By Kelley Kepler
Catholic Herald

Learning opportunities abound at fall institute

RICE LAKE --Teachers and catechists who attended the Diocesan Fall Institute, Oct. 9, had many learning opportunities from which to chose. Following the opening Mass and keynote presentation, there were 24 different workshops, led by 22 presenters.

Many presenters were local leaders in religious education, and others from outside the diocese were also invited to lead workshops. Topics included educational methods, theology, liturgy and Scripture, respect life issues, world religions, social justice issues, technology and the arts.

Following the theme of this year's institute, "From Head to Heart ... Pray Without Ceasing," which was also the subject of the keynote address, Joanie McKeown, pastoral minister and DRE for the Webster-Crescent Lake-Danbury cluster, led a workshop titled "Educating for Faith Alive: The Challenge of the New Evangelization and Catechesis."

McKeown stressed the importance of having a living faith, a faith that goes beyond the head and to the heart. She said an atheist could be taught all the "head knowledge" a Catholic would need to know, but without "heart knowledge" that person would still be an atheist. Faith, she said, cannot simply be learned in a classroom.

She said many religious educators chose to be religious educators because they have experienced God in a way that turned head knowledge into heart knowledge. McKeown addressed ways for educators to help instill this strong Catholic faith in others.

The first, she said, is to set an example for children by "being a person of living faith, by living in an upbeat, positive way."

Also, children will not be attracted to Catholicism if they simply sit in class and are given a bunch of information and strict rules to follow. Instead, McKeown said, it is important to give students plenty of hands-on learning opportunities, which can set the stage for children to be touched by God and have deeper experiences of faith.

In an attempt to provide such opportunities her cluster offers, for all age groups, a series of classes called "Inside the Mass." During one activity, the teachers send students inside the church. The students are told to focus on the first thing that captures their attention and reflect on why it makes them think of God.

Another activity involves showing students an altar with the five crosses carved on the top. McKeown said teachers can tell students about people who gave their lives for their faith, but chances are this will not register in the classroom. When students have the opportunity to show reverence to the altar, and when they see the five crosses that represent the five wounds of Christ, they may have a deeper experience of faith. "I could see in their eyes that this brought an experience of faith some had never felt before," she said.

McKeown also stressed how important it is for children to attend Mass on Sundays and make connections between the classroom and the liturgy. She said only 20 percent of her catechism students regularly attend Sunday Masses. One way she encourages students to attend Mass is by assigning them roles to play in the liturgy and making them feel needed at Mass.

The biggest challenge, she said, is getting parents to attend church with their children. When parents set a good example by living their faith, their children are more likely to develop the same deep faith within their hearts.

In his session, Fr. David Schwinghamer said parents can also set an example for their children by living their lives in peaceful ways. Schwinghamer is a member of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers and has ministered in Tanzania for 22 years. He said, "The recent talk about war has brought an increased desire for peace," something that makes his workshop, "Introducing Youth to the Challenge of Peacemaking," especially relevant in light of current global affairs.

Schwinghamer began by asking participants to draw a picture of peace. Most of the pictures fit into two categories. In the first category were pictures of content people and pictures representing global connectedness, people holding hands across the globe, for example. The second included religious symbols, such as symbols for the Eucharist.

Schwinghamer then offered two definitions of peace: "Peace is the absence or reduction of violence." and "Peace is a non-violent and creative transformation of conflict." He said the first definition was negative because it implied the lack of something, whereas the second offers more promise.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2002