Virtual Learning Community

Read Brittany Doucette's article explaining how the devastating event of 9/11 caused her to make life-changing decisions.  The entire article, published in Our Sunday Visitor, can be found at http://www.osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/8344/From-911-comes-peace-that-surpasses-understandin.aspx.  This article brings home the fact that God works in mysterious ways.  God Bless us All.

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A recent participate in the Certificate in Catechesis program gave a twofold testamonial about their experience.  "First, through the courses I've taken thus far through VLCFF, I have come to understand that being a catechist is a vocation that requires an understanding of Catholic doctrine and tradition. There is much I need to learn to help others on their spiritual journey. I need to provide the best possible environment for them that I can, and I want to have confidence that we are traveling with Christ and not in some mis-guided sense of what we "think" the Church teaches."

"The second is more personal. While the VLCFF courses I have taken thus far have required a lot of work and self-discipline, I have found them immensely rewarding. As much as they have helped me understand what it means to be a catechist and not just a religion teacher, they have helped me grow spiritually. The opportunity to join others who seek similar goals and are willing to commit to being a community of learners has done far more for me than sitting in sessions having information thrown at me. Engaging in reflective reading, discussions around that reading, and reflections on personal experience has been very satisfying."

To learn more about the Certificate in Catechesis program visit: http://vlc.udayton.edu/certificates/catechesis.php

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This course on Mary is designed to foster an appreciation of the place which the Virgin Mary occupies in the history of salvation and in the life of the Church. The designers of this course hope to build a more conscious awareness of the Marian dimension of the Catholic life. This advanced level course is enhanced by its link to the Mary Page of the Marian Library at the University of Dayton that contains ecclesial documents, iconography, a listing of apparitions, and practical answers to questions raised about the role of Mary in the Church today.

Registration for Cycle 6 started August 9.

The Cycle starts September 25 and runs through October 29, 2011.

Registration closes on September 21.

For a list of course offerings go to Online Calendar

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Today, we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.  Rejoice.

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Registration for Cycle 6 started August 9.

The Cycle starts September 25 and runs through October 29, 2011.

Registration closes on September 21.

For a list of course offerings go to Online Calendar

Our Certificate in Youth Ministry is doing exceptionally well.  In Cycle 6 we are having the first offering of our course, Planning Youth Ministry Events.

Course description: 

This course provides an introduction and understanding of why and how events can and should be an integral component of comprehensive youth ministry.  We will consider how to connect youth with their parish community and then will examine events from both a ministerial perspective as well as practical considerations from promotion to logistics to evaluation.

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Registration for Cycle 4 has started!

The Cycle starts June 19 and runs through July 23.

Registration closes on June 15.

For a list of course offering go to our Online Calendar

The following course is new for Cycle 4: Vocation to Ministry Description: The Vocation to Ministry course provides participants an opportunity to develop a deeper comprehension of ministry and to reflect on their own ministry. In the Catholic Church the role of the minister is central to the Church’s s mission to evangelize and make disciples. Once almost exclusively the province of the clergy and the vowed members of religious communities, a sense of vocation has been experienced by many lay people in the last half century and great numbers are engaged in ecclesial ministry. This course provides participants an opportunity to review the impact of the Second Vatican Council on the Church’s appreciation of the ministry done by lay people vis-à-vis the ministry of those who are ordained. The course also reviews the Church’s theology of the Holy Trinity, and the Liturgy as a source for understanding the ministerial relationships that are being lived out in the Church today.

This course is part of our Foundations for Leadership in Ministry certificate program.

Here are other recently added courses that you might be interested in:

• Digital Catechesis: Web Literacy
• Pastoral Approach to Culture
• Roman Missal: Preparing for the New Translation
• Theological Reflection: Key to Connecting Faith and Life (3 Week Seminar)

A blessed Eastertide to all our blog subscribers.

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At the yearly VLCFF Partners Convocation the Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk (ret.) was awarded the Daniel Kane award for his years of promoting and encouraging communications in the Catholic Church. The Archbishop offers his "less than five minutes summary of what the Church teaches." It is an excellent catechetical piece.

Watch Now:

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I will be blogging both days from the convocation (Feb. 4 and 5). Follow me on our VLCFF Facebook Fan Page!

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Consider the following quote from Fr. Richard Rohr's new book The Naked Now: "Most of Jesus' contemporaries missed the 'Real Presence' that was right in their midst and most of them were religiously observant people, as we might say today, 'practicing Catholics.'"

When you study your faith do so in a manner that grows relationships with God, self, and others. The 'middle C' of VLCFF calls our learners to community.

Keep looking for God's blessings on your faith journey.

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Well its now official. We hit 800 registrations for Cycle 1.

It is an amazing ministry in which I am proud to be a part.

All of you share in this accomplishment in one way or another.

From those behind the scenes, to the wonderful facilitators, to the designers, to the people who work on appearance and function of the site.

And of course all our wonderful VLCFF students who help spread the word.

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