August
2003
http://www.dioceseofkalamazoo.org/Diocesan_Offices/TGN/tgn.htm
“I found the STEP classes from Notre Dame to be well
prepared and highly informative. 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.”
--Deacon
Bernie Mileski
“I
was initially unsure about the Internet format, but found
myself engaged in both the video lectures (which I reinforced
by also printing off the text) and the class "discussions"
via the message board and chat room . . . The discussions
added the element of personal and parish experience. It
was a great overview that provided many opportunities for
follow up reading and reflection.”
--Lisa
Irwin, ECI Office
Over
the past year, a few people in the Diocese of Kalamazoo
have taken advantage of the excellent online catechesis
available via the STEP program offered by the Institute
for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. STEP stands
for “Satellite Theological Education Program”
and provides classes and training using the Internet for
those who want a deeper understanding of their Catholic
faith but, for whatever reason, are unable to access a traditional
classroom setting.
The
class costs are very affordable and STEP offers three different
levels of learning opportunities. Limited enrollment classes
are offered once a year to a total of 30 people nationwide
and probably require at least 10 hours of reading and writing
each week for the 5-week class session. Open enrollment
classes are offered multiple times each year to a larger
total number of students and require much less time each
week for the 5-week class session. Finally, STEP also offers
a number of lectures on CD-ROM which can be viewed without
any additional time commitment.
If
you have any questions about STEP, please contact Kurt Lucas
in the Office of Evangelization, Catechesis, and Initiation
at (269) 349-8714 ext. 234 or check out the program's Web
site at: http://step.nd.edu.
