Franciscan at Home

This track helps seminarians and priests explore authentically Catholic approaches to growing their parishes into centers of evangelization and discipleship.

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This track, taught by field-veterans, offers an array of practical workshops not only for newer diocesan officials, but also to support the bishop and his staff.

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Have you ever wondered how to best support children on their journey of life and faith, especially in these immensely challenging times?  

How can we help our young ones not only to learn about God’s truth in their heads, but also come to hunger for Him in their hearts?
 
Children have an immense capacity for God, who has written a desire for Him in their hearts. Jesus invites us, as adults, to participate with the Holy Spirit in guiding little ones to the Father’s Heart.  This Educating in Christ (EIC) Track is a unique adaptation of the work of Dr. Maria Montessori, Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, and Gianna Gobbi, master teachers and master catechists.  Designed by an educational expert, Dr. Gerard O'Shea, in collaboration with a team of catechetical experts assembled by Franciscan University’s Catechetical Institute, the EIC approach offers the unparalleled value of Montessori’s understanding of the child to two areas of need:  parents in the home and teachers serving in regular Catholic schools.  The EIC goal is to enable children in various educational circumstances to benefit from teachers, as well as mothers and fathers, who understand how to foster yearning for God, not just learning about God – and to do so for all ages of youth, from infancy to the end of the teenage years.  This series of workshops, associated resource website (EducatingInChrist.com) and training events make this superlative formative approach accessible, affordable, and adaptable for a much broader range of situations and locations, reaching far more children and families.
 
These thorough and practical workshops will help you to:

• Deepen your sense of wonder at God’s work in a child’s heart from the earliest age.
• Broaden your understanding of child development and discover how to foster each child’s capacity for God at every stage of development.
• Increase your practical skill set for delivering the Gospel message to children in a concrete way that touches their hearts as well as their minds. 

Whether you minister to children in your home or at school, this track will help you to lead children in the great adventure of falling in love with God.

If you have questions about certification requirements, mentoring, or other questions, please visit our Q&A page for the EIC approach.

This track is designed to cultivate Spanish speaking leaders, grounding them in the truths of the faith and preparing them to lead from the heart of the Church.   Formed to be people of prayer and discernment, they will be prepared to respond to the needs of the Church in their communities.

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Este track está diseñado para capacitar a líderes hispanos, arraigándolos en las verdades de la fe y preparándolos para servir al pueblo de Dios con confianza y alegría. Formados para ser personas de oración y discernimiento, estarán preparados para responder a las necesidades de la Iglesia en sus comunidades.