COREnotes Issue 13

COREnotes

Q U A R T E R LY J O U R N A L O F T H E O F F I C E F O R C A T E C H E S I S The Feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga ISSUE 13 - JUNE 2013

Mission We believe that through our ministry we continue the mission of Jesus Christ by enabling the people of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois to develop the gifts given them by the Spirit. In carrying out this mission, we strive to provide resources, service and leadership to all who are part of the educational mission of the Church: religious education, early childhood, elementary and secondary schools, and adult education.

We do this in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Staff Jonathan F. Sullivan Director of Catechetical Services jsullivan@dio.org Chris Malmevik Associate Director for Catechesis cmalmevik@dio.org Cynthia Callan Executive Secretary for Catechesis Secretary for Youth and Young Adult Ministries ccallan@dio.org Jean Johnson Superintendent of Catholic Schools jjohnson@dio.org Marilyn Missel Associate Superintendent of Catholic Schools mmissel@dio.org Lori Casson Secretary for School Personnel lcasson@dio.org Kyle Holtgrave Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries kholtgrave@dio.org

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bout two weeks ago my family celebrated our newest child’s entrance into the Body of Christ. This was a joyous occasion, made more so by the number of friends who joined us to witness this child’s death and resurrection in Jesus through the waters of baptism.

In the sacrament our son was claimed “for Jesus Christ by the sign of his cross.” (Rite of Baptism for Children [RBC] n. 79) In the baptismal homily the priest explained that, by marking the child with the Sign of the Cross, we signify that this child no longer belongs to the world – nor even to me and my wife – but to God. This is why the ritual exhorts parents in their responsibility “of training him in the practice of the faith” (RBC, n. 77) – we are only caretakers now, stewards of this great gift God has given us in caring and raising this child.

So to in our baptisms! We no longer belong to the world, our parents, or ourselves. We have been given over to the God of the universe to serve his purposes and to give glory to his name. As catechists we have been called to live out this reality by helping others to recognize and claim their citizenship in the Kingdom of God inherited through their baptism. We have also been called to assist parents as they face the daunting challenge of raising disciples of Christ in a culture that remains apathetic to God’s commands.

As we approach the end of the Year of Faith I would encourage you to reflect on your baptismal identity as it is lived in your vocation as a catechist. How do you show others that you belong to God? How have you helped someone else recognize this reality in their own lives? How would you explain what difference your baptism has made in your life?

Inside This Issue

Book Review . . . 2 Volunteer Contracts . . . 3 featured events . . . 4 Evangelization vs. Reevangelization in the RCIA . . . 5 Fortnight for Freedom . . . 6 The Catechism: A Symphony of Faith . . . 7 Online Graduate Opportunities . . . 11 Calendar of Events . . . back cover

Book Review by Jonathan F. Sullivan Beyond the Catechist’s Toolbox by Joe Paprocki (Loyola Press, 2013) builds on and expands Joe’s book The Catechist’s Toolbox. In fact, this new book is intended to help catechists “take it to the next level” by offering a model for religious education that moves beyond the typical “classroom model.” This model will be familiar to anyone who follows Joe’s blog since he makes regular allusions to his method there. Nevertheless, having this model laid out systematically and in one place is a blessing.

This new model focuses on making religious education more like religious practice; Joe’s refrain throughout the book is “more like Mass than class.” To that end Joe outlines a 70-minute, 5-step process for engaging youth in catechesis not only through the use of books (although Joe points out the importance of good catechetical materials) but through prayer, activities, and re�ection.

For instance, after the opening prayer, Joe recommends starting the session with an activity that helps students identify with the topic or subject of the evening. He uses St. Ignatius of Loyola’s practice of “entering through their door but leaving through your own” to make an immediate impact while guiding participants to where you want them to go.

I love this model for the way it connects the content of the faith with the practice of the faith. Too often our catechesis exists in a vacuum where what we learn doesn’t make an impact on how we pray and worship.

Joe rightfully recognizes the disservice this does to youth and seeks to reintegrate these aspects of faith formation.

Beyond the Catechist’s Toolbox is an excellent resource and, at just 90 pages, a great gift for catechists and Catholic school teachers. I heartily recommend its use in parishes and schools as another way of taking catechesis beyond the school model and back to its evangelizing roots.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from its publisher, Loyola Press.

Updated Catechist Formation Process Handbook Available The handbook covering the diocesan Catechist Formation Process has been reformatted and is now available to download from the diocesan web site.

The revised booklet has been reformatted to be easier to read; the content of the program has not been changed. In addition the forms included in the booklet have been revised to more easily track an individual catechist’s progress through their formation.

A PDF version of the booklet is available at http://dio.org/uploads/files/Catechesis/Religious_Education/Catechist_Formation_Process/CatechistFormationProcess-2013.pdf. For additional information on the Catechist Formation Process contact Chris Malmevik at cmalmevik@dio.org or 217-698-8500.

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Volunteer Contracts: A Must-Have Ministry Tool

by John Rinaldo

W

hen I �rst moved into my home, the house was in need of an interior paint job. The walls were covered in �ngerprints, dirty hand marks, and normal wear and tear. My wife and I decided that we would paint the entire interior of the house, including closets and bathrooms, before we moved anything in. That way, the house was empty and we wouldn’t have to move or cover any furniture.

I hired a team of painters to do the job. I had made the expectations very clear. We weren’t ready to commit to colors, so we just stuck with white paint on most walls.

We wanted every wall and ceiling painted. They quoted us a price.

I then asked for a contract.

Contract?

The same holds true for volunteers. I can be really clear about my expectations of them, yet, sometimes, the volunteer does not meet the expectations that were laid out.

Why? Because I never wrote down the expectations in the form of a contract.

Some people I know call it a volunteer covenant, but the purpose is still the same.

I have a lot of well meaning volunteers and they do a great job! I am thankful for each and every one of them.

However, there are times that some expectations are not met. Most of the time, they are not met because, although I was clear with them verbally, my volunteer did not have a written form of the expectations to refer back to as they began their work.

The head painter looked at me a little befuddled that Needless to say, some of the expectations were lost.

I wanted a contract. But, he assured me that he would get me a contract.

A volunteer contract bene�ts the ministry leader (you) and the volunteer well.

The paint job started and he never got me a contract. I should have pressed more for the contract, but the fact You get a written agreement that your volunteer unis I didn’t. derstands the expectations that you have set forth.

In the end, the paint job looked great. They got it done in the amount of time they said they would and stayed within the quoted amount.

As I inspected the job, I quickly noticed that the bathroom and closets were not painted. I asked the head painter why and he said that it was never in the plan to paint those rooms.

Your volunteer has the expectations clearly spelled out for them and they are more likely to succeed.

Create a simple contract for your volunteer that outlines the expectations and time commitments. Once that is done and you both agree to them, sign it, date it, and give a copy to the volunteer. Here is a sample PDF version of a contract for your volunteers.: Volunteer Team Covenant

I was shocked. I had made it very clear what I wanted.

Yet, with no contract, the job was still done incorrectly.

Question: Do you use volunteer contracts or covenants?

How have they been bene�cial for your ministry?

John Rinaldo is the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of San Jose.

This article originally appeared on his blog, REAL Ministry (www.REALministry.org), and is used with permission.

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FEATURED EVENTS Yo u D o N o t W a n t t o M i s s !

Wading Deeper: “The RCIA for Children and Implications for All Sacramental Catechesis” August 2-3, 2013; Holy Family Parish (Litchfield)

The RCIA is not just for adults! More and more, children of catechetical age are seeking initiation and their parents are often coming with them. This year we will wade into the questions and issues involved with the initiation of unbaptized children of catechetical age. We will also wade deeper into questions such as family involvement, peer involvement, and what to do about baptized children who need to complete their initiation. Lastly, we will consider how implementation of the RCIA with children has implications for the way we do sacramental catechesis for all children in our parishes.

Rita Burns Senseman will be the presenter for Wading Deeper 2013. Rita is a gifted writer and presenter on the pastoral issues of children, the catechumenate, and family catechesis.

For more information or to register visit www.dio.org/worship/wading-deeper.html.

The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership May 19-22, 2014; St. Louis, Missouri

The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) will hold its 78th annual conference and exposition in St. Louis, May 19-22, 2014, at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel. This conference for diocesan and parish catechetical leaders includes keynotes, TED-style talks, learning sessions, liturgies, meetings and celebrations.

This year’s theme is Energize/Energizar, Evangelize/Evangelizar, Catechize/Catequizar – that is, energize parishes to evangelize the people and catechize the faithful. Each day nationally known speakers will address an aspect of the theme. Early registration rates for the conference are available by downloading, completing and returning a “Save Me A Place” form or registering online at www.nccl.org.

More information about the conference as it becomes available may be obtained at this site as well as www.nccl.us.

Additional events listed on back page.

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�� � � �

By�Nick�Wagner�

Evangelization�vs.�reevangelization�in�an�RCIA�process� I�don’t�want�to�sound�too�absolute�about�this,�but�I�do�want�to�challenge�our�thinking�a�little�bit.�If�someone� had�faith�at�one�time—in�grade�school�or�high�school,�for�example—and�then�dropped�out�of�the�church,� they�don’t�need�to�be�evangelized.�They�don’t�need�to�be�converted.�You�can’t�be�evangelized�twice.�I�know� that�both�Pope�Paul�VI�and�Pope�John�Paul�II�have�written�much�about�reevangelization�or�new� evangelization.�I�agree�with�all�of�what�they�said,�and�I�pray�our�parishes�are�making�serious�efforts�to� implement�what�the�popes�have�called�for.�I�just�wish�they�would�have�picked�a�different�word.��

You�say�potato…�� People�who�had�faith�and�have�stopped�practicing�the�faith�don’t�need�to�told—as�if�for�the�first�time—who� Jesus�Christ�is.�They�need�to�be�reminded.�They�need�to�be�renewed.�They�need�to�be�reconciled.�Like�the� Prodigal�Son,�when�they�really�hit�bottom�in�the�secular�world,�they�already�know�where�to�turn�for�help.� We�don’t�need�to�say�to�them,�“Here�is�good�news�that�you�have�never�heard�before.”�We�need�to�say,� “Remember�who�you�are.�Remember�who�loves�you.�Remember�where�your�true�home�is.”� Parishes�need�to�do�both—evangelization�and�renewal—but�I�think�they�are�different�ministries.�One�person� or�one�team�can,�of�course,�engage�in�different�ministries.�It�isn’t�as�black�and�white�as�I’m�making�it�sound.� But�I’m�drawing�the�extremes�because�I�think�that�many�of�us�are�engaged�in�renewal�almost�exclusively�and� engaged�in�evangelization�hardly�at�all.��

The�frightening�thing�about�evangelization� I�think�the�popes�used�a�word�like�“reevangelization”�because�the�content�we�use�in�reminding�people�of� their�faith�is�similar�to�the�original�content�of�what�we�proclaim�to�those�who�have�never�heard�the�good� news�in�the�first�place.�And�I�think�we�spend�way�more�time�doing�“reevangelization”�than�“evangelization”� because�we�know�how�to�do�the�former.�We�are�just�beginning�to�learn�how�to�truly�evangelize—and� sometimes�it�can�be�a�little�scary.�� Here�is�why�I�think�reevangelization�is�easier�than�evangelization.�When�we�are�reevangelizing,�we�can� engage�in�theological�discussions�more�frequently.�That�is,�we�can�more�often�say�what�we�believe,�and�we� don’t�usually�have�to�say�as�much�about�why�we�believe.�After�someone�believes,�or�used�to�believe,�the� “what”�is�simple.�Many�times,�when�people�drop�out�of�church,�it’s�not�because�they�have�stopped�believing� in�Jesus.�It’s�because�they�are�confused�about�or�disagree�with�what�the�church�says�about�Jesus�(or�what� the�church�says�about�[fill�in�the�blank]).�� When�we�are�evangelizing,�on�the�other�hand,�we�have�to�say�more�about�why�we�believe�what�we�believe.� We�have�to�say�more�about�the�specific�ways�in�which�Jesus�Christ�has�answered�our�deepest�longing.�Those� “answers”�are�not�in�the�Catechism—they’re�in�our�hearts.� � Reprinted with permission. �

Page�1�

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Copyright�©�TeamRCIA.com��

“Copyright © 2013, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.

Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non-commercial use.”

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Open the Door of Faith CATECHETICAL SUNDAY 2013 The Catechism: A Symphony of Faith

by Petroc Willey, BD, STL, PhD, PhD (Lateran)

Dean of Research Maryvale Institute in England Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) surprises many who begin to read it because it describes itself as a symphony. A picture on the front cover depicts a pastoral scene of a shepherd, seated under the shade of a tree, playing panpipes. Lying attentively at his feet, gazing at the shepherd, is a lamb.

A short paragraph on the inside cover explains that this simple image “suggests certain characteristic aspects of this Catechism: Christ, the Good Shepherd who leads and protects his faithful (the lamb) by his authority (the staff), draws them by the melodious symphony of the truth (the panpipes) and makes them lie down in the shade of the tree of life, his redeeming Cross which opens paradise” (CCC, 2nd ed.

[Washington, DC: Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000]).

We, the faithful, are the lamb, lying at the feet of the Shepherd. We are held there, rapt, attentive, because the Shepherd is playing a melody, a melody that comes from heaven. The Catechism is described as a “melodious symphony.” What can we learn from this description? A reader would probably have assumed that the Catechism would describe itself simply as a book from which we can learn about the teaching of the Catholic Church. The Catechism’s description of itself as a “symphony” is not what one expects. Let’s follow this image of the symphony, then, and see what it can tell us about the beauty, the purpose, and the usefulness of the Catechism. We will find that it contains the secret for understanding both how to read and appreciate the Catechism for oneself and also how it can wonderfully assist us as catechists in handing on the deposit of faith in today’s world.

This Is the Music of Heaven Christ, who is God the Son, is playing this music to us. When we listen, we are transported into the heights of heaven. When we read the Catechism and learn about the faith of the Church, we are listening to the music of heaven.

In Fidei Depositum, Blessed John Paul II wrote of his “deep feeling of joy” at the “harmony of so many voices” that had together sung the Catechism, this choral symphony, into existence (Pope John Paul II, On the Publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church [Fidei Depositum (FD)], www.vatican. va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19921011_fidei-depositum_en.html). These voices are the voices of all the bishops. They are singing in harmony the music that Christ has given to us, so that “whoever listens to you listens to me” (Lk 10:16). Every bishop in the world was involved in commenting, over a period of six years, on the text of the Catechism, as were “numerous theologians, exegetes and catechists” (FD).

The harmony of this symphony is something that is now enshrined authoritatively in the pages of the Catechism. But the symphony is also something that is performed anew every day. The Catechism uses a musical expression from St. Irenaeus in its section on the Eucharist, when it says that all our thinking is “attuned to the Eucharist” (CCC, no. 1327).Before musiciansbegin to play, they tune their instru-

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ments so that they can play the music correctly and in harmony with one another.We face a similar need when it comes to catechizing; we must “attune” ourselves to the faith that is presented in the Catechism and to the lead “players” in the teaching Church, the Magisterium.

The Catechism is addressed, writes Blessed John Paul II, not only to bishops but also to all the People of God, since all have been called to join their voices to those of the bishops so that the instruments uniting in this great harmony are multiplied. This is why carefully studying the Catechism and its contents and learning how to use the Catechism in one’s teaching are so important, so that all cacophony is avoided and the pure notes of harmony rise to attract others to hear the beauty of the message of Jesus Christ. The very word “catechesis” suggests this. It comes from the Greek term meaning “echo,” and catechists catch and echo the melody of Christ the Teacher and that of the Magisterium.

The Faith Is Beautiful To describe the Catechism as a symphony also reminds us that the faith is something beautiful. It is beautiful because it introduces us to the Christ, who is eternal beauty made flesh, appearing among us. “Beauty ever ancient, ever new,” sang St. Augustine in his Confessions when he had discovered the true God and turned over his life to him. The “ever ancient, ever new” beauty of the infinite God became incarnate in God the Son. Catechists must speak the truth of the Gospel, in season and out of season. This is not easy in a relativistic culture that no longer believes in any objective truth. In this difficult situation, the Catechism is advising us to remember the “way of beauty,” the via pulchritudinis, as an avenue to the truth. We can allow the truth to “shine forth” (FD). We can strive calmly to show how beautiful the truths of the faith are as they appear not only in words and ideas, however true, but also in lives of truth and integrity, in prayer—which is defined as “the love of beauty (philokalia)” (CCC, no. 2727)—and in the sacredness of the liturgy.

The Catechism proposes three specific aids to assist us in showing the beauty of the faith. The first is the use of works of art that can offer a visual synthesis of the faith in a deeply attractive way. Four artworks were included in the Catechism for this reason, and fourteen were placed in the smaller Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The second way is the inclusion of the words and examples of saints attached to the different doctrines of the Church. This points us to where we can illustrate the beauty of the faith witnessed in lives of self-giving love of God and our neighbor.

Third, emphasis is placed on using the cross-references in the Catechism that connect doctrines to the other parts of the Catechism, the other movements of the symphony (see CCC, no. 18). By following these cross-references, we will be allowing the Catechism to teach us the ways in which the music of heaven resounds in liturgy, life, and the expressions and formulas of prayer.

The Faith Has a Structure Symphonies are carefully structured, and so the description of the Catechism as a symphony helps us to see that the faith also has a definite and clear structure. In the classical form, symphonies are normally written in four movements. A powerful introductory movement usually presents the listener with the main themes and melodies and sets the key of the whole. A slower movement typically follows, and then a third movement whose style and rhythm are based on some form of dance. The final movement of a symphony provides a satisfying conclusion to the whole, resolving any tensions in the work and enabling the listener to experience a sense of completion.

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Comparing the Catechism’s structure to that of a symphony can certainly help us explain to others how the Catechism is arranged. The Catechism is in four parts, which we can think of as paralleling the four movements of a symphony (see CCC, nos. 13-17). After an opening Prologue (CCC, nos. 125), which provides explanatory material for how to read and use the Catechism, the first part, “The Profession of Faith,” sets out the great themes that one will find in the Catechism. In this part, the main melodies are presented to which our ears will need to become attuned so that we catch them as they appear and reappear in every movement. The most majestic and prominent melody is that of the Blessed Trinity, of which the Catechism says, “General Directory for Catechesis [GDC] [Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1998], no. 62). In other words, they correspond to the basic, or “initial,” proclamation at the heart of the faith.

The Church has called for a “New Evangelization” to meet the situation in which many who would describe themselves as Catholics have moved away from the practice of their faith. The Catechism was written precisely to help those who transmit the faith of the Church to address this situation.

It is enormously important that the Catechism shows us how we can announce the kerygma in and through our presentation of each aspect of the faith. This means that when we catechize, we can reach out to those who are already committed and need a catechesis for the deepening of their faith, and at the same time make a proclamation of the essentials of the faith so that those who need to receive the more basic message with its call to conversion also benefit from our teaching. Whatever a person’s situation, and however far a person is from the full practice of the faith, he or she will be able to hear the core message of the Good News and can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, make a response to this call that comes through us from the unfathomable love of God made flesh in the divine Son.

The Faith Is to Be Played so That It Is Heard We have seen, then, that the Catechism has a structure analogous to that of a symphony. All of the paragraphs of the Catechism are like bars of music, and the music develops around certain central themes. A final point to which we, as catechists, can draw the attention of others from this description of the Catechism as a symphony is that the faith is to be “played.” As a musical score sets out all the notes of the symphony, so the Catechism presents for us in its paragraphs and pages all the “essential and fundamental contents” of the faith (CCC, no. 11). The score of a symphony is not simply to be read. The score must be played so that the music is heard. And the faith, also, is to be heard by others. It is true that the musical score of a symphony can be attractive to a trained musician who, as he or she “reads” the music on the pages, can inwardly hear the music playing in the mind. But for most of us, the notes remain just so many symbols on a page until we hear them played by the orchestra. Then everything is different! The music flows and we are captivated by it. The image of the faith as a symphony reminds us that the faith is not intended by the Church to remain simply as words on the pages of the Catechism. The words need to come alive.

How does this happen? It happens first of all in our teaching. We can use the phrase “the teaching of the Church” in two ways. We can mean the objective body of truths that make up the faith of the Church; this is the Church’s “teaching” where “teaching” is a noun. We can also mean the activity of teaching that takes place in and through the Church; this is the Church’s “teaching” where “teaching” is a verb. The Catechism wants catechists to take the teaching of the Church understood as a noun and make it into a verb. The faith that is presented to us in the Catechism depends on the teachers of the Church, including her catechists, to “play” this faith by learning, practicing, and teaching it.

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A musical score has more than just the notes of music presented on a page. Together with the notes are all sorts of instructions to the musicians indicating how a piece is to be played. The key signature is obviously crucial and affects how all the notes are to be played. Then, for example, a movement might be “allegro” or “adagio,” fast or slow. Other notations indicate when the music rises to a crescendo and when it dies away again. Other marks indicate delicate playing, a slight lingering over a note, and so on.

The Catechism has a similar range of instructions, helping the catechist to know how to play the music. We call this set of instructions for catechesis the pedagogy that is enshrined in the Catechism. We must consult this pedagogy to evaluate all the methods we use in teaching the faith (see GDC, no. 148). Many of these instructions are made explicit in the Prologue (CCC, nos. 1-25).

Other “markings” on the “score” of the Catechism include: • Assistance in finding key points for teaching. The Catechism italicizes words and phrases to indicate particular emphasis, while subheadings in bold in a section provide one with the major teaching points in a subject.

• Help in providing catechists with the reasons the Church has for her teaching, so that what is proclaimed can be understood in a fuller way. “Reasoning” words and phrases such as “therefore” and “because” indicate the reasons for a particular teaching of the Church.

• Assistance in maintaining a God-centered annunciation of the faith. The Catechism has been written to give us a catechesis that has God at the center. It employs the language of the primacy of grace, helping catechists to see things with the gaze of God and to speak so that all can hear that catechists speak on behalf of Christ.

Let us conclude with words from St. Augustine’s Confessions: “How I wept, deeply moved by your hymns, songs and the voices that echoed through your Church! What emotion I experienced in them! Those sounds flowed into my ears, distilling the truth in my heart” (CCC, no. 1157). May it be true of our catechesis, also, that as our voices echo the voice of the Shepherd, others may catch the strains, through us, of his melodious symphony of the truth.

Copyright © 2013, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non-commercial use.

Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, copyright © 2000, Libreria Editrice Vaticana—United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from Pope John Paul II, Fidei Depositum, copyright © 1992, Librería Editrice Vaticana (LEV). Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture excerpts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, rev. ed.© 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Online Graduate Study Opportunities in Ministry and Catechesis With the advent of new media technologies studying for theology and ministry has gotten easier and easier. Here are three great programs available to lay ministers in our diocese who are looking for advanced study options.

Aquinas Institute of Theology St. Louis, Missouri; www.ai.edu Aquinas Institute is a Dominican-sponsored graduate school of theology and ministry located in downtown St. Louis. Most classes may be taken on-campus or online. Students from the diocese of Springfield in Illinois receive a substantial tuition discount thanks to a partnering agreement with the school. In addition, scholarships are available from the Office for Catechesis.

Academic Programs • • • •

Master of Arts (MA) Masters of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (MAPS) Master of Divinity (MDiv)

Quincy University Quincy, IL; www.quincy.edu Quincy University recently announced the creation of a new online Master of Religious Education. This 33-credit program involves 10 courses and a culminating experience to integrate classroom learning while tailoring the program to your specific ministerial situation.

Academic Program • Master of Religious Education (MRE)

Augustine Institute Greenwood Village, CO; www.augustineinstitute.org The Augustine Institute offers online graduate courses in theology with an emphasis on preparing lay ministers for the new evangelization.

Academic Programs • Master of Arts in Theology (MA) • Graduate Certificate

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• • • • •

Graduate Certificate in Biblical Studies Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Care Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction Graduate Certificate in Thomistic Studies Doctor of Ministry in Preaching (DMin)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Fortnight for Freedom

June 21 - July 4, 2013; fortnight4freedom.org

St. John Bosco Conference: “Blessed by the Father” July 17-21, 2013; Steubenville, Ohio; franciscanconferences.com

Wading Deeper “The RCIA for Children and Implications for All Sacramental Catechesis” August 2-3, 2013; Holy Family (Litchfield); dio.org/worship

Catechetical Sunday: “Open the Door of Faith” September 15, 2013

Regionals

September 30, 2013; St. Peter, Quincy; 1-4p; 6-9p October 1, 2013; Cathedral, Springfield; 1-4p; 6-9p October 2, 2013; St. Mary, Edwardsville; 1-4p; 6-9p October 7, 2013; Sacred Heart, Effingham; 1-4p; 6-9p October 8, 2013; Holy Family: Decatur; 1-4p; 6-9p

CACE Conference (Department of Chief Administrators of Catholic Education) October 27-30, 2013; Columbus, Ohio; ncea.org

Catholic Schools Week: “Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service” January 26 - February 1, 2014

NCEA (National Catholic Educational Association) Convention and Expo October 27-30, 2013; Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; ncea.org/ConventionCentral.asp

NCCL (National Conference for Catechetical Leadership) “Energize, Evangelize, Catechize” May 19-22, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri; nccl.org

The Church has always considered catechesis one of her primary tasks, for, before Christ ascended to his Father after his resurrection, he gave the apostles a final command - to make disciples of all nations and to teach them to observe all that he had commanded. He thus entrusted them with the mission and power to proclaim to humanity what they had heard, what they had seen with their eyes, what they had looked upon and touched with their hands, concerning the Word of Life. He also entrusted them with the mission and power to explain with authority what he had taught them, his words and actions, his signs and commandments. And he gave them the Spirit to fulfill this mission.

- Bl. Pope John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae, no. 1 This work is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

COREnotes June 2013 - Issue 13

The Feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Office for Catechesis 1615 W. Washington • Springfield, IL 62702 - 4757 217.698.8500 ph • 217.698.8620 fax • dio.org/catechesis