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| Upcoming Events | |
June 9-11
Ministers in Transition Tending the Fire
June 14-28
June 26-30
Ministerial Renewal Retreat
July 24-29Seeing The Word: A Visio Divina Retreat for Pastoral Ministers
Nov 13-18
Ministerial Renewal Retreat
Oct 17-21Visio Divina II: Praying With Imagination |
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William Cahoy, Dean of Saint John's School of TheologyˇSeminary |
Greetings!
The Perennial Invitation of Lent
I write this on Ash Wednesday as the Christian world turns in a dramatic way towards the Paschal Mystery-the mystery of our deadly rejection of God's love and God's refusal to stop loving us to life. For the next six weeks, through readings, liturgy, and disciplines, we are invited to reflect in a particularly intentional way on that love and our response to it; to consider our progress as disciples and renew our commitment to live more purposefully the love and ideals we claim. The idea of "progress" has deep roots in the spiritual tradition. Cistercian and Benedictine scholar Michael Casey has noted that many of the spiritual masters urge us to make progress in the spiritual life our goal rather than perfection. The latter effort can break our spirit and cause us to give up altogether as maturity in discipleship makes us more aware of just how far from perfect we are. The goal of making progress-staying steadfast and faithful and repenting when we fail-can give us hope that our efforts are not in vain. The gift of this penitential season of ashes and renewal is that we stop for a bit amid our busyness to consider both the progress we've made and the journey yet before us. Part of your reflection might be to consider participating in some of the activities sponsored by the School of TheologyˇSeminary or finally making that long-intended reservation for a few days of retreat at the Abbey Guesthouse. On the path of discipleship, they may be ways to make space to mark your progress towards what lies just beyond the horizon.
Wiliam Cahoy, Dean
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 Read This | |
The Rise of Christianity:
How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries
Rodney Stark
(Harper One: HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 1996)
Faculty Recommendation by Suzanne Hequet, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theology
Department of Theology/School of Theology . Seminary
Recently, someone commented that a video overview of the history of the church shown in his parish's adult education group had "gotten it wrong." The immediate point of his concern had to do with the video's treatment of the Inquisition, but his question raises a good point. Historians need to get it right! Often that means historians are on the prowl for the newest finds in archeology or written texts to support long held assertions. Rodney Stark, Distinguished Professor of Social Sciences at Baylor University, makes a significant contribution to history in a very different way.
Stark's The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary scholarship, as he applies methods from the social sciences to his analysis of the history of early Christianity. In chapters with such interesting titles as "The Mission to the Jews: Why it Probably Succeeded" and "The Martyrs: Sacrifice as Rational Choice," Stark challenges traditional views of the first three centuries of Christianity. Gleaning numbers from well-known sources, including the Acts of the Apostles, Stark uses statistical models and projections to argue that the rapid growth of Christianity was not miraculous. In fact, it is similar to the growth rate of such groups as the Mormons.
Stark dares the reader to reconsider the essence of the early Christian community - not as a group of poorly educated, lower class people grasping for a savior, but as a diverse, well-educated class of citizens making sound choices to become disciples of the crucified God-man, Jesus Christ. |
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| Seeing The Word | | 
Seeing The Word is a spirituality study program combining the Illuminations of The Saint John's Bible with the ancient practice of visio divina ("divine seeing").
Visit SeeingTheWord.org for ordering information and to learn more about this exciting program!
In addition to the Reflection Guides available for purchase, this Lent a daily reflection will be given on Facebook following the format of visio divina and using a new Illumination and Scripture passage each week.
Join us this week at www.facebook.com/SeeingTheWordas Taylor Morgan, 2011 M.A. in Scripture candidate, leads a reflection on "The Suffering Sewar."
Follow Seeing The Word on Facebook this Lenten season for daily visio divina reflections!
Visit the website to learn more about this affordable and exciting program developed by Saint John's School of TheologyˇSeminary in collaboration with Liturgical Press.
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| Trauma Recovery | | |
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Photo taken by Rosemary Washington. |
Recovering from Trauma: A Compassionate Collaboration
written by Bernadette Dodge,
a current student at Saint John's School of TheologyˇSeminary
Depending on how it is defined, anywhere from fifteen to fifty percent of the population suffers from trauma and trauma-related problems. It is not surprising, then, that more than seventy-five seminarians (including SOTˇSem students), mental health care professionals, spiritual directors, social workers, ministry students and professors from the area came together to learn more about the dynamics of trauma and recovery from it. The workshop also underscored the importance of increased collaboration among the various professions. It was held on October 8, 2010, at the parish church center in Collegeville and co-sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, MN and the Sisters of the Precious Blood, Dayton, OH.
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| Emerging Communities | |
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Photo taken by Ah-Ran Huh |
Julian Collette, a SOT student, is undertaking a research project on emerging intentional communities. He is undertaking the project in early summer when he will leave the SOT and travel to numerous communities over the next year on his bicycle. Yes, a year-long trip filled with research! Click here to learn more about Julian's project.
This semester Julian is preparing a research design, constructing a website, and raising money for the trip under the direction of Kathleen Cahalan. As part of his research, Julian will be conducting interviews in each community, and he has begun with a few interviews on campus. He has interviewed S. Mary Forman, OSB, and Ivan Kaufman and you can listen to these interviews on his website, or through a podcast in ITunes, at http://emerging-communities.com/
Julian needs to raise $15,000 for this trip. He has a matching pledge of $5,000 from an SOT benefactor. If you are able, would you consider donating to his work. You can do so via Paypal on his website: Donate to Emerging Communities
 | | Julian Collette |
In discussing this journey with Julian, he says, "I have a real sense of inner peace and confidence in continuing to move forward, which I take as a very good sign, especially considering I am about to step off the cliff of a comfortable living situation to spend over a year on the road!" It is more than a road trip, it is a journey inward and outward to explore that which is so familiar to those steeped in Benedictine values-community.
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Theology Day | |
 | | Fr. Dale Launderville |
Hope: A Vital Christian Virtue for Our Time
Hope is an invisible reality with profound tangible effects on our daily lives. God has a larger plan in mind that we Christians often overlook as we wrestle with our day-to-day responsibilities. This greater vision of the meaning of life in Christ will give us perspective on our successes and failures. Using texts from Saint Paul and the Old Testament prophets, we can better understand how our ancestors in faith understood God's actions in history. This understanding will help us to embrace the promises made to these ancestors that still guide us today. We will also explore ways that hope might become a greater force in our lives.
Fr. Dale Launderville, OSB, is professor of theology at Saint John's School of TheologyˇSeminary and the undergraduate Department of Theology of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. He served as dean of the School of Theology from 1989 to 1999 and as rector of Saint John's Seminary from 1992 to 1997. He received a Master of Divinity from Saint John's in 1979 and a doctorate from The Catholic University of America in 1987. His latest book, published by Liturgical Press in 2010, is Celebacy in the Ancient World.
Friday, April 1, 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Emmaus Hall, Saint John's University
Collegeville, Minnesota
Thursday, April 28, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Church of Saint Mary
Alexandria, Minnesota
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| Summer 2011 Course Offerings | |
School of TheologyˇSeminary
Summer 2011 Courses
A wide variety of courses and scheduling options are available.
If you are interested in taking summer courses and you have never taken a class at Saint John's University before, you can start the process by filling out a registration form. Returning School of TheologyˇSeminary students should register through Banner Web Self Service. |
| Ministers in Transition | | |
 | | Photo taken by Rosemary Washington |
Tending Our Fire
June 9-11, 2011
Directed by Barbara Sutton
"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." Ferdinand Foch
This retreat is designed for those who have entered the arena of ecclesial ministry during the past seven years. It is an opportunity to reflect on the movements of the spirit in your life and kindle the journey ahead. This retreat will provide time for making sense of our lives through theological reflection, group spiritual companioning, shared prayer and private reflection.
Cost: $210 (includes room, board and a journal)
Flyer with Schedule
Registration
For more information, please contact Cindy Maile at cmaile@csbsju.edu. |
| Book Discussion | | |
Is Celibacy Possible?
A Conversation With Dale Launderville, OSB
Thursday, May 5, 2011, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Saint John's Abbey Guesthouse
"Is celibacy possible? Does it play a socially constructive role for the communities in which it is practiced?" These are two underlying questions that guided Fr. Launderville as he mined the sources of three ancient cultures to see how they found meaning in a life that refrained from marriage and sexual relations. Liturgical Press published the results of his research last year. The results of that research have been published as Celibacy in the Ancient World: Its Ideal and Practice in Pre-Hellenistic Israel, Mesopotamia, and Greece.
By listening to the voices of these three traditions that precede the birth of Christianity, Fr. Dale examined how this practice of sexual renunciation contributes to community life, especially the life of a household that persists through the generations. His thesis is that celibacy makes sense for an individual only if that person sees himself/herself as still living within a household: either the household of one's birth or the household of a deity or both. The matrix of household relationships is so central to meaning that one will forfeit marriage and family of one's own to foster the household relationships with one's immediate family and ancestors and God (or gods). In his or her search for God, the celibate symbolizes the enduring matrix of household relationships on a cosmic scale. The ways in which the ancient household functioned offer helpful analogies with contemporary family life. Their efforts to understand and channel sexual desire provide important insights on the perennial task of integrating sexuality and spirituality.
Participants do not need to read the book to attend but will receive some selected materials from it prior to the event.
Enrollment is limited to twelve people.
Fee: $25 (includes lunch and materials) Pre-registration with payment is due by April 18.
For registration information, contact Cindy Maile at cmaile@csbsju.edu.
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| Conversations That Matter | | |
Conversations That Matter
April 13 1:00-4:00
A recent book by Hugh Heclo argues that in the Postmodern era, the notion of loyalty to institutions is nearly dead. In On Thinking Institutionally, Heclo explores what it means to think from the inside of institutions as people who are affected by them and who impact what institutions do. One reviewer has noted, "It is facile to adopt a critical view from the outside. But to the extent we desire institutions to exist at all, and especially if we desire them to function in just and humane ways, we must seriously consider being those institutions."
Vic Klimoski would like to convene and facilitate an afternoon of conversation about the book if he can find six to eight people willing to read the book and to enter into a guided conversation about its implications for life in the Church today. Cost: $30 (includes copy of the book). Location will be determined based on those who register.
If you are interested, please contact Cindy Maile at cmaile@csbsju.edu.
Registration /Deadline: April 1.
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National Catholic Youth Choir | | |
Now Accepting Applications!
June 14-28, 2011 Camp & Tour
Application Deadline is March 28th!
The National Catholic Youth Choir is a liturgically-based choir open to Roman Catholic youth entering 10th-12th grade. The program takes place each summer on the beautiful wooded grounds of Saint John's Abbey and Saint John's University in central Minnesota. Camp includes a multi-state tour, concert performances, CD recording and of course fun!
The National Catholic Youth Choir has a unique liturgical focus. The singers learn about the Catholic liturgy and how the treasury of sacred music (Gregorian chant, Palestrina, Mozart, Bruckner, Poulenc, Duruflé...) fits into Catholic worship today. The choir also sings contemporary and newly-written music, some of it specially commissioned for the NCYC.
The conductor of the choir is internationally renowned choral clinician Dr. Axel Theimer. Fr. Anthony Ruff, OSB, a monk of Saint John's abbey, is the founding director of the choir.
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YTM Summer Institute
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Youth in Theology and Ministry (YTM)
Summer Institute
June 12-25, 2011
Every year, some of the best and brightest Catholic high school students from all over the country gather for two weeks of intensive spiritual growth at Saint John's School of TheologyˇSeminary's Youth in Theology and Ministry program.
YTM, affectionately called "God Camp" by many youth participants, is a camp for high school youth who want to more deeply understand and live out their Catholic Christian faith.
At YTM, participants take theology classes from theology professors from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, go off campus and do service learning, have some free time to relax, and experience a variety of Christian prayer forms. "God Camp" is a time to grow in your relationship and commitment to God and the community of faith. It's also great fun!
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Collegeville Conference on Music, Liturgy, and the Arts | | |
"Implementing the New Missal:
Anxiety, Renewal and Opportunities"
June 20-23, 2011
The Collegeville Conference on Music, Liturgy, and the Arts (CCMLA) is an annual event sponsored by Saint John's School of TheologyˇSeminary at Saint John's University that provides continuing education and formation for those working in pastoral ministry, especially music, liturgy, and liturgical catechesis. Participants have a chance to take a few days of retreat time and pray with their colleagues. Conference faculty speak on issues of theology, liturgy, and art. Clinicians also provide studio lessons and sessions on repertoire.
Event Flyer (pdf)
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Monastic Institute | |
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26th Annual Monastic Institute
"Bible and Prayer in Benedictine Spirituality"
June 26-30, 2011
Event Flyer (PDF)
Its goal is to foster reflection and conversation on matters of concern to monastic communities and other intentional communities, both Christian and non-Christian.
The Bible is God's Word calling us to new life. The engagement with God's Word in prayer, study, and meditation lies at the heart of Benedictine spirituality. In this year's institute, we will explore key elements of monastic spiritual practices based on the Bible. Through God's Word, we experience God walking with us through the ups-and-downs of daily life.
2011 Presenters:
Fr. Michael Patella, O.S.B.
Sr. Genevieve Glen, O.S.B.
Sr. Manuela Scheiba, O.S.B.
Abbot Jerome Kodell, O.S.B.
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| Praying With Imagination Retreats | | |
Seeing The Word: A Visio Divina Retreat for Pastoral Ministers
July 24-29, 2011
Abbey Guesthouse
Directed by Barbara Sutton
The Visio Divina: Seeing the Word retreat invites parish ministers and catechists to pray with the illuminated Word of The Saint John's Bible and to extend that prayer through making art under the guidance of a master artist.
The retreat will be directed by Barbara Sutton, who created the parish-based education materials called Seeing the Word being produced by Liturgical Press (http://www.seeingtheword.org/). The retreat is for those seeking to deepen their awareness of using art in their ministry. Peggy Thompson, an accomplished painter, spiritual director, and chaplain, will join Barbara as the leader of the art sessions.
Limited to 14 participants with priority will be given to new participants.
Cost: $600*
*This program is subsidized by our Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Grant from the Lilly Endowment for parish ministers. The cost for those working in ministry is $320.
 | | Photo by 2010 participant Rosemary Washington |
Visio Divina II: Praying With Imagination October 17-21, 2011 Abbey Guesthouse Directed by Kathleen A. Cahalan Visio Divina II: Praying with Imagination is designed for those people who have attended a visio divina retreat and would like more time for silence, spiritual teaching, and individual art. The retreat will be directed by Kathleen A. Cahalan, who has led the Praying with Imagination retreat for the past five years. The emphasis of the retreat will be less on making a book and more on filling a book with the words and images of our lives. Following visio divina each morning, participants will engage in art in different places on Saint John's campus: the chapels in the lower level of the Abbey Church, in the Arboretum, and with original pages of The Saint John's Bible. Retreatants will have more time for silence and more direction and teaching on inner spiritual work. Priority will be given to participants who have attended the first visio divina retreat in the past five years; and if there is room, other participants are welcome to come.
Cost: $600*
*This program is subsidized by our Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Grant from the Lilly Endowment for parish ministers. The cost for those working in ministry is $320. Register Online |
| Ministerial Renewal - 5 Day Retreats | | |
Do you need some time to
reflect on the mystery of God?
*New Format*
Beginning in July we will launch a new format for the Ministerial Renewal Retreats. There will be a little more structure as we provide people with opportunities to take stock of their lives in ministry, explore the lessons learned, and identify specific ways they can take to return to ministry with renewed vitality and a deeper sense of vocation. All that in five days. We will still be attentive to a daily rhythm that provides plenty of space for individual prayer and walks along the Lake.
Summer / Fall 2011 Retreats
- July 24-29 - Exploring the Lessons of Ministry - Kathy Langer/Vic Klimoski
- November 13-18 - Exploring the Lessons of Ministry - Rodney Bluml/Barbara Sutton
The cost for these retreats is $300, which includes housing and meals.
Each retreat participant will receive a copy of the Illuminating Ministry journal.
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| Illuminating Ministry Journal - Volume II | | |
Illuminating Ministry: A Journal
Volume II
Coming soon!
The second volume of the Illuminating Ministry Journal will soon be available for purchase from Liturgical Press.
Each chapter features an inspiring story, a scripture passage paired with an illumination from The Saint John's Bible, a reflection on the illuminated word, and ways in which the study is connected to the charisms of ministry.
A sample of the journal follows. It is the story section of the "Listening" chapter, written by Mary Martin, a chaplain at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and a spiritual director at the Benedictine Center of St. Paul's Monastery in St. Paul, Minnesota.
"Life as a chaplain on an intensive care unit at a large urban hospital requires a lot of listening. Patients in the ICU are often so critically ill that ministry encounters may happen more with their families and friends than with them. These are intense moments that come and go quickly. There are times when I am reminded of the hours I spent as a youth jumping rope because often I feel like I am invited to "jump into" the middle of a person's and their family's story."
Read More
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