By Julie A. Miller
Catholic Herald

Diocese launches lay ministry program

DOBIE -- Twenty-two people gathered in the parish center at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Sept. 15 for the first session of the Program for Advanced Lay Ministry Studies.

PALMS was developed by the Superior diocese in partnership with the lifelong learning program of the School of Theology at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn. When the program was announced in January, Sr. Genevieve Schillo, director of the diocesan Department of Christian Formation, said the partnership might serve as a model for other rural dioceses without Catholic colleges.

It is a three-year program which consists of six class sessions, an independent study project and small group study sessions each year. There will also be a formation day for the students each summer.

PALMS fills an important gap in the programs offered by the Diocese of Superior. There are many educational opportunities for new catechists and religion teachers but, with no Catholic colleges in the diocese, there were no college-level programs available for catechists before PALMS.

The diocese offers a two-year program of study for lay ministry formation that is for all ministries. Deacon Roger Cadotte, director of the Office of Religious Education and Youth Ministry, is director of the PALMS program. He said PALMS is focused on the catechetical ministry.

Sr. Paul Therese Saiko, a School Sister of Notre Dame, is the instructor for the first year's program, "An Introduction to Biblical Theology." Saiko is a faculty member in the spiritual formation department at St. Paul Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Saiko introduced the science of interpreting the Bible by using the analogy of a computer manual. She said she can read the words, but still not understand what the writer means. She added that interpreters of the Bible also need to study words and the history of those words to find clues to when the book was written. She used the example of a work with the word "Sputnik" in it. It helps determine the date because the word "Sputnik did not exist until the mid-1950s.

One way Saiko helped de-mystify the Bible was through her explanation of the timeline from the call of Abram, in about 1000 B.C., up through the end of the apostolic era in about 100 A.D. She also explained the various versions of the writings that have been compiled by ancient editors to create the Bible as it is today.

Saiko provided the students with lists of helpful materials and has more supplemental information and helpful links available on her Web site (www.mncts.org/spssod/1/saiko/mywebpage.htm).

To enroll in PALMS, participants had to commit to the entire three-year program. Although those attending already spend many hours in parish ministry, they all have similar reasons for their willingness to spend the additional time on this program of study.

Kay Reetz, a eucharistic minister at St. Ann Parish in Cable, said, "I have a great love for the Catholic faith and can't get enough knowledge." She said she also wants to get into teaching religious education.

Many of the other participants, such as Rene Sonnek, religious education coordinator at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Birchwood, have been teaching for many years. Sonnek started as a catechist in 1952. She said she signed up for the program because, "I love to do Bible study with adults and I have developed my own two-year program on the catechism that people love -- especially the elderly."

Lee Mahner has been teaching religion off and on for many years. He said, "I love the Scripture. I love God, and my job is to pass that love on to others-- get the love in my heart out to others." Mahner is a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Whittlesey.

The future role of laity is one of the concerns that prompted Arlene Tenner to sign up for the program. "My goals include trying to ensure that, given the future of vocations, we do everything possible to inspire lay people." Tenner is pastoral assistant at Immaculate Conception Parish in New Richmond, and also teaches at the parish school.

The PALMS program is funded by a three-year grant the diocese received from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Supporting Fund, Inc. Development of the program by St. John's University was funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. In addition, participants, with the help of their parishes, pay tuition for the program.

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