RECongress 2018 - Period 2: Friday, March 16, 2018

CONGRESS 2018 WORKSHOPS & LINKS
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Every day we are given the chance to encounter the Lord. But, I wonder how many times has Jesus Christ tried to visit us and we missed seeing him for who he really was. As teachers and preachers of the faith, it is our call to search for Christ in the least expected places. This interactive presentation will focus on finding Christ in the world around us. From the faces of our children to the faces of the marginalized, if we search for him, we will find him! The question is: Have you seen him?

Fr. Tony Ricard, a priest of the New Orleans Archdiocese, serves as Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish and as Campus Minister and Chair of Theology for St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. He is also an instructor at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University and Director of KnightTime Ministries. Fr. Ricard has authored several books and has presented keynote addresses, retreats, revivals and youth talks across the nation and in 22 countries.

We will warm up with a half hour ballet “class” – the foundation upon which all choreography is built. Focus on posture, balance, extensions and grace. From there we will address liturgical dance as “the body at prayer” and the voice of the dancer. Participants will be introduced to several movement pieces that reflect the season of Lent/Easter, including “In the Silence of the Garden,” “No Greater Love” and “Rise Up with Him” from the OCP collection, “Behold the Lamb.” (Note: This is a movement workshop, so dress comfortably to experience the joy of prayerful dance!)

Donna Anderle is an accomplished dancer, teacher and choreographer who is nationally known. She is on the teaching faculty of the Cincinnati Ballet and Ballet Theatre Midwest, and is involved in Cincy Dance, an outreach program for Cincinnati inner-city schools. Anderle continues to give workshops, keynote presentations and dance in concerts, and has choreographed for major national youth conferences. Her work is compiled in four choreography books and a video with Oregon Catholic Press.

Music is powerful. It says things to us that words alone cannot express. Whether looking for creative teaching ideas or powerful prayer experiences – competently and creatively using music and leading people in prayer is vital in ministry. Research tells us that daily prayer is the single greatest indicator of whether a faithful young person grows into a faithful adult. This workshop is filled with great ideas for both the use of music in teaching and the leading of music in praying with all people, especially youth and young adults.

Veteran musician, composer and youth minister, Steve Angrisano has presented at countless venues ranging from parish events to major conferences around the world, including seven World Youth Days. He has made repeated appearances at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress and Youth Day, the National Catholic Youth Conference and the National Pastoral Musicians Conference. His works include “Leading Us Home: Music for Prayer and Worship” and the book, “Essential Songs for Youth Ministry.”

This session will address the two hottest topics on the planet: sex and God. St. John Paul II “marries” these two topics through his compelling vision for love and life. Using a mix of real-life examples, theology and cultural references, Mary Bielski will answer questions about our deep desires for intimacy, sex and our bodies, and will provide a vision and path to fulfill our unique call to greatness.

Based in New Orleans, Mary Bielski is a youth minister, national speaker and founder of All4Him Ministries. With 15 years in youth ministry and 12 years as a national speaker, she has presented to over 75,000 teens and adults across the nation, from parish missions and diocesan rallies to young adult retreats and national youth conferences, including the Steubenville Youth Conference and the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.

Jesus lifted up women in his ministry and in his personal life. Women in the Gospel also lifted Jesus’ spirit and comforted him. One such tender story is when Jesus healed the dying daughter of Jairus, inviting her to arise, “Tal′itha cu′m” (in Aramaic). We are invited to rise up as women with each gr ace and invitation to growth. God’s will is that we would be women fully alive, ever ready to hear Jesus’ invitation to “rise up!” Do we hear his call to transcend? What style or form of prayer lifts your spirit and helps you to rise up? We also rise to action as we help young women to rise up in their life situations.

Sr. Kathy Bryant, a Religious Sister of Charity, is a former teacher and missionary who now ministers as a retreat facilitator, spiritual director and workshop presenter. She has authored numerous articles and books and has presented workshops in Australia, Ireland and Africa as well as throughout the United States. Sr. Bryant’s special interests are in spirituality, formation, women’s spiritual development and the abolition of human trafficking.

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as “the synoptic Gospels.” But just what makes them “synoptic” is not well understood. Clearly they are similar to each other and yet the three are very different from the Gospel of John. How do we explain that these three Gospels are not exactly alike? Understanding how these Gospels emerged from the primitive Christian communities and their formation into written texts helps to provide some answers. This session will trace the development of the three Gospels and show how they are similar to each other and how they came to be so different than the Gospel of John.

Fr. Bill Burton, a Franciscan friar of the Sacred Heart Province, has taught for 20 years. He is currently Professor of Scripture and Spiritual Director at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla. Fr. Burton is also a Visiting Professor at DePaul University in Chicago. Outside the classroom, he has guided hundreds of students and pilgrims on study tours and pilgrimage travels throughout the Holy Land, Greece and Turkey. He has several published articles in The Bible Today as well as a DVD series.

In the Roman rite, the Divine Office of Compline is a distinctive and solemn prayer tradition that is said before going to sleep each night. Praying Compline can be enriched through the singing of hymns, psalms and antiphons. In this workshop, Ian Callanan addresses the challenges of praying night prayer – whether as personal devotion or in a community setting – and offers strategies, music suggestions and new resources to create a meaningful way to end your day in prayer.

Ian Callanan, one of Ireland’s leading composers of liturgical music, is an accomplished arranger, score editor and workshop leader. His music can be heard in the many varied languages throughout Europe, as well as on television and radio broadcasts. Callanan is Director of Music Ministry Together and Director of the “Emmanuel” and the “Seinn” programs. He has presented workshops and spoken at many events in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Black Lives Matter movement has brought much attention to the troubled relations between police departments and the Black and Latino communities. Can some of the same principles of the movement be applied to the survival of our Catholic schools and parishes in black and brown communities? We will look at the recent Black Catholic Congress XII and the upcoming Encuentro V for best practices and new possibilities. Bring your own testimonies!

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

In this session, we will reflect on the transformation that happens to us, the change that invites itself into thinking and into the articulation of our faith, as the events of life offer us the opportunity to awaken and to see anew our connection with the Holy. We will attempt to see faith as an organic evolutionary event that moves us toward a holistic experience of the Divine and helps us transcend ancient boundaries that have so often divided us.

Sr. Barbara Fiand, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, is a consultant, lecturer and author who lives in Cincinnati. She formerly was on staff as Adjunct Professor of Spirituality at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago, and as Professor of Spirituality at The Athenaeum of Ohio. Sr. Fiand gives retreats throughout the country and abroad, and has written 11 books. Her primary area of interest is the transformation of consciousness and the theological challenges that it invites us to embrace.

Gender identity and transgender issues have become hot topics in politics and media, evoking challenging conversations for the Church and Catholic schools. How does the Gospel teach us to serve young Catholics on their journeys? How are we called to be loving in the midst of challenging theological questions? In this session, Dr. Arthur Fitzmaurice, with Fr. Bryan Massingale and a panelist, will share experiences and offer theological reflections to inform a pastoral approach for students who question their gender identity.

Freelance speaker and minister Dr. Arthur Fitzmaurice has served a decade in ministry with LGBT Catholics. In addition to professional conferences, his appearances have included many regional and national conferences. Dr. Fitzmaurice also appears on several YouTube episodes produced by the Ignatian News Network. He is recipient of the Los Angeles Archdiocese’s Lumen Christi and the Cardinal’s Young Adult in Ministry awards.

Fr. Bryan Massingale, a priest of the Milwaukee Archdiocese, is Professor of Theology at Fordham University in New York. He has lectured extensively on ethical and racial justice issues throughout the United States and internationally. A previous Religious Education Congress Keynoter, Fr. Massingale is a former President of the Catholic Theological Society of America and has been a leader of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium.

2-11 The Eucharist as a Sacrament of Death: Repeating Baptism Until We Get It Right

Why do we acclaim: “When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again”? Somehow, it seems from our acclamation, that before it is a sacrament of life, the Eucharist is a sacrament of death! Interested in finding out why? Don’t miss this mystagogy and this heart-to-heart conversation about the wondrous repeatable sacrament of initiation: Eucharist – meal and sacrifice.

A priest of the Diocese of Albany, N.Y., Fr. Richard Fragomeni is Associate Professor of Liturgy and Homiletics at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he is also Chair of the Department of Word and Worship. He 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, Fr. Fragomeni serves as spiritual director for the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, an Italian-American parish in Chicago’s Little Italy.

Pope Francis calls us to reject the “globalization of indifference.” This workshop explains what global solidarity is, its scriptural and magisterial background, and how we can teach, preach and live it in our parish and our ministries. We will outline a three-step method for communicating this effectively.

Fr. David Garcia is Director of the Old Spanish Missions for the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, as well as Administrator for Mission Concepcion in San Antonio. He is also Senior Advisor for Clergy Outreach for Catholic Relief Services. Fr. Garcia has published numerous articles on a variety of religious topics for many top publications and served as Rector from 1995-2008 at the San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio. In 2001, that parish was cited in “Excellent Catholic Parishes” as one of the outstanding parishes in the country.

“Boy, that was such a fun election,” said no one, ever! Politics is a strange thing, an expression of our values, a long-standing institution, the reason for many a plate of perfectly good turkey and gravy* being flung in anger across the Thanksgiving table. So how do we keep the ideology of “us vs. them” from infiltrating our churches, our homes, our workplaces, our hearts? With song, prayer, humor and Sarah Hart’s personal stories and discussion, come discover practical ways to move past our politics, and into loving each other as Christ. (*Turkey and gravy not served.)

Singer/songwriter Sarah Hart, a native of Nashville, Tenn., has been a retreat author and keynote speaker for over 20 years. Her parish missions and itinerant ministry have taken her across the United States and abroad. Hart has performed for countless conventions and events, and for Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square. The Grammy nominee’s songs have been recorded by numerous recording artists and have been heard on TV and in film and commercials. Her songs can be found in hymnals across the globe.

St. Paul writes to the Corinthians that what we profess as Christians appears foolish to those who operate according to a worldly wisdom and logic. This workshop will explore the radical foolishness of Christianity as a positive force for change and conversion in the face of division, discrimination and violence. Drawing on the examples of St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis, we will consider ways to overcome our tendency to domesticate the Gospel and respond to a call to be foolish according to the logic of the world.

Franciscan friar Fr. Daniel Horan is a theologian who teaches spirituality and theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He is author of numerous academic and popular articles. Fr. Horan previously taught at Boston College as well as Siena College and St. Bonaventure University in New York, and has lectured across North America and Europe. His books include “All God’s Creatures: A Theology of Creation,” “God is Not Fair and Other Reasons for Gratitude” and “The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton.”

It’s a beautiful sentiment, isn’t it? Feels good saying and singing it! Alas, that’s the sin. Nothing is risked and no faith is needed to simply feel the sentiment while saying and singing the words. But there’s hope! Proclaiming and manifesting these words in our living is where the power of faith moves the mountains of prejudice and bigotry in all manifestations. The next big thing isn’t technology or technique. It’s cultivating a radical sense of welcome and hospitality that moves us from fear to faith – from the notions that we are separate, toward the truth that we are one human family, discovering and appreciating God’s love and gift of variety!

Evangelizer, energizer and encourager, Jesse Manibusan has over 30 years in ministry as a liturgical minister, youth worker, parish associate, catechist, parish mission and retreat director. Based in California and founder of Over the Fence Ministries, he has presented at conferences worldwide, including national pastoral musician and youth conferences and international World Youth Days in Denver, Toronto, Rome, Cologne, Sydney, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro. Manibusan has several CDs published with Oregon Catholic Press.

What do we need to know about these two generations that make up almost two-thirds of our church? How are they different and similar? This workshop will explore strategies on how to reach both Generation Z youth and Millennial young adults based upon their generational characteristics, including recent research findings.

Louisiana native Dr. Charlotte McCorquodale has been President of Ministry Training Source since 2000. Her recognitions include receiving the 2002 National Youth Ministry Award from the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry for contributions nationally to the field of Catholic youth ministry. For three decades, Dr. McCorquodale has served as an international educator, researcher and consultant for the fields of lay ecclesial ministry, certification standards and processes, youth ministry and e-learning.

The “I” words: incessant input, information inundation, idealizing immediacy, ignoring introspection. Today’s culture poses serious challenges to evangelization and catechesis. Yet there are other “screams” and other “I” words that Jesus and the Church have to shout to the “I” screams.

Mike Patin – the “engaging” Cajun – lives in Lafayette, La., and has served the church as a high schoolteacher, coach and diocesan staff person. Since 2003, he has been a full-time “faith horticulturist,” addressing multi-generational groups across the United States and Canada as parish mission presenter, trainer, retreat facilitator and more. Patin has published two books, “A Standing Invitation” and “This Was Not in the Brochures: Lessons from Work, Life and Ministry.”

2-18 Using Empathic Evangelization to Understand, Reach and Influence the Modern Family

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck but barks like a dog, maybe it’s not a duck. Often, we see families as lazy and apathetic with misplaced priorities. But if we invested with more energy in empathic listening, we’d discover that beneath the surface are scared, hurt, disillusioned people who feel abandoned by God. Many families today experience church as lacking understanding of their real struggles, hopes and fears. In this session, get ready to discover what’s really going on inside the minds, hearts and homes of today’s families. You’ll learn how to communicate with them in a way that helps them integrate the Good News into their daily lives.

For 20 years, Roy Petitfils has ministered to youth and young adults in parish, diocesan and school settings. Today, he is a speaker and counselor in private practice. Petitfils has presented at numerous national and regional conferences, workshops and parish missions throughout North America. He hosts the popular podcast, “Today’s Teenager,” is the author of many articles and has published several books, one of which shares the title of his 2016 TEDx talk, “What Teens Want You to Know (But Won’t Tell You).”

In this session, Fr. Thomas Reese, a journalist and expert on the Catholic Church, will describe the first four years of Pope Francis’ papacy and its impact on the Church and the world.

Jesuit priest Fr. Thomas Reese is a columnist at the National Catholic Reporter. He formerly was Senior Fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University and was Editor of the national Catholic weekly magazine, America (1998-2005). He is author of “Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church” and “Archbishop: Inside the Power Structure of the American Catholic Church.” Fr. Reese frequently appears on television and radio and is often quoted in the press.

Many of us belong to “shared parishes” – a community of communities that presents challenges at different levels, including the way we pray together. Sharing a vision of what it is to be the Body of Christ is a key factor. Come and join the conversation to hear about best practices where various ministries of the parish can create opportunities to form a welcoming community in which all experience a sense of belonging, so that our Eucharistic liturgies are truly the maximum expression of our communion.

Pedro Rubalcava is a bilingual/bicultural composer, clinician, recording artist, cantor and pastoral minister, who is Director of Hispanic Ministries at Oregon Catholic Press in Portland. He also serves on the Executive Boards of the Instituto Nacional Hispano de Liturgia, the National Council for Hispanic Ministry, and the Northwest Regional Office for Hispanic Affairs. Since 1985, Rubalcava has been a frequent speaker at liturgy and other ministry conferences at the parish, diocesan and national levels.

King David’s story always seems straightforward ... until it isn’t. The biblical view of David’s rise to kingship presents David as an ambiguous fellow, involved in serious and outrageous actions – in short, as an outlaw. Author Baruch Halpern’s recent book on David is subtitled: “Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King.” What’s THAT about? The Psalms also seem fascinated with “the outlaw years.” Why might this be significant and important? Could this be related to exilic editing of Davidic stories as an ancient “Robin Hood”? Come and hear a whole new (old) side of David.

Dr. Daniel Smith-Christopher has taught at Loyola Marymount University for 29 years and now serves as Associate Director for Graduate Studies in Theology. He has been honored with numerous awards for research, including a Fulbright, and teaching awards such as “Undergraduate Theology Teacher of the Year” by Augsburg/Fortress Press (2006) and “Professor of the Year” in 2007 by the Associated Students of Loyola Marymount University. Dr. Christopher has published over 40 scholarly articles and 14 books.

The faith of young children is formed and expressed with the whole body: “In view of the nature of the liturgy as an activity of the entire person and in view of the psychology of children, participation by means of gestures and postures should be strongly encouraged in Masses with children” (Directory for Masses With Children, 33). This workshop will explore music and strategies that align with the development of children’s motor, cognitive, emotional and social skills, enabling them to more fully enter into the liturgy. Come to this workshop ready to “rise up,” singing, dancing and moving around as a child of God!

WLP composer James Wahl has been performing children’s music for nearly 20 years. The Director of Liturgy and Music at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Raleigh, N.C., he previously ministered in California and was Director of Music at SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix. Wahl has served as musician/presenter for various diocesan youth events in Phoenix and Raleigh over the past 10 years. His latest songbook of liturgical music for young children is entitled “Sitting at the Kids’ Table.”

2-23 Forming Fruitful Disciples: How to Unlock the Power of the Spirit in Others

The church’s greatest riches are her people – human beings consciously cooperating with the grace of God in their time and place. God is not asking us to call forth the gifts and vocations of a minority. God is asking us to call forth the gifts and vocations of millions. Our problem? Few Catholics have reached the stage of Christian maturity where charisms and vocations emerge and abundant fruit is borne. This session will offer a brief introduction on how Catholic leaders and communities can foster the kind of spiritual growth out of which life-changing and world-changing discipleship flows.

Based in Colorado, Sherry Weddell is co-founder and Executive Director of the Catherine of Siena Institute, which helps develop parish-centered evangelization. She and her team have worked directly with over 500 parishes and 175 dioceses presenting at diocesan, regional and national conferences across North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Weddell is also author of “Forming Intentional Disciples” and “Fruitful Discipleship: Living the Mission of Jesus in the Church and the World.”

In the year 2018, Pope Francis is focusing our attention upon the needs of the young and their contribution to the life of the Church. Much is made of what young people believe. But what is Pope Francis saying about young people and how can it help to focus our attention and our pastoral strategies in the right places? With a background in youth ministry and teaching, and a regular speaker at Flame (with over 10,000 young people in attendance at Wembley Stadium in London, England), David Wells explores what Pope Francis means when he calls the young to “make some noise!”

David Wells began his career as a teacher before becoming a research assistant for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. His latest position is as Project Manager for School Evangelization. The catechist and author has travelled the world, speaking at more than 350 conferences in Europe, North America and Australia. Wells guest lectures at three English universities, and in 2015 was MC for the Bishops’ Conference national gathering in England and Wales. He is author of two books.

2-25 Games, Songs, Crafts & Object Lessons: Hands-on Activities for Early Childhood Faith Formation

Preschool and kindergarten children don’t learn best from workbooks and worksheets. They need hands-on, active learning approaches that accommodate their energy levels and engage their imaginations. Presented by a child psychologist and early childhood curriculum author, this session will give participants practical activities they can take and use with the youngest learners.

Child psychologist Dr. Joseph White is the National Catechetical Consultant for Our Sunday Visitor Publishing and Curriculum. He has worked as a parish catechetical leader and spent seven years as Director of Family Counseling and Family Life in the Diocese of Austin, Texas. He is a frequent guest on Catholic radio and TV and a keynote speaker/workshop presenter at national and diocesan conferences. Dr. White is author of numerous articles and 10 books, and co-authored the “Allelu” and “Alive in Christ” catechetical series.

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders can present challenges to catechists and youth ministers. Understanding the condition is important to sensitively interact with individuals in catechetical and other ministry settings. Dr. Madonna Wojtaszek-Healy will share suggestions for including children on the spectrum in parish life.

Dr. Madonna Wojtaszek-Healy is based in Joliet, Ill., where she is Consultant for Special Needs in Religious Education for the Diocese of Joliet and Vice-President of Rooted in Love, Inc. The former Catholic schoolteacher and Adjunct Professor for the University of St. Francis in Joliet is a seasoned catechist and a local and national speaker in many Catholic dioceses. Dr. Wojtaszek-Healy’s own children have ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome, which led her to write the book, “The ABCs of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) for Catechists.”

Hiện nay, căn tính văn hóa là đề tài được Giáo hội quan tâm đặc biệt. Con cháu người Việt trên đất Mỹ đang đứng trước những thách đố về cả văn hóa và đức tin. Là những giảng viên dạy giáo lý, chúng ta hiểu gì về sự gắn bó “bất phân ly” của giáo lý và Việt ngữ? Là hai chương trình phục vụ một mục đích? Và làm thế nào để phục vụ các em cách hữu hiệu nhất?

In our contemporary world, cultural identity is a topic of great interest to the Church. Descendants of Vietnamese families living in the United States today are currently facing great challenges of faith and culture. As Vietnamese catechists teaching and guiding our children in their faith formation, what do we understand about the “inseparable” bond of catechesis and the Vietnamese language/culture?

Thuộc tu hội Xuân Bích tỉnh Hoa Kỳ, chịu chức linh mục năm 1997, tốt nghiệp tiến sĩ Thần học Tín lý tại đại học giáo hoàng Gregory, Roma. Sau sáu năm dạy học tại St. Mary Seminary và University ở Baltimore, Md. và số ba năm tại Oblate School of Theology ở San Antonio, Texas, Cha hiện là phó giám đốc đại chủng viện quốc gia Theological College và giáo sư thần học tại Đại học Công giáo Hoa Kỳ tại Washington, D.C.

Rev. Hy Nguyen, a Sulpician priest, was ordained in 1997. After six years of teaching at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore and three years at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas, he is currently serving as Vice-Rector of the Theological College at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he is also an Adjunct Professor.

2018 RECongress Period 2

Religious Education Congress
Friday, March 16, 2018
1:00 - 2:30 pm

2018 RECongress Period 2

Religious Education Congress Friday, March 16, 2018 1:00 - 2:30 pm

Religious Education Congress
Friday, March 16, 2018
1:00 - 2:30 pm