RECongress 2012 - Period 1: Friday, March 23, 2012

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1-01 Teaching Youth to Follow Christ … “The Way” of Discipleship (Workshop closed)

It’s not enough to teach our young people about God, we need to provide them with opportunities that draw them into an experience with God that they can share with the world. The youth that we encounter in our parishes as part of catechesis, youth ministry and sacramental preparation are ready for this challenge. Participants will explore ways to engage youth to live the Word, share the Word, and be the next generation of faith-filled disciples.

Steve Angrisano is a musician, inspirational speaker and workshop presenter. He has been featured at major youth events nationally and internationally, including four World Youth Days, five National Catholic Youth Conferences and numerous L.A. Congress Youth Days. Angrisano lives in Coppell, Texas. His works include a CD called “Inescapable Love” and a book titled “Live: Essential Songs for Youth Ministry.”

It is not enough to discover Jesus Christ; we must bring him to others. The New Evangelization, initiated by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, is now taking concrete form in the Church’s ministry. All of us are called to be a part of this renewed missionary energy – invigorating the baptized, attracting new disciples of Jesus, and renewing culture with the splendor of the Gospel. This New Evangelization is enkindled by the Word of God. Explore how Scriptures can lead Christ’s Church to become a more vital community of faith and prepare us to fulfill our Christian mission for the work of Christ.

Stephen Binz is a Catholic biblical scholar, popular speaker and award-winning author of more than two dozen books on the Bible. Following graduate biblical studies in Rome and Jerusalem, he has developed Bible studies in the church for over 25 years. Binz is author of “Lectio Divina Bible Study,” “Ancient-Future Bible Study” and the series, “Conversing with God in Scripture.”

When we get right down to it … just what are we passionate about? What do we live for? What drives us? As Christians our response should be, “We are passionate about living our lives for Christ.” But where do we start? In this sometimes challenging and always encouraging talk, Renée Bondi will take you through the necessary steps of defining what it means to be passionate and how to become close to and passionate about Jesus Christ.

Recording artist and speaker, Renée Bondi travels throughout the United States singing and speaking for conferences, churches, retreats, youth rallies and corporate events. She has appeared as a guest on EWTN’s “Life on the Rock” and on St. Joseph Radio. Bondi has been special guest for many adult formation programs, sharing her life story before and after her accident.

Some feel that leadership is a unique ability that only a few possess. The fact is that most people can become leaders. However, they must be given the proper training and formation if their leadership is to emerge. True leaders help with the challenge of adaptive change. They develop new knowledge to address emerging needs and challenges. The relationship between leadership and authority will be discussed as well as the development of systems thinking, learning from failure, the importance of learning conflict management skills, and the need for community as a context to grow in leadership. This session will also study some of the areas of need in parishes and in the Church crying out for the development of leadership.

Chicago native Fr. Patrick Brennan founded the Office for Chicago Catholic Evangelization as well as the National Council for Catholic Evangelization. He is currently President of the National Center for Evangelization and Parish Renewal. Through this organization, he travels and resources parishes and dioceses in evangelization and parish renewal. Fr. Brennan also serves as the Director of Mission Integration and Pastoral Care at The Clare, a Franciscan retirement community in Chicago while still sacramental minister/minister of formation at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Naperville, Ill.

In this session, Sr. Caroline Cerveny will present some creative tools to engage your students in sharing the Gospel with their families, friends and parish family. You will learn how to apply Web 2.0 tools to your catechetical ministry with or without technology in your classroom. Come learn about 10 tools that are mostly free and students love to use.

Dr. Caroline Cerveny, a sister of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, is founder and President of Interactive Connections, a faith-based educational technology ministry. She has been involved in educational technology since 1984 with experience in teaching at Catholic high school and college levels, involvement in parish religious education and in educational technology in the publishing industry. Sr. Cerveny is author of several articles for ministry magazines, and she regularly blogs and tweets.

Blessed are you poor … you meek … you who mourn. Was Jesus challenging us to act differently, or was he telling us the blessings, the gifts, we already possess? Come take a gentler look at the Beatitudes, the people of Scripture and history and everyday life who embodied them. Recognize the blessing in yourself and how it is an essential part of the voice that is infusing life.

Dr. Kathleen Chesto is a retired consultant in religious education and family spirituality – topics on which she has produced many books, videos and articles and has received many awards. The former parish and diocesan Director of Religious Education has taught kindergarten through graduate school. Although Dr. Chesto no longer travels to do so, for over 20 years she led workshops at conferences in the United States, Canada, England and Ireland for parents, catechists, clergy and care-givers.

The Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the source of all the other mysteries of Christian faith, the light that enlightens them (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 234). In its treatment of social justice (CCC 2419-49), in the section on the moral life, the Catechism is rather sparse. In this workshop Dr. Michael Downey will provide clues for an integrated and integrating approach to the whole of the Christian life in the Spirit, inclusive of an ethic of social justice springing from the contemplation of the Divine Trinity.

Dr. Michael Downey has served as professor of theology and spirituality at U.S. universities and seminaries for 30 years, in addition to guiding retreats, giving conferences and lecturing in developing countries throughout the world. From 1997-2011, he served as the Cardinal’s Theologian for the Los Angeles Archdiocese. He is now Diocesan Theologian and Director of Continuing Formation of Priests for the Diocese of San Bernardino, Calif.

Today’s youth are connected to the world in ways never imagined before, and they have much competing for their attention. Where does faith fit into this picture, and how do we celebrate and teach our faith in ways that engage junior high youth? Come to this workshop to explore these questions, and leave with some ideas that can enliven your ministry!

Steven Ellair is a Senior Editor and National Presenter with Minnesota-based Saint Mary’s Press. He has been involved in catechetical ministry for 20 years and has served as a parish catechist, youth minister, Catholic school teacher, and catechetical consultant for the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Ellair has been involved in Catholic publishing for nearly 10 years and continues to write and speak nationally on issues related to catechesis. He has presented at national religious education events for 17 years.

This eucharistic spirituality session will move into a practical and meaningful understanding of the sacrament of Eucharist as a place to go with our “here and now” experience embodying the presence of God inviting us to come simply as we are. We will explore how Christ gifts us in the Eucharist with a home for our need for love. Materials will be used from Fr. Bob Fabing’s new liturgical music collections and “new Mass” as well as from his previously published books to enliven and develop this session.

Fr. Bob Fabing has founded 89 marriage counseling and family therapy centers – The Jesuit Institute for Family Life International Network – with locations in Europe, Africa, Asia, Central America and the United States. The Jesuit priest also founded and has served for over 30 years as Director of the 36-Day program in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos, Calif., where he lives. Fr. Fabing is the author of five books and a composer of 12 CDs of liturgical music.

What does it mean to “keep faith”? What does it mean to believe? In Scripture, faith is a verb before it is a noun. The Latin word credo originally meant “I give my heart to.” It implies a radical act of commitment to the person of the Risen Christ. Over the centuries this earlier meaning of faith gradually evolved into belief – the assent to formal doctrines. This shift has contributed to a growing chasm between spirituality and religion, and a “crisis of faith” for many people. This presentation explores practical ways in which we can reclaim a more personal, biblical way of believing.

Franciscan Sister Fran Ferder is a clinical psychologist, university teacher, author and international speaker. Since 1985 she has been Co-Director of Therapy and Renewal Associates (TARA) in the Pacific Northwest. She is also an adjunct instructor in the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. Sr. Ferder has authored several books, including “Words Made Flesh” and, with John Heagle, “Tender Fires: The Spiritual Promise of Sexuality.”

John Heagle is a priest, counselor and author with more than 46 years of pastoral experience as a campus minister, college professor, pastor and retreat director. Since 1985 he has served as a licensed psychotherapist and Co-Director of Therapy and Renewal Associates. He is also an adjunct instructor in the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. Fr. Heagle is the author of eight books, including “Justice Rising: The Emerging Biblical Vision.”

The sacraments are the special and intimate ways God becomes present in our daily lives. This workshop is unique in that it takes a family approach in making all seven of these important connections to God come alive in our young children and their parents, instilling in all of us a deeper appreciation of our Catholic faith.

Elizabeth Ficocelli is an award-winning and best-selling Catholic author of 14 books for adults and young people, writing on the sacraments, Marian topics, vocations awareness and family issues. Her latest book is “Seven From Heaven: How the Sacraments Can Heal, Nurture, and Protect Your Family Today.” A Catholic convert and mother of four, Ficocelli is a frequent guest on Catholic radio and television, and is a popular speaker at conferences, parishes, schools and events.

This session will examine the importance of grieving as a Christian act of a spiritual life. It will offer participants the opportunity to examine the losses in their lives as moments of grace and to honor death as a way of learning to live well.

Fr. Richard Fragomeni, a priest of the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., is Associate Professor of Liturgy and Homiletics, and Chair of the Department of Word and Worship at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Fr. Fragomeni has written widely on liturgy, music, symbolism, the catechumenate, the Eucharist and liturgies with children among other subjects. In addition to his teaching and preaching duties, he serves as spiritual director for the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, an Italian-American parish in Chicago’s Little Italy.

This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II. Many are familiar with the Council’s key reforms and basic teachings, but not many appreciate how close Vatican II came to being a complete disaster. This workshop will tell the behind-the-scenes story of the key factors and events that forestalled disaster and profoundly reshaped our Church.

Richard Gaillardetz is the Joseph McCarthy Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology at Boston College. He previously served as Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Toledo, Ohio, and as Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the Graduate School of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Gaillardetz is a popular public speaker and has published numerous articles and eight books including, “Keys to the Council,” co-authored with Catherine Clifford.

Children grieve. We all do, in different ways and with unique meanings. As a church dedicated to the religious education and care of our children we must set the standard for bereavement care for children. Children will ask you about the death of their grandparent: “Why?” Don’t run and hide. Stay. Listen. Bless. Be blessed.

Dr. Richard Gilbert, an Anglican priest, is the John D. Morgan Chair for Pastoral Psychology and Counseling at The Graduate Theological Foundation in Indiana. He has made several presentations at the Religious Education Congress and his speaking, lecturing and keynoting have taken him to several national and international conferences. A review editor for the journal, “Illness, Crisis, and Loss,” Dr. Gilbert is a prolific writer, whose books include “HeartPeace: Healing Help for Grieving Folks.”

1-15 Live from a Burning Fire: Three Practices of the Abundant Life (Workshop closed)

What do we do when we discover that, instead of living from a burning fire, we are trying to fan our life’s flame from cold, smoldering ashes? In this session we will find kindling in three practices of the abundant life: to live in the moment; to trust in divine care; to see God everywhere. From personal experience, Sr. Bridget Haase knows these practices can set life ablaze: be it ministry to the paralyzed and dying; journeying with her mother with Alzheimer’s disease; or struggling to accept her father’s suicide. Faithful to these practices and our own graced story, we will live with fiery passion and keep Jesus’ dream for our world alive. Come, join us!

Ursuline Sister Bridget Haase, a former missionary to Africa, Mexico and Appalachia, is currently Spirituality Coordinator at The Boston Home, a care facility for adults in Massachusetts. She also leads days of prayer, parish missions, retreats and presents throughout the United States. Sr. Haase is author of “Generous Faith: Stories to Inspire Abundant Living” and co-author of “Enkindled: Holy Spirit, Holy Gifts.” She has been featured on the TV program “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” and co-hosts Relevant Radio Network’s weekly show, “Spirit and Life.”

We know that we should love one another. But love can only spill from a heart that has been softened. When faced with tragedy or uncertainty or misfortune, we want to have a “handle” on it, or fix it, or make it go away. Terry Hershey teaches us how to live and love from a soft heart. This is not about a way to figure life out. It’s about the permission to see the world – this day – through the eyes of our heart. It happens when: we allow ourselves to feel, fully and wholly; we allow ourselves to receive love, compassion and kindness without suspicion; we are free to embrace an extraordinary core of strength that resides inside of us ... and let it spill to those around us.

Terry Hershey is an inspirational speaker, humorist, author and landscape designer on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound, near Seattle. His gardens and books have been featured in magazines and newspapers of the Pacific Northwest, and his work has been featured on CNN, PBS, and NPR, and he is a regular contributor to The Hallmark Channel’s “New Morning” show. Hershey speaks throughout the United States and Canada.

The word “catechist” comes from a word meaning “to echo” and, in our role as catechists, in whatever way we carry out that role, our ministry is to echo the person of Jesus. Whether we are catechists in a parish or Catholic school setting, we are called to be the messengers or heralds of the Good News of Jesus. This presentation will examine the various qualities of a good catechist and what it takes to become the very best that we can be.

After many years as a Catholic schoolteacher at the elementary through high school levels, Dr. Saundra Kennedy became a representative for William H. Sadlier publishers. Based in New Orleans, she now serves as Sadlier’s National Religion Consultant and has been a contributor for many of their catechetical materials. Dr. Kennedy has been keynote for diocesan Catholic school events and religious education conferences across the country.

For the last 20 years the most successful box office films have been science fantasies. There is great interest in other worlds and other modes of existence. How can these elements of popular culture be reconciled with Catholic theology, and what contemporary things can we preach and teach in regard to heaven, hell and purgatory?

Jesuit priest Fr. Richard Leonard is Director of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting, based in Melbourne, Australia. As a visiting professor, he has taught at the Gregorian University in Rome; at the University of California, Los Angeles; and at the University of Melbourne and the Jesuit Theological College in Australia. Fr. Leonard is author of several books.

Political and social discussions in the United States have become divisive and contentious. Yet Catholic social teaching calls us to promote the “common good” of society. This session examines our belief in the common good, and the challenges of living this conviction in a fragmented and divided society.

Fr. Bryan Massingale, a priest of the Milwaukee Archdiocese, has taught at the seminary and university levels for 20 years and is currently Professor of Theology at Marquette University in Milwaukee. A noted authority on Catholic moral theology and social ethics, he has lectured extensively on social and racial justice issues throughout the United States. A former President of the Catholic Theological Society of America, Fr. Massingale has addressed most national Catholic conferences and is a past Religious Education Congress keynoter.

1-20 Helping Young People Work Through Difficult Times: Pastoral Care! (Workshop closed)

It is easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless when our young people are hurting and in crisis. Peer relationships, family, school and neighborhood – young people can experience difficulties in any aspect of their lives. Yet our relationship with young people is our best resource! During this session we will describe the crisis signs and causes among young people, identify distress signals, and consider possible responses to youth in crisis. We will also look at the three “Rs”: recognition, response and referral.

Bob McCarty is Executive Director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, based in Washington, D.C. He has been in youth ministry since 1973, serving in parish, school, community and diocesan settings. McCarty is an author with several books, and provides training in ministry skills and issues internationally. He also serves as a volunteer in his parish youth ministry and catechetical program at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fulton, Md.

Even though parts of American culture are remarkably biblical, there are elements that are not. This workshop, based on the principle that “every human culture needs to be evangelized, including mine,” will probe some of the Scripture passages that challenge us as Americans to new ways of living out our lives more faithfully.

Fr. Pat Mullen, a priest of Los Angeles, is Professor of Biblical Studies at St. John’s Seminary and Parish Administrator of Junipero Serra, both in Camarillo, Calif. He is author of “Dining with Pharisees” and “Sacred Scripture,” a high school introduction to the Scriptures due out in 2011. He has been a presenter at diocesan and regional conferences throughout the Southwest and speaks annually at the L.A. Religious Education Congress.

Based on the Grace Before Meals movement, Fr. Leo Patalinghug shares practical eucharistic theology around the communion of the family’s dinner table, knowing that food is what brings the family together. In our modern world, families are being pulled apart from the Lord’s Table and from their dining room table. Jesus shows the way to win this “food fight” is to feed our families with love – what we all crave! Join this inspiring, funny and theologically profound talk with the winner of the “Steak Fajita Throwdown with Bobby Flay” on Food Network to learn more about Fr. Leo’s movement.

Fr. Leo Patalinghug, a priest of the Baltimore Archdiocese, is a professor at Mount St. Mary’s University and Seminary in Maryland, where he is also Chair of Pastoral Theology. Fr. Patalinghug is an internationally known conference speaker and popular TV and radio personality who has appeared on ABC, EWTN, CBS and even the Food Network, as he hosts the movement, “Grace Before Meals.” He is author of the book “Grace Before Meals: Recipes and Inspirations for Family Meals and Family Life.”

1-23 Faith Formation for Every Adult in Your Church – It’s Possible Today!

What would it be like if your church really believed that you could provide faith formation for every adult in your faith community? What new insights and assumptions about adult faith formation would you need to adopt? What would a “faith formation for every adult” plan look like? What would it be like if you conceptualized adult faith formation, not as a series of program offerings, but as a faith formation network – in online and physical settings – with a diversity of ways to learn and grow in faith? This session will present a 21st-century model of adult faith formation and a variety of strategies, resources and technologies to bring the model to life.

John Roberto is President of LifelongFaith Associates, editor of their journal and coordinator of the Faith Formation 2020 Initiative and the Faith Formation Learning Exchange (with Vibrant Faith Ministries). Roberto works as a consultant to churches and national organizations, and gives presentations and workshops in lifelong faith formation across the United States. His latest publications include “Faith Formation 2020: Designing the Future of Faith” and “The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry,” which he co-authored.

1-24 Recognizing God’s Voice: The Cadence and Tone of the voice of the good shepherd

Jesus assures us that his disciples will recognize his voice. But we are surrounded by many voices which beckon us and promise life. How do we recognize which is the voice of the Good Shepherd? How do we distinguish voices which infuse life from voices which lead away from life? What is the cadence and tone of God’s voice in this world? In this session we will look to discerning the voice that infuses life.

Fr. 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. Fr. Rolheiser’s books are popular throughout the English-speaking world and his weekly column is carried by more than 80 newspapers worldwide. For most of the 38 years of his priesthood, he has taught theology and philosophy at Newman Theological College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Serious Christians are tired of arguing about taking Genesis literally – but beyond this debate are fascinating issues of theological importance when reading Genesis as “inspired,” but not necessarily “literal history.” We will discover that not only is fundamentalist literalism not the best way to read Genesis, it actually misses the central and compelling points! In this session, we will explore some of those profound theological issues.

Prof. Daniel Smith-Christopher has taught at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles for 21 years, where he is currently Professor of Old Testament Studies and Director of Peace Studies. He has been honored with numerous teaching awards and has published dozens of scholarly articles and numerous books. Dr. Christopher maintains particular interest in theological issues related to African- and Native-American history and experience. He has presented at the RECongress for the past 16 years in addition to Catholic conferences in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, Utah.

1-26 Global Events/Local Events: Religious Perspectives of a Jew, a Catholic and a Muslim

From the perspectives of their religious traditions, Father Alexei Smith (Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the Los Angeles Archdiocese), Rabbi Randy Brown (American Jewish Committee), and Professor Najeeba Syeed-Miller (faculty at Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, Calif.) will discuss the changing impact of global events on the ability of Jews, Catholics and Muslims to live together peacefully here.

In 1987, Fr. Alexei Smith, a Greek Catholic priest and Los Angeles native, was assigned to two Eastern Catholic communities in El Segundo, Calif.: St. Andrew Russian Greek Church and St. Paul Melkite Greek Mission. He has served as the Ecumenical and Interreligious Officer for the Los Angeles Archdiocese since 2000, and as Vice President of the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers. Fr. Smith is a frequent speaker at the L.A. Congress and at local interfaith venues.

1-27 celebrating the Way of the Cross and Other Prayers with Children (Workshop closed)

The Way of the Cross and daily prayer help form our children in their life of faith. Using music, word and image, we will explore different ways of helping our children talk with God.

Christopher Walker is an internationally known church composer, speaker on liturgical music and choral conductor. Presently, he is Director of Music at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Los Angeles. Walker’s music is sung in churches worldwide, and he travels frequently, giving workshops and lectures on liturgy, music and children’s worship in countries around the globe. His latest music offerings include a rich variety of songs and psalms.

1-28 Lean Back: The Art of Regaining a Healthy Spiritual and Psychological Perspective

Our faith teaches us, it is not the amount of darkness in the world or ourselves that matters, it is how we stand in that darkness. Sound psychology supports this in many practical and exciting ways. In this lively presentation, Dr. Robert Wicks will offer insights and approaches he normally shares with professional helpers and healers (priests, Catholic vowed religious, physicians, nurses, therapists, relief workers and others) ways in which all of us can appreciate and enjoy in our intense lives.

Psychologist, speaker and author, Dr. Robert Wicks is a Professor at Loyola University Maryland and has taught in universities and professional schools of psychology, medicine, social work, nursing and theology. In his clinical practice, Dr. Wicks focuses on working with psychotherapists, physicians, nurses, educators, relief workers and persons in full-time ministry. He has served as General Editor of three series of books, and has published over 40 books, including his latest book, “Streams of Contentment.”

1-70 VIETNAMESE WORKSHOP (The Spirituality of Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan) (Workshop closed)

After the fall of Saigon in 1975, the late Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, neither tried nor convicted of any offense, was imprisoned by communist Vietnam for 13 years. In prison, he celebrated Mass with three drops of wine and one drop of water in his palms. He converted prison guards and government officials. In 1991, the regime forced him into exile. Elevated to cardinal in 2001, he died in Rome on September 16, 2002. On September 17, 2007, the Catholic Church began the process for his canonization. This workshop discusses the principal dimensions of Cardinal Thuan’s spirituality that together formed the foundation of his indomitable hope.

A priest of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Fr. Bao Nguyen successfully completed a thesis on the spirituality of Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, with original research done in Vietnam. He was invited by Rome’s Postulation for the Cause of Cardinal Thuan’s Canonization to give formal testimony regarding the candidate for sainthood. Fr. Nguyen currently serves as Associate Pastor at St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in Lomita, Calif.

2012 RECongress Period 1

Religious Education Congress
Friday, March 23, 2012
10:00 - 11:30 am

2012 RECongress Period 1

Religious Education Congress Friday, March 23, 2012 10:00 - 11:30 am

Religious Education Congress
Friday, March 23, 2012
10:00 - 11:30 am