The Immaculate Ever-Virgin Mary: Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Mother of All

/in /by

Thursday, May 20, 2021

View Webinar Now!

Dr. Fastiggi will cover all the major Marian dogmas: Mother of God, perpetual virginity, Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, as well as Our Lady’s association with Christ and the Holy Spirit in the work of salvation, and Our Lady’s Role as Queen of Families. Since this is the Year of St. Joseph, he will also talk about St. Joseph as the witness to Mary’s virginity and the protector of the Holy Family.

Robert Fastiggi (A.B. Dartmouth; M.A. Ph.D. Fordham) is the Bishop Britt Chair of Dogmatic Theology and Christology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI where he has taught since 1999. He previously taught at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX (1985–1999). He is a council member and former president (2014–2016) of the Mariological Society of America. He is also a member of the International Marian Association and a corresponding member of the Pontifical Marian Academy International. Dr. Fastiggi has authored, co-edited, or co-authored 15 books—most recently, Virgin, Mother, Queen: Encountering Mary in Time and Tradition (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2019) with Michael O’Neill.

COPING WITH THE COVID CRISIS Turning Trauma Into Growth

/in /by

Date: Thursday, April 15, 2021

View Webinar Now!

The novel Corona virus, known as Covid-19, has created a crisis that has had a significant negative impact on the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of people across the globe. For some, the impact has been more of an inconvenience than a crisis. For others, the impact has been severe, even traumatic, as they wrestle with the consequences of this disease. This webinar will attempt to help participants understand how they might use the opportunity of this pandemic to actually grow through this experience by focusing on what psychologists call Post-Traumatic Growth. The workshop will outline the factors that hinder such growth as well as the factors that facilitate this growth.

Darryl Ducote, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has a background in both mental health and theology. He has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from LSU, as well as, Masters Degrees in Theology and Divinity from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He is a former diocesan priest and continues to serve the Church through involvement in RCIA, liturgy, adult formation and is currently the Director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Previously, Darryl had been in private practice as a psychotherapist for over 30 years working with individuals, couples and families to help them deal with a variety of issues including: anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and relationship issues. Darryl is a member of the liturgical musical group known as the “Dameans,” who have composed and recorded numerous musical compositions that are sung in churches throughout the country. In addition to his work for the Diocese, Darryl conducts workshops on prayer and spirituality, as well as, retreats and marriage enrichment courses for couples. Together with a colleague, Dr. Paul Ceasar and the staff of Catholic Life Television, he has co-authored and produced a marriage enrichment series entitled, “Partners on the Journey.” Darryl has been married to his wife, Sharon, for over 20 years and has helped to raise two stepdaughters, Rachael and Blair, who are currently thriving adults.

La Reconciliación como camino de Sanación interior

/in /by

La Reconciliación como camino de Sanación interior

Reconciliation as a Way of Inner Healing

View Webinar Now!

Thursday, March 18, 2021

En la vida humana es imposible decir que nunca va a haber división, pero siempre va a ser posible la reconciliación como camino de sanación integral y de paz, la reconciliación es el resultado de una experiencia que nace del amor y de la entrega generosa. La reconciliación de la mano de la integración nos invita a poner cada uno su parte para que todo este coordinado según el plan de Dios.

La reconciliación nos invita a estar en procesos de encuentro, de salir de sí mismo para encontrar en el otro la confianza, dicho de otra es devolver la confianza, es darse la oportunidad para volver a empezar y no hacerlo solo, sino de la mano de Dios. La figura más patente de la reconciliación está en Dios que ha tomado la iniciativa para hacer la distancia más corta a través de la donación de su Hijo Jesucristo. Reconciliar es abrir el corazón a la posibilidad de encontrar una dimensión nueva de sí mismo.

In human life it is impossible to say that there will never be division, but reconciliation will always be possible as a path of integral healing and peace, reconciliation is the result of an experience that is born of love and generous self-giving. Reconciliation hand in hand with integration invites us each to put his part so that everything is coordinated according to God’s plan.

Reconciliation invites us to be in processes of encounter, to go out of ourselves to find trust in the other, said of another is to return trust; it is to give ourselves the opportunity to start over and not do it alone, but hand in hand with God. The most obvious figure of reconciliation is in God who has taken the initiative to make the shortest distance through the donation of his Son Jesus Christ. Reconciling is opening the heart to the possibility of finding a new dimension of oneself.

BIOGRAFIA HERMANA MARYUD MILENA CORTES RESTREPO

La hermana Maryud Milena Cortes Restrepo nació en Yarumal, Antioquia, Colombia, el 23 de septiembre de 1988, es la 1de 9 hermanos.

Ingreso a la Congregación Hermanas Misioneras Siervas del Divino Espíritu el 30 de enero de 2006, su profesión religiosa la realizó el 19 de marzo de 2010 y su profesión perpetua el 8 de junio de 2014.

Estudió misionología en una unión entre la Universidad Urbaniana de Roma y las obras misionales pontificias de Colombia, realizó la licenciatura en Psicología con Atlantic International University, la maestría en estudios de liderazgos aplicados con Boston College y el doctorado en Psicología con Atlantic International University.

Tiene una experiencia Misionera de 15 años en diferentes lugares de la geografía colombiana; se ha desempeñado como misionera en Ecuador y Estados Unidos.

Su lema de vida está inspirado en Gálatas 4; 19: “sufro dolores, hasta que Cristo se haya formado en ustedes”

Sister Maryud Milena Cortes Restrepo was born in Yarumal, Antioquia, Colombia, on September 23, 1988; she is the 1st of 9 siblings.

She entered the Congregation of Missionary Sisters Servants of the Divine Spirit on January 30, 2006, her religious profession was made on March 19, 2010 and her perpetual profession on June 8, 2014.

She studied missiology (missionary theology) in a union between the Urbaniana University of Rome and the pontifical missionary works of Colombia; and obtained a degree in Psychology from Atlantic International University, a master’s degree in applied leadership studies from Boston College and a doctorate in Psychology from Atlantic International University.

She has a missionary experience of 15 years in different places of the Colombian geography; she has served as a missionary in Ecuador and the United States.

Her life motto is inspired by Galatians 4; 19: “I suffer pain, until Christ has been formed in you”

The V Encuentro and the Future of Hispanic Family Life Ministry

/in /by

Date: Thursday, February 18, 2021

View Webinar Now!

Jake Samour will offer an overview of the V Encuentro process with an emphasis on how he believes it has and continues to impact how the Association’s serves and supports those who minister to Hispanic Families. In light of that overview, he will also offer key developments from the Ad Hoc Committee, which he was asked to assemble last year, in order to discern and make recommendations that will address the growing need for Family Life Ministry with Hispanics/Latinos in the United States.

COVID-19 Vaccines: Current Status & Ethical Issues

/in /by

February 4, 2021

View Webinar Now!

Topic:

  • Coronavirus infection & the immune response
  • Vaccine design & evaluation parameters
  • Current COVID-19 vaccine leading candidates
  • COVID-19 vaccines & Catholic ethical considerations

Presenter:  Deacon Rob Lanciotti holds a doctoral degree in Microbiology and was a virologist for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) for 29 years.  He is a Deacon for the Archdiocese of Denver.

 

Faith Matters: Catholic Response to Domestic Violence

/in /by

Topic: December PDCC “Faith Matters: Catholic Response to Domestic Violence”

View Webinar Now!

Presenter: Sharon O’Brien, Ph.D.
Date: December 17, 2020

Topic:  Using faith-specific teaching, this interactive experience will highlight the many ways Catholic Leaders address domestic abuse in Catholic families. It explores how to use a faith-sensitive lens to support those who experience abuse, the children who are hurt by it and indeed the person who initiates the abuse.  Callers will learn how faith can be a resource or a barrier to hope, help, and healing. Best practices and ways to be a faith leadership ally to local secular domestic violence agencies will be identified.

Presenter Bio:  Sharon O’Brien, Ph.D. is Co-Founder and Director of Catholics For Family Peace Education and Research, an Initiative of the National Institute for the Family. An international presenter on the topic of faith response to domestic abuse, her doctoral work was recognized by the International Family Violence Research Conference. She earned her M.A. in Adult Education from The George Washington University. Dr. O’Brien was a founding member and President of the Interfaith Community Against Domestic Violence; a founding member of the Peaceful Families Project; and served on Maryland’s Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition of Maryland and on the Advisory Board of the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA). Sharon is an active member of NACFLM as well as the National Council of Catholic Women for which she co-authored Healing the Wounds: A Resource Manual to Prevent Domestic Abuse.

Caregiving and COVID: Family Life – ‘The New Normal at Home’ as the Holidays Approach – Impacts and Opportunities

/in /by

November 19, 2020  – View Webinar Now!

November is National Caregiving Month

Title:  Caregiving and COVID: Family Life – ‘The New Normal at Home’ as the Holidays Approach – Impacts and Opportunities

A fresh look at ministering to families through the lens of an ever-expanding definition of caregiver, newly released impacts on millennials, and how living in a “full house” presents both challenges and new ways to heal families across generations.

Kelly Johnson and Deb Kelsey-Davis, Co-Founders of Nourish for Caregivers and Co-Authors, “The Caregiver’s Companion”, recently released by Ave Maria Press:

  • Kelly Johnson is currently responsible for Adult Faith Formation at St. Mary of Gostyn Parish in Downers Grove and a recent graduate of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Diocese of Joliet’s Lay Leadership Institute’s Lay Leadership Certification program. Along with her husband Bob, she is mother to 2 amazing sons and, as Kelly would say, she’s “continually awed at the ways in which God stretches and blesses her”.
  • Deb Kelsey-Davis is a registered nurse by training and a lifelong healthcare leader. She is a Board member of the National Association of Catholic Nurses and obtained her Lay Ministry Certification from the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Called and Gifted Program.  She and her husband are very proud of their 2 adult children, knowing without a doubt it was by the grace of God that they’ve become the wonderful people they are.

Together, Kelly and Deb developed  Nourish for Caregivers:

  • A faith-based ministry to care for caregivers. Nourish provides the tools and resources to minister to family caregivers’ practical, emotional and spiritual needs through a curriculum that addresses the most common and challenging issues caregivers face. Nourish, today, is in 25 diocese across the country. Deb and Kelly’s mission is to see family caregivers have the resources and spiritual support they need in their very own local faith communities.

Be Not Afraid: Pastoral Care for Families Receiving a Poor Prenatal Diagnosis

/in /by

October 15, 2020  View Webinar Now!

Tracy Winsor is the co-founder of Be Not Afraid, a national case management and peer ministry service supporting parents carrying to term following a prenatal diagnosis.

Working in the field of parent advocacy around prenatal diagnosis for over twelve years, Tracy has provided direct support to over 200 families welcoming infants with life-limiting disability. Her focus within this advocacy is the development of birth and newborn care plans.    Earlier this year, her work around planning for these babies was the subject of a chapter published by the NCBC in their resource text, Catholic Health Care Ethics: A Manual for Practitioners.

The picture is her holding the first baby welcomed by BNA. Hailey Grace had Trisomy13, and a complicated heart and brain.  Born still, her brief life commissioned the work of BNA…a story Tracy will share…by making clear how a Catholic ministry could generate referrals from the medical community that often considers babies like Hailey Grace “throw away babies.”

Ministros del amor de Dios en familia

/in /by

Ministros del amor de Dios en familia
Ministers of God’s Love in the Family

Listen here! / Escuchar aquí

Presentation Document / Documento de presentación

Agosto 20, 2020 a la 1:00 pm (hora Este)
August 20, 2020 at 1:00 pm Eastern

La presentación será en español

Papa Francisco dice que  “la misión de la familia es acoger a Dios en familia cuando llega en forma de niño, de cónyuge, de hermanos, de abuelos”. ¿Qué es exactamente acoger o “aceptar” al otro en familia, al modo de Cristo? ¿Qué significa ser ministros del Amor de Dios, de tal manera que nuestras relaciones familiares sean sanadas y salvadas para el amor? Estudiaremos la base bíblica, psicológica y espiritual de lo que esto significa, así como las herramientas prácticas para pasar este mensaje a las familias.

Pope Francis says that “the mission of the family is to welcome God in the family when he comes in the form of a child, a spouse, brothers, grandparents.” What exactly is welcoming or “accepting” the other as family, in the manner of Christ? What does it mean to be ministers of God’s Love, so that our family relationships are healed and saved for love? We will study the biblical, psychological, and spiritual basis of what this means, as well as practical tools to pass this message on to families.

Dora Tobar Mensbrugghe. Doctora en Teología por la Pontificia Universidad Gregoriana de Roma. Casada y madre de dos hijos. Durante los últimos años se ha dedicado especialmente a la investigación y desarrollo de programas de formación espiritual y vida familiar como Formación de Padres al Liderazgo, Formación de jóvenes a la castidad, Discernimiento vocacional al amor y vida de pareja. Diseñó el programa denominado “La Pareja Feliz” y fue redactora en jefe de la página web para las parejas hispanas de la Conferencia Episcopal de los Estados Unidos: www.portuMatrimonio.org. Conferencista en Congresos nacionales e internacionales. Actualmente dirige la oficina de Pastoral de Familia y Ministerio Hispano de La Diócesis de Lafayette en Indiana.

Dora Tobar received a Doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Married and mother of two children. During the last years she has dedicated herself especially to the research and development of spiritual formation and family life programs such as Formation of Parents to Leadership, Formation of young people to chastity, Vocational discernment to love and life as a couple. She designed the program called “La Pareja Feliz” and was editor-in-chief of the website for Hispanic couples of the United States Episcopal Conference (USCCB): www.portuMatrimonio.org. Lecturer at national and international conferences. She currently directs the Hispanic Ministry and Family Ministry office of the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana.

The Gospel Call to Listen – Responding to Difficult Conversations with Dignity

/in /by

Recording

Topic: July PDCC “The Gospel Call to Listen – Responding to Difficult Conversations with Dignity”
Presenter:  Emily Schumacher-Novak
Time: Jul 16, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Time

Speaker Bio:  Emily Schumacher-Novak holds an M.A. in Systematic Theology from Marquette University with advanced studies in Ignatian Spirituality. She worked for ten years accompanying college students in their lives of faith before coming the USCCB. Emily now serves as the Assistant Director of Education and Outreach in the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development at USCCB. She lives in DC with her husband and their two boys.