David O'Brien
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.
