RECongress 2009 - Period 6: Saturday, February 28, 2009

CONGRESS 2009 WORKSHOPS & LINKS
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6-01 Slavery: It Didn’t End with the Civil War – Modern Day Perspectives on Human Trafficking

“Slavery: It Didn’t End with the Civil War” is a powerful, fact- and human interest-filled multimedia presentation that explains contemporary human trafficking. The presentation starts out quick and hard by placing a human face on historical slavery. From there, it uses a fast-pace presentation style built upon everyday news reports, academic theory, government reports, statistics and first-hand stories from the streets to bring the audience to a state of learned awareness of what must be done to prevent modern-day slavery. Some original slave documents and relics will also be on hand.

A resident of Antigua, Guatemala, Patrick Atkinson grew up in Bismarck, N.D., from where he bases his international efforts. His work emphasizes the development of practical means through which single, widowed and abandoned mothers can break free from generational poverty. Atkinson is the founder and executive director of several non-profit international charities, and sits on the boards of numerous non-profit and for-profit corporations. He is a frequent and popular speaker worldwide.

6-02 Spirituality and the Parenting of Lesbian and Gay Catholics (Workshop Closed)

A panel of speakers, moderated by Dr. Tom Beaudoin, will focus on questions and insights about spirituality in the experience of parents and families of lesbian and gay Catholics, focusing on stories of how faith is lived.

The power of the Spirit is alive and with us in all that we do. As religious educators, how can we provide meaningful, relevant and enjoyable opportunities for children to strengthen and develop their faith? John Burland will show how this can be achieved by demonstrating a variety of practical strategies incorporating music and movement for energizing catechesis. Areas such as Scripture, doctrine, Church seasons and sacraments will be addressed. These songs and activities are suitable for children at the elementary level. Come ready to be energized!

As one receives the sacrament of confirmation, what ignites them to allow the Holy Spirit to truly work in their lives every day? Listen, share and reflect on what those who have received this sacrament say about the Holy Spirit staying and working in their lives.

Msgr. Michael Cherup Jr. is a priest for the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla., where he served for 20 years as diocesan Director for the Office of Youth Ministry. Msgr. Cherup presently is Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. For eight years, he was President of Catholic Youth Foundation USA, and now serves as their Vice President.

There are an increasing number of young adults – single, married and young adult parents – who are asking this question. They simply want to know “why.” Many parents and young adults simply do not see any need whatsoever to attend church consistently on Sunday. Many will drop off their children for their religious education classes, but do not see a need to enter a church building themselves on any regular basis. This workshop will not only address this question, but will answer with the understanding of our Catholic tradition. (This workshop will be helpful to parish leaders, those in ministry, young adults, young parents, and parents of those in their 20s and 30s.)

Whether the topic is pre-Vatican II Marian devotion or the many Marian movements of today, whether it is the idealized family life of the 1950s or the recent troubling decrease in Catholics who choose to wed in the Church, an understanding of “how we got here” requires an understanding of the very different ecclesial sensibilities of the last several papacies. Full of “news you can use,” this workshop will show how differing theological and cultural contexts shaped the Church’s conversation about Mary, marriage and family.

Our faith tradition affirms that Jesus’ suffering, death and rising are central to the mystery of our faith. But over the centuries, theologians have differed in interpreting the meaning of this saving event. Was Jesus sent to suffer and die to appease a God who was angry at sinful humanity? Or did God’s love motivate him to embrace the cross in solidarity with all who are marginalized by human injustice? This presentation invites participants to explore the deeper meaning of the theology of salvation.

Fr. John Heagle, a psychotherapist, and Sr. Fran Ferder, a clinical psychologist, are Co-Directors of Therapy and Renewal Associates (TARA), a counseling and renewal center located near Seattle. They also serve as adjunct professors in the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. They are internationally recognized leaders of workshops and conferences. Together and individually, they are authors of several articles, tapes and books.

Contemporary theology has paid considerable attention to many features of our contemporary culture – Hollywood, consumerism, television, technology, the Internet – yet surprisingly little reflection has been done regarding the role of sports in our culture. When we Christians do consider sports, our tendency is to criticize its excesses: an unhealthy sense of competition, the violence, too much emphasis on money, etc. But is there a genuine theology and spirituality of sports also worthy of our consideration? Is there something inherently religious about both playing sports and being a sports fan? This presentation will explore these questions.

The Church has always held the institution of the Eucharist to be central to its identity, and Vatican II identified it as both “source” and “summit” of the Church’s activity. But how can it be central when many people experience a “Eucharistic famine,” others are excluded by canon law, and others approach it very casually? Was Eucharist only the high point of the Last Supper and end point of Jesus’ life, or should we look deeper? We will explore the idea that the whole life of Jesus was “eucharistic” and that ours must be too, if we are to keep alive, not only the memory of Jesus, but our own identity as the Body of Christ.

Forty years of Catholic teaching and Catholic ecumenical dialogue have provided rich resources for the Catholic catechist in handing on the Eucharistic faith – faithful to the Church teaching as it is developing in dialogue with fellow Christians.

Bro. Jeffrey Gros is a career Catholic teacher who has served in ecumenical administration for 25 years, teaching at the high school, university and seminary levels. He has lead seminars, retreats and conferences, and is responsible for editing major collections on the results of the 40-plus years of dialogues in which the Catholic Church has been involved. Bro. Gros currently is Distinguished Professor of Historical and Ecumenical Theology at Memphis Theological Seminary in Tennessee.

Spiritual directors hear an epidemic of complaints regarding decreased time but increased busyness. This is a recipe for spiritual suffocation. But neither guilt nor good intentions have the power to set us free from our social addictions. The mystics and saints offer ageless wisdom regarding what enhances soul and what diminishes it. The question is not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. This workshop provides a welcome oasis to remember: “Wherever your treasure is, there will you find your heart” (Matt. 6:21). No other path offers us the courage to let go of what is draining our life.

Richard Groves is co-founder and Executive Director of the Sacred Art of Living Center in Bend, Ore. As their program author, he teaches and heads the faculty for the Sacred Art of Living and Dying series, which was borne from his more than 25 years of experience as a hospice chaplain and prison chaplain. Groves, who speaks nine languages, is a popular keynote speaker and workshop presenter. He is co-author of “The American Book of Dying: Lessons in Healing Spiritual Pain.”

Liturgical music certainly serves the ritual and liturgical moments of the liturgy, but its call goes even deeper. Music for worship must also share in the formational ministry of the Christian cause of bringing the Paschal Mystery – the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus – to the human journey. Come and sing, pray, celebrate and revel in the Mystery of Christ, and explore the musical lens that can nurture and empower the Good News beyond the all-too-often-isolated experience of parish liturgy – to the grand challenge of living our lives as disciples.

David Haas is Director of The Emmaus Center for Music, Prayer and Ministry and also serves as Campus Minister/Artist-in-Residence at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in St. Louis Park, Minn. A composer of 45 collections of liturgical music and author of 20 books on music, prayer and spirituality, he has traveled all over the world as a workshop and conference speaker, retreat leader, pastoral musician and recording artist. Haas is also founder and Executive Director of “Music Ministry Alive!”

Church leaders and other Christians often condemn our contemporary consumer culture as lost in selfishness and sin. But such an approach can miss the more subtle ways in which this culture shapes our consciousness, our commitments, and even our faith. A deeper dialogue is needed between this culture and the rich resources of our tradition, so that we might better see what it means to be church today.

There is always another lesson to teach, liturgy to plan, meeting or rehearsal to attend, or event to do. Often, we cannot find time to focus on the prayer and spirituality we need as catechetical, liturgical and pastoral musicians. Come join ValLimar and Frank Jansen as they help guide and enable our lay ministers through a session of music prayer and a rekindling of an awareness of “Spirit.”

ValLimar Jansen is a highly regarded singer, cantor, recording artist, workshop presenter and leader of worship and prayer at major conferences nationwide. Frank is a professional musician with over 30 years experience. He is a well-respected composer, arranger, teacher and performer. Often, this husband-and-wife team performs nationally, and last year, performed for the Pope and 400,000 pilgrims in Loreto, Italy.

This workshop will focus on the biblical foundations of justice, emphasizing the language of covenant and love. Particular attention will be given to the intersection of God’s justice with both the social structures of politics and economics and the inner life of spirituality and conversion.

Jack Jezreel is founder and Executive Director of JustFaith Ministries, based in Kentucky. Self-described as “a farmer and a parish minister of social responsibility,” Jezreel is a member of the Catholic Worker community. He has presented keynotes at the national gatherings of St. Vincent de Paul, the National Diaconate Institute for Continuing Education, and Pax Christi USA.

We often single out St. Paul, the great “Apostle to the Gentiles,” as if he were a Lone Ranger, who single-handedly spread Christianity throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. The real St. Paul, however, was not only a zealous preacher but also an effective leader of a large missionary “non-governmental organization” (NGO), with many associates and affiliates! In this “Year of Saint Paul,” a better understanding of how he organized his expanding apostolic enterprise can also help us build more effective religious education and adult faith-formation programs in our own parishes today!

Fr. Felix Just has taught at the California institutions of Loyola Marymount University, Santa Clara University, and the University of San Francisco. He is currently Director of Biblical Education at the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, Calif., and provides lectures and retreats for parishes and dioceses throughout the United States. The Jesuit priest regularly teaches courses through Loyola Marymount University’s Extension program and through the “Ecclesia” program of Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles.

Why was Jesus crucified? This question plays a central role in the New Testament and Christian theology, and it engages a lively interest both inside and outside the Church. Many have disagreed about the role of the Roman and Jewish authorities, the meaning of Jesus’ actions, and ultimately how God could be involved in the process. One of the most significant accounts of Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion comes from the Gospel of John. We will explore the dramatic events in John’s final chapters, asking what they tell us about the meaning of the crucifixion and its implications.

Studies consistently show that an involved father or father figure makes all the difference in the life of children and teenagers. Join us as we explore how we can encourage fathers to be actively involved in their children’s lives and recognize their important role in the family and in society.

The mutual influence of Catholicism and the growing Hispanic population in the United States will shape the future of American Catholic life. This workshop will examine that mutual influence, especially in core areas like the dynamics of Hispanic integration and the influence of Pentecostal religion. What do current trends portend for the future of U.S. Catholicism and for pastoral ministry in parishes and dioceses?

Dr. Timothy Matovina is Professor of Theology at Indiana’s University of Notre Dame, where he also serves as Director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism. Dr. Matovina offers presentations and workshops on U.S. Catholicism and various theological topics for dioceses, pastoral institutes and ministry formation programs throughout the United States.

6-20 Misbehavior? Name It, Claim It, Tame It, or Prevent It from the Get-go!

Proactive adults structure a child’s environment for success by: 1) developing a positive style of authority; 2) knowing how to “read” the needs behind behavior; and 3) learning how to avoid, redirect or correct misbehavior. These dynamics of self-discipline are the focus of this presentation.

Dr. Patricia McCormack is Director of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Office of Formative Support for Parents & Teachers, located in Arlington, Va. She is an international consultant to the China Institute of Technology and the Marymount Institute in Rome. With over 30 years as a teacher in junior-high through college levels, Dr. McCormack has written numerous articles, several books, and is author of the “Parent Partnership Handbook” series in Today’s Catholic Teacher magazine.

6-21 The Catechist’s Toolbox: Skills, Tips and Practical Advice You Can Use Today (Workshop Closed)

Each year, roughly one-third of the more than 500,000 volunteer catechists in Catholic parishes are new to the job. Most of these catechists come to the ministry with little or no formal training for their work. This workshop presents an invaluable collection of methodologies, techniques and tips that provide on-the-job training for new and less-experienced catechists as well as for veteran catechists with little formal training.

Joe Paprocki is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press in Chicago. He has 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry and is the author of the best-selling “The Catechist’s Toolbox” and “A Well-Built Faith.” Paprocki serves as an eighth-grade catechist and blogs about the experience on the Internet at www.catechistsjourney.org.

Far too often, teachers and preachers muddy the waters of faith with confusing theological terminology. Catholic evangelists could be more effective if they only knew how to keep it simple! “Don’t be Stupid” is not an insult but rather a call to full knowledge of our faith. Pedagologically, it is more effective to say, “Don’t be Stupid,” than it is to say, “Avoid being guided by the misdirected paradigms of an avaricious society.” Known for his entertaining ability to “make the complicated simple,” Fr. Tony Ricard will discuss several evangelical techniques through which Christians can proclaim the Word of God without need to use “big words” or complicated concepts.

Fr. Tony Ricard is a priest of the New Orleans Archdiocese who currently serves as Pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in New Orleans and as one of the Core Instructors for Church Doctrine at Xavier University’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies. He is also Director of Knight Time Ministries and as one of the Chief Editors for Two Knights Publishing Co. He is the author of “I Still Believe: A Testimony of Faith After The Storm,” a chronicle of life after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The compassionate heart is in communion with all of life and is willing to enter into suffering with the heart of Christ. Compassion includes awareness, attitude and action. A deeper and clearer look at compassion, the central quality of Christ, enables us to accompany the hurting ones of our personal lives and the larger world with loving kindness. Compassion also teaches how to live as a person of unbounded love. Bring your caring heart to this workshop and find support for what you believe and how you live.

6-24 Coping with Suffering, Stress, Care-giving and Conflict through Lectio Divina (Workshop Closed)

Lectio Divina, or holistic prayerful reading of God’s Word and the signs of our times, is the natural and spiritual way Christians respond to God’s initiative in the Bible. In this workshop, we will reflect on the ways people in the Bible go through the process of Lectio Divina in coping with their pain, conflicts and confusion. We will discover parallels between our lives and the challenges and responses of Moses, Jeremiah, Job, his wife Tobit and his family, Mary and Joseph, and St. Paul. We will learn how Lectio Divina enables us to endure suffering, stress, care-giving and conflict with peace and dignity. As we experience this, we will discover ways of supporting others as well.

Karl Schultz is Director of the Genesis Personal Development Center in Pittsburgh. He has published 11 books and one DVD on biblical spirituality and personal development, and he has traveled throughout the United States and Canada as a speaker and retreat leader. Schultz has developed applications of Lectio Divina to suffering, healing, care-giving, stress and time management, journaling, potential fulfillment, gender communications and men’s issues, and the teachings of Paul VI.

In the Catholic Church, the term “office” invariably refers to the ordained: Only the ordained have an office in the Church. However, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger once proposed that we should speak of a lay office in the Church. This workshop will explore the role assigned by the magisterium to the laity, and how there is, indeed, a lay office in the Church.

Teens are first and foremost relational beings and any and all ministry with them requires that a web of relationships be formed and nurtured. But at what cost do we develop and build this community? What messages do our activities and efforts give to teens and the larger parish community? Are we just “playing games” or are we “forming disciples” when we gather teens together? Come and assess your community building efforts and learn some new and effective strategies for building a web of relationships that will catch and sustain teens as they walk the road toward discipleship.

This workshop, led by a child psychologist and a Director of Religious Education, will discuss fun, multisensory methods for handing on the basics of the faith to active learners.

This workshop will introduce the artistic and educational work of Gen Rosso, whose purpose is to spread the values of peace and universal brotherhood through music, in order to build a more united world. Gen Rosso sensitizes young people to the themes of violence, cultural integration and peace. The members of Gen Rosso not only perform those values but live it in their daily lives, as the group itself is comprised of 18 members coming from the nations of Brazil, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Philippines and Poland.

The Gen Rosso International Performing Arts Group was formed in 1966 in Loppiano, Florence, Italy based on an idea of Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement and 1996 recipient of the UNESCO Prize for education to peace. To date, more than 200 artists and technical staff have passed through Gen Rosso, performing in 47 nations in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. They have published 54 albums with over 325 songs.

2009 RECongress Period 6

Religious Education Congress
Saturday, February 28, 2009
3:00 - 4:30 pm

2009 RECongress Period 6

Religious Education Congress Saturday, February 28, 2009 3:00 - 4:30 pm

Religious Education Congress
Saturday, February 28, 2009
3:00 - 4:30 pm