T H E F E A S T O F S T. P E T E R C L A V E R
ISSUE 14 - SEPTEMBER 2013
COREnotes
Q U A R T E R L Y
Office Notes in Comic Sans pg.7
Open the Door of Faith
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
Encouraging Vo c at i o n s pg.3
Book Review pg.13
Re gionals 2013
pg.14
Graduate Studies pg.15
pg.9
September 9 Patron Saint of Negro Missions 1580 - 1654
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
In Pope Francis’ first encyclical letter, Lumen Fidei, we read: Faith… needs a setting in which it can be witnessed to and communicated, a means which is suitable and proportionate to what is communicated… There is a special means for passing down this fullness, a means capable of engaging the entire person, body and spirit, interior life and relationships with others. It is the sacraments, celebrated in the Church’s liturgy. The sacraments communicate an incarnate memory, linked to the times and places of our lives, linked to all our senses; in them the whole person is engaged. Catechesis, the passing on of our Catholic faith, is incomplete if it does not include participation in the sacraments, especially the Sunday Eucharist and regular confession! Anecdotally, about half of our PSR and Catholic school families are not regular church attendees on Sunday. How can we fulfill the call to evangelize and catechize the nations if our families are missing out on the high point of the week? As partner with parents in passing on the faith to their children we must encourage families in full and active participation in the sacraments. By talking about Sunday Mass with parents and through the faithful example set by catechists we can help ensure that our families are participating in the faith life of our parishes and continuing on their journey of discipleship.
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
Saint Peter Claver, S.J., (Spanish: San Pedro Claver St. Peter Claver Corbò) (26 June 1581–8 September 1654) was a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary born in Verdu (Catalonia) who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, the Republic of Colombia and ministry to African Americans. During the 40 years of his ministry in Colombia it is estimated he personally baptized around 300,000 people. (from Wikipedia) To learn more about St. Peter Claver visit Catholic.org. http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=94 THREE WAYS TO ENCOUORAGE VOCATIONS IN THE CLASSSROOM . . . 3 office notes. . . 7 webinars . . . 8 open the door of faith . . . 9 Book Review . . . 12 REGIONALS 2013 . . . 13 Online Graduate Opportunities . . . 15 Calendar of Events . . . back cover
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Three Ways to Encourage Vocations in the Elementary Classroom
By Barb Gilman
W
hen I was very small, I thought everyone had an uncle who was a priest. I had Uncle Fr. Paul and Uncle Fr. John. As I grew older, I realized just how lucky I was. As a teacher in the Catholic elementary classroom, I hope that my future students will have this same experience. Here is how I encourage vocations in my 3rd grade classroom. I am blessed to have as my aide, a Religious Sister. Sr. Margaret Buchta is a Servant of Mary. When she was in 3rd grade, at Holy Name school, her teacher taught this prayer to her students.
Dear Angel ever at my side, how loving you must be. Please whisper to your loving child, What God wants me to be. Amen!
We end every school day with this prayer.
I have a wonderful bulletin board, that stays up over the year. It’s called “The Vocation Wall of Fame”. It’s filled with pictures of me with priests, sisters, and deacons. Many of these pictures I treasure. One picture is of my high school teacher, Sr. Ruth. She taught religion and the title of the class was The Electric Bible. What a hoot! I remember our classroom did not have any desks. We sat on the carpeted floor! Another picture is of me with Fr. Roderick Vonhogen, a priest in The Netherlands who has inspired me to use New Media. Another favorite is a picture with me and Fr. James Martin S.J who I met at the NCEA convention in Minneapolis, MN when
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he was a keynote speaker. I share a love for the Saints with Fr. Martin. I also have a picture with our parish’s priests, and deacons and of course, my aide. My husband and I are featured too. We attended a special ceremony for married couples at our Cathedral for our 25th wedding anniversary.
My ďŹ nal way to encourage vocations is by sending a letter of congratulations to those priests and sisters, of our Archdiocese that are celebrating Jubilees. This idea formed when my Uncle Fr. Paul, an archdiocesan priest from Omaha, celebrated his 50th Jubilee. His picture and short
My ever growing gallery!
article, along with his fellow Jubilarians were featured in our local Archdiocesan paper, The Catholic Voice.
e 5 t h J u b il e 2 is h g in . b ra t h is s e r v e r e g le y c e le F r . P a u l B m y c o u s in S e a n a s M a s s w it h
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Priest Jubilees were big events in my family. When Uncle Fr. Paul Begley, my father’s oldest brother, celebrated his 50th, I remember gathering, with all our relatives for a family dinner. He loved his prime rib and he loved to share that with his family. He knew family dinners were important, so every year for Christmas, he got all his brothers and sisters, a large cut of prime rib. He must have had some great connections with a butcher because that meat was the best!
Lef t; Fr. John Kent Burzyn s k i , O F M 25th Jubilee
Below: A close up of the banner.
Fr. John Kent Burzynski OFM, my mother’s oldest brother, celebrated his 25th Jubilee and we all gathered wearing our fashionable 1970 styles! The Maxi dress was sure the style in 1975.
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So knowing that Jubilees are big events in the priests and sisters in our Archdiocese, I have my students use their very best cursive writing to send out a letter. I begin the activity by reading the biographies that The Catholic Voice provides of the priests and Sr. Margaret writes for her fellow Servites. This helps my students pick who they will write to. Hearing that a priest likes to fish or cheer on the Creighton Bluejays or that a sister loves to read and cheer on the Huskers really sticks with them. After we write the letter, we also add a picture. The best part is hearing back from them and so many times we do! I think my favorite response was when I got a phone call, after school was dismissed, from a Jesuit who taught at Creighton. He wanted to thank me for the beautiful letters and he gave a blessing, over the phone, to my students. Now that was special! I hope these ideas will help you think of ways you can encourage vocations in your Catholic classroom.
An example letter, we had to do a quick fix on the spelling of Archdiocese!
This article was originally published on Barb’s blog at http://barbinnebraska. com and is used with permission. Barb is in her tenth year of teaching third grade at St. Margaret Mary School in Omaha, Nebraska. She is married to Howard who teaches science at a Catholic high school and they have three sons in college. Barb enjoys creating, collaborating, and communicating with technology. You can find and follow Barb on Twitter @BarbInNebraska. http://barbinnebraska.com/three-ways-to-encourage-vocations-in-the-elementary-classroom/
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Office Notes in Comic Sans by Br. Gabriel T. Mosher, O.P. First off, tip o’ the hat to Merlin Mann. My title is a reference to an episode of his productivity podcast “Back to Work,” cohosted by Dan Benjamin over at the 5by5 Network. It’s worth the listen. Well, nearly everything there is worth a listen. I tend to get really angry when people leave notes in a common space. I’m not talking about posted instructions or reminders. I’m talking about those snarky little notes that say, often in all caps, “YOUR MOTHER DOESN’T LIVE HERE. CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF,” and usually end with an advanced “”Thank You”” that acts as a veiled threat. First of all, don’t talk about my mother that way! Second, it’s one of the worst ways to motivate me, or anyone else, to virtue. On the contrary, it provokes me, or anyone else, to anger. So, stop! Exit Word, back away from the PC (because no self-respecting Mac user would write such a note ... or use Comic Sans), and walk away. Why, you might be asking? “Aren’t I being helpful?” you ask. Well, no, actually for starters it’s cowardly. It’s just one more way to avoid confrontation. It may change behavior a few times at best; but, it will eventually fail to be effective. It’s like trying to win a war with land mines. Yeah, they are briefly effective. However, they aren’t going to achieve victory. And, just like land mines, they can be left around, only to erupt during times of peace. Because, you see, the problem that caused you to write the note wasn’t solved at the root. The resulting resentment will lead to gossip and grudge holding — two of the greatest barriers to a healthy community. Writing a note like this in Comic Sans just adds insult to injury. It’s a feeble attempt to mask the underlying anger. It’s the written equivalent of sarcasm. One of my Dominican brothers wisely noted that sarcasm is “anger with a smile.” The results of both sarcasm and “helpful” Comic Sans notes are the same. And the vice at the root of the problem is the same, viz., cowardice. I think sometimes the problem is that confrontation is often confused with being uncharitable. But, in reality, it’s uncharitable to not confront bad behavior directly. The common term for this sort of uncharitable behavior is passive aggressiveness. Acting in a passive agressive way reveals a lack of mature emotional integration. In other words, put on your big kid pants and act like a mature adult.
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The opposite of passive aggressive behavior is not aggressive behavior. The opposite behavior is fraternal correction. But, you can’t just go around confronting people and call it fraternal correction. The practice of this virtue requires a number of things to be in place first. It isn’t simply confronting someone in a nice way. It isn’t simply confronting someone in a kind way. It’s confronting someone in a charitable way. In order to do this properly we must first be willing to bear the wrong that we’ve received patiently. It’s natural to be angry when we experience a wrong. But, that anger should not control us. It should simply move us to correct the injustice we’ve experienced. Feelings of anger should quickly give way to pity. Pity should ignite in us a
desire to be both merciful and helpful. Remember what Gandalf told Frodo about pity? In mercy we understand the words of St. Augustine, “But for the grace of God, there go I.” Thus, the help offered should be born out of Charity. We should desire the good of the person who did harm more than our own relief from the injustice inflicted. We must truly desire the greatest good of the other for his own sake. It’s also necessary to realize, and this is tough, that even if you do all of this perfectly your efforts may still fail. Fraternal correction can happen only after all of these have taken place. Yep. It’s hard; but, it’s the right thing to do. It’s called loving your enemies. It’s one of the most difficult things in the Christian life.
This article was originally posted at www.eighthway.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Using Webinars for Catechist Formation:
Update to Catechist Formation Handbook An update was made to the catechist formation process shortly after we sent out the revised handbook in June. We have added a new form designed to allow catechists to track their participation in live or recorded catechetical webinars from Catholic publishers and organizations such as the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, Ave Maria Press, and Loyola Press. These webinars may be used for elective credit in the catechist formation process. Details and the revised handbook, with the webinar form, can be found at dio.org/catechesis/catechist-formation. html.
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Open the Door of Faith CATECHETICAL SUNDAY 2013 Encountering Christ Through an Authentic Witness of the Faith and an Ever-Greater Understanding of Its Contents by Curtis A. Martin President, Fellowship of Catholic University Students
In a typical classroom, a teacher turns to his students and asks, “Who can tell me the difference between ignorance and apathy?” After some time, no one answers. He repeats the question, but once more he receives no response. Finally, somewhat exasperated, he turns to one of the students and says, “Bethany, tell the class the difference between ignorance and apathy.” The young woman thinks for a moment, looks up and responds, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” The work of evangelization must address both the problem of ignorance and that of apathy. Recognizing the distinct challenges presented by each of these impediments is an important starting point. If people do not care, no amount of teaching will solve the problem, but once they care, teaching the content of the faith is an indispensable and irreplaceable component to leading people to the fullness of faith. Each and every one of us is made by Love and made for love. God has created us in such a way that we have a compelling desire for truth, goodness, beauty, and love. To overcome apathy, we must draw men and women beyond the distractions of this life and invite them to encounter the reality for which they were created. As Catholics, we have discovered that the transcendent does not refer to mere abstractions; it exists, in perfection, in a Person. The first step in evangelization is an encounter with Jesus Christ, who came for you, lived for you, suffered and died for you, and rose again to heaven where he waits for you.
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The work of evangelization must address both the problem of ignorance and that of apathy. Recognizing the distinct challenges presented by each of these impediments is an important starting point. If people do not care, no amount of teaching will solve the problem, but once they care, teaching the content of the faith is an indispensable and irreplaceable component to leading people to the fullness of faith. Each and every one of us is made by Love and made for love. God has created us in such a way that we have a compelling desire for truth, goodness, beauty, and love. To overcome apathy, we must draw men and women beyond the distractions of this life and invite them to encounter the reality for which they were created. As Catholics, we have discovered that the transcendent does not refer to mere abstractions; it exists, in perfection, in a Person. The first step in evangelization is an encounter with Jesus Christ, who came for you, lived for you, suffered and died for you, and rose again to heaven where he waits for you. It is not sufficient to know about Jesus Christ. We must come to encounter him as a living person. While this encounter can take many forms, in its essence the encounter with Jesus Christ moves from an object for our consideration to a subject with whom we enter into personal relationship. Think of it this way. As Catholics, we have a relationship with the pope. He is the earthly leader of the Church, and we are members of the Church. We pray for him at every Mass in the Eucharistic Prayer, and we develop a sense of closeness to him that is evidenced by the warm reception he receives throughout the world. But imagine that you went to Rome and were standing in the audience as he came by. As he passed, he reached out his hand and touched you. This would create a memory that would last a lifetime. But what if instead of just shaking your hand, he stopped, came over, and called you by name. He asked you to meet with him. When you met, he told you that he had heard of you and was aware of your family and of your interests and concerns. He invited you to begin meeting with him regularly and to help him with his work, and he offered to assist you with yours. Your relationship had moved from real, but formal, to one that was intimate and personal. Similarly, all Catholics have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Many of us, however, experience this relationship as formal and not personal. Jesus, unlike the pope, is not limited in his ability to enter into an intimate and personal relationship with each of us, and he is inviting each of us to know him intimately and personally. We are told in the Catechism, “Jesus knew and loved us each and all during his life, his agony, and his Passion and gave himself up for each one of us: ‘The Son of God . . . loved me and gave himself for me’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 2nd ed. [Washington, DC: Libreria Editrice Vaticana–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2000], no. 478).
“
We wish to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church.” . . . Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize. Pope Paul VI, Evangelization in the Modern World
In other words, our salvation is a deeply personal undertaking on the part of Jesus. Our response, likewise, ought to be deeply personal, meeting him in a personal encounter, bringing about a reorientation in our life. We begin to care for the things he does. Once love has taken hold of us, we are eager to learn how we can know him and love him in ever increasing ways.
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church represents an authoritative self-understanding of the Catholic Church. Before any of the 2,865 articles proposed for belief, the Catechism begins with three short quotes. The very first words of the Catechism directly quote Jesus Christ. “Father, . . . this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (Jn 17:3)” (CCC, p. 7). From this seminal statement, we can see that Catholicism, according to our founder’s own understanding, is essentially relational. In fact, the Hebrew word for “relationship” is yada, “to know.” It is a rich and poignant term. Far beyond knowledge of facts and doctrines, even beyond relational familiarity or acquaintance, to yada someone is to be in deep, intimate, life-giving, life-changing, covenantal relationship with him or her. The first time this term is used in Sacred Scripture, we read that “Adam knew (yada) his wife, and she conceived” (Gn 4:1 NRSV). Jesus defines eternal life in light of a deep, intimate, life-giving, life-changing, covenantal relationship with the only true God, and Jesus whom he sent. The Catechism articulates this in the very first article. “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church” (CCC, no. 1). Love awakens desire. Once we encounter the person of Jesus, we desire to want what he wants. It is love that overcomes, indeed overwhelms, apathy. Our hearts, once distracted by a thousand lesser loves, encounter the pearl of great price, and we come to desire him above all things. The dynamic connection between love and truth is manifested at the most pivotal of moments in history. Jesus himself, while on trial for his life, tells us the very reason for his birth. “So Pilate said to him, ‘Then you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice’” (Jn 18:37).
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So often, we educators within the Church have skipped this step of awakening desire. We begin the vitally important work of instruction without first having addressed the issue of yearning. Even the most sumptuous of meals will have little appeal to someone who is not hungry. But, for someone who is famished, food always seems to taste better. If we desire to instruct the mind, we must first awaken the heart. Once someone has encountered Jesus, he or she wants to follow him. This desire creates an opening for instruction and formation. The content of the faith is presented to respond to two basic questions: First, what ought I know, so that I can think with the mind of Christ? Second, in what ought I be formed so that I can act with the character of Christ? Christian instruction informs the mind with the truths of the faith. Christian formation introduces believers to the virtues and character traits that will allow them, with the aid of God’s grace, to live as men and women of whom the world is not worthy (see Heb 11:38).
them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (CCC, no. 2; see also Mt 28:18-20). In this “Great Commission,” we are instructed not to go and make converts, or believers, but to make disciples. Disciples are those who have experienced an encounter with Jesus and have turned to follow him. They are on the path of discipleship and are being instructed and formed in the practice of the faith. Their very lives are an authentic witness to what it means to be a person of faith. “Finally, the person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others. Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn” (EN, no. 24). The New Springtime will be a blossoming of such disciples who know the Lord and know his teachings. Their lives provide the authentic witness that enables others to see with the eyes of faith.
God is free to act in any way that he chooses; however, he has given us a norm for spreading the faith. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching
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 Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, copyright © 1975, Libreria Editrice Vaticana (LEV). Used with permission. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, 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. Some Scripture quotations contained herein are adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved. 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.
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Book
Review
by Jonathan F. Sullivan
O
ne of the joys of working for a diocese is the chance to visit a lot of churches and view the beautiful statues, windows, and artwork in them. Unfortunately identifying saints in Catholic artwork isn’t always easy. For years I’ve looked for a handy reference to help identify saints in religious artwork, but finding one has been difficult. Fortunately Saints and Their Symbols: Recognizing Saints in Art and in Popular Images (Liturgical Press, 2004) has everything I’ve ever wanted in such a book. The text is divided into three sections: first, a chronological listing of major saints with biographical information, relevant pictures, and explanations of the major symbols associated with each saint. The next section is a “visual dictionary” -- simple line drawings that are easy to scan so that you can identify saints without knowing their names. The final section is a very complete text index of the saints and their symbols. The book is lavishly illustrated and includes many color and black-andwhite images of the saints; it’s as much an art book as it is a reference work, and just flipping through the pages is a pleasure. The only glaring, if understandable, omission is the absence of Mary, Mother of God in the book. In the introduction the authors indicate that her symbols are still understood well enough that her inclusion isn’t necessary. I suspect the significant increase in pages required to include her and her various titles and apparitions would have made the book cost-prohibitive. In any event buyers should be aware that Mary is not covered in the text. That having been said, Saints and Their Symbols is still an invaluable resource for both catechists and Catholic art lovers; it is sure to hold a place of pride on my shelves for years to come.
The window shown above is located at St. James Catholic Church in Decatur, IL. Located in the south transept, this is a partial view of a very large window which represented the artist’s view of heaven and the communion of saints. The upper level portrays the Blessed Mother, Christ, God the Father, St. Joseph and John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit is pictured as a dove at the top of the window (not shown). The four evangelists are symbolized by a young man for St. Matthew, a lion for St. Mark, an ox for St. Luke and an eagle for St. John. Standing left center are: St. Teresa of Avila and St. Barbara. Right center are: St. Augustine and St. Anthony the Hermit. Kneeling: Mary Magdalen, St. Lawrence, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Stephen, St. Clare, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Jerome, and St. Gregory the Great. (Photograph: Cynthia Gallo Callan)
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2 01 3 R e g i o n als
Nourished by Jesus,
O
ur ministry as teachers and catechists must be rooted in Jesus Christ, who loves and saves and feeds us. This encounter with Jesus then leads us to introduce him to others – to pass on the faith we have received as a gift. In this regional workshop we will spend
time reflecting on the beauty and grace of the Eucharist, both as sacrament and as liturgical expression. You will come away with new insights to enrich your understanding and experience of the Mass. We will also explore how to form our children to appreciate liturgy as a powerful and intimate encounter with Jesus and the Body of Christ. Finally, we will discuss practical tips for becoming more effective in our call to proclaim Christ Jesus.
The 2013 Regionals will be led by Tom Quinlan, director of religious education for the
Called to
Evangelize
Diocese of Joliet. Tom received his Masters of Divinity from the University of St. Mary of the Lake and has 20 years of experience as a parish and diocesan catechetical leader. He is active at the national level and has presented in many dioceses. Tom got his start as a catechist and a high school religion teacher.
We look forward to seeing you at the Regionals; God bless you in your work! Dates, Locations and Times
SPONSORED BY Office for Catechesis Diocese of Springfield in Illinois www.dio.org/catechesis www.dio.org/about/regionals.html
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
A ministry supported by the Annual Catholic Services Appeal
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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, Illinois; 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, Colorado; 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 Catechetical Sunday: “Open the Door of Faith” September 15, 2013
Regionals: Nourished by Jesus, Called to Evangelize 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 Registration Form
Spanish Regionals: Evangelización en las Familias Hispanas 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 Registration Form
Mission Mass October 22, 2013; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception; Springfield, Illinois; 11a-2p
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 April 22-24, 2014; 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
CORE Meetings
Thursdays, November 21, 2013; January 16, March 20, and May 15, 2014; Catholic Pastoral Center; Springfield, Illinois; 10a-2p
CORE Retreat
June 10-11, 2014; Villa Maria; Springfield, Illinois
Any teaching, but especially catechizing, can be sorely taxing. We often do not see the result of our efforts, and we can become discouraged when our students fail to fall in love with Jesus, who is so important us. This is the most important work of the Church, and so we, like St. Paul, must press on. - Sr. M. Johanna Paruch, FSGM, Ph.D., Mentors for the New Evangelization This work is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
COREnotes September 2013 - Issue 14 The Feast of St. Peter Claver
Office for Catechesis 1615 W. Washington • Springfield, IL 62702 - 4757 217.698.8500 ph • 217.698.8620 fax • dio.org/catechesis