RECongress 2012 - Period 4: Friday, March 24, 2012

CONGRESS 2012 WORKSHOPS & LINKS
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4-01 Mary as Woman of the Word and Exemplar of Lectio Divina (Workshop closed)

The life of Mary, mother of the Word of God, can show us the way to read the Bible in a manner that is personal, prayerful and transforming. This way of listening to God’s Word in Scripture is traditionally called lectio divina, an ancient practice in which prayerful listening leads to a transforming encounter with God through the text. Because this ancient approach to Scripture is rooted in the Judaism of Mary’s time, she can show us how to open ourselves to the presence of God in Scripture and let the Holy Spirit guide our contemplative response.

This workshop will seek to challenge the “illusion of separateness” that impedes us from “entering the Kingdom of God” here and now.

Fr. Greg Boyle is founder and Executive Director of Los Angeles-based Jobs For a Future/Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention and employment referral program for gang-involved youth in the United States. Fr. Boyle is an acknowledged expert on gangs and intervention approaches and is a nationally renowned speaker. He is also a consultant to youth service and governmental agencies, policy makers and employers.

Digital storytelling has become commonplace! How do we become 21st-century digital storytellers in order to enrich our faith stories and evangelize our families and friends? Numerous digital tools, often free and easy to use, can help us create and publish our everyday stories of faith. We’ll talk about finding, creating and publishing our stories.

What happens when the voice infusing life becomes silent? All of us pass through frightening times when there is no voice. It is more than spiritual darkness. It is emptiness. Faith that has been “practiced” with great commitment appears to melt away. What do we do in the void? How do we remain faithful to the voice? How do we grow in the silence, and how does it become “graced”?

4-05 Singing with God’s Children: Songs New and Old for Celebrating Liturgies with Children (Workshop closed)

Andrew Chinn presents a workshop aimed at helping those who organize, assist and join in the celebration of liturgies for children. Not only can songs lift our hearts in praise of our God but they can also be used to instruct our children in the various parts of the liturgy. Included in the workshop is Chinn’s new Mass setting, “Mass for God’s Children,” approved by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy and written with families and children in mind, as well as songs for all parts of the liturgy: entrances, recessionals, offertory, communion, and songs for reflection.

Andrew Chinn worked as a classroom teacher in Catholic elementary schools in Sydney, Australia, for nearly 20 years before turning to full-time music ministry as Director of Butterfly Music. He has visited more than 800 Catholic elementary schools across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Chinn has released eight CDs, four DVDs and five picture books, which are used widely by teachers and catechists in faith development.

4-06 Social Justice and the New Evangelization: Shotgun Wedding or Married Bliss

God’s “Voice Infusing Life” is the very essence of the Gospel. Sometimes it calms troubled spirits, but it also troubles calm spirits! Can there be any “New Evangelization” without preaching Gospel justice? Can the new methods, fervor and intensity of the New Evangelization be wed to the themes of Catholic social teaching? Catechists, preachers, evangelists, peacemakers – all invited to the wedding. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bible) and you decide!

The grandson of Baptist Missionaries to South Africa, Msgr. Ray East, was born in Newark, N.J., and raised in San Diego. Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., he served in six local parishes before being named Pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Church. Msgr. East is former Director of the Office of Black Catholics and Vicar for Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. He is a regular and popular speaker at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress and he continues to present workshops, facilitations and keynote addresses at major national events.

How do we truly connect sacred music to the liturgical action so as to allow the rite to unfold with the full participation of the assembly? How do we give music its proper prominence in the Liturgy without overshadowing its words and actions? This session will give you an in-depth understanding of how words, music and actions can be intertwined to effectively create sacred worship.

Tom Kendzia has been a professional liturgical musician for over 30 years and has 20 collections of liturgical and instrumental music. He has appeared in concert and as a speaker throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and the Far East, and he is regularly featured at national conferences. Kendzia is the National Music and Liturgy Consultant for Harcourt Religion Publishers, and since 2002, has been the Music and Worship Director of the East Coast Conference for Religious Education.

Santiago Fernandez has been active in parish ministry for the past 25 years and is currently Director of Music Ministry at St. Damien of Molokai Church in Pontiac, Mich. Fernandez is also a clinician and composer for Oregon Catholic Press and a frequent speaker and workshop presenter at events and conferences around the country. He has been a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Advisory Council, music director for the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, and he was music and liturgy coordinator for the First National Encuentro for Hispanic Youth in 2006.

Toward the end of his public ministry, Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man [himself] comes again, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8). This question seems all the more urgent in our day. This workshop proposes that “it all depends” on what Christian faith we teach, why, where and how we teach it.

We’ve been told that life is about achievement, appearance and accomplishment. We live hectically, looking over our shoulders to see who is watching and who is judging. We put life and God in a box we hope we can control. We are image-conscious and tense. And on the dance floor of life, we become easily afraid. In this workshop, Terry Hershey invites us all to dance as if “nobody is watching.” What does it mean when God takes the box we’ve created for control, flattens it, and makes a dance floor for us to celebrate the risk and gift of life? And what does it mean when the passion of our dance spills over to those around us? So, shall we dance?

In this workshop, Fr. Michael Joncas will explore the use of visual arts as a source for catechesis and mystagogy on the sacraments.

Composer, author and speaker Fr. Michael Joncas is Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. He has served as a parochial vicar, a campus minister, and a pastor. Fr. Joncas, ordained in 1980 as a priest for the St. Paul/Minneapolis Archdiocese, is author of four books and over 200 articles and reviews in journals including Worship, Ecclesia Orans, and Questions Liturgiques. He is also composer and arranger of over 300 pieces of liturgical music.

The good news is that our adolescents now do more service than ever. But how do we know if the service that they do is creating a deeper connection with their Catholic faith? Join us in this workshop as we explore practical strategies to create service opportunities that engage our adolescents in the challenge and the joy of living as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Sean Lansing is Director of Youth Leadership Development for the Leadership Center at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, where he designs and teaches research-based leadership and peacemaking skills training for both younger and older adolescents. Lansing brings over 16 years of experience teaching youth and adults the skills to create positive change in their communities. He previously directed Young Neighbors in Action, a service learning program of the Center for Ministry Development.

Some of the images of Jesus in films stay with people for a lifetime, especially when it comes to his Passion and death. Some are helpful, others are not. How can we use these portrayals in our own spiritual journey, and how can they assist us in our preaching and teaching?

Each wave of immigrants has contributed to the building up of our country. That remains very true today. All of us benefit from the work and labor of immigrants, and yes, we all employ undocumented workers in one way or the other. Come meet some of these men and women; hear their stories.

Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fresno, Calif. In 1975 he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno, and in 1980 he was named Bishop of Stockton, Calif. From 1985-2011, Bishop Mahony served as the fourth archbishop of Los Angeles, and was elevated to Cardinal in 1991. Today, Cardinal Mahony continues to work for comprehensive immigration reform. In 2012, he will celebrate his golden jubilee (50 years) as priest.

Fr. James Mallon, creator of the “Dogmatic Theology” series, will present an overview of this innovative method of adult evangelization and catechesis, which presents lessons about Christian theology and spirituality that he has learned from his dog, Monsi. He will explore the necessity to be innovative and connect with the popular culture, yet without compromising the basic truths of our faith. This workshop will focus on how this, and other similar programs, can be run to maximum effect in a parish setting. This workshop will challenge you, inspire you and make you laugh.

4-15 Setting Hearts on Fire: Choosing and Using Music to Enliven Parish and School Liturgy (Workshop closed)

Music and song are crucial elements of vibrant, meaningful and inclusive liturgy, but when and what should we sing, and how can we use music to promote full, conscious and active participation in school and parish liturgical celebrations? Come, be ready to sing, move and have fun as this vibrant Australian presenter leads us on a quick tour of the Church’s liturgy documents and introduces us to new repertoire from his own catalogue of over 160 compositions.

Composer, presenter and music liturgist, Michael Mangan has 160 songs, psalms and Mass settings used in school and parish liturgy and catechesis in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and across the United States. A former Catholic elementary specialist music teacher, Mangan has toured widely during the last 15 years visiting schools presenting his interactive concerts to students. The Music Director at All Saints Catholic Parish in Albany Creek, Brisbane, Australia, is also in demand at conferences as a presenter and music director.

4-16 Are We Fishers of Men or Keepers of the Aquarium? Reclaiming Our Call to Reach Out to the Unchurched (Workshop closed)

Jesus calls us to “put out into the deep” waters of faith and “fish” for souls of others. Yet our human tendency toward complacency and fear pull us back into keeping up the aquarium. In this humorous and dynamic workshop you will learn the prevalent reasons people are sprinting out of the Church and the reasons most evangelization programs fail to reach them, much less welcome them back.

For 20 years Roy Petitfils has ministered among youth and young adults in parish, diocesan and school settings as a teacher, high school campus minister, administrator and school counselor. Today he is a counselor in private practice. Petitfils has spoken in over 20 U.S. dioceses to youth, young adults and adults, from local parish missions to at numerous regional and national conferences. He has authored a few books; his latest is “What Teens Want You to Know (But Won’t Tell You).”

In this session, Sr. Barbara Reid will present a biblical reflection on Luke 1-2, featuring the prophetic voices of Jesus’ mother, and of Elizabeth and Anna, as they articulate God’s vision for the full flourishing of all. It will reflect on how these counter-voices to Roman imperial systems can encourage us to give voice today to God’s dream for the well-being of all people and of the whole cosmos.

Barbara Reid, a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids, Mich., is a Vice President and Academic Dean at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where she been a Professor of New Testament Studies since 1988. Sr. Reid has approximately 25 speaking engagements a year throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Bolivia, Peru and Brazil. She is author of “Abiding Word: Sunday Reflections for Year B,” and for the past three years has written the weekly column “Word” in America magazine.

4-18 From Marriage to Parenting: Faith Formation with “Next Generation” Adults (Workshop closed)

How can churches address the diverse spiritual and religious needs of adults preparing for marriage, of married couples, and of parents today? How can churches use 21st-century approaches, resources and technologies to reach and engage the “next generation” of adults in their spiritual and faith growth? We know from research the single most important social influence on the religious and spiritual lives of children, adolescents and emerging adults is their parents. This workshop will explore a variety of practical strategies, ideas, innovations and resources to enrich the faith life of adults from preparing for marriage through parenting children.

As people of faith, we are sent to participate in the evangelizing mission of the Church, to proclaim Good News, act justly, love tenderly and witness to our relationship with Jesus Christ. This session will examine the hopes and challenges involved in living out this vision and mission in our world today.

Spiritual traditions contain crafted stories meant to evoke the Spirit and introduce people into the subtle dynamics of the spiritual life. Although the stories are historically conditioned, rife with the assumptions and conflicts of the times in which they were written, they are still able to illumine our minds and inspire our wills. In this workshop, we will tell some of these stories and explore how they can be integrated into preaching and teaching.

Based in Chicago, John Shea is Director of Program and Processes Development for the Ministry Leadership Center. Besides his work in faith-based health care, he is a theologian who lectures nationally and internationally on storytelling in world religions, contemporary spirituality, faith-based health care, and the spirit at work movement. Shea has published 20 books of theology and spirituality, two books of poetry, three works of fiction, and over 60 articles.

Based on working with parishes in over 300 dioceses on six continents, Bro. Loughlan Sofield will share some of the secrets he has discovered in developing an alive parish. This session will be based on the belief stated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: The parish is “to feed and nurture people to be a leaven in society.” This session will offer practical ways of helping parishioners to live their Christian vocation in bringing the Good News to wherever they live their lives.

4-22 The Church in and for the 21st Century: Conversations Among the Generations

Too often baby boomers, Generation Xers, millenials and post-millenials scratch their heads and wonder, “What’s wrong with that other generation?” “What is this world coming to?” “Where will the Church be in this new century?” There’s no crystal ball. The Holy Spirit seems not to be whispering direct answers. Let’s listen as the generations speak to/with one another. What do our grandparents, parents, we, our children, and our grandchildren have to say? Let’s see what the generational conversation brings. It’s all in God’s hands, but we’d like a healthy glimpse.

Secular, secularization, secularism – words with different meanings. Secularism is an antireligious worldview. Secularization is a process that has religious roots and often religious benefits. But it also poses serious religious challenges. What important distinctions should we be making in understanding the opportunities and perils for believers in a secular world?

Now is the time to choose a new way when viewing difference, when settling conflict, when encountering our neighbor, and when working for peace. Come join Lori True and friends for an experience of prayer, word and music. Come discover (or uncover) the beauty of how our Catholic social teaching principals can inform our worship and music, our judgment and our lives.

Lori True is Campus Minister for Music and Liturgy at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn. She is also Associate Director for Music Ministry Alive!, a national liturgical formation program for youth and youth leaders. True is active as a cantor, workshop and conference speaker, composer, concert performer and recording artist. She has presented workshops and performed at conventions and conferences throughout the United States, Canada and Ireland. She has four collections of music for liturgy.

This workshop will provide concrete strategies for bringing the Good News of Jesus into the lives of today’s young adults. Ideas for gathered sessions, one-on-one outreach, and utilizing technology to connect faith to everyday life will be included. We will also address how to engage young adults as peer evangelizers.

Joan Weber is Project Coordinator for Young Adult Ministry Services and Lifelong Faith Formation with the Center for Ministry Development, where she is also Co-Coordinator for Young Neighbors in Action. She teaches the Justice and Service Course in the Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies. Weber has also worked in diocesan youth and young adult ministry and is former president of the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association.

Speech is one-third or less of the process of communication. Gesture completes the meaning of our words. Similarly, the infusion of gesture and movement into our prayerful dialogue with God can help us stretch into becoming the people that the Gospels call us to be. God’s words and our prayers can become the fleshed out realities of our lives. Come experience and learn the power of prayerful movement in this interactive workshop led by John West, Director of the Valyermo Dancers.

An oblate of St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, Calif., John West is Artistic Director for the Valyermo Dancers, a dance-theatre company. He also serves as Headmaster at the Mirman School for the Gifted in Los Angeles. Mr. West’s experience with the Religious Education Congress began in the early 1970s, and since 1991, he has served on the Congress Liturgy Committee. A lecturer and frequent workshop leader, he has been a member of the North American Academy of Liturgy since 1996.

In the midst of the busyness, how often have you thought “I don’t have time” or “What has happened to my spiritual life?” This workshop will focus on how to take care of one’s spiritual life in the midst of our busy lives. Dr. Vanessa White has over 25 years of experience journeying with ministers and promoting holistic ways of living. Resources and practices – spiritual as well as physical well-being – will be provided as well as discussion of ways to incorporate these practices into our busy lives.

Dr. C. Vanessa White is Assistant Professor of Spirituality and Director of the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Formation Program at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is also on the faculty and Coordinator of Spiritual Formation at Xavier University’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies in Louisiana. A contributing writer for the periodical “Give Us This Day,” she has spoken at conferences across the country.

4-28 Streams of Contentment: Spiritual and Psychological Renewal in a Troubled World

Dr. Robert Wicks, who normally works with professional healers and helpers (priests, Catholic vowed religious, physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers and others), will offer simple prescriptions for finding contentment and greater resilience in an intense, challenging world. Topics will include the importance of prayerful alone time, taking “the Second Risk,” recognizing and answering the “three essential calls” for a rich spiritual life, and becoming aware of the five levels of critical.

A presentation of faith formation for adults in Vietnam. The importance of catechesis and the Bible, along with parish leadership and Catholic movements.

Bishop Thomas Hieu, born in 1954 in Ninh My, Bui Chu, Vietname. He received his Bachelors in Giao Hoang Hoc Vi en in Da Lat. During the hard time struggles of the Vietnam war, Brother Hieu ministered for 11 years at Thien Phuoc Parish. He also served for 11 years as the secretary to the Bishop. Brother Hieu Dinh Vu was ordained a priest in 1999. He received a Masters in Moral Theology in Toulouse, France, and began his role as a committee member for Religious Education in Vietnam. In 2009, he was ordained the Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Xuan Loc, Vietnam.

2012 RECongress Period 4

Religious Education Congress
Saturday, March 24, 2012
10:00 - 11:30 am

2012 RECongress Period 4

Religious Education Congress Saturday, March 24, 2012 10:00 - 11:30 am

Religious Education Congress
Saturday, March 24, 2012
10:00 - 11:30 am