Thursday, 14 June 2012 09:09

Live or videotaped
Father Jarrod Lies’ Vatican II presentations plowing technological ground; can be appreciated live at the SLC, through a computer live, or downloaded from web
By Christopher M. Riggs
When Father Jarrod Lies made his first presentation about the documents of Vatican II Wednesday, May 30, in the Main Assembly Room of the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, 40 people were listening. By the time he finished, he had reached nearly 100 people.
The estimated 60 people – from as far away at Fort Scott and Caney – were watching a live stream of Father Lies’ talk about the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation.
Father Lies said the talks are being streamed so that the faithful in Southeast Kansas or in the other areas of the diocese “who have a hard time driving to the Spiritual Life Center are able to watch from their own home.”
Those who are unable to be there in person or watch a livestream will still be able to watch the presentations. Father Lies is recording the presentations and saving them on the Religious Education page at the diocesan website: cdowk.org.
“We have a computer program that is going to be able to record everything on my screen as well as my voice and my (computer) camera,” he said. “We will podcast it as well so that people can listen to it by downloading it onto an iPod or onto their cell phone.”

Father Lies said he is excited by the idea that anyone across the diocese – or the world – will be able to view or listen to the weekly presentations.
“I hope that the Holy Spirit guides us into a deeper understanding of our faith by unveiling Vatican II through document study,” he said.
“Many people have heard about Vatican II throughout their lives but may not have actually read the documents of Vatican II.”
Father Lies said some see the documents as frightening, daunting, or having too much technical language.
“The point of this class is to get beyond the technical language into the spirit of the documents of Vatican II and, really, also to get into an understanding of the Catechism through the documents of Vatican II so that we can get a deeper appreciation for our own faith.”
Fr. Lies will make presentations from 7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday through Aug. 8 (except July 4) at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita. The cost is $5 per evening.
The classes are streamed live via the internet. To watch on your computer go to www.cdowk.org. A link will be on the home page.
Previous presentations are available on the Religious Education page at the diocesan website: cdowk.org.

Summer Grief Share video series offered at Spiritual Life Center
GriefShare, a seminar and support group for people grieving the loss of someone close, will be offered from June 18 through Sept. 17, at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita.
Sharon Gagnon and Carol Susong, who have been trained as grief ministers by the National Catholic Bereavement Society, will lead the group. Others who understand what attendees are experiencing and want to offer them comfort and encouragement during will also be helping.
Each GriefShare session includes a video seminar and group discussion. A GriefShare workbook assists attendees with note taking, journaling, and grief study. The videos feature top experts on grief recovery, and living with grief and real life stories of people who have experienced losses.
Participants will have an opportunity to interact with others who have experienced a recent loss, learn about their experiences, and to share their own.
The series will be offered from 7 to 8 p.m. Mondays from June 18 to Sept. 17, except for Labor Day, Sept. 3. The cost of this series is $20 for the workbook. To sign up call the Spiritual Life Center at (316) 744-0167 by June 8, so a workbook can be ordered.

Faithful have a chance to stump diocesan priest July 12 at the SLC
Fr. Ken Van Haverbeke is hosting, “Are you Smarter than Father?,” from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita.
The evening, patterned after the popular television series, “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?,” is designed to facilitate questions and answers about the Catholic faith. Those attending will each turn in two questions. Ten questions will be drawn at random and, armed with only the Bible and the Catholic Catechism, he will attempt to answer all of them.
Father Van Haverbeke, director of the Spiritual Life Center, said while the evening of fun might embarrass him, if he doesn’t know all the answers, it will allow those attending to anonymously ask many questions to which they’ve always wanted to know about.
Other guest priests will attend, Father added, if he can convince any of his brother priests to assist him.

Summer ‘Brown Baggin’ it with Jesus’ starts on Friday July 6
The Book of Revelation is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible.
Fr. Ken Van Haverbeke will clarify some of the misunderstandings and give a historical understanding of the last book in the Bible in his Brown Baggin’ it with Jesus summer series at the Spiritual Life Center. Presentations will be made from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. Fridays in July.
All are invited, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Don’t forget to bring a brown bag lunch, or call ahead to (316) 744-0167 to reserve a box or hot lunch. No reservations are necessary except to reserve a lunch. Donations are welcome to help the center continue to offer free programs.

God Loves the Children June 30 at SLC, Wichita
Day of prayer and healing for those mourning loss of pre-born child
God Loves the Children, a day of prayer and healing for those grieving the loss of a child through miscarriage or stillbirth will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita.
The day will include presentations, prayer, small group discussions, Confession, Eucharistic Adoration, and Mass. It is intended for anyone, no matter when the loss occurred.
Bonnie Toombs, director of the diocesan Respect Life/Social Justice Office, said because of our Catholic belief that life begins at conception, a mother and her family grieve when a mother experiences a miscarriage or stillbirth.
“Mothers and their families mourn the loss of their baby son or daughter,” Toombs said, “it is good to express those feelings.”
Sharing those experiences with others who have experienced the same loss allows the mothers, fathers, and family members to give each other support emotional and spiritually, she added.
The day of prayer and healing is $20 per person or $35 per couple, including lunch. The center is located at 7100 E. 45th Street N. For more information, call (316) 269-3935 or visit RespectLifeSocialJustice.org

Bridges out of Poverty workshop June 22-23 at SLC
A Bridges out of Poverty Workshop will be held Friday and Saturday June 22-23 at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita.
The Bridges out of Poverty training is a bridge to help those attending better understand the struggles those in poverty experience everyday, said Bonnie Toombs, director of the Respect Life and Social Justice office.
“With this understanding we can then begin to find better ways to communicate with those in poverty,” she said. “We talk about a language barrier when we can’t speak or understand another language, poverty is very much like that, a language of its own, if we don’t seek to better understand it how can we hope to help those who live in poverty?”
She said many will benefit from the workshop: teachers working with children from families in poverty, parish volunteers who work with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and anyone else who wishes to better understand the unique challenges of poverty.
Dr. Jane Goleman, associate professor of pediatrics, at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, says she has practices in neighborhood clinics which primarily serve low-income families.
“But it was not until I had my own aha! moment at a Bridges Out of Poverty Workshop that I began to better understand poverty and what my patients were up against,” she said.
“So many missing pieces of the poverty puzzle came together in my mind. Besides adjusting some of my own practices when caring for families in poverty, now I am a much stronger advocate for change in our policies and procedures in delivering healthcare to those in poverty.”
The event is sponsored by the Respect Life Social Justice Office in cooperation with the Spiritual Life Center.
Call (316) 744-0167 or register online at CatholicDioceseOfWichit.org/slc.

Week-long evening series on ‘Discerning God’s Will for You’ begins Monday at SLC
Father Ken VanHaverbeke will lead a four-evening series about the Rules of Discernment of Saint Ignatius from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, June 18-21, at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita.
Fr. Van Haverbeke, director of the center, will help those attending learn about how God is calling and working with them, and how to respond.
Discernment of spirits is the interpretation of what St. Ignatius Loyola called the “motions of the soul.”
Those interior movements consist of thoughts, imaginings, emotions, inclinations, desires, feelings, repulsions, and attractions.
Spiritual discernment of spirits involves becoming sensitive to these movements, reflecting on them, and understanding where they come from and where they lead us.