Presented by Dr. Gerard O’Shea of Notre Dame University of Sydney and the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes. Come and learn from a true master! Dr. O’Shea is has led a diocesan school system in Australia and has long been a professor of Religious Education for the University of Notre Dame in Sydney. He has worked in Catholic education for over forty years and has written numerous articles and books on religious education and parenting. He and his wife, Anne, served as president couple of the National Association of Catholic Families. He is an internationally-recognized expert on how to take Montessori principles of forming children into a diversity of settings – regular Catholic schools especially! To view and download Dr. O'Shea's presentation materials, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AklgJv2E_jrlh8EtS2887G49ISyGGg?e=V4rgkH

Presented by Sam Mauck and Dcn. Jeff Drzycimski of the Diocese of Memphis. A strong diocesan formation effort is not simply one geared to form individuals well in the faith, but one that seeks to foster intimate ties in Christ among the faithful, providing distinctively Catholic and ongoing encounters with Jesus through devotions, Confession, education, and fellowship, so participation in the Mass is experienced as it should be, as the summit of a wider movement towards the Lord. A strong parish community is one that aims to foster sacrificial accompaniment within structures of continuity of care – to foster and deepen the vocation to others, knowing that the faith is most effectively passed on via pathways of familial trust, personal witness, vulnerable friendship, genuine sharing and reciprocal sacrifice, within the strength of a community. This webinar will discuss ways to foster, at a diocesan level, ongoing formation that encourages this experience of the Lord in local communities of faith.

Presented by Sean Ascough and Eithne Nic Giolla Cathain of Youth2000 Ireland, Ulrike Heckl of Youth2000 Germany, Andre Regnier of Catholic Christian Outreach, and Katrina Herlambang of the Catechetical Institute. The vision of St. John Paul II in inaugurating World Youth Day, developed into a decades-long challenge to the Church to call each generation of youth and young adults to the heights of sainthood. This apostolate to the future is at the heart of renewal. Yet, for 21st century people, many of our ministry strategies towards young adults seem to produce meager results. Catholic leaders want to make disciples, evangelize well, and be fruitful. Many just don’t know how to do it intentionally. Any effort to evangelize and make disciples of young adults must start with a carefully-formed Catholic worldview and a genuine missionary mindset, with particular attention is given to sustained long-term growth in the spiritual life, not just short-term gains. This webinar will focus on a candid discussion of the realities and challenges in ministry to young adults, and some strategies and skills to reach young adults for Jesus.

Presented by Sr. John Dominic Rasmussen, OP and Sr. Athanasius Monroe, OP of the Dominicans Sister of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist of Ann Arbor. “And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. . . . They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?’” (Luke 24:27, 32). The hearts of the disciples burned within them as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them. The hearts of those entrusted to us can also burn with a desire and hunger for the Lord through the catechesis they receive. Echoing the Mystery: Unlocking the Deposit of Faith in Catechesis is an incredible resource that stems from the heart of a true catechist. Barbara Morgan became a catechist at the age of fourteen, and spent the majority of her life teaching the faith, and forming others to be catechists. The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan collaborated with Barbara Morgan in order to develop this resource. This webinar offers a walk-through of this uniquely beneficial resource that helps us teach in such a way that the hearts of those entrusted to us may burn within them. This guide for unlocking the Deposit of Faith is a superlative resource to all in the catechetical field, be they priests, parents, teachers, parish catechists, youth ministers, and so on.

Presented by Patrice Spirou and colleagues of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. St. John Paul II tells us that, “Family catechesis . . . precedes, accompanies and enriches all other forms of catechesis” (Apostolic Exhortation “On Catechesis in Our Time,” Catechesi tradendae 68). These words challenge us to examine our thinking about how to pass on the Catholic faith within the parish or school we serve, and specifically to look at how to encourage the formation of the entire family. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read, “The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom” (CCC 2207). Since the family is essential in the work of catechesis, this webinar discusses how to center ministry around family catechesis, which allows parishes and schools to aid the family by providing the education, encouragement, and accompaniment that families need. It can also be helpful for parents, catechists, and so on, who wish to understand aspects of implementing family catechesis within a parish, or who simply desire to grow in their spiritual lives in such a way as to lead their own families closer to Christ.

Hosted by Sr. Mary Michael Fox, OP of the Dominicans Sisters of St. Cecelia of Nashville. The principle of “fidelity to God and fidelity to man” stands as a fundamental guide for catechists as they make choices regarding catechetical content and methodology. In practice, this principle requires more than a “see-saw” balance of the two; it requires a deeply integrated understanding of both the nature of God’s revelation and the nature of the human person for whom God’s revelation is meant. For an understanding of God’s revelation, we have the wisdom of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, Papal encyclicals, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For an understanding of the human person—particularly the child—we have the wisdom of Dr. Maria Montessori. Maria Montessori was a Catholic medical doctor, scientist, educator, and Thomist! Without exaggeration, she ranks among the great thinkers of her time and ours. It is unfortunate that in the United States too often her insights have been egregiously misunderstood and misapplied and for this reason her teachings have gone largely unexamined by Catholic catechists and educators. Yet, her pedagogical and anthropological wisdom promises to guide catechists in an authentic renewal that guarantees fidelity to God and fidelity to the child. Join us in this webinar as we explore a few salient insights of Maria Montessori regarding the nature of the child and in particular the nature of children’s religious education. Catechists participating in this webinar can expect gain: - A general knowledge of Maria Montessori’s educational project including her philosophy of education. - A general knowledge of Montessori’s catechetical experiment and its underlying principles of education, specifically children’s catechesis. - An overview of Montessori’s work “The Four Planes of Education” and “The Human Tendencies.” - A few practical and immediate ideas for applying Montessori’s pedagogical and anthropological principles in catechesis.

Presented by Dr. James Pauley, Franciscan Catechetics Professor and Chris Carstens, Director of the Office of Sacred Worship for the Diocese of La Crosse. There is a vital relationship between the liturgy and evangelization – it is that sacred action which is most essential to forming genuine disciples and enabling authentic conversion. The Church’s ever-new vision places maximum emphasis on apprenticing people into an active and fruitful sacramental life in Christ. This is the only true path to human fulfillment – to lasting peace, joy, and belonging. This webinar will explore how the liturgy forms and transforms us, and what catechists and teachers can do to prepare people for the liturgical encounter?

Presented by Ana Lisa Piñon Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization Programs for the Diocese of Arlington. In any ministry setting actually living out a call to pastoral accompaniment is highly challenging. Mentoring skills, evangelical hospitality, and forms of ongoing pastoral care are ever more important in the course of evangelizing and catechizing work, small group facilitation, parenting, and any form of outreach that seeks to offer not just programs and structures, but generous love and sacrificial presence. Pastoral accompaniment is integral to the success of any ministry in the Catholic Church, as well as to life in the home. We are privileged to be able to participate in the Blessed Trinity’s divine and loving care for souls. Our ministry, then, is a participation in His divine accompaniment. This webinar will explore how to pursue realistic ways forward to gain and help others gain the skills, spiritual awareness, and commitment to best practices which make pastoral accompaniment a reality in parish life.

Presented by Dr. Petroc Willey, Director of the Catechetical Institute. “Since it belongs to the supernatural order, grace escapes our experience and cannot be known except by faith. We cannot therefore rely on our feelings or our works to conclude that we are justified and saved. However, according to the Lord's words ‘Thus you will know them by their fruits’ – reflection on God’s blessings in our life and in the lives of the saints offers us a guarantee that grace is at work in us and spurs us on to an ever greater faith and an attitude of trustful poverty.” (CCC 2005) We enter into the mystery of Christ through a transforming sacramental grace, the living Word, evangelizing catechesis, and evangelical communities. This webinar will explore how a rich understanding of the grace by which souls enter into Christ’s life can be fostered in our approaches to ministry. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) to call each soul to Father’s loving plan and sure hope in His life shared with us by grace. In order to pass on the truths of faith in season and out, those in ministry must be securely grounded in grace.

Hosted by Robert Siemens, Founder and Director of Franciscan University’s School of Spiritual Direction. “Jesus thirsts; his asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us” (CCC 2560). Jesus not only desires to have a relationship with you and all His people, but with you specifically in your ministry role. Yet spiritual progress is so often illusive or inconsistent in many Catholics’ lives, even those in ministry. We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures. We are the sum of the Father's love for us, and our real capacity to become the image of his Son. Guidance along the spiritual journey seek to aide those not satisfied with their present level of closeness to God and aims to provide an accompanying helper, aiming at real growth. This desire to grow in authentic wisdom and happiness comes from the Holy Spirit and will not go unrewarded.