Teen STAR: Empowering Our Young People to Make Better Decisions

Date:  April 16, 2020

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Intro to Teen STAR PDF

Teen STAR is a curricular program that teaches young people about sexuality and affectivity.  When adolescents and young adults learn about their bodies and fertility in conjunction with principals of Natural Law and the teachings of Human Vitae and the Theology of the Body, they learn to appreciate and value what has been given to them, to make better decisions about how to use these gifts and become integrated human beings:  balancing the physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and social aspects of their lives.

Teen STAR’s pedagogy is based on a Personalistic model of accompaniment, a “walking with” the young person through their experiences.  They are encouraged to “discover” their inherent value as children of God, using the Socrative method combined with presentations, activities (including interviewing their parents and grandparents) and videos that build on each other.
Girls learn how to chart their fertility in a basic way (we do not teach a method) and both boys and girls learn to chart their emotions to guide them as they are confronted with problems.
Teen STAR prepares Instructors to guide Youth Groups, Confirmation classes, home-school groups, etc.  The curriculum is age-appropriate to Middle School, High School, and Young Adults (called Holistic Sexuality).

Deacon Santiago Molina is the acting Executive Director of Teen STAR USA.
Deacon Santiago is originally from Argentina. Married to Laurie Molina for 32 years and with a daughter. He is Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Tallahassee Community College. He has been a permanent deacon since 2000. He has lived in Tallahassee, Florida since 1990.

Respondiendo al proceso del V Encuentro y al Papa Francisco: seamos discípulos misioneros para las familias

Responding to the V Encuentro process and Pope Francis: let us be missionary disciples for families

Marzo 19, 2020

La presentación será en español

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La experiencia del V Encuentro nos llena de esperanza. El V Encuentro ha sido un regalo para las familias Hispanas de los Estados Unidos y para la Iglesia entera. El proceso nos ha enseñado a ser mejores oyentes y acompañantes para los matrimonios y las familias durante los tiempos difíciles de sus vidas. En esta sesión hablaremos sobre cómo el Encuentro ha profundizado nuestro compromiso de servir a las familias de nuestra Diócesis y de servir a nuestra propia familia. Hablaremos de las memorias y conclusiones del V Encuentro Nacional de Pastoral Hispana/Latina. También compartiremos sobre nuestra experiencia de presentar las memorias y conclusiones al Papa Francisco en el Vaticano.

The experience of the V Encuentro fills us with hope. The V Encuentro has been a gift to Hispanic families in the United States and to the entire Church. The process has taught us all to be better listeners and companions for marriages and families during the difficult times of their lives. In this session we will talk about how the Encuentro has deepened our commitment to serve the families of our Diocese, and to serve our own family. We will talk about the proceedings & conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry. We will also share our experience of presenting the proceedings & conclusions to Pope Francis at The Vatican.

Mario y Paola Martínez cuentan con más de 15 años de experiencia en la pastoral con jóvenes, matrimonios, educación de padres y familias. Ellos han instruido a cientos de jóvenes, adultos, y parejas en talleres de habilidades de comunicación en los últimos 10 años. Han estado casados por más de trece años y tienen cuatro hijos. Paola tiene una licenciatura en Sociología de la Universidad de California en Riverside, y Mario tiene una maestría en Psicología Aplicada de la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón en Connecticut y es candidato para el Doctorado en Psicología Clínica. Actualmente se desempeñan como Co-Directores de la Oficina de Pastoral Matrimonial y Familiar en la Diócesis de San Bernardino, California.

Mario and Paola Martinez have more than 15 years of experience in pastoral care with young people, marriages, education of parents and families. They have instructed hundreds of youth, adults, and couples in communication skills workshops in the past 10 years. They have been married for over thirteen years and have four children. Paola has a BA in Sociology from the University of California at Riverside, and Mario has an MBA in Applied Psychology from the University of the Sacred Heart in Connecticut and is a candidate for a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. They currently serve as Co-Directors of the Office of Marriage and Family Pastoral in the Diocese of San Bernardino, California.