical moments of our lives – birth, initiation, maturation, vocation, forgiveness, death. And because our lives are filled with such intense moments, we pause for a time that we might remember who we are and whose we are. We remember that through Christ our Light, our God saves; that we are members of a being-saved community. This is integral to the mystery of salvation. Come learn again what it means to celebrate the mystery of salvation at dawn and at dusk, Sunday after Sunday, season after season, year after glorious year!

Fr. J-Glenn Murray, a member of the Maryland Province of Jesuits, is Director of the Cleveland Diocese’s Office of Pastoral Liturgy. He was the principal drafter of “Plenty Good Room: The Spirit and Truth of African American Catholic Worship,” a document from the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Liturgy and the Black Catholic Secretariat. In addition to his other duties, Fr. Murray maintains a busy national speaking schedule.

The “General Directory for Catechesis” directs us to inform the mind and form the heart of our young people, so that they might meet the challenges of our time as a disciple of Christ. “See with New Eyes” is a one-week alternative or supplemental catechetical experience that invites young people to more deeply explore a variety of moral issues and respond with action.

Dr. Jo Ann Paradise is Director of Parish Ministerial Life and Spiritual Formation at St. Sebastian Parish in Pittsburgh. She has been a elementary and high school teacher as well as adjunct faculty member at Duquesne University, La Roche College and Carlow University in Pittsburgh. Dr. Paradise is a popular retreat director and provides spiritual direction. She is also a national consultant and textbook collaborator for William H. Sadlier.

1-22 Working with Youth – New Challenges, Same Commitments (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

Youth today are filled with questions, decisions, possessions and temptations we never had. Still, they seek security, direction and belonging. In this workshop we will look at what is different and what is the same in this rapidly changing world of reaching out to young people. We will explore the strategies for working with the youth of today. If this workshop does not help you to re-commit to working with youth, Mike Patin guarantees double your problems back!

Mike Patin lives in Lafayette, La. Since 1984 he has worked with teenagers and the adults who work with them. He spent the first six of those years as a high school teacher and coach; and he worked in youth ministry for 13 years for the New Orleans Archdiocese. Since 2003, Patin has been speaking full time across the country to young people and adults on issues of Catholic faith, positive attitude, using your gifts and living life fully.

Participants will learn how to implement Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory in their assessments and lessons for the development of skills. In this workshop, Dr. Robert Pavlik will focus on how to (a) observe students in action and informally assess their strengths and interests, and (b) create bridging points for supporting literacy development and skill mastery. (Further developed in Session 6-16.)

Bob Pavlik is Director of the School Development Center at the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University in Milwaukee. His career spans 42 years as a high school teacher, university professor and administrator, and author. Today, Dr. Pavlik conducts staff development internationally and coordinates a team to help existing schools transform their programs and help various groups design and open new schools.

Many things today push us toward bitterness, hardness and cynicism. The world is not at peace. The Church is polarized. Our communities are often divided. Our families don’t always get along. We carry many disappointments and wounds inside of ourselves. It’s easy to give in to bitterness, to harden ourselves so as not to be vulnerable. But greatness invites us precisely to remain mellow, warm, gracious and generative in the bitterest of times. This is the human and Christian invitation to move from being good to being great.

Ronald Rolheiser is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, he is a community-builder, lecturer and writer. For most of the 34 years of his priesthood, he taught theology and philosophy at Newman Theological College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and remains as adjunct faculty member at Seattle University. His books are popular throughout the English-speaking world and more than 60 newspapers worldwide carry his weekly column.

Does your prayer life need to be revitalized? Seeking to reconnect with God in the midst of your busy life? Wondering how to pray for self and others? This is a workshop for anyone desiring to refresh one’s personal prayer life or seeking innovative prayer forms to bring to one’s ministerial experience. In this session, Joyce Rupp will not only offer her current insights about the theory and expression of prayer, she will describe and demonstrate creative ways to pray. Come prepared to pray at this workshop on prayer. Leave with new possibilities for yourself and for those in your ministry.

Joyce Rupp is a spiritual director, retreat facilitator and international speaker. For 25 years she has spoken at retreats and conferences in the United States, Canada, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Sr. Rupp, a member of the Servants of Mary community, is a volunteer for hospice and describes herself as a “spiritual mid-wife.” The award-winning author’s latest works include “Walk in a Relaxed Manner” and “The Circle of Life.”

Starting teens with a positive view of Bible study is critically important for the future of a church-life grounded in a confident grasp of Scripture. In this session, we will encourage creative approaches to serious biblical study for youth.

Born in Portland, Ore., Dr. Daniel Christopher served for two years in volunteer peace work/research with the Quakers in Israel/Palestine from 1986-88 and maintains an active interest in peace issues, particularly the Middle East. Currently, he serves as Director of Peace Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he has taught since 1989. He has published dozens of articles and reviews, and nine books.

2007 RECongress Period 1

Religious Education Congress
Friday, March 2, 2007
10:00 - 11:30 am

2007 RECongress Period 1

Religious Education CongressFriday, March 2, 2007 10:00 - 11:30 am

Religious Education Congress
Friday, March 2, 2007
10:00 - 11:30 am