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Faith Formation/Adults
The 2011/12 Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program has now begun. Discussions are held weekly. Anyone interested in finding out more about the Catholic Church, or a Catholic who would like to receive the sacrament of confirmation, may obtain more information by contacting Fr. Bill Watters, Fr. Ed Ifkovits, or Ted or Mary Jo Wiese.
Lecture Series
The Woodstock Series at St. Ignatius Parish originated at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. Lectures will be held in the Chapel of Grace on Monday nights at 7:30 and will be followed by receptions in Ignatian Hall on: October 24, 2011; November 21, 2011; February 20, 2012; April 30, 2012.
On October 24, Cristina Vanin, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and ethics at St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo, Ontario, spoke to us about “Ecology and Spirituality”. Dr. Vanin, who is also the Director of the Master of Catholic Thought program at her university, includes among her areas of research: ecological theology, feminist theologies, Christian ethics, Catholic social teaching, and especially the thought of Thomas Berry and Bernard Lonergan. The title of her fellowship research project at the Woodstock Theological Center is “Reconciliation with the Earth through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.” She is also a longtime member of the Ecology Project Working Group at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph, Ontario, and has participated in the offering of a number of eight-day Ignatian ecology retreats and parish missions over the past ten years. Dr. Vanin's most recent publication is: "Attaining Harmony with the Earth," in Entireties Anticipated: 12 Fragments of a Whole, edited by John C. Haughey, SJ (Georgetown University Press, 2011).
On November 21, John Haughey, S.J. discussed "The Journey from Information to Adoration". Fr. Haughey is an expert in Catholic higher education and transhumanism with a focus on neuroscience and quantum physics. He a sought-after speaker and recently convened a series of public lectures on Jesuits and the Sciences. Fr. Haughey taught at Georgetown University, Fordham University, Seton Hall University, Weston School of Theology, John Carroll University, Marquette University, and Loyola University Chicago. His latest books include Where is Knowing Going? Horizons of the Knowing Subject and In Search of the Whole: 12 Essays on Faith and Academic Life.
On February 20, Tom Michel, S.J. will be presenting "Holiness in Islam". Fr. Michel is an expert on Muslim-Christian relations who spent 13 years working for the Vatican's Pontifical
Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and has taught in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Turkey. He
is the recipient of the International Tschelebi Peace Prize from the Zentralinstitut-Islam-Archiv-Deutschland and the Ali Shir Navai Award from the International Turkish Olympiad. He was a Woodstock
Visiting Fellow in 2008 and will return for another period at Woodstock in 2012. He is the author of
numerous books including A Christian View of Islam (Orbis, 2009).
On April 30, Tom Reese, S.J. will be presenting "Election 2012: Values Behind the Issues". Prolific writer and blog columnist for the Washington Post, Fr. Reese leads Woodstock's work on Religion
and Public Policy. A former editor of America magazine, he has also authored a trilogy examining church organization and politics on the local, national, and international levels: Archbishop: Inside the Power Structure of the American Catholic Church, A Flock of Shepherds: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, andInside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church. He is currently working on A Survival Guide for Thinking Catholics.
Bible Study
On Monday, November 7, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in Ignatian Hall, Father John Henry, S.J. will be making a presentation and leading a discussion about St. Paul, his life and his letters. The topic of the evening is "St. Paul for Beginners". All are welcome to join us.
On Monday, January 31, 2011 at 7:30 p.m., in Ignatian Hall, Father John Henry, S.J. made a presentation and led a discussion about the Old Testament Wisdom Literature.
On Monday, September 27, 2010 at 7:30 p.m., Father John Henry, S.J. made a presentation and led a discussion about the Old Testament Book of Psalms.
On Monday, October 11, 2010 at 7:30 p.m., Father John Henry, S.J. made a presentation and led a discussion about the Prophets of the Old Testament.
This website will be updated as future sessions are planned.
A program of adult catechesis was held each Sunday from October 2010 through May 2011 during the PREP time slot. The final session for this academic year was on May 8, 2011, concluding the study of Part I of the U.S. Catechism for Adults, with the topic "Our Eternal Destiny" (chapter 13). The program was designed such that one could join at any time. The sessions were held from 10:20 to 11:00 in the Chapel of Grace and followed the order of topics as outlined in the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, which was the text used for the sessions. Those who might be interested in this year's program may print the Registration Form and return the completed form to the parish office. For further information, please contact Fr. Ifkovits at 410-727-3848.