Save the date: Vineyard Colloquium Oct 15 at 12:15pm with Chris Rogers

Save the date!  It's time for our annual Vineyard Colloquium.  We are delighted to have Mr. Chris Rogers, the Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of LaCrosse, coming to speak to the on the ground realities and potential for youth ministry today.  Mr. Rogers is also a new adjunct professor in our theology department.

The 2014 Vineyard Colloquium 

Chris Rogers, Director of Youth Ministry, Diocese of LaCrosse 

Oct. 15, 2014

12:15-1:15pm

Free pizza and drinks!

Room TBA

Theology, Pastoral and Youth Ministry, and Educational Studies (Religious Ed) majors are expected to attend.  Clear your calendar!

"A Conversation With Sarah Hart": Sunday, Sept 29, 11:45am

This year's Spirituality for the Vineyard colloquium is a Q and A with Catholic songwriter and musician Sarah Hart. Come with your questions on songwriting, life, and ministry. We plan to have a fun hour, beginning at 11:45am in the President's Room. Bring your brunch from the Caf upstairs and bring your family (since it is family weekend) if you wish!

Sept 29th: Sarah Hart, Vineyard Colloquium presenter

Save the date!

Sunday, September 29th, late morning. (where and precisely when, we're working on it!)

Sarah Hart, Catholic songwriter, performer, and Grammy winner, is our 2013-4 Vineyard colloquium presenter.

A list of her extensive discography may be found here.

Next Vineyard Colloquium: Sept 29

The next Vineyard Colloquium presenter is Sarah Hart!

Yes, as in the woman who has won a Grammy and is a well known songwriter and performer of Catholic contemporary and liturgical music. 

The event will be after morning mass on campus and with a brunch.  Do not go home that weekend! 

Details to come.

p.s. Go to her concert that evening on campus as well!

What Cardinal Bergoglio thought of Street Theology: the work and vision of Catholic Charities

Remember to come to hear Bob Tereba's Vineyard colloquium at 12:15pm today (3/25) in the President's Room!

From the future Pope Francis' 2008 Passion Sunday homily:

Today, here in Buenos Aires, like in Jerusalem on that day, the street made way for Jesus. The street received Him properly. The crowd stood, begged for blessings, blessings for their families, blessings for their businesses, their houses, their autos…  Blessing, what does that [really] mean? [It means] that Jesus “speak well” of something, that He approach! That He enter families, hearts, homes, autos, businesses…Jesus out in the street, interacting with the crowd…There. His desire is, just as the gates of the city were opened to Him, the same is done with the doors to our hearts. Every Holy Week He asks the same thing: “Open your heart to Me. I’m not here to mortify you! I’m not here to boss you around! I’m not here to take anything from you…I’m here to give you everything. I want to make you happy.” That’s what He’s telling us. If we slam the doors to our hearts in His face, He suffers. Although He is used to it, He suffers. And we lose the opportunity to become happy.

We say that today the Church has spilled out into the street, to imitate that Palm Sunday, but also to affirm that today, in a special way and by extension, the place for Christ is out in the street. The Gospels tell us He would go to the temple, that He would go to the synagogue, but they also tell us he was on the roads, in the cities, in the streets. Today the place for Christ is the street; the place for the Christian is the street. The Lord wants us like Him: with an open heart, roaming the streets of Buenos Aires. He wants us walking the streets of Buenos Aires and carrying His message! Like Him, on the road and on the street. He doesn’t want us hoarding His word just for ourselves, locked inside our own hearts, our own house, or in the temple, instead that we spill His word on the street. He wants us walking out on the street.

More at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2013/03/today-the-place-for-christ-is-in-the-street/

"Street Theology: The Work and Vision of Catholic Charities"

The Vineyard Colloquium speaker for Spring 2013 is Robert Tereba, Executive Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Winona.  

Robert Tereba has served as Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Winona since January, 2000.  Prior to that, he worked for Catholic Charities in Springfield, Illinois for 17 years.  He served as Controller and later as Associate Director.  He has a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois Champaign and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Illinois Springfield.  For one year he studied for the priesthood in the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois.

Robert and his wife, Delia, will celebrate their 25^th wedding anniversary in April of this year.  They met at Catholic Charities in Springfield where they both worked.  They have two teenage sons, Michael and Joseph.    

Robert brings 30 years experience of working with Catholic Charities, has enormous enthusiasm for the work, and we are pleased to have him as a Colloquium speaker.

"Street Theology: The Work and Vision of Catholic Charities"

Monday, March 25th

12:15pm-1:15pm

President's Room

Light lunch provided, but rsvp to Dr. Windley-Daoust (swindley@smumn.edu ) or call x1995. 

Save the date!

The Spring 2013 Vineyard Colloquium speaker is Robert Tereba, Executive Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Winona.  If you ever thought (or never thought!) of ministry as occurring outside parish life, you need to be at this talk!

Monday, March 25th
12:15pm-1:15pm
Light lunch provided

More information to come.

Save the Date!

Our Spirituality for the Vineyard Colloquia resume!

September 17, 2012 evening

Sr. Arlene Flaherty, OP

Catholic Relief Services

More information coming soon.

Have you RSVP-ed?

...for the March 18th workshop with Rich Curran?

...do so today in the Theology suite or with Sr. Judy Schaefer....

Our next speaker in action...

Workshop on Youth Ministry with national consultant Rich Curran, March 18

March 18, 2011

11am-1pm

President's Room

Lunch provided with RSVP (email: jschaefe or sign up in the Theology suite!)

A workshop for ALL Pastoral and youth ministry and Theology majors: If you had the chance to ask a ministry expert questions about life in ministry, especially youth ministry, what would you ask? Is there a best “program” to run at a parish? Are all pastors easy to work with? How long does it take to get 100 teens involved? Do they serve Ramen noodles at staff meetings? How do you get other adults to help? Will I burn out? What are the first five things I should do when I get hired?

--Come and spend the lunch hour with national speaker and youth ministry consultant Rich Curran. Rich is a funny, energetic and experienced lay minister who has served in ministry for over 20 years at the parish, diocesan and national level, and now speaks to over 50,000 youth and church workers each year. Rich is also a SMU alum! Bring your questions and spend two hours positioning yourself for a fruitful life in lay ministry. See a clip of Rich in action at www.richcurran.com .

p.s. if you need to miss class to attend, please let us know. We will send a notice to your professors asking them to allow you to attend and make up your classwork.

Also--if you are thinking "but I'm not interested in youth ministry, exactly"--come anyway. Many of the questions have to do with lay ministry in general, culture and theology, and frankly, if you work in a parish, you will be working in youth ministers! And you will be working with young people! This is a workshop that will be of value to everyone in the program. Clear your calendar, RSVP, and see you there!

p.s. Youtube link to Rich in action.

Closing note from Todd Graff's colloquium

From John Paul II's Christifideles Laici:

The vocation to holiness must be recognized and lived by the lay faithful, first of all as an undeniable and demanding obligation and as a shining example of the infinite love of the Father that has regenerated them in his own life of holiness. ... The eyes of faith behold a wonderful scene: that of a countless number of lay people, both women and men, busy at work in their daily life and activity, oftentimes far from view and quite unacclaimed by the world, unknown to the world's great personages but nonetheless looked upon in love by the Father, untiring labourers who work in the Lord's vineyard. Confident and steadfast through the power of God's grace, these are the humble yet great builders of the Kingdom of God in history.  (Para. 17)

Thanks to Todd and thanks to all who participated!

"The Lay Vocation to Ecclesial Ministry", Jan 25th at 4pm

Please come to the second Vineyard colloquium of the 2010-11 year!

"The Lay Vocation to Ecclesial Ministry"
January 25, 2011, 4pm
President's Room in Toner Center
Todd Graff

Todd Graff currently serves as the Director of the  Office of Ministry Formation for the diocese of Winona.  Todd received his Bachelor of Arts degree  from Creighton University in Omaha, NE, and his Master of Arts degree  in Theology from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA.  Previous to  coming to the diocese, he served as a campus minister at Creighton  University and as a high school religion teacher and campus minister at  Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago, IL.  He came to the Diocese of  Winona in August, 1990, to serve as the Coordinator of Social Action  Programs for Catholic Charities.  In December, 1999, he assumed his  present position. Todd is married to Laurie Ziliak and the father of six  children - Isaac, Jesse, Nathan, Samuel, Sophia, and Hannah.

The Inaugural Vineyard Colloquium: this Sunday evening!

History in the making, everyone. The inaugural speaker of the Vineyard Colloquia presents this Sunday!

Majors (and faculty) should have received an invitation to dinner with Sr. Kate before the lecture. Please RSVP to Dr. Beal by Wednesday (Sept 15).

And everyone come to the lecture/discussion...you can go to the late Mass afterward....

"Opportunities and Challenges in Lay Ministry"
September 19, 2010, 7pm
The President's Room, Toner Center
Sr. Kate Dooley, O.P.

Sister Kate Dooley, O.P. is a Sinsinawa (WI) Dominican Sister who teaches at Dominican University in River Forest, Il. For the past twenty five years she taught in The School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. She holds an M.A. from the Catholic University of America, a M.Th. from Harvard Divinity School, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. Dr. Dooley has published widely in catechetical and liturgical journals, and written a number of texts and resource materials for religious education. She is one of the General Editors for the Benziger series, Christ Jesus the Way. Other publications are To Listen and Tell: Commentary on the Introduction to the Lectionary for Masses with Children (Washington, D.C.: Pastoral Press, 1993); co-edited The Echo Within: Emerging Issues in Religious Education (Allen, Texas: Thomas More, 1997); and is currently working on Be What You Celebrate on liturgical catechesis. She has received numerous national awards, including the National Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Liturgical Life of the American Church (Georgetown Center for Liturgy, 2005) and the Emmaus Award for Excellence in Catechesis (National Catholic Education Association/National Association of Parish Catechetical Leaders, 2005).

The Vineyard Colloquia Speakers 2010-11

We are privileged to announce: the first Vineyard Colloquia speakers!

"Opportunities and Challenges in Lay Ministry"
September 19, 2010, 7pm
The President's Room, Toner Center
Sr. Kate Dooley, O.P.

Sister Kate Dooley, O.P. is a Sinsinawa (WI) Dominican Sister who teaches at Dominican University in River Forest, Il. For the past twenty five years she taught in The School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. She holds an M.A. from the Catholic University of America, a M.Th. from Harvard Divinity School, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. Dr. Dooley has published widely in catechetical and liturgical journals, and written a number of texts and resource materials for religious education. She is one of the General Editors for the Benziger series, Christ Jesus the Way. Other publications are To Listen and Tell: Commentary on the Introduction to the Lectionary for Masses with Children (Washington, D.C.: Pastoral Press, 1993); co-edited The Echo Within: Emerging Issues in Religious Education (Allen, Texas: Thomas More, 1997); and is currently working on Be What You Celebrate on liturgical catechesis. She has received numerous national awards, including the National Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Liturgical Life of the American Church (Georgetown Center for Liturgy, 2005) and the Emmaus Award for Excellence in Catechesis (National Catholic Education Association/National Association of Parish Catechetical Leaders, 2005).

"The Lay Vocation to Ecclesial Ministry"
January 25, 2011, 4pm
Todd Graff

Todd Graff currently serves as the Director of the Office of Ministry Formation for the diocese of Winona. Todd received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Creighton University in Omaha, NE, and his Master of Arts degree in Theology from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. Previous to coming to the diocese, he served as a campus minister at Creighton University and as a high school religion teacher and campus minister at Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago, IL. He came to the Diocese of Winona in August, 1990, to serve as the Coordinator of Social Action Programs for Catholic Charities. In December, 1999, he assumed his present position. Todd is married to Laurie Ziliak and the father of six children - Isaac, Jesse, Nathan, Samuel, Sophia, and Hannah.

"On The Spirituality of Youth Ministry"
March 18, 4pm.
Rich Curran

Rich Curran is a SMU alum (and current student in the Institute for Pastoral Ministries program) who, after being seriously injured sledding down our bluff (really), changed directions with his life and ended up serving for years as the director of youth ministry for the diocese of Green Bay. He has since been doing consulting with parishes, religious and secular organizations, and speaking on a variety of faith-based topics. A video of Rich's work these days is on his site, under "media." He is going to speak to our majors March 18th on the spirituality that is born out of engaging in youth ministry.

What is "the Spirituality for the Vineyard"?

Is there a spirituality--specifically, a formation and discernment process--that is particular to young adults considering pastoral and youth ministry? We think there is. This website is a place for SMU theology, pastoral and youth ministry, religious education majors and minors to learn more about how you could pray, think, and live out your discernment regarding who God is calling you to be. You cannot ignore the need for knowledge and professionalism when you are in leadership...but there are spiritual needs as well.

In order to complete what we call "The Vineyard Experience," we ask you to accomplish the following:

1. Seeing: Encounter your world. Participate in one extended cross-cultural service experience (for example, a SOUL trip or equivalent, verified in advance by your advisor), attending to and learning from the vulnerable in our human family.
2. Learning: The Vineyard Colloquia. Attend three Vineyard Colloquia an academic year, for two years. The Vineyard colloquia offer a chance to hear leaders in our area share their wisdom and experience on the challenges and opportunities of various lay ministries in the Church. There will also be a focus on the spirituality of lay ministry.
3. Exploring: Praxis for ministry: Complete the Pastoral and Youth Ministry internship (waived if you are a Theology major or minor). There are also other volunteer ministries--through SMU and in the local churches and dioceses--that students may count toward this element.
4. Clarifying: Small group support and reflection. Participate in small sharing groups, facilitated by local lay ecclesial leaders. These groups of three or four students meet monthly to share a meal and discuss how issues of life discernment and lay formation are going. Ideally, students in the major should be in one of these groups from the time they declare a major. Regular attendance is expected for at least one academic year.
5. Discerning: Prayer and retreat. Participate in one discernment retreat for majors and interested minors, usually offered in January. Students may attend their junior or senior year (or both years). A time away can help a person recognize and name their vocation, and return to classes with new questions and fresh vigor.

In addition, students in the program are encouraged to seek other methods of formation: spiritual direction, the 19th annotation of the Spiritual Exercises, regular participation in Catholic liturgical life, etc. We can point you in the right direction for all that if you wish. But the five above are a baseline.

Completion of The Vineyard Experience merits recognition of work above and beyond the academic elements of the major, and helps fulfill the spiritual formation elements of the National Standards for Lay and Ecclesial Ministries.

Explore the site or talk to one of the members of the theology department. We're excited--you should be, too!