RECongress 2008 - Period 3: Friday, February 29, 2008

This workshop will assess the state of Catholic mission and ministry in the arenas of peace-building and work for justice. The impact of recent papal and episcopal teachings on non-violence and reconciliation will be considered alongside a survey of global and local movements to build peace and transform conflict.

Scott Appleby is Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, where he teaches courses in American religious history and comparative religious movements. He is also the John M. Regan Jr. Director at the University’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Appleby authored “Church and Age Unite! The Modernist Impulse in American Catholicism,” and was General Editor of the Cornell University Press series “Catholicism in Twentieth Century America.”

The challenges of life can be hard to bear, and yet the Spirit calls us to lift our gaze and see anew! In this workshop, learn the joyful tools of InterPlay – a philosophy and practice that fosters play, creativity, affirmation and community-building. Developed by artful theologians, InterPlay invites light-hearted discovery through spontaneous expressions of song, story, movement and stillness. Come play with Spirit and be refreshed for ministry and life!

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’s publications include books, audiocassettes and videos, and she is co-teacher of “Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Arts and Imagination.”

Laura Ash is Music Director at St. Patrick Parish in Seattle where, with Betsey Beckman, she has been involved in the ministry of dance for over 15 years. Laura, with her husband, David, has composed and published three albums of liturgical music and has created music for numerous liturgical dance and InterPlay offerings, including the video, “The Dancing Word: Miriam and Mary.”

This session will look at recent research regarding sexuality and spirituality in the lives of college students, and will consider some of the implications for Catholic life on campus. What might the Catholic tradition and Catholic college students have to say to each other on these matters today?

Tom Beaudoin is Assistant Professor in the Religious Studies Department at Santa Clara University in California, and a Fellow in the American Psychoanalytic Association. He lectures nationally and internationally on practical theology, and is author of the book “Consuming Faith,” as well as many published articles and essays. Dr. Beaudoin is a frequent and popular speaker at the Religious Education Congress.

3-04 When Bad Things Happen to Good Parishes: Crisis Management in the 21st-Century Church

The school gets closed. The bishop merges the parish. The pastor quits. Worse still: he remodels the sanctuary. Immigration! Yikes! There are a thousand issues that can put a congregation in crisis. Noted parish-life commentator and award-winning author Fr. Paul Boudreau will lead this discussion of how to deal with change when it suddenly descends on an unsuspecting parish.

Fr. Paul Boudreau is a pastor, noted speaker, and award-winning author. His articles appear regularly in Catholic Digest, U.S. Catholic, and Today’s Parish Minister, and he is author of “Between Sundays: Weekday Gospel Reflections and Prayers.” His new book, “The Forgiveness Book,” co-authored with Alice Camille, is due out in May. Before becoming a priest, Fr. Boudreau was a professional motorcycle racer. He is presently Priest Minister at Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Beaumont, Calif.

A worshiping community starves for ways to grow spiritually. The experience of this workshop is an attempt to plant a seed on the hearts of participants, the Good Ground, to yield the musical fruit worthy of giving honor and glory to God.

Richard Cheri is Director of Liturgy and Music at Our Lady of the Sea Catholic Church in New Orleans. He formerly served on the faculties at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana and at Loyola University of New Orleans. Cheri has published several musical compositions and has made numerous presentations at liturgical and catechetical conferences throughout the country with his team of liturgical musicians.

Richard Cheri has been the principal director of the New Orleans Archdiocese Mass Gospel Choir, which sang in 1992 for the National Black Catholic Congress in New Orleans. In the ensuing years, Cheri has worked alongside Jalonda Robertson, Timothy Jones Jr. and Jennifer Broyard Bonam. With the musical contributions of Kenneth Louis, W. Clifford Petty, and Cheri’s young son, Richie, this team of liturgical music ministers has given workshops and provided music at conferences throughout the United States.

The year 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes to French peasant Bernadette Soubirous. Seemingly undaunted by an increasing attitude of secularism and advances in modern medicine, Lourdes continues to attract more than 6 million pilgrims a year as an important center for physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Discover why this popular Marian shrine – with its call to prayer, penance and service to others – offers valuable life lessons and teaching opportunities, and why it remains a vital expression of Catholicity and the Gospel message today.

Elizabeth Ficocelli is a best-selling and award-winning Catholic author of books for children and adults. She has written numerous books and magazine articles for children and adults. Her recent book, “The Imitation of Christ for Children,” is a Catholic Press Association winner. A convert and mother of four sons, Ficocelli has presented to students in school settings and to Catholic educators at national and regional conferences.

3-07 Through the Threshold: An Approach to Religious Ed for High School Students (Workshop Closed)

Is it possible to challenge and engage youth today in the context of Catholic religious education? In this workshop, Mícheál de Barra and Tom Gunning will share an approach to religious education for high school students that they have recently developed for the Irish education system. Their program presents the spiritual riches of Catholic tradition as an answer to the many questions posed by today’s youth culture.This tactic has transformed the landscape of religious education for senior students in Ireland.

Mícheál de Barra has been working as Editor/Coordinator for the past four years on the “Faith Seeking Understanding” series, a resource for the religious education examination syllabus that was introduced in 2003 in Ireland. Prior to that he was Diocesan Advisor for Post Primary Religious Education (the DRE equivalent in the Irish church) for three years in the Diocese of Cork and Ross in southern Ireland.

Tom Gunning is a catechist at Loreto Secondary School Wexford, Ireland. He has spent the last few years writing catechetical materials for Veritas Publications in Ireland. In all, he has written four senior level textbooks. He has researched and written on the area of sacramental theology and is currently developing his own retreat center in Ireland.

Roman Catholicism is often conceived as a largely Western religion that was profoundly shaped by European cultural forms. Yet Catholic Christianity is at heart, as was revealed at Pentecost, a “translated religion,” trusting that the Gospel message can be translated into any cultural context. In this workshop we will explore the possibilities for Catholicism’s moving beyond a largely Western European and North American framework to recover its status as a true global church.

This workshop will explore our call to become mystics in our time. As we look at some of the mystics who have gone before us, we will open ourselves to how grace invites each one of us to enter into a deeper awareness of our own potential to sink into God.

Edwina Gateley is founder of the international Volunteer Missionary Movement, which has sent over 2,000 lay missionaries to 26 countries. She is an international public speaker and author of 11 books; her work and ministry have been publicly commended by numerous groups and individuals. Gateley is currently writing, leading retreats for abused and marginalized women, and serving as “Mother Spirit” for Exodus, a program in Chicago for women in recovery from prostitution.

3-10 The Church, Matrimony and Same-sex Marriage: A Catechetical Perspective

The church’s position on same-sex marriage is a point of delight for some and consternation for others. However, for all members of the church, it is a point that needs to be discussed publicly in a clear and concise manner. This session will look at the church’s theology of matrimony in relation to the recent civil anomaly of same-sex marriage. The session is directed to those who are interested in a serious theological conversation, e.g., pastoral, catechetical and theological personnel, and members of the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender ministries and their families.

Greer Gordon, a native of Baton Rouge, La., is a Roman Catholic theologian, lecturer and author. She was formerly the Director of Adult Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.; Director of the Office for Black Catholics in the Boston Archdiocese; Consultant for Catechist Formation in the Diocese of Oakland, Calif.; and on the theology faculty at Regis College in Weston, Mass. Dr. Gordon is also a former keynoter for the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.

How can good people in ministry sustain their own spiritual journey, be of real service to other people, and yet not fall into the devastating trap of feeling that they must “save the world”? Perhaps the struggle and confession of John the Baptist may have something to teach us.

Dr. Tom Groome is Director of Boston College’s Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry. The award-winning author has written more than a half dozen books and over 100 published articles and essays. He has made over 500 public presentations in the past 25 years, including keynote addresses at all the major North American conferences of religious educators, both Catholic and Protestant.

3-12 The Original Text Message: A Cradle Catholic’s “Dummy Guide” to the Bible (Workshop Closed)

Have you ever said to yourself, “I need to start reading the Bible more,” but wondered where to start? Do you desire a stronger foundational understanding of the Bible and how to pray with it? In this workshop we will discuss the “basics of the Bible” and encounter the authentic God of Sacred Scripture, not the academic. And while 90 minutes won’t make you a Scripture scholar, it can give you enough practical insights and tools to “get more out of” your Bible. Bring a blank sheet and an open heart for a walk through the Bible that is sure to leave you joyful, thankful and hungry for more!

There are so many ways to praise you, Lord, I don’t know where to start. But with these ABCs of praise, I can express my heart … from A-Z! Are you having trouble getting your kids to sing? Are you looking for ways to include the little ones? Are you in need of new object lessons to reinforce your main point or Bible story? Do you want to incorporate music into your lesson theme? With simple hand motions, performance ideas and more, you can be musical even if you are not musical. You don’t have to be a singer to attend; however, knowing how to operate a CD/cassette player will help!

Recording artist, author and speaker Mary Rice Hopkins is celebrating 30 years in family music ministry. She is also known for keynote speaking as well as leading worship at events such as MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), Moms in Touch, Women’s Retreats, The Association of Christian Schools International, and more. She has a number of works available, and more recently has teamed up with Darcie Maze, who makes and designs puppets; together they combine music and puppetry.

Darcie Maze has been in children’s ministry for over 30 years. She creates and designs puppets, conducts teacher training workshops and seminars nationally that cross many denominational lines. Her puppet designs are used on the Cartoon Network and throughout the world. She studied Child Evangelism at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas, and Life Bible College in Los Angeles. Her vision is to train teachers for children’s ministry and to supply puppets and resources.

3-14 Conversion, Faith-Sharing and Catechesis: The Great Balancing Act (Workshop Closed)

“Evangelization is what we are all about,” the U.S. bishops unequivocally proclaimed in their 1992 document “Go and Make Disciples, A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States.” Since then catechists have been struggling to balance providing opportunities for conversion with teaching the basics of the Catholic faith. This workshop will provide practical ideas for creating an environment that enables learners to grow in communion and intimacy with Christ while developing a solid theological understanding of their faith.

Dr. Kathy Kleinlein is Diocesan Director of Catechetical Ministry for the Diocese of Venice, Fla., and an elected member and Chair of the Sarasota County School Board. She was previously Chair of the Florida Catholic Conference of Diocesan Directors and a Representative Council member of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. Dr. Kleinlein conducts retreats, seminars and catechetical formation workshops on a variety of topics.

3-15 From Doers of Service to People of Justice: Doing Youth Ministry that Inspires Youth to Live Catholic Social Teaching (Workshop Closed)

Tired of the same old service project? Looking for ways to make youth ministry in your parish something that transforms young people into people of justice? Join Sean Lansing in this workshop as he talks about the foundations engaging youth in Catholic social teaching and describes four strategies to help you infuse justice and service into your entire youth ministry.

Sean Lansing is a Project Coordinator for Youth Ministry Services at the Center for Ministry Development in Milwaukee, where he was previously a parish youth minister for the Central City Catholic Parishes. Lansing is author of the “Call to Faith” Session Leader’s Guide and was a contributing author of “Total Youth Ministry Resources for Justice and Service.”

We live in a world where practicing our Christian faith can be countercultural. We search for hope and courage in a world of fear and revenge. Our liturgies can be places of comfort and consolation offering hope to sustain us when life becomes difficult. In this workshop, Liam Lawton examines how music and worship can transcend barriers and boundaries and offer God’s healing presence to a hurting world.

Liam Lawton is Director of Music for the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin in Ireland. He has recorded 12 collections of music and is currently writing his second book. He has appeared on numerous TV broadcasts and radio shows, and is presently touring in the United States with a new PBS Television show that was recorded live in Dublin.

For many people the road to self-acceptance – and the realization that God loves you as you are – is a long journey. We will look at what the Old and New Testaments, the church’s great spiritual masters, the saints and the Catechism of the Catholic Church have to say about the path to self-acceptance. We will especially focus on those who might feel marginalized in society today – those in minority groups, those in the gay and lesbian communities, the unemployed and underemployed, and people with disabilities. Practical resources for prayer and spiritual nourishment will be offered.

Jesuit priest James Martin is Associate Editor of America magazine. His book, “My Life with the Saints,” received a 2006 Christopher Award and was named as one of the Top 100 Books of the Year by Publishers Weekly. He is also author of “Becoming Who You Are,” and, most recently, “A Jesuit Off-Broadway: Center Stage with Jesus, Judas and Life’s Big Questions.”

3-18 Disneyland’s Million Dreams – a Consistent Life Ethic Reflects the Million Stories

Disneyland is currently celebrating a “year of a million dreams.” We are challenged as believers to live by a consistent life ethic as we listen to the million stories in our own lives and those connected by the news media, 24/7 Internet connections and our Catholic belief in the “millions of witnesses” beyond this present life. The Congress theme will be used as an integration process for persons to reflect on the Bible parables, the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the millions of stories that challenge us to integration and justice actions. This workshop will help us to know ourselves and find out how we are called to be “Gospel creators of dreams.”

Born and raised in St. Luke’s Church in Temple City, Calif., Fr. Chris Ponnet served in parish ministry until he was appointed as Pastor of St. Camillus Church in Los Angeles in 1995. He also serves as Chaplain at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, the Norris Cancer Hospital and the USC University Hospital. He has spoken at national conferences on death and dying, consistent life ethic, AIDS, the death penalty, interfaith working and chaplaincy.

3-19 Fostering the Next Generation of Faithful Believers (Workshop Closed)

How do we contribute to the formation and nurturing of the next generation of faithful believers? Aware of the cultural realities and social dynamics that can work against being faith-filled Christians and faithful Catholics, what strategies can we use to enhance the faith of our daughters and sons? This workshop explores what it means to be faithful in the church today and the ways that we can foster that in all the daughters and sons in our lives.

Dr. Jane Regan is Associate Professor of Religious Education and Theology at the Institute for Religious and Pastoral Ministry at Boston College. Her research and teaching focus primarily on adult faith formation. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Regan serves as an adult faith-formation consultant on the local and national level. She has extensive university teaching experience and is a workshop leader/speaker at major conferences.

This session will provide practical ideas for teaching the principles of Catholic morality, including the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. We will share ways to help students learn how to make moral choices in their daily lives.

Kate Ristow has been involved in the religious education of children and catechists for over 30 years. She is the author of student texts and catechists guides at all grade levels and is a Contributing Editor for Catechist Magazine. A former Director of Religious Education and Catholic schoolteacher, Ristow has been a frequent speaker at national, regional and diocesan conferences. She is presently National Catechetical Consultant for RCL Benziger.

3-21 Radical Faith – The Struggles with Faith and the Dark Night of the Spirit

On the basis of her journals, many feel that Mother Teresa lived in doubt rather than in faith. Is this true? Was this a crisis of faith? What constitutes real faith and what constitutes real doubt? Insights from Scripture and the classical Christian mystics will be brought forth to show the difference between a crisis of faith and a dark night of the spirit, namely, a purification of the soul that was experienced by Jesus and often experienced by spiritual athletes such as Mother Teresa, which isn’t the opposite of faith, but is genuine faith.

Ronald Rolheiser, a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. He is a community-builder, lecturer and writer. His books are popular throughout the English-speaking world and his weekly column is carried by more than 60 newspapers worldwide. For most of the 28 years of his priesthood, Fr. Rolheiser taught theology and philosophy at Newman Theological College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In this session participants will explore together how the church’s vision of evangelization takes flesh in our communities’ ministries of initiation. The workshop format will use presentation and facilitated conversation.

Jim Schellman has served in church ministry for over 20 years at the parish, diocesan, national and international level. He is an occasional speaker and writer on liturgical matters and serves as Executive Director of the North American Forum on the Catechumenate, a network of church ministers devoted to implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and its implications for reconciliation.

3-23 Developing and Sustaining “Seeing Anew”: Spiritual Practices and Consciousness Change (Workshop Closed)

Talking to flowers. Receiving Communion. Contemplating the ocean. Saying the rosary. Walking the labyrinth. Counting my blessings. Reading the Bible. Centering prayer. Examining my faults: People have named these activities and many more as spiritual practices. But how are spiritual practices meant to help us see anew? Should we change spiritual practices? How do we know when a spiritual practice is working? What is the value of a spiritual practice in a life dedicated to social change?

In this session we will consider the biblical prophet Micah as the Bible’s true “radical farmer” who questioned Ancient Israel’s build-up of weapons. Do we need a new Micah for 2008?

Dr. Daniel Smith-Christopher served from 1986-88 in peace work/research in Israel/Palestine and maintains an active interest in the modern Middle East. He is Professor of Old Testament at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he has taught for 18 years. He also serves as Director of Peace Studies at LMU. Dr. Christopher has published dozens of scholarly articles, reviews and 10 books. He appears regularly on television documentaries as a consultant and scholarly commentator.

3-25 New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics to the Effort of Evangelization

Contemporary physics (particularly contemporary big- bang cosmology) shows the virtual inevitability of a singularity in inflationary model universes. This reveals the high likelihood of a creation event arising out of a “power transcending universal space-time asymmetry,” which resembles Christianity’s creatio ex nihilo. Fr. Robert Spitzer will help decipher the implications of creation and supernatural design in these very current models of astrophysics.

Professor, writer and speaker, Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer has been President of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., since 1998 and founder of the Gonzaga Institute of Ethics. He has authored many scholarly articles, journal entries and three books. Fr. Spitzer, who presents widely to national and international audiences, has started seven academic centers and is involved in a variety of educational, philosophical and scientific organizations.

3-26 Beyond Words: Teaching Faith and Values to Children and Families through Symbol and Action (Workshop Closed)

Ever wonder what a hammer, a grocery bag, and a TV remote can teach about Christian values? Learn how to: dispense 1-A-Day verbal vitamins; influence children by “talking behind their back”; and let your walls, CD player, and oven speak. Based on the values covered in her book, “Raising Kids Who Will Make a Difference,” Susan Vogt will help parents and educators deal with the issues of self-esteem, time, materialism, ecology, the media, morality, peace-making, diversity and service as dimensions of a living faith.

Susan Vogt is a freelance speaker and writer who conducts workshops on faith, marriage and parenting across the country and internationally. She has been a lay advisor to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Marriage and Family and is Editor of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers Journal. Vogt, a vowed lay Marianist, formerly served as Diocesan Director of Family Ministry for over 25 years, and has taught university marriage and family spirituality courses.

CONGRESS 2008 WORKSHOPS & LINKS
THURSDAY	• Youth Day Info • Youth Day Schedule • Youth Day Workshops
WORKSHOPS FRIDAY: SATURDAY: SUNDAY:	Text Page Links • Period 1 • Period 2 • Period 3 • Period 4 • Period 5 • Period 6 • Period 7 • Period 8	PDF Downloads • Friday Workshops • Saturday Workshops • Sunday Workshops
EN ESPAÑOL VIERNES: SÁBADO: DOMINGO:	TALLERES • Sesión 1 • Sesión 2 • Sesión 3 • Sesión 4 • Sesión 5 • Sesión 6 • Sesión 7 • Sesión 8	• talleres en español
2008 FEATURES	• Youth Day • Theme • Cardinal Online • Comments • Schedule • Speakers • Topics • Order Recordings • Photos • Exhibitor Listing • Exhibitor Categories • Statistics

2008 RECongress Period 3

Religious Education Congress
Friday, February 29, 2008
3:00 - 4:30 pm

2008 RECongress Period 3

Religious Education Congress Friday, February 29, 2008 3:00 - 4:30 pm

Religious Education Congress
Friday, February 29, 2008
3:00 - 4:30 pm