RECongress 2007 - Period 2: 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

Roman Catholicism is currently being turned on its head by the intersection of four “mega-trends”: the North-South demographic shift; new communications technologies; a strong press for Catholic identity; and changing conceptions of the role of the laity. Like Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman in “The World is Flat,” this session offers a brief history of the 21st century – before it happens!

Since 1999, John Allen Jr. has served as prize-winning Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and as CNN’s Senior Vatican Analyst. He also appears on National Public Radio, and divides his time between New York and Rome. Allen lectures widely on Vatican affairs, and is author of several books, including two books on Pope Benedict XVI as well as a book on Opus Dei.

The Scriptures give us many images of God’s people dancing – Miriam, David, the Psalms, the Prodigal returning home from exile; even the biblical word for “repent” means “to turn around”! How can we as church embody this call? In this workshop, explore sign language, gesture, procession, interpretive movement and drama as simple ways to invite our assemblies (children and adults) to practice embodying the faith we proclaim. Come dance through liturgy into the light!

Betsey Beckman is a freelance liturgical dancer, storyteller, spiritual director and retreat leader based in Seattle. With her extensive background in performance, movement therapy, ministry and InterPlay, she regularly appears as artist/presenter at national conventions as well as at her home parish, St. Patrick. Beckman has authored books, audiocassettes and videos, and she is co-teacher of “Awakening the Creative Spirit.”

Judith Reichsman, a consultant for liturgical dance, now lives in Vermont and leads InterPlay and sacred dance in parishes, dioceses, prisons and schools across the country. She has danced, sung and told stories in a number of liturgical companies. The former Spirituality Coordinator and Associate Professor at Landmark College in Putney, Vt., has taught and has lead retreats across the United States and in Israel.

Laura Ash is the music director at St. Patrick Church in Seattle where, with Betsey Beckman, she has been involved in the ministry of dance for over 14 years. Ash and her husband, David, have composed and published three albums of liturgical music and have created music for numerous liturgical dance and InterPlay offerings, including the video, “The Dancing Word: Miriam and Mary.”

2-03 Stewardship of the Earth: A Biblical Understanding of Responsible Care for Creation (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

God’s creation – the Earth, its environment and its creatures – is a wonderful gift and a sacred trust to humanity. Celebrate the beauty and rich diversity of the created world and develop a sense of loving care for our planet through the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. Listen anew to the biblical texts which help us understand our privilege and responsibility in caring for the Earth and humbly recognize our place within it. In our present age of vast environmental degradation, a biblical spirituality of God’s creation can help motivate believers toward an understanding and practice of ecological justice.

Stephen Binz is a Catholic biblical scholar, popular speaker and author of more than 20 books on the Bible, including the acclaimed series, “Threshold Bible Study.” He has offered numerous study trips and pilgrimages to the lands of the Bible, and speaks frequently at parishes, diocesan events and national conferences about a variety of biblical topics.

Have you ever been overwhelmed? Have you ever cried out, “I can’t handle this!” Renée Bondi speaks to all of us, from those who have “to do” lists a mile long to those experiencing major challenges. In this workshop you will be given new ideas and simple tools to help keep your life under control.

A Catholic speaker and recording artist, Renée Bondi travels throughout the United States speaking and singing at Christian conferences, church events and youth rallies. She has appeared as a guest on EWTN’s “Life on the Rock” and on St. Joseph Radio. She has been keynote at the National Catholic Youth Conference and special guest for many adult formation programs, sharing her life story before and after her accident.

This session will discuss the most recent research we have regarding junior-highers, expose some prevalent myths and offer several new initiatives we might want to consider in our efforts to foster the spiritual growth of young adolescents.

Religious educator and author Mike Carotta has worked for over 30 years in pastoral, educational and clinical settings. The national speaker is presently Adolescent Catechesis Consultant for Harcourt Religion Publishers. Carotta has co-authored with John Shea “Lincoln Park,” a mystery series with a spiritual message; “Have Faith,” a new Confirmation candidate-sponsor program; and was consultant on the Call To Faith junior-high series.

The first part of the “Great Command” invites us to love God with our whole heart, mind and being. However, many Catholics find difficulty observing the Great Command because of faulty and limiting notions of God. This workshop will examine our restricting ideas of God and invite us to love the God who loves us unconditionally.

Fr. Mike Crosby lives in a Capuchin community in downtown Milwaukee that serves the poor. Three-quarters of his time is spent writing, lecturing, giving retreats and parish missions. The other quarter finds him challenging U.S.-based corporations regarding issues of justice and advising Catholic investors on how they can bring their moral principles into the marketplace.

A theological understanding of the ethics of life for contemporary issues of bioethics presupposes a rethinking of our origin, creation and the gift of being alive. So many of the contemporary challenges raised by advances in medicine and biotechnologies fall short when framed too narrowly. A theological analysis of such questions entails an invitation to deeper mindfulness. How can the Christian tradition contribute to public discussions on stem cell research, cloning and euthanasia? Is there an alternative to dogmatism on the one hand and, on the other, cheap trivialization of the questions at hand?

Since 2003, Dr. Roberto Dell’Oro has been Assistant Professor of Bioethics at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and a Graduate Director at their Bioethics Institute. He also serves as a bioethicist at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Calif., and a medical ethicist at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Dell’Oro has been published in national and international journals and has authored three books.

Students are unique and have their own ways of learning best. When a catechist/teacher is aware of these styles, the classroom can come alive in new ways! Come to this workshop to 1) explore how to more effectively identify students’ learning styles and avoid common mistakes in judgment, 2) understand your learning style and see how it influences how you teach, and 3) use some simple steps to create a learning-favorable classroom for everyone!

Steven Ellair has been involved in catechetical ministry for a dozen years. A former parish catechist, youth minister and Catholic schoolteacher, he served as the Consultant for Elementary Catechesis in the Los Angeles Archdiocese for over eight years. Ellair is currently a Senior Editor with RCL and continues speaking and writing nationally on issues related to catechesis.

2-09 How to Prepare Children – and Their Parents – for the Sacraments (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

The Sacraments are the special and intimate ways God becomes present in our daily lives. This presentation takes a family approach in making these important connections to God come alive in our young children and their parishes, instilling in all of us a deeper appreciation of our Catholic faith. (This workshop will be repeated as Session 8-06.)

Best-selling Catholic author Elizabeth Ficocelli is a Catholic convert and mother of four sons. After a 20-year career as an advertising copywriter, she now focuses her writing about the faith. She has written articles for a variety of online and print publications, and has written eight children’s books (two awaiting publication). Ficocelli has appeared at national and local conferences, general assembles and classroom visits.

This presentation will use images in PowerPoint to evoke the long history of religious searching, as well as the lights and shadows in what we call “modernity” and “post-modernity.” How does our contemporary culture impact on what John Henry Newman calls our “religious imagination”? The second half of this session will change focus, asking attendees to discern something of their own dispositions faced with all this complexity: Desolation or consolation? Signs of hope?

Fr. Michael Paul Gallagher is Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Gregorian University in Rome, where he is also Dean of the faculty of theology. Previously, the Irish Jesuit priest taught modern literature for nearly 20 years at Ireland’s largest state university. For five years he worked at the Vatican in the Pontifical Council for Culture. Fr. Gallagher is also author of nine books on pastoral or spiritual theology.

2-11 Christ the Icon: A Musical Prayer Experience Echoing the Love & Call of Christ

This trio of talented musicians, along with noted theologian and speaker Fr. Richard Fragomeni, will entertain and inspire you with songs, prayers and stories based on the challenging and faith‑transforming image of Christ as set forth in Colossians 1: “Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God.”

Since 1990, Fr. Richard Fragomeni has taught at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he now is Associate Professor of Liturgy and Homiletics and Chair of the Department of Word and Worship. He has been active in parish renewals and diocesan workshops and has been keynote speaker or presenter at many national events. Fr. Fragomeni has authored a number of articles that have appeared in a variety of publications.

Rory Cooney is Director of Liturgy and Music at St. Anne Catholic Community in Barrington, Ill. He is composer of a dozen recorded collections of liturgical music, which can be found in the hymnal editions of Glory and Praise, Gather, Breaking Bread and Music Issue. Cooney also presents workshops on musical liturgy around the country with Gary Daigle and Theresa Donohoo.

Gary Daigle is a composer, artist and producer of pastoral music. After serving as Director of Music Ministry at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Arizona, he relocated to churches in Arizona, California and Illinois. He is presently Associate Director of Music at St. Anne Catholic Church in Barrington, Ill. He has collaborated with Rory Cooney, Marty Haugen and Ed Foley, and appears regularly on the national conference and workshop scene.

Media, in all its forms, has a fascinating allure for many of us. But today’s youth spend a great deal of time interacting with the media with little discernment skills. Navigating the media requires understanding how each medium works. In this session we will address the strategy of “media mindfulness” – a method of engaging the media culture through the eyes of faith.

With over 35 years as a catechist practitioner, Sr. Gretchen Hailer is a faith-formation consultant, author, spiritual director and presenter at workshops and retreats. She is a seasoned catechist and media educator who designs print, audio and video resources in faith formation for children. Sr. Hailer, a religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, is active in ecumenical and interfaith circles and is also a frequent presenter on topics of spirituality and media.

Sr. Rose Pacatte is Director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Culver City, Calif. She is a media literacy education specialist and award-winning co-author of the “Lights, Camera … Faith! A Movie Lectionary” series. She is a film/TV columnist for St. Anthony Messenger magazine and regularly contributes film essays to The Tidings, newspaper of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Sr. Pacatte’s newest book, with Sr. Gretchen Hailer, is “Media Mindfulness: Educating Teens about Media and Faith.”

Many think that Catholicism has nothing to offer in the modern world. Others say that it’s just a lifeless set of ancient rules and regulations. In this presentation, Matthew Kelly will discuss why Catholicism is being so openly attacked and rejected. He will also share how to prepare your children so that they continue to participate meaningfully in their faith long after they have left home. Find out how Catholicism can become a dynamic way of life for you. Set aside what you thought Catholicism was about and prepare yourself to experience it on a whole new level that is both practical and inspiring.

Matthew Kelly is a New York Times best-selling author. His latest release is “Perfectly Yourself: Nine Lessons for Enduring Happiness.” Collectively his titles have been published in over a dozen languages. Born in Sydney, Australia, Kelly began his Catholic ministry in 1993 at the age of 19. Since then, he has given talks, seminars and retreats in his travels to 50 countries, and has also made numerous appearances on radio and television programs.

Too often parish staffs find themselves in conflict and at odds rather than working together. This presentation will consider ways for priests, religious, deacons and laity to better collaborate with one another and to unify efforts to carry on the mission of Christ.

Sometimes it seems that the Church is chaotic! This session examines the Gospel call to lives of faithfulness, especially in the midst of tension and chaos. Such integrity requires vision, discernment, occasional courage and a capacity to hold the contradictions. In our turbulent times we are challenged to be rooted in mission.

Bob McCarty is Executive Director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, based in Washington, D.C. He has been in professional youth ministry since 1973, serving in diocesan, parish, school and community programs. Author of six books, McCarty offers workshops and training programs in youth ministry skills and issues, and is a volunteer in his parish youth ministry program at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fulton, Md.

In this session, we will reflect on Teresa of Avila’s writing on the Our Father from “The Way of Perfection” together with the commentary on The Lord’s Prayer in the “Catechism of the Catholic Church.” A variety of approaches to praying and sharing the richness of meaning in this prayer – “ever ancient, ever new” – for adult spiritual formation will be explored.

Sr. Peggy McDonald is a member of the religious congregation of the Sister Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, based in Immaculata, Penn. She is Associate Professor of Theology at Immaculata University. Her years in ministry have included a wide range of teaching experiences. In addition to her classroom teaching, she has given workshops, retreats and presentations on various themes of Christian spirituality and adult faith formation.

Juan Roberto Melendez languished on Florida’s death row for almost 18 years for a crime he did not commit. He is a living testament to the pervasive problems that exist in the death penalty system. Beyond the capital punishment sentence, his story is a remarkable and inspirational one of human resilience, courage, faith and hope.

On January 3, 2002, Juan Roberto Melendez became the 99th death-row inmate in the United States to be exonerated and released since 1973. Since his release from prison, he spends part of the year traveling throughout the United States telling his story at conventions, conferences, universities and law schools. The rest of the year he works at home in Puerto Rico on a plantain field, where he also counsels troubled youth who work alongside him.

2-18 Embody the Light: Full, Conscious and Active Participation in the Eucharist (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

Some 40 years after Vatican II, the goal is still the same: “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people ... is their right and duty by reason of their Baptism.” In this presentation we will examine and embody each of those aspects – full (our deliberate actions, our internal and external dispositions); conscious (understanding what we do from being present to Real Presence); and active (engagement with and of all the senses).

2-19 Putting on the Mind of Dawn: Toward a Spirituality of Awakening (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

The most wondrous gift of God is the miracle of the human mind. When the mind awakens, it is like a new dawn breaking forth within us. All the energy that nourished our fears, anxiety and negativity now works for our healing and transformation. Jesus is the new priest of awakening light. Through allowing himself to fall into the dark abyss of crucifixion, he awoke and released the perpetual light of resurrection. The awakening mind fills with the youthful resurrecting light. To inherit the Paschal Mystery is to put on the mind of dawn – to open the secret door to freedom, renewal and creativity.

John O’Donohue is a poet, priest, philosopher and scholar from Conamara, Ireland. The storyteller, teacher and acclaimed prolific author is a popular seminar lecturer and speaker at major conferences throughout the United States and Europe. “Echoes of Memory” was his first collection of poetry published in 1994; his most recent book is “Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.”

The practices of Lent never change. Each year the Church reminds us to pray, fast and give alms. This workshop will explore how one parish in the Chicago area challenges its children and parishioners to experience these traditional exercises in a different way each year. You will leave with new ideas that will help your parish answer the question, “What are we doing next Lent?”

Christine Ondrla is in her 17th year as Director of Religious Education at Ascension Parish in Oak Park, Ill. She has been involved in various aspects of religious education for over 35 years – as a catechist, teacher-trainer and director. She has been active in assisting elementary schoolteachers in developing their religion curriculum and has been a resource person and coordinator of many liturgies involving children.

From “Kumbaya” to LIFE TEEN, youth ministry has changed within our life time. The face of today’s teen culture so rapidly changes … and there are things we can learn from taking a step back and looking at the landscape and noting trends that can help us for the immediate future and beyond.

Raising teens can be frustrating and complex. Learn parenting strategies that may help you stay cool and worry less as you face unexpected parenting challenges and controversial teen issues. Find out how this method of “Time-Limits-Caring” may help you successfully guide your teen through these critical years.

Patt and Steve Saso are authors of “Parenting Your Teens with TLC.” Patt, a psychotherapist, has served as a marriage and family therapist for over 18 years and currently is co-owner of Saso Seminars & Counseling Services, based in Milpitas, Calif. Steve has over 34 years of experience in the field of education as a high school teacher, administrator and pastoral counselor. Together, they have written an award-winning book, have produced educational CDs on parenting, and write a monthly online newsletter.

People today are faced with a raging plague of sex-related problems. Pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and rape statistics are at all-time highs. Even so, today’s society encourages sexual activity and young people must have a compelling reason to commit to sexual abstinence. In this session Pam Stenzel combines her personal story and extensive pregnancy center experience into a hard-hitting look at the consequences of sexual activity outside of God’s design for sex – marriage. In this session she tackles the tough issues of sex and equips parents to talk to their teens about the benefits of abstinence.

Pam Stenzel’s career as a speaker stems from years on the “front lines” counseling young girls with crisis pregnancies. For the past 14 years she has presented abstinence assemblies to private, parochial and public schools around the world. Founder of Enlighten Communications, Stenzel has been a guest on numerous national TV and radio programs, including “Hannity and Colmes,” “The Dr. Laura Show” and “Politically Incorrect.”

This presentation will recount one woman’s leadership journey – a leadership marked by wisdom, grace, compassion and life giving values. The call to make a difference in the world, in the family will be woven throughout the session. Challenges such as how to balance work, family and personal time will be discussed. Where does one find the support, the energy and enthusiasm to keep on leading with vision, hope and courage? Where is God in all of this? Come “Stand in the Light” and be inspired.

Anne Sweeney is Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and President of Disney-ABC Television Group. She is responsible for Disney’s entertainment and news television properties that includes the Toon Disney, ABC Family, A&E Television Networks and E! Entertainment Networks. Active in organizations both within and outside the cable industry, Sweeney has been honored by Forbes magazine and others for her role as a woman in leadership.

Migration is an experience of leaving home, crossing frontiers and establishing new homes. This workshop will explore the phenomenon of migration as a model for renewing the Church as a communion-in-mission.

Ordained for the Diocese of Imus, Cavite, Philippines, in 1982, Fr. Luis Antonio Tagle was appointed Bishop of the diocese in 2001. Previously Rector at the diocesan Major Seminary of Imus, he had taught theology for over 25 years in various seminaries. Bishop Tagle is a member of the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, and Bishop Member of The Office of Theological Concerns at the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.

What is the faith of the Church? What do we really teach, believe and understand about God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Community of Believers? This is a look at the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) and the development of our faith. This is a visit to long ago and far away, into the world of Latins, Greeks, Gnostics, Arius the Priest, Eusebius the Bishop (historian of the Council), and Emperor Constantine. It is a look at our history, our traditions, our deep roots.

A retreat director for more than 20 years, Fr. Tom Weston has worked extensively with alcoholics and addicts in recovery and their families. A resident of Oakland, Calif., he is a pastoral assistant at St. Patrick’s Church, at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, and at Holy Names College, all in the Oakland area. He is an active member of the Jesuit Retreat and Renewal Ministries at retreat houses and parishes throughout North America and Asia.

2-27 Attention, Please! Managing Behavioral Needs in the Religious Education Classroom (WORKSHOP CLOSED)

This workshop, led by a clinical child psychologist and parish Director of Religious Education, will discuss simple and effective ways to meet special behavioral needs in the catechetical setting. Our discussion will include prevention techniques, simple ways to address behavior problems and effective ways to collaborate with parents on children’s behavioral issues. If time allows, we will include an “Ask the Psychologist” Q & A period for discussion of more complex situations.

Dr. Joseph White is a clinical psychologist and former parish Director of Religious Education. He is author of several books on catechesis. Dr. White has taught catechetics through the Institute of Religious and Pastoral Studies at the University of Dallas and pastoral guidance in the School of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He is currently Director of Catholic Family Counseling and Family Life for the Diocese of Austin, Texas.

Ana Arista has 20 years of teaching experience in early childhood education. She is co-author of the Catholic Parent Know-How and Teach-It series. Arista has worked in various capacities in religious education, including administration of catechetical programs in two parishes. She is currently a National Catechetical Consultant with Our Sunday Visitor and the Assistant Director of Faith Formation at St. Austin Parish in Austin, Texas.

In this workshop, learn the techniques to become a better guitarist. Jaime Cortez will share some ideas to help you improvise on the guitar. Important: You will need to bring a 6-string guitar, picks and capo. (This will be a bilingual presentation.)

Jaime Cortez is a pastoral musician, composer, recording artist, music teacher and clinician. He lives in Mesa, Ariz., where he is Music Director at St. Bridget Church and music teacher at Queen of Peace Catholic School. Over the past 25 years he has specialized in music and liturgy for Catholic schools and bilingual music. His latest collection is titled “Adviento.”

2007 RECongress Period 2

Religious Education Congress
Friday, March 2, 2007
1:00 - 2:30 pm

2007 RECongress Period 2

Religious Education CongressFriday, March 2, 2007 1:00 - 2:30 pm

Religious Education Congress
Friday, March 2, 2007
1:00 - 2:30 pm