RECongress 2011 - Period 1: Friday, March 18, 2011

CONGRESS 2011 WORKSHOPS & LINKS
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Young children make sense of their world in ways that are very different from older students and adults. In this session, participants will learn how to create lessons that lay the foundation for a strong relationship with God using child-centered and play-based strategies that entice young children. The importance of a well-staged environment and engaging materials will also be presented through real life examples in preschool and kindergarten classrooms.

Based on the title of John Allen’s widely read weekly column, “All Things Catholic,” this session offers a 360-degree review of news from inside and outside the Church that you need to know in order to understand the situation facing Catholicism in the early 21st century. In particular, this session locates American questions and concerns in the context of the global Church.

This workshop explores the background that led to the creation of the Castle of the Soul experience (subject of Session 5-02). How can we use this as a prototype within our parish setting to help people discover the beauty of meditation and reflection? How can we become contemplatives in the modern world? Drawing on such resources as early desert spirituality, the prayers and reflections of ancient and modern saints, and the use of contemporary music, join us as we examine the various possibilities that will draw our communities into a greater awareness of God’s loving presence among us.

7-04 Engaging Faith in the World: Fostering a Mission Spirituality in Young People

In a world with such dramatic changes, it is essential we help young people develop a faith life that is rooted in the gospel and deepened in our celebration of Eucharist … teaching us about human dignity, calling us to the right relationship with God, ourselves and others, inviting us to community and solidarity, and sending us on a mission to transform our communities, neighbors and world. Join staff from Catholic Relief Services for an interactive presentation that explores how we can invite young people to a faith life that is charged with a sense of mission. Meet and listen to Thomas Awiapo and his story of survival and success while growing up in Ghana, West Africa. Through his presence and personal story of hunger and hope that has inspired thousands, Thomas brings to fullness and life God’s invitation to live as one human family.

Orphaned by the age of 10, Thomas Awiapo survived poverty and hunger in his small African village. His search for food led him to school at age 12 where he eventually won scholarships to attend college and later earned a master’s degree from California State University, Hayward. Awiapo is currently the Global Solidarity Coordinator with Catholic Relief Services, Ghana, West Africa, where he participates in speaking tours and hosting delegations.

After serving two years in Central America 20 years ago, Baltimore native Ted Miles worked in parish ministry, Catholic high school education and archdiocesan leadership development. Since 2005, he has worked for Catholic Relief Services as the Relationship Manager for Religious Education and coordinator of the agency’s youth outreach in the United States. Miles has presented at numerous regional and national conferences.

Given what we now know about Catholic adolescents, effective catechesis and youth ministry, how can we enhance confirmation’s potential to be a more formative influence in the spiritual lives of young people? This session will offer some concrete ideas and questions to consider based on our past approaches and our new possibilities.

Dr. Mike Carotta is currently the National Consultant for Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division. His newest books include “Have Faith,” a confirmation candidate/sponsor resource, and “Lincoln Park,” a mystery series with spiritual insights for junior-highers, co-authored with theologian John Shea. Dr. Carotta’s work has expanded into the area of vocational renewal, and he and his wife, Catherine, are authors of “Sustaining the Spirit: Callings, Commitments, and Vocational Challenges.”

7-06 Together as One, to Gather as One: Songs and Strategies for Celebrating with Children

In this workshop, Andrew Chinn will share songs and strategies to help catechists and teachers in celebrating liturgies for and with elementary-aged children. In addition to songs and movements for various parts of the liturgy, he will present some simple strategies for enhancing the Liturgy of the Word at children’s liturgy. Drawing on the “Directory for Masses for Children,” Andrew will help you come away with new ideas to involve children more fully in celebrations in the parish community as we go on a journey from the beginning to end of a liturgy with children.

When we reflect on life, we realize that it is in the dark moments and events of our lives that we more effectively find the truth that sets us free. This workshop will reflect on the powerful verse from the Prophet Isaiah: “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name” (Is 45:3).

If someone asked you, “Please explain Jesus Christ to me,” what would you tell them? As our country continues to grow in religious diversity, there is a good chance that question might be posed to you. The early church had a remarkable way of explaining Jesus Christ to others. They shared with others Jesus’ life, ministry and mission and called it “the Good News.” This workshop will lead us on a “walk” through those Good News Gospel stories in order to explain to others our appreciation of the life and ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

7-09 The Journey to First Eucharist: Helping Parents and Children to Feel at Home in the Assembly

This workshop will explore strategies for engaging parents, children and parish as all prepare for first Eucharist using the parish-based preparation program “Do This in Memory.” Mindful of the current reality in which children are being presented for initiation, we will outline an approach to the preparation process that ensures families will feel at home at our Sunday Eucharist and have a sense of belonging to the faith community into which their children are being initiated. The Sunday Eucharist is the setting for this approach to preparation, and families are sent forth with resources to deepen their experience and understanding at home.

A priest of the Diocese of Ossory, Ireland, Fr. Martin Delaney is Associate Pastor at St. Canice’s Parish in Kilkenny, Ireland. The former Diocesan Director of Religious Education (from 1992 to 2005) is co-author with Maeve Mahon of “Do This in Memory,” a six-year-old program that has been used by more 150,000 families throughout Ireland, and recently in Britain and the United States. Fr. Delaney has presented workshops and retreats throughout Ireland, Britain, Italy, Canada and the United States.

Maeve Mahon is Diocesan Director of Religious Education in Primary Schools for the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, Ireland. She is co-author with Martin Delaney of “Do This in Memory” and with Julie Kavanagh of “A Welcome for Your Child.” Her most recent publication is “You Shall Be My Witnesses,” a parish-based preparation program for confirmation. Mahon is a frequently invited speaker in Ireland and a member of the National Steering Committee for Catholic Schools Week and of the Council of the Irish Catholic Schools Partnership.

7-10 how to Rebuild the Engine While the Vehicle Is Operating – Preparing for The New Translation of the Roman Missal

The American Church will receive a new English translation of the Mass on November 27, 2011. Dr. Paul Ford will help parishes, schools and religious education programs experience this as an opportunity to learn how to pray the Mass as the baptized and confirmed, and to rediscover the unity of sacred Scripture and liturgy.

Dr. Paul Ford is Professor of Systematic Theology and Liturgy at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, Calif., where he has taught since 1988. He has presented workshops on the new Roman Missal across the country. Dr. Ford was the first Roman Catholic in the doctoral program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. In 1995 Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony honored him with the Laudatus Award “for excellence in the promotion of the liturgical life of the parishes and the people of the Archdiocese.”

The Eucharist is central to our Christian identity, yet many people experience a eucharistic “famine,” others are excluded, and some treat it very casually. Was “Eucharist” only the end-point of Jesus’ life – or its very heart? And what could this mean? We explore the idea that the whole life of Jesus was “eucharistic” – and ours must be, too.

This session will explore the significance of the Spirit’s gift of memory – remembering for the Church and Christian life. It will look at the implications of this, for the community of faith in terms of its own internal and external relations, and for the way in which we understand the mission of Christian life.

Hungering and thirsting for justice is at the heart of the Gospel. But what is the justice we are pursuing? In our culture, justice is usually identified with the blindfolded woman holding the scales and a sword. But this is retributive justice, not biblical justice. This presentation maps out the remarkable evolution that leads from justice as retribution to justice as solidarity with the vulnerable. Justice is not the blindfolded woman. It is a surging river – a wellspring of God’s fierce love rising in human consciousness. What would happen if we took this vision seriously? How would it change us?

John Heagle is a priest, counselor and author with more than 45 years of pastoral experience as a campus minister, college professor, pastor and retreat director. In 1976 he was appointed as the first Director of the Office of Justice and Peace for his diocese. Since 1985 he has served as a licensed psychotherapist and as Co-Director of Therapy & Renewal Associates in Oregon. Fr. Heagle is also an adjunct Professor in the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University, and is the author or co-author of eight books.

7-14 Music Motivating Mission: Promoting Justice, Peace and Evangelization Through Song

“Inspired by sung participation, [the church] goes forth to spread the Gospel with full force and compassion” (no. 9), states the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document “Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship.” Like anthems and pep rallies, music and song can awaken, inspire and motivate us to “shine our light” and live the Gospel every day. Come ready to sing, learn new repertoire and explore the power of music to change our schools and parishes.

Using his own paintings and stories, Bro. Mickey McGrath will offer an inspiring and insightful look at five extraordinary women wisdom figures who span the generations of Church history, each of them in very troubled times. The lives of Mary and Elizabeth, Jane de Chantal, Thea Bowman and Dorothy Day offer renewed hope, joy and optimism in our own time of crisis and confusion.

Beginning with a definition of the biblical role of the prophet, this workshop will touch upon the Christian interpretation of the Old Testament prophets, while also showing how they were men of their time, with messages for the people of Israel that addressed their present historical situation. We will conclude with a review of the themes and messages found in the books of the prophets and how these messages still resonate in both the work of the Church and the world in general.

Alex Trebek, host of TV’s “Jeopardy,” once said, “It’s very important in life to know when to shut up!” But, unfortunately, people don’t know when that is! God indeed has a lot He wants to tell us. But first, we have to be willing to tune our ears to the voice of God. We have to be ready to listen because God has some really cool things He wants us to know. This fun-filled workshop will focus on what it means to discern the will of God in our everyday lives. It is designed to uplift your soul and increase your joy as a true disciple of the Lord. Sometimes the best disciples are the ones who know how to “shut up and just listen!”

Fr. Tony Ricard, a priest of the New Orleans Archdiocese, serves as Pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in New Orleans, as Director of KnightTime Ministries, and as Chief Editor for Two Knights Publishing Co. Fr. Ricard is author of “I Still Believe,” “Don’t Be Stupid! Lessons You Should Already Know” and “I Don’t Make Them Up! Reflections Stories and Jokes from a Faithful Fool.”

This workshop explores the many-layered landscape of kindness as it is lived within the hectic terrain of challenging life situations. No matter what kind of circumstances exist, kindness has the ability to alter one’s perceptions of self and others and to engage in differences without losing a spirit of compassion. Various approaches to kindness will be presented using sources such as scripture, poetry, spiritual writings and music.

The LIFE program enables parents to talk with their own children about healthy and unhealthy relationships, from early childhood through adolescence. It is based on the distinction between four kinds of human relationships that spell the acronym LIFE: Love (family love, commitment), Infatuation (falling in love, sexual attraction), Friendship (peer relationships), and various forms of Exploitation, including bullying and sexual abuse. The session will also introduce LIFE Plus, an online expansion of the program to include other concepts called for in the U.S. bishops’ 2008 document, “Catechetical Formation for Chaste Living.”

Sr. Kieran Sawyer, a School Sister of Notre Dame, is nationally known for her creative work in youth ministry and adolescent catechesis. She is Director Emeritus of the TYME OUT Youth Center in Wisconsin, which she founded in 1980. Author of youth ministry materials, a workshop presenter, and a catechetical trainer, Sr. Sawyer’s current ministry is presenting workshops and training events for catechists and youth ministers at religious education conferences across the country.

Do advances in medicine pose challenges to living our faith? What does Church teaching have to say about technologies that “change” the human person? This workshop will engage questions around what it means to be made in the image of God in an age of rapid technological advancement. It will explore the ethical and theological issues that inform the way we might think about plastic surgery, stem cell research, cloning, genetic modification or transplantation.

Dr. Jennifer Shaw is currently Director of Theology and Ethics at the St. Joseph Health System (SJHS) in Orange, Calif. Prior to joining SJHS, she was the Regional Ethicist at Providence Heath & Services of Southern California. Dr. Shaw has also taught in the Bioethics Institute at Loyola Marymount University and in the Religious Studies Department at Mount St. Mary’s College, both in Los Angeles.

7-21 Room for All God’s Children: Strategies for Inclusive Parish Catechesis and Sacramental Preparation

Rooted in parish experience and sound educational theory, this session focuses on practical strategies for meeting the needs of children with special needs in parish catechetical and sacramental preparation programs.

How can our Church truly serve the needs of our world today? By each one of us answering our baptismal call to witness God’s love and mercy. Where do we discover this call? Within the Christian family of our parish. This workshop will look at the essential role of the parish in helping each person discern his or her own unique charisms given to serve God and neighbor. We will discover how our parishes can become communities that nurture and support the personal call each of us has in Christ.

We live in a time of chaos when many of the structures and systems we take for granted are breaking down. The principles of Catholic social justice teaching provide us with insights as to how to live in this time. This workshop will reflect on how living out of these values and perspectives in this time of chaos calls us to a contemplative spirituality. It will provide ways of listening and speaking from a contemplative heart.

7-24 Faith, Life and Creed: A Complete Catechesis for Christian Life … in Two-and-a-Half Steps

Come learn how to provide a comprehensive faith-formation process for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in two-and-a-half easy steps. This process will give you everything you need to help your RCIA catechumens and candidates grow in faith and prepare them for a life of discipleship and intimacy with Jesus Christ. The same principles can also be applied to any adult faith-formation process.

Catechists are faithful disciples who are called to proclaim and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the name of the Church. In order to be faithful and effective, catechists need to practice some essential “holy habits” that are rooted in baptism and are at the heart of excellent ministry. This workshop will explore the habits that enable catechists to hold firm and trust the Word they proclaim and teach.

We need to restore unity throughout all the stages of our marital life because we are not able to love each other constantly and perfectly. Forgiveness is not simply an emergency response in times of marital crises but rather the ongoing practice of becoming compassionate lovers. When we forgive each other we are saying, “Who you are is more important to me than what you did.” This session will describe the healing process of forgiving with our soul, mind, heart and will. True forgiveness and reconciliation have the power to sustain and promote the life of unity in Christian marriage.

Dr. John Yzaguirre is a psychologist and author specializing in family life and Catholic spirituality. He co-directs the California Prosocial Institute in Irvine, Calif., with his wife Claire Frazier-Yzaguirre, MFT, MDiv, with whom he has co-authored “Thriving Marriages.” Yzaguirre has been a keynote speaker at conventions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia. Besides his private practice, he offers numerous marriage and family formation seminars at churches throughout the country.

2011 RECongress Period 7

Religious Education Congress
March 20, 2011
10:00 - 11:30 am

2011 RECongress Period 7

Religious Education Congress March 20, 2011 10:00 - 11:30 am

Religious Education Congress
March 20, 2011
10:00 - 11:30 am