Catholics on Call: Aug 4-8 2015 in Chicago

Interested in a discernment retreat?  We have had three SMU Theology/PYM students/alums attend Catholics on Call now, and all have had great experiences.  This is only $100 for everything for the week.  In the past, Campus Ministry has been able to provide some financial support, but you need to talk to them...asap!

Consider it!  Application due early May.  More information here.

Catholics on (Last?) Call

August 5-9, 2014

Catholics on Call 

Young Adult Discernment Retreat

Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL

From the website:

This is what participants say about the conference:

“It was an amazing experience, one that I cannot fully express the enormous impact on my life and my relationship with God.”

“It gave me time to intentionally reflect, in community with others, on God's will for my life--where I've been, where I'm going.”

“Catholics on Call allowed me, for the first time, to be open to God's call in my life and not be afraid of what that could mean.”

Register soon!  This is only $100 for everything for a week, and we have had two alums attend and say great things about the experience.  Contact them (or Dr WD) for more information.

Discerning your life in the Church this summer? Go to "Catholics on Call"!

Young Adult Conference 2014
Aug 5-9, 2014
Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL 
$100 registration (that's everything except travel!)
Application deadline: May 5

Kelsi Watters and alum John Uhal have done this conference and speak very highly of it.  Please consider learning more about it and applying to attend.  If the $100 is holding you back, talk to CoC or perhaps Campus Ministry for financial help.  The cost is frankly a real bargain given what you are getting.

See more here:

"I'm in a mind-mapping state of mind"

(My apologies to Billy Joel)

In these last few days before break, you may want to set up a meeting with your advisor to discuss the National Standards for Lay and Ecclesial Ministry--either for the end of this week or just after break.  Creating a mind-map, or working with the Google docs form (in beta!), is an optional but important part of your own self-assessment as a student discerning lay ministry in the Church.  A completed mind map can be a useful introduction of yourself within a portfolio as well, electronic or not.

This option has been introduced in Th 209 and Th 460, but if you are interested, please feel free to fool around with the options and make an appointment with your Theology department advisor.

Religious Vocations Open House

This Monday, September 9th, 7:30pm, there will be a religious vocations open house at the Christian Brothers' residence.  Learn more about what is involved in discerning to enter a religious order as a brother or sister, or discerning the priesthood.  Fr. Will Thompson, Brother Frank Carr, and Sr. Mary Hanah will be present, as well as the folks from Campus Ministry. 

Refreshments, discussion, and prayer--for more information, contact Campus Ministry.  No commitments--just simple curiosity required.

Possible retreats this summer

Doesn't a retreat sound good right now?  You have options, lots of options....

At Broom Tree (Irene, SD, near Sioux Falls)
Ignatian 3 day silent retreats:

• one for women: August 15-18
• one for men: July 11-14

At Demontreville (Lake Elmo, MN).  Long weekend Ignatian silent retreats.  Demontreville serves men only.  Contact them for available dates this summer.

Pacem in Terris retreat hermitages are also in the Cities.

Arc Retreat Center is 50 miles north of the Twin Cities (this is an ecumenical retreat house).

A link to eight Catholic retreat centers in the Chicago area.

A link to multiple retreat houses in the Milwaukee area.

Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center has directed retreats throughout the summer in the North Woods of Wisconsin.

There are some summer retreats (hiking retreats, iconography, etc.) available at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in LaCrosse.

There are also Catholic retreat houses in Iowa, contact them for information.  Not to mention New Mellaray Abbey's guesthouse.

More a conference than a retreat, but Steubenville Youth Conferences are widely known--this summer, the closest one to Winona is in Rochester (Steubenville North).  

And this list in not exhaustive!

***

All these retreat houses are different in approach and expectations, so ask questions or talk to people who know some of the options (I know some of these places but not all).  Summer can be a great time to make an extended retreat, so do consider it!

Last call for Catholics on Call

Young adult conference 2013, August 6-10; Chicago, IL

Applications must be postmarked May 6th!  They can also be done online.

Find the application and more information here.  Campus Ministry has offered to help with some of the expenses (which are very low to begin with), but you need to contact Dean Steven McGlaun asap.

Summer Discernment Conference/Retreat. Perhaps for free?

One of the pieces encouraged in this program is participate in a discernment retreat.  This is one of your best options, right here: The Catholics on Call Summer Young Adult Conference 2013.  The dates are August 6-10, and it is in Chicago, at the Catholic Theological Union.  Participants rave about this experience and how it helps them think and pray through what God may be calling them to within the Church.  This is not just for people thinking about the priesthood and religious life (although that works too!).  And you get to meet young people from all over the country in the same boat.


If you are interested, talk to Dean of Campus Ministry Steven McGlaun about possible scholarship funding.  You may need to get yourself there, but the registration fee that covers room and board may be covered through OCM, assuming not everyone in the department decides to attend at once.

The application for the summer program is due May 6th, but they are taking applications now.  If you are interested, please don't delay.  And let us know you want to attend!

Much more here.

What is Ignatian Spirituality anyway?

Those of you who are discerning next steps in life may have heard of Ignatian spirituality. St. Ignatius of Loyola is commonly seen as the having paved the theology of discernment through prayer, and there is a video series on Ignatian Spirituality being created by the Irish Jesuits. The first one is below, and others are at the link at the bottom of the post. This is a painless and interesting way to learn about an approach to spirituality many people have found life-changing. Enjoy!



More at: 
http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/what-is-ignatian-spirituality/the-ignatian-way/

Catholics on Call discernment retreat, scholarships available

For those students interested in lay ministry, religious life, or the priesthood.

Chicago Theological Union

Open to 18-30 year olds, $100.00/person fee,

Tues. July 31-Sat. Aug. 4^th.

Applications due May 7th (get them in earlier than that!)

More at www.catholicsoncall.org

There is limited scholarship money available! Contact a professor in the Theology department to get started exploring that.

This video seems more angled to people recommending the week than the young people they hope will attend it, but gives you a sense of the week:

Retreat opportunities

Many people are going to TEC (Together Encountering Christ retreat) this weekend (or you are on the TEC team!). Prayers and best wishes for a fruitful retreat!

One of the suggestions for the Vineyard experience is to make a discernment retreat. These can be arranged in retreat centers nearby, or perhaps even a busy person's retreat while in class, but discernment is often done best with some silence. To that end...the 2012 Broom Tree four-day silent Ignatian retreats! (Two of those days include travel.)

See more here, including links to typical conferences.

They also have 8 day and 30 day retreats this July, if you are interested in a more intense and lengthy discernment retreat (although you really shouldn't do a 30 day without an 8 day first). See here (left side of webpage, half way down).

The three day silent retreat dates at Broom Tree in South Dakota:

UPCOMING SILENT RETREATS

2012 Women's Ignatian Silent Retreats

February 2-5
March 1-4
May 17-20
June 7-10
August 16-19
September 6-9
October 18-21
November 1-4

2012 Men's Ignatian Silent Retreats

February 16-19
March 15-18
July 19-22
September 20-23

Silent Ignatian Retreats in 2011

Part of the Spirituality for the Vineyard "program" includes making students aware of offerings that help people grow in their spiritual lives, and discern vocations. A number of students last year did this through taking advantage of spiritual direction (if you want more information on spiritual direction, and who is trained in it in the Winona area, please contact Dr WD or Lynn Streefland in OCM). Small groups are also an option if people are interested in us setting them up for you.

This post is primarily about retreats. As usual, there are a lot of good retreat opportunities through Campus Ministry (Freshmen Retreat, TEC, more...contact them for details). But... if are you interested in a different type of retreat, one with more quiet, more focus on discernment...check out this is from the Broom Tree Retreat Center in South Dakota (approx. 5.5 hours from Winona):

What you can expect from a Four-Day Ignatian Silent Retreat at Broom Tree?

Starting on Thursday nights with registration at 6 pm, both our Men's and Women's Ignatian Silent Retreats generally conclude on Sundays at 5 pm.

The daily schedule contains four or five general conferences, each approximately a half hour in length. These conferences are based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Each conference is followed by a free period in which to reflect and pray on the given scripture presented and to apply them to one’s own life. There is also an opportunity for Spiritual Direction daily.

Each day the retreatant has the opportunity to participate in the Eucharist, the rosary, Sacrament of Reconciliation and Benediction. Being silent, waiting, and listening for God to speak - with nowhere to go, no agenda to keep, and no superficial social contact is the key ingredient for communicating with God. The beauty of the grounds also helps dispose oneself to hearing the Lord speak. Remember, Elijah did not find God in the earthquake, hurricane, or fire, but in the quiet breeze.(1 Kings 19:12).
...

Cost?

Broom Tree Retreat and Conference Center is sustained by the donations of the retreatants. All are welcome at Broom Tree. No one is excluded because of inability to make a retreat donation. Broom Tree's cost to provide meals and lodging for a Silent Retreat is $240/person ($80/day). We ask that you prayerfully consider this when making your donation.

What to Wear?

Casual clothing is recommended- slacks, sweaters, sports shirts, make for a relaxing weekend. Also, wear comfortable walking shoes and bring suitable outdoor wear for taking hikes on our trails.

What are the rooms like?

Each retreatant enjoys a private room, with a queen sized bed, private bath, and chair for relaxing with an over-sized window to admire the beautiful scenery God has created at Broom Tree. An Adoration Chapel is also available to share quiet time with God. There is also a large dining room and exercise facilities. We also have a gift shop and bookstore located in the retreat center.

There is also a podcast with a couple of the conferences given there on the spiritual retreats page.

2011 Women's Ignatian Silent Retreats

September 15-18
October 20-23
November 3-6

2011 Men's Ignatian Silent Retreats

September 22-25

If you are interested (and OBVIOUSLY check your class schedule to see if this would be possible for you, because this will entail unexcused absences from class), contact Broom Tree asap. Contact information is on the website page.

Question: How do I determine what I need to do be a lay ecclesial minister or teach theology?

(Answer: it's a bit more than taking the required courses and having a good heart.)

Don't be afraid of the technology--it's really quite easy, and you want to do this! And since you have now finished exams (woo hoo!), you have time to do it as well!

As you move through one of the Theology-affiliated majors (or minors) and your liberal arts education at Saint Mary's University, you will be discerning who it is God calls you to be--as well as which skills, educational choices, and formation opportunities you need to best fulfill that vocation. This 14 minute video explains the easy "fill in the blanks" concept map that will help you see for yourself (and show others!) what you have done in the effort required to discern vocation, what your natural interests are, and what work you still need to do. It is designed to be a help in your growing self-awareness, as well as a key to seeing if your desire to move into lay ministry or teaching theology is in line with the guidelines provided by the U.S. Bishops.

If you want to see the Prezi presentation in this video and move through it at your own speed (but without the audio), click here.

Ignore the somewhat lackluster first minute of the video and please watch!

Contact any of us in the theology department with questions.

--Dr WD

"Catholics On Call" youth conference August 2011: application deadline extended to June 6th

From their website:

Summer Program: August 9-13, 2011

Is your PDA overflowing with appointments and events this summer? Work, weddings, family vacations, ballgames, business trips...it seems to never stop.

Maybe you need some time and space away from the pace of your everyday life, an alternative vacation. Time to learn how to discern and how to listen -- to yourself, and to God.

Every summer, Catholics On Call hosts an annual four-day program at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago. This experience is designed for women and men (ages 18 to 30) who may be thinking about a life of service in the Church as a lay minister, religious sister or brother, or priest, and those who are undecided and want guidance in determining how God is calling them.

* Pray together, share your stories, dreams, and concerns, andenjoy the company of like-minded young adults.
* Hear nationally-known speakers offer insights about how to listen to God’s call in our lives.
* Meet outstanding church ministers who share the stories of their service and how they came to hear God’s call.
* Learn discernment skills and different styles of prayer.

The summer program provides a relaxed, comfortable environment for your personal discernment. It won’t be an experience of recruitment to any church group or community. Rather, it is a chance to listen to the voice of God, as God speaks within you and through others.

Learn more about the 2011 conference and download the application form!



This is what participants say about the conference:

“It was an amazing experience, one that I cannot fully express the enormous impact on my life and my relationship with God.”

“It gave me time to intentionally reflect, in community with others, on God's will for my life--where I've been, where I'm going.”

“Catholics on Call allowed me, for the first time, to be open to God's call in my life and not be afraid of what that could mean.”

All the information and application here.

Blessed Holy Week! Are you becoming holier?

This is an interesting summary of an article that provides a thoughtful checklist for people discerning the priesthood--although it seems obvious to me that the categories are appropriate for any growing Christian!

A snippet from the online summary:

Here are Fr. Cole's indicators, simplified in the form of nine questions, which suggest the key areas in which we should honestly look for continual growth:

1. Am I God-centered? This addresses the question of whether we think ourselves the center of the universe, in which case we are likely to be tense, negative and critical. We discern progress here if we come more easily to see the good in others, to accept the dispositions of Providence cheerfully, and to trust in God even in the midst of trials and temptations.
   
   
2. Do I take joy in serving others? There may be times when either our normal duties or interruptions in our routine demand that we occupy ourselves with tasks we do not particularly enjoy, primarily for the benefit of others. We are growing in charity if we find such services easier to perform over time, especially with a sincere desire to be of benefit, and if we gain the ability to remain recollected and prayerful even when doing something we do not naturally enjoy.
   
   
3. Do I hate sin? As time goes on, if we are growing spiritually, we should be increasingly averse not only to great sins but to lesser ones. We should be developing a progressively stronger resolve to avoid anything – including objectively innocent pursuits – which can be an obstacle to our union with God. And of course we should be actively seeking the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are the opposite of the disposition to sin.
   
   
4. Is my conscience delicate? This is closely related, and refers to the need to become ever more sensitive in discerning what is displeasing to God. In the beginning, for example, we may wish to avoid adultery but think nothing of flirting or stealing the odd kiss or two. In time, true growth demands that we more clearly perceive the sinful attitudes at work across the board. Then we will become more watchful over our virtue, even in our thoughts, and we'll also more easily distinguish among degrees of sin, and between temptation and sin.
   
   
5. Am I humble? To use Fr. Basil's own words, a sense of humility "means a submission to whatever God desires in the moment, even if it means being unknown or unrecognized." Pride and vainglory lead us to be calculating in all that we do, in order to increase in stature before the world. But God wants our personal surrender to Himself and to those who, in each moment, represent His will.
   
   
6. Am I faithful in prayer? If we prefer to lose ourselves in a constant whirl of activity, and find that we are uncomfortable being alone with God in the silence of our hearts, we'll go backwards. Spiritual growth is marked by a growing willingness to put ourselves in the presence of God, even if we suffer from dryness or distractions in prayer.
   
   
7. Do my decisions reflect truth and prudence? As we grow spiritually, we should become more adept at knowing when to seek counsel, yet we should also be increasingly able to advise others, or act quickly and decisively ourselves, in ways that will still seem spiritually right after the fact. We should grow in our capacity to size up each situation properly and apply the right virtue and the right solution to each challenge.
   
   
8. Is my heart undivided? Simply put, this question asks whether we allow various interests and attachments to conflict with our thirst for God or whether we are gradually developing a more ordered appreciation of all good things in, through and for God, in proper relationship to Him. Especially with things we particularly enjoy, we should be praying and working to see them in the light of Christ.
   
   
9. Do I love the Church? To again quote Fr. Basil, "the institutional Church is the unsullied Bride of Christ through which He gives Himself and His graces to a flawed people in need of enlightenment and purification from sin." Each day, each moment, we should find ourselves loving the Church more and more wholeheartedly, despite her all too evident human flaws. If that is not happening, it is a sure sign we are backsliding.

Again, food for thought...especially this week.

Apply now for Catholics on Call summer conference

August 9-13: A five day conference in Chicago with major theologians and Church leaders to help young adults across the nation, ages 18-30, discern their call.  Only $100 (I believe that includes room and board!).  Apply and get more information here.

Retreat options this semester (or summer)

Hello everyone!
We've taken into account the students retreat survey from December 2010, and have decided to postpone a discernment retreat until Fall 2011. In short, the upperclassmen were not as interested in an SMU retreat as the 1st year folks, and because Th 209 had to be canceled for this semester, we will be offering it in the Fall...along with a retreat option for students who are interested in growing their discernment of vocation and "trying out" lay ecclesial ministry.

In the meantime, if you want to do a retreat this semester off campus, here are some options:

• a silent Ignatian retreat at Broom Tree Retreat Center in South Dakota (about 5 1/2 hr drive)
• a silent Ignatian retreat at Creighton University's Retreat Center in SW Iowa (again, about a 5 hr drive)
• a directed retreat at Villa Maria Retreat Center in Frontenac, MN (about 1 hr away)
• a directed retreat at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in LaCrosse, WI (about 40 minutes away)

Of course, there are other options out there as well!

These retreat centers are rather different from each other, and you may want to do some research before making a reservation and hitting the road.

Also, if students are interested in spiritual direction, Dr. WD and Lynn Streefland in OCM each have a list of directors in the Winona area to contact.

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!

Long Term Volunteering Fair: Nov 2nd

Interested in volunteering for a year or two after graduation?  You NEED to be at this fair.  Contact Campus Ministry for more information.

Tuesday, Nov 2 2010

Hall of Fame Room

3-5pm

Stop by and see the many representatives from various volunteer organizations to work after graduation.
Volunteer Organizations that will be here: Lasallian Volunteer Program, Mercy Corps, Winona Catholic Worker, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Catholic Volunteer Corps, Franciscan Community Volunteer, Saint Joseph Worker Program, Franciscan Outreach Program, Saint Vincent Pallotti Center, Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry, Redeemer Ministry Corps, Colorado Vincentian Volunteers....

Spiritual directors list available

A local (and not exhaustive) list of spiritual directors who expressed willingness to work with Spirituality for the Vineyard students is now available! See Dr. WD in the Theology suite or Lynn S. in Campus Ministry for the list. Thanks!


p.s. The painting above depicts the road to Emmaus narrative, often used as a symbol for spiritual direction.