| What It Is | Who Should Come | Location | Skillshops
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Schedule

Skillshops

A. Mystagogical Leadership and Responsibility
Michael Mansfield
The unpacking of the mystery is the moment when all of the liturgical and catechetical processes are given a chance to receive much-deserved and much-needed compliments, questions and suggestions. Mystagogia is a ritual artform unto itself. This is an opportunity to remember its wisdom, to reclaim the right and responsibility for its leadership and take back the ownership and power for mystagogia to succeed within a ritualizing community. Very participative and very far-reaching implications for mystagogia will be explored during this skillshop and during the entire convention.

B. The Word of the Lord: Going Beyond the Basics
Nick Wagner
Proclaiming God’s Word involves more than making eye contact and speaking clearly. We have to communicate the Good News. Lectors and Gospel proclaimers directly speak the Word of God to the assembly. We have a responsibility to proclaim that Word in such a way that it converts hearts to faith. In this skillshop, you will master the techniques that will help you communicate more effectively in the liturgical assembly.

C. How Symbols Catechize
Nancy Chinn
What is the teaching nature of symbol? How does the symbol open up the catechetical moment beyond words? This skillshop is a very practical exploration of the artistic and theological impact of symbol that will include many exercises and discussions.

D. Teaching Music — Training Hearts
Diana Macalintal Kaulback
The way we do music for the liturgy is just as important as the music we choose. How the music is woven into the prayer, how the assembly is engaged in the rite and how the music ministers are prepared all affect how our hearts are trained to do justice. In preparing the music for the gathering ritual, we’ll do more than just get the notes right. Bring your instruments and come ready to sing and proclaim justice.

E. Drama
Kevin Yell
The origins of drama and religious ritual are co-terminus in probably every early culture. Although lost for a few hundred years, drama is finding its way back into the Christian mainstream as a powerful vehicle for religious expression and catechesis. The Catholic medieval tradition of miracle, mystery and Passion plays gives a wonderful foundation for the telling of the central stories of our faith in new and engaging ways. Kevin Yell’s new book “Acts of Salvation” will serve as the basis for this workshop, providing skills and scripts for parishes to create contemporary Advent and Passiontide productions that will move congregations to face central issues and questions that sermons rarely touch successfully.

F. Learning to Look
Samuel Torvend
We are formed in faith through what we see. During this skillshop we will examine the primary spaces in which the assembly worships, the theological significance of these spaces and practical ways to help the assembly reflect on the significance of these spaces for daily life.

G. Acting For the Sake of the World
Kathy Brown
Our liturgical actions are always performed in the context of life — a life lived in time, space and in the world. At the same time, our actions in the liturgy form and shape us for life in the world. How does this happen? How does our action in the liturgy connect with our lives? How do our actions in the liturgy prepare us for life in the world? This skillshop explores the actions in the liturgy in an attempt to unwrap their potential for transforming the believing community into a people on mission for the sake of the world. During the skillshop, ideas and options for educating and engaging parishioners more deeply in liturgical action will be explored.

H. Now is the Acceptable Time
Miriam Malone
We will explore ways in which we experience the gift and mystery of time as people of faith who look toward eternal life. How do we integrate our experience of seasons, rhythm, cycles of life, remembering and living the “already but not yet” into our liturgical life?

Workshops

I. Living the Good News: Liturgical Catechesis and Beyond
Steve Mueller
A liturgy well-celebrated is a powerful and effective way of living the Gospel message. But “full, conscious and active participation” requires catechesis that focuses not only on the rites themselves but also on ways to move beyond the rites to shape and transform the lives of the participants.

J. Leading Children in Prayer
Marlen Halpin, OP
Experience shows that children delight in using their imaginations. Learn how to lead children into thinking about the experiences of their everyday living and how that evolves into prayer. Getting children interested and participating helps them appreciate different forms of prayer, facilitates a personal loving relationship with God and promotes a deeper experience of the liturgy.

K. How You Can Form Faith in a Formless World
Nick Wagner
Do you need new energy for your catechetical effort? Do you need effective ways to reach out to the folks on the fringes? Are you having trouble getting the attention of your busy and distracted parishioners? Liturgical catechesis can help you break through the media noise that deadens hearts and blocks ears. This interactive workshop, conducted by the editor of the new Liturgical Catechesis magazine, will help you learn the four key components of a baptismal catechumenate model; acquire an understanding of how to catechize the postmodern generation and discover the three questions you need to catechize anyone, any time, about any liturgy.

L. The Sacred Mystery of Our Living God: Life and Liturgy
David Brehm
Life and liturgy are full of the sacredness and the mystery of God’s presence. This workshop will explore the use of sacred symbols, initiation rites, and the structure of our Sunday liturgy — all of which, when celebrated and understood, are personal and communal invitations to enter into “the sacred mystery of our living God.”

M. The Lectionary and Parish Mission
Josef Walker
Engage the power of the Good News in your parish’s life and mission. This practical, hands-on workshop will guide your exploration of the weekly Scriptures as both the foundation for Catholic beliefs and motivation for Christian discipleship. Helpful for everyone in parish leadership, we will provide an overview of lectionary-based catechesis and how to explicitly infuse the Gospel call to conversion and justice in all expressions of parish life. Those serving in initiation and catechetical ministries will especially appreciate the review of current resources.

N. Catechizing Engaged Couples for the Parish Wedding
Paul Turner
This workshop will help clergy, musicians and religious educators work out a comprehensive strategy for the liturgical catechesis of engaged couples. It will explain ways to help the whole parish understand weddings and provide specific ideas for working with the engaged to celebrate a prayerful wedding liturgy.

O. Preaching to Children
Don Wester
Preaching to children, especially those who have not received first Eucharist, is a special calling. Is what we do with them preaching or another form of teaching? How do we move from the catechetical model to the kerygmatic/preaching model? How do our prejudices of children affect our choices in preaching with them? How can Children's Liturgy of the Word be a true preaching experience? These and other questions will be explored during this presentation.

Tracks

LA. Music Ministry: What Does the Lord Require of You?
Diana Macalintal Kaulback
“Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God.” And I thought I just had to breathe in the right place! Liturgical music is one of the most effective catechizing tools a community has. That’s why music ministers are required to do more than just “do the music.” How can music do justice? How can music ministers love kindness? How can liturgical music teach our assemblies to walk humbly with God? We’ll prepare the music for our Sunday Eucharist and we’ll look at a comprehensive music ministry plan to make our communities places where justice is proclaimed loud and clear. Bring your instruments and be ready to sing.

LB. Proclamation
Nick Wagner
Once upon a time, God said, “Let there be light.” We all know what happened next. God has been speaking ever since and making things happen by speaking them into existence. When we proclaim God’s word, we continue the divine act of creation. Our proclamation of the Word is a creative act, much like the creative act of an artist. It is an act of the imagination. It is an act of bringing order out of chaos, right out of wrong, beauty out of ugliness, light out of darkness. Let there be light. Immerse yourself in the creative experience of proclamation. Imagine a new way of being. Speak a word of justice. Learn to craft your proclamation into a liturgical experience. Let the Word become incarnate in you; give birth to the Word of life in your community.

LC. Liturgical Environment: The Community’s Artistic Response
Nancy Chinn
How do you get great ideas for liturgical environmental design? How do you work with the community to elicit and develop its visual artistic response? We will look at the many techniques that address these questions, exploring the edges between visual art and liturgy. This is not a workshop in how to drape fabrics and arrange flowers.

LD. Movement for Justice
Kevin Yell
Growing out of our deeply embodied Catholic Tradition, this skillshop will explore what it might mean when we approach the liturgy — and therefore life — as word (and words) made flesh. The liturgy too takes place in those of us who gather. By letting ourselves be the place where the Word is spoken, we will find that we can dance into the Eucharist and be transformed. No special skills or experience are needed, just comfortable clothes and a generosity of spirit. We will bring the gifts of procession, movement and maybe dance to our liturgical gathering, as well as learn a process for sharing movement in our home communities, where we continue to encourage each other to dance out into the world with the rhythm of justice.

CE. The Visual Environment in Action
Samuel Torvend
We will examine the primary visual elements and ritual actions that surround these elements as ‘spiritual directors’ of the assembly. Why does visual memory endure and continue to shape faith for weeks, months and years?

CF. As It Was in the Beginning, Is Now, and Will Be Forever
Miriam Malone
Liturgical prayer calls us to consciousness of the paschal time in which we live and move and have our being as Christian believers. What are the implications for liturgical catechesis, and for liturgical preparation and celebration? How can we attend to and maximize the catechizing moments of time as we pass through them individually and communally?

CG. Words of Life
Richard Fragomeni
The Word of God illustrates for us the destiny and hope of life. It proclaims justice like a two-edged sword. Spend this time shaping the Word as artists who stir the imagination to beauty.

 CH. Go In Peace to Love and Serve the Lord!
Kathy Brown
How does the liturgy prepare us to go forth to love the serve the Lord? What does it mean to love and serve the Lord? This workshop explores the action, the theological foundations and the historical roots of the liturgy withan eye for opening up the meaning for our lives as Christians in the world.

Faculty

David Brehm has 24 years of experience serving the people of God in the area of elementary and adult catechetical ministry. He holds a B.A. in philosophy, and received a master’s of divinity and master’s of theology degree from the Dominican School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif. Brehm has published three books on creative ways to approach and teach liturgical catechesis and sacred Scripture. He is currently serving as a pastoral associate and director of religious education in Sisters, Ore.

Kathy Brown currently works for Catholic Relief Services as the advocacy manager. She has served as a pastoral associate for parishes in the Diocese of Phoenix with responsibility for initiation ministries; the institute director and team leader for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate; Diocese of Phoenix director of the Office of Peace and Justice; and dean of the School of Theological Studies at Kino Institute in Phoenix. She is an international speaker and a writer of numerous articles on initiation. She received her master’s degree in theology from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Nancy Chinn is a multimedia artist who is both a painter and a creator of large seasonal- and site-specific liturgical spaces. She works with congregations to create original art for use in worship. Often this work is aerial, architectural in scale and made from ephemeral materials for particular seasons or feasts. Her professional life is exercised in religious settings, creating liturgical art, serving as adjunct faculty in the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley and as artist-in-residence in various churches and seminaries. Nancy is the author of Spaces for Spirit and Adorning the Church and the co-author of Wisdom Searches.

Richard Fragomeni is the associate professor of liturgy and homiletics at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and chairperson of the Department of Word and Worship. He is most active in the implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, serving as a member of the founding board of directors for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate and acting as its current coordinator of liturgy and music. He is a nationally known speaker and seminar leader, the co-editor of two books and the author of Come to the Feast: An Invitation to Eucharistic Transformation.

Sister Marlene Halpin is a Dominican Sister from Amityville, N.Y. A life-long teacher, popular speaker and prolific author, she is one of today’s foremost leaders in teaching children to pray.

Diana M. Kaulback is a campus minister and parish music director with 20 years of experience in liturgical music. She is also the co-author of The Musician’s Book of the Mass and is currently working on a recording of original liturgical music.

Miriam Malone is a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. She is the former director of Christian Initiation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a team member for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate, and itinerant mission Sister and liturgical consultant in Alaska. She writes on Christian initiation for Catechumenate, Christian Initiation, Liturgical Life and Ministry & Liturgy magazines. Her current ministry includes working as a consultant, writer and group process facilitator for liturgical, catechetical and pastoral ministry formation and development.

Michael Mansfield is an artist, educator, youth worker and ritual learning designer. He is currently working as junior high youth minister and early childhood co-coordinator at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Concord, Calif., and director of young-in-spirit, catechetical and faith initiational programs for young people ages 3–18 at St. Paschal Baylon in Oakland, Calif. He teaches dance, ritual, spirituality and justice-making at the University of Creation Spirituality and Naropa University-Oakland, where he also serves as director of student services. His work is based on “arts that reveal a faith that does justice.” His teaching and speaking have a definite kinesthetic bias.

Steve Mueller, Ph.D., is an author and editor for Catholic resources at Living the Good News Publications in Denver.

Samuel Torvend teaches liturgical prep and presiding at Institute in Catholic Theological Sudies and the history of Christianity at Pacific Lutheran University. He is a liturgical catechist in the Archdiocese of Seattle, vice-president of the Liturgical Conference and a member of NAAL. His published works can be found in Ministry & Liturgy magazine, Assembly, Liturgy, Homily Service, Passage to the Paschal Feast and Sundays and Seasons.

Paul Turner, pastor of St. John Regis Parish in Kansas City, Mo., holds a doctorate in sacramental theology from Sant’ Anselmo University in Rome. He is a regular columnist for Ministry & Liturgy magazine and author of The Catechumenate Answer Book and The Catholic Wedding Answer Book.

Nick Wagner is the editor of Ministry & Liturgy magazine and Liturgical Catechesis newsletter. He s a frequent lecturer, workshop leader and trainer in all areas of liturgical ministry. His current work includes forming liturgical artists and liturgical catechists through the ML Events Series and through his books, including ML Answers the 101 Most-Asked Questions About Liturgy and his latest book, Nine Steps to Becoming a Better Lector. Nick has worked as a campus, parish and diocesan liturgist. He holds an advanced degree in liturgical studies from St. John’s University in Minnesota.

Josef Walker is director of adult education and evangelization for St. Mark’s Parish in Independence, Mo., and diocesan consultant for Resources for Christian Living, Inc. He is a presenter on topics such as adult initiation, liturgy, catechist formation, youth ministry, lay ministry, justice and evangelization. He has served in leadership positions on several diocesan committees, including as chair of the Liturgical Formation Commission. In addition to other ecumenical responsibilities, Josef serves as chair of the local Ministerial Alliance.

Kevin Yell divides his time between pastoral and artistic ministries. He is a hospice chaplain, visual artist, writer, theater/dance director and retreat/workshop facilitator. He has also taught regularly at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Institude for Pastoral Studies at Loyola University in Chicago and in his native Great Britain. Much of his writing and theater/dance work is liturgical or religious in content, while his paintings and ritual installations range from the profound to the whimsical. He encourages active and artistic engagement in the divinely inspired creative process we call life. He is the author of Acts of Salvation: Eight Plays for Advent and Passiontide.