Adult Education

THE CENTER FOR FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY AND DIRECTION

offers spiritual direction in the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi, who guided his followers, both individually and communally, with compassion and understanding. This process emphasizes the value of a person’s experience, seeking to discover the presence of Christ hidden in the ordinary and extraordinary, the positive and negative events of life.

Persons in every walk of life are invited to consider entering into spiritual direction, either for individual or group direction, to explore their faith development and its impact upon their spiritual growth.

The Center Staff includes: Br. Tony LoGalbo,
O.F.M., Director; Fr. Anthony Carrozzo, O.F.M.;
and Sr. Mary Petrosky, F.M.M.,
and Br. Stephen Mimnaugh, O.F.M.

This service is provided on a sliding scale.

The stipend for each session will be determined during the first visit with the spiritual director. To begin the spiritual direction process, Please contact Br. Tony LoGalbo at 212-736-8500 ext. 253.

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COUNSELING SERVICES:

The St. Francis Counseling Center is located at 144 West 32nd Street and offers help to adults struggling with problems and challenges of daily living: depression, anxiety disorders, low self-esteem, obsessive compulsive disorder, scrupulosity, job loss or career change, marriage and couple counseling, sexual abuse, physical abuse, chemical dependency and grief counseling. State licensed psychotherapistsand pastoral counselors provide help on a short- or long-term basis according to the client’s need.

Counseling services are available by appointment only. Bilingual counselors are also available to the Korean and Filipino communities.

Please call 212-736-8500, Ext. 290 to speak to a counselor directly and to schedule an appointment.

Anger Management Workshop This workshop will explore the following questions: Why do we get angry and where does it come from? What are the two basic types of anger that people struggle with most? What are some helpful ways to deal with our anger and learn to utilize it in a healthy way, and express it more appropriately and effectively?

The group will meet for six weeks on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, March 4 through April 8, 2008. The entire cost will be $40 for six sessions. A brief interview process will take place over the phone to ensure an optimal mix in the group. Please call 212-736- 8500, Ext. 290 for more information.

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GOD'S IMPASSIONED LOVE: INVITATION AND RESPONSE

As St. Paul notes, by our baptism we entered into the death of Christ in order that we might share in his resurrection. Celebrate this gift by reflecting on and responding to seasonal literature and devotions. Each meeting will include an informational presentation on the history of the devotion or observance and a period of prayer, guided reflection and optional sharing.

• Lent: History and Literature

• Divine Mercy and the Sacred Heart

• Seven Dolors of Mary

• Stations of the Cross

• Seven Last Words

• Easter: Liturgy and Literature of the Season

Sr. Fran McManus, R.S.M., Instructor
Mondays: February 4-March 31, 2008
12:00-1:00 PM, Classroom 2
FEE: $20.00

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ENGAGE: A FRANCISCAN PEACEMAKING PROGRAM

Engage is a 10 session, intense immersion experience and spiritual journey, limited to 18 people, to become Franciscan Pacemakers. Engage studies conflict and violence, how cultural, social, political, economic and personal choices enhance injustice, the many facets of injustice and violence, e.g., in globalization and eco-justice, the response of a Christian and Franciscan spirituality. It goes on to see how conflict can be transformed by peacemaking communications, conflict resolution and strategic action in our families, churches, neighborhoods, in our nation and the world.

It offers strategies and methods to be effective peacemakers in our daily lives and to deepen the vitality of one’s faith. Finally, Engage views the process of globalization as a way to increase violence or as a way to build peace.

Joe Juracek, O.F.M., Instructor
Wednesdays: February 13-April 16, 2008
6:00-8:00 PM, Classroom 2

Please Note: As a program sponsored by the friars of Holy Name Province (www.paceebene.org) there is no fee to attend, but it is strictly limited to 18 people.

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THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH

Popular images of the Middle Ages continue to fascinate and intrigue us, but these centuries also had a great impact on shaping the Catholic Church as we know it today. In this course, Fr. Dominic will follow up on the story of the early Church which he presented in Fall, 2006, and examine how Christianity developed in the millennium from the end of the Roman Empire to the Reformation.

Some important themes will be the conversion of the people of Western Europe to Christianity, the rise of a centralized Papal government, the Crusades, and the rise of new religious movements such as the Franciscans.

Dominic Monti, O.F.M., Instructor
Tuesdays: February 19-April 22, 2008
12:00-1:00 PM, San Damiano Hall
FEE: $20.00

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PILGRIM'S JOURNEY: A PATH TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Are you satisfied with your spiritual life or do you yearn for something more? Do you want to grow in your relationship with yourself, others, and God? Twelve step programs provide a language that not only spans cultures, religions, races, educational backgrounds, etc., but also clues us into the fact that God is bringing all human beings to recovery, not only from drugs and alcohol but also from self-obsession, materialism, greed, bigotry and destructive behaviors.

More recently, people have discovered that the 12 steps can be used as a spiritual path by anyone struggling to deepen one’s spiritual life.

This course invites the Christian pilgrim to re-examine one’s spiritual life and mature as an adult Christian.

Tony LoGalbo, O.F.M., Instructor
Tuesdays: February 19-April 8, 2008
6:00 PM-7:00 PM, Classroom 2
FEE: $20.00

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COMPASSIONATE SERVICE: RESPONDING TO GOD'S LOVE

“…whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant”. – Mark 10:43 Servant Leadership is a way of life, a way of being. It is a practical philosophy which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding service to others. Servant Leadership encourages collaboration, community building, trust, deep listening, empathy and healing, and the ethical use of power and empowerment.

Using Paul’s Love Letter to the Corinthians, this 12 week program will focus on love and leadership through the teachings of Jesus, Francis of Assisi, and social justice writings. “The servant-leader is servant first…It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead…becoming sharply different from the person who is leader first.” – Robert K. Greenleaf

Carolyn D. Townes, S.F.O., Instructor
Mondays: February 25-May 12, 2008
6:00-7:30 PM, Classroom 3
FEE: $20.00

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QUEST: Prayer and Place

Any cave, cathedral, cell, cabin, chapel, condominium, corral, church, campsite, castle, subway car, corporate board room, cow patch, corner of a room, corner of a street, corn field, corridor is a place for God and the human heart to enter contemplation and communion This course will focus on the variety of places where the same goals of communication with God is achieved in its very attempt. The videos: Into Great Silence (Grande Chartreuse, French Alps), Assisi Pilgrimage (Walking in Faith with Francis and Clare), A Model for Mattise (Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, France) and the book In the Footsteps of Francis and Clare, (Walden: Concord, MA.) will be used as background for discussion of this most human of experiences, the listening in silence, the wordless exchange between the created and the uncreated, the meeting place of the human and the divine, often called prayer.

Placid Stroik, O.F.M., Instructor
Mondays: February 25-March 31, 2008
6:00-7:00 PM, Classroom

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BEGINNING CHURCH LATIN I

This course teaches the fundamentals of Latin grammar and will enable students to participate in a dialogue Mass. The textbook is Wheelock’s Latin, sixth edition.

Maureen Dillon, Instructor
Mondays: March 3-May 12, 2008
5:30-6:25 PM, CLARE ROOM, St. Francis House
FEE: $20.00

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FORDHAM UNIVERSITY COURSES

NOTE: Anyone interested in taking Fordham University courses for credit must register through the University. Please apply: Secretary of the Dean, Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education, Fordham University, Keating Hall 307, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, New York 10458. Telephone: 718-817-4800;
Fax: 718-817-3352.
Anyone interested in auditing a course ($150) may follow the above procedure or register with the instructor in the assigned classroom on the first evening of the course.

REGR – 6462: CATECHETICAL MISSION

This course will provide the background necessary for contemporary catechetical ministry and address its current and future challenges based on the General Directory of Catechesis and its adaptation in the U.S.A. National Directory for Catechesis.

Fr. Tom Ivory, Instructor
Tuesdays: January 15-April 29, 2008
6:15-8:05 PM, San Damiano Hall

REGR – 6015: ST. PAUL’S LETTERS TO THE CHURCH IN CORINTH

This course is a close reading of 1 and 2 Corinthians, with an eye to the relevance of Paul’s instruction for dealing with issues facing the contemporary Church.

Fr. Gerard Lair, Instructor
Thursdays: January 17-May 1, 2008

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PREPARING FOR THE YEAR OF PAUL

Coinciding with the 2000th anniversary of his birth, Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 28, 2008 -June 29, 2009, “The Year of Paul.” This course will take an introductory look at Paul’s writings, his conversion, his realization that grace is a gift, his understanding of the Church as the Body of Christ and his Christology as seen in the great hymns in his writings. The course will also offer a plan for reading the Pauline Letters over the course of the year.

Russell Becker, O.F.M., Instructor
Tuesdays: May 6-27, 2008
6:00-7:00 PM, Classroom 3
FEE: $20.00

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MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

In this course, we will be studying the mysteries of the Rosary, the sorrowful, joyful, glorious, and luminous mysteries. The Rosary leads to deeper reflection on God’s powerful works in the lives of Jesus and Mary.

“Say the Rosary everyday, to obtain peace for the world” – Our Lady of Fatima, 1917

Celeste Kaessinger, Instructor
Wednesdays: April 30-May 28, 2008
12:00-1:00 PM, Classroom 2

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ABANDONMENT TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE

This course will continue to consider the spiritual classic Abandonment to Divine Providenceby Jean-Pierre DeCaussade, S.J., an 18th century spiritual classic combining ‘wisdom from the past for living fully in the present.’ A second text we will use is, in the words of St. Augustine, “the book of our own experience.’ This is necessary due to the many changes in our world since Abandonment was written.

Hopefully, by means of class discussion, participants will offer examples from their own experience to validate the spiritual maxims presented.

NOTE: Participants should obtain a copy of Abandonment before class begins. It is published by Doubleday Image Books and can be ordered through the St. Francis of Assisi Bookstore.

Robert Gavin, O.F.M., Instructor
Wednesdays: March 26-April 30, 2008
12:00-1:00 PM, Classroom 4
FEE: $20.00

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FRANCIS OF ASSISI: ENCOUNTERS WITH CONVERSION, RECONCILIATION, AND PEACEMAKING

FRANCIS OF ASSISI: Encounters with Conversion, Reconciliation and Peacemaking In this three-part series participants will reflect on some of the major events in the life of Francis of Assisi which totally transformed him.

We will listen to the stories of Francis and his encounters with the leper, the Wolf of Gubbio and the Sultan. These stories of Francis can be an aid to us on our own spiritual journey of transformation. What messages will there stories reveal to us in our own encounters with conversion, reconciliation and peacemaking?

Margaret Holden, F.S.P., Instructor
Wednesdays: April 23, 28, & May 7, 2008
6:00 PM-7:30 PM,

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OUR JOURNEY TOWARD HEALING

At some time in our life, someone has hurt us and the wound inflicted is so deep that we continue to experience the pain which retains its power long afterward. During our time together we will reflect on our emotional wounds, the painful feelings which result, and the healing process which is the journey we begin when we choose to let go of our pain and give our self and our offender the gifts of freedom and peace.

Monica M. Magner, R.N., Instructor
Tuesdays: April 1-22, 2008
12:00-1:00 PM, Classroom 3
FEE: $20.00

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CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: MAJOR THEMES FROM PAPAL ENCYCLICALS FROM LEO XIII TO JOHN PAUL II.
Justice is a fundamental concern in the Judeo-Christian tradition. However, few people appreciate how the Catholic Church has been on the forefront of justice issues such as just wages, safe working conditions, care for the poor,racism and the promotion of peace. For more then 100 years Popes have made challenging statements concerning issues of justice, all rooted our in Christian tradition that honors the dignity of the human person. John Paul II wrote compellingly on behalf of those at the margins of a global economy and in defense of our planet which is showing some environmental wounds.

This class will focus primarily on Catholic Social teaching from Pope Leo XIII through Pope John Paul II.

Stephen Mimnaugh, O.F.M., Instructor
Tuesdays: March 25-April 30, 2008
6:00-7:00 PM, Classroom 3
FEE: $20.00

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FAITH AND HEALING

“Her many sins have been forgiven: hence, she has loved much….Your faith has saved you; go in peace”. Luke 7: 47-50 This course will look at some of the healing stories in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, seeking out the connection between faith, love and healing. Following a review of the story, we will focus on: 1. The person in need of healing; 2.The approach/request of the person to Jesus; 3. Jesus’ response; and 4. The response of the healed person to Jesus; 5. The response of the community in which the healing took place.

A current example of faith and healing (physical or spiritual) will be presented at each class. Do we believe that healing continues to occur in today’s world through the faith of the “ill one” and/or his family and friends? Discussion will follow. A copy of the New American Bible is needed for the class.

Mary Petrosky, F.M.M., Instructor
Tuesdays: March 25-April 15, 2008
12:15-1:15 PM, Classroom
FEE: $20.00

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BEGINNING CHURCH LATIN II

This course teaches further fundamentals of Latin grammar and will introduce a few well known Latin hymns. The class will begin with Chapter 7 in Wheelock’s Latin, sixth edition.

Maureen Dillon, Instructor
Thursdays: March 6-May 15, 2008
5:30-6:25 PM, Classroom
FEE: $20.00

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CENTERING PRAYER SESSIONS

We will join together to pray according to the centering prayer method. There will be at least one session of prayer for 20 minutes and one session of lectio divina, the ancient method of praying from Sacred Scripture. Brief discussion and instruction will follow. These sessions are especially suited for people who have taken the introductory workshop in centering prayer. The prayer session will fit well into a Lenten practice of deeper prayer. Centering prayer is rooted in the Catholic contemplative tradition and facilitates the grace of contemplative prayer by enabling us to cooperate with this gift from God.

William Fredrickson who has taught the course on centering prayer will be the facilitator.

William Fredrickson, Instructor
Wednesdays: March 5-19, 2008
12:00-1:00 PM, Classroom 4
FEE: $20.00

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THE SEARCH FOR SERENITY

Two days devoted to learning the experience of one’s search for serenity using the ever so popular “Serenity Prayer”. The goal of this course is to help people struggling with their own journey and quest for balance and peace in their life.

Peter Killeen, Instructor
Tuesdays: March 4 & March 11, 2008
12:00-1:00 PM, Classroom 3
FEE: $15.00

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MODERN SAINTS

This course will focus on holy men and women of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries such as Thérèse of Lisieux, Paul of Moll, Josemaria Escrivá, Pier Giorgio Frassati, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Franz Jägerstätter, John XXIII, and Nguyen Van Thuan.

Maureen Dillon, Instructor
Tuesdays: March 4-April 15, 2008
5:30 PM-6:25 PM, FRANCIS ROOM, St. Francis House
FEE: $20.00

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