June
30, 2006
MOBILE
— The Office of Religious Education, Lay Development
Division through the University of Notre Dame Satellite
Theological Education Program (STEP), will introduce
online classes for adults throughout the Archdiocese beginning
this Fall.
“More
and more adults want to explore their Catholic faith for
all kinds of reasons: to grow spiritually, to answer their
children’s questions or maybe to talk with their Baptist
neighbor,” explains David O’Brien, Associate
Director of Lay Development. “STEP makes
quality Catholic theology affordable and accessible for
people in even the smallest parishes.”
The
Office of Religious Education will offer a 30%
discount for students who enroll and complete STEP courses:
10% off upon enrollment and an additional 20% refund when
the course is completed. Courses run between $29-$149 each.
Two
Fall sessions (August 28- October 6 and October 9- November
17) are open for registration online at http://step.nd.edu.
“We
believe so much that adults have a right to quality catechesis
that we are investing in the STEP program,”
states Rebecca Titford, Director of the Office of Religious
Education.
Priests,
deacons, Catholic school teachers, TIPS graduates and parish
lay ministers can take classes for ongoing education and
formation through STEP. Parish adults seeking theological
education may take STEP courses for spiritual and
personal growth.
“I
found the STEP classes from Notre Dame to be well
prepared and highly informative,” says Deacon Bernie
Mileski, a STEP student. “The class I took
gave me a lot of background and will be useful in all that
I do in the parish. The nice part is that I could work on
it at home after my normal workday.”
Online
STEP courses are taught by either a Notre Dame
professor or a facilitator with an advanced degree in theology.
The courses are concentrated in Catholic Doctrine, Christian
Life, Church History, Liturgy, and Scripture, and range
from four to seven-week sessions. Courses include video
lectures, readings, weekly assignments, class discussions
and a course evaluation.
"We
want to place the academic resources of the University of
Notre Dame in the service of the whole Church," said
STEP director Thomas C. Cummings.
The
late Holy Father John Paul II stated that the call to holiness
of the laity is “an undeniable requirement arising
from the very mystery of the Church.”
The National Directory of Catechesis (US Bishops, 2005)
echoes John Paul II when it asserts that in order for the
faithful to embrace the fullness of the Christian life,
the baptized deserve and have a right to lifelong catechesis.
“We
understand that people need to be able to competently and
confidently articulate their Catholic faith in the workplace
and in parish ministries,” asserts Titford. “An
educated adult population would make a huge impact on our
churches and our communities.”
Students
enrolled in STEP represent more than 80 different
dioceses in the United States. STEP has also welcomed
students and applicants from Botswana, Canada, England,
Ireland and Vietnam.
For
more information, contact Dave at dobrien@mobilearchdiocese.org
or 251-433-6991. To see courses offered this Fall, check
out STEP’s homepage at http://step.nd.edu;
or contact the STEP office at 1-866-425-7837 (STEP); or
stepnd@nd.edu.
