Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, speaking at the dedication in Bonaventure Hall on the Stritch campus in Fox Point, said this is a time when the church always seems to be in a cutback mode. The new center, however, is fresh and bold, he said, adding, "I find that to be exciting. I find that to give me a lot of hope and confidence."
I look at baptisms at Sunday Mass that way.
The Stritch effort stands out because its certificate and degree programs have been redesigned in light of a document the U.S. bishops approved in November 2005, Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry [70 pp. pdf], said Dan Scholz, director of the center and chairman of Stritch's religious studies department.
This new division of responsibilities remains controversial in some circles.
Some women who have studied at St. Francis say the changes diminish seminarians' exposure to women's views, even though some women study at Sacred Heart. ...
"I really think that studying with the seminarians was good for both groups," said Jan Ruidl, who earned two master's degrees at the seminary and is now parish director at St. John Nepomuk Parish in Racine.
Women by their nature have a different perspective, and the women at the seminary were generally mature, with much to share, she said.
Interesting that women "by their nature" have particular perspectives. I'm so old I can remember when people would talk about such things being "social constructs".
The archdiocese is creating a new John Paul II Center in space leased from the School Sisters of St. Francis on S. Layton Blvd. in Milwaukee to train deacons and to provide spiritual guidance and instruction in the faith to lay people. That will include ministry certificate training.
That's the 1500 block south; far from suburban, but not the 1500 block north either.
In the central city, well within the transit footprint.....
ReplyDeleteSomeones in the Archdiocese have excellent taste. Next year's Pallium Lectures are going to Alverno College, which is also in the transit footprint --- more so that Cousins Center was.
[Almost by definition, folk who live in the Unknown Lands Beyond 124th Street Where Dragons Dwell also have automobiles, and can come east; isn't so the other way arond, that's why they're the Unknown Lands]
I had a conversation about the issue of laywomen studying with seminarians just this last fall...
ReplyDeleteIt was at a Theology on Tap, the priest was from my parish and the speaker was a DRE at another local parish. Both very faithful to the Church.
The two had actually had classes together and were clearly good friends, but their opinions differed greatly.
Father was of the opinion that the laity should not study with the seminarians due to the formation element, and the need for the seminarians to have their questions/issues addressed while in formation. He felt that the laity in the class was somewhat distracting in that their questions, while important, did not pertain to priestly formation but to more general issues. Because the focus of the two groups was so different, he thought it would be better for the groups to be separated, learning the same material, the same quality, but from the perspective unique to their state in life.
The DRE, on the other hand, felt that the discussions in the classroom had greatly benefitted her and she hoped they benefitted the soon-to-be priests, by giving them a perspective they would need to know in their ministry, even as it gave her a perspective she needed to know in her own ministry.
I found the conversation fascinating, but I really don't think I have an opinion at this point because I'd need to know more from each perspective in order to chime in.
It's easy to see the issue from both sides.