Ministry leaders, who work with young people, often have difficulty navigating the questions and the current social climate of human identity, and sexuality.
The Paterson Diocese will offer its first-ever Professional and Personal Development Certificate in Theology of the Body to help ministry leaders lead youth in conversations about sexual orientation, identity, marriage, and family from the Christian perspective.
The program will run for seven sessions from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the first Wednesdays of the month in St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison on Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, Dec. 4, Feb. 5, March 5, and April 2.
A different instructor at each session will examine a specific aspect of what is popularly known as the “Theology of the Body.” It’s an integrated vision of the human person St. John Paul II’s presented through the lens of Jesus’ teachings in the Gospel.
Instructors will guide youth ministers and other Catholics in helping youth discern three fundamental questions written on every human heart: Who am I, What was I made for, and Where am I going?
“The Theology of the Body program will give youth ministers and any Catholic the ability to help young people understand the ‘why’ of Catholic morality and sexuality — not just the rules. God made them perfect in his image — body and soul — for a purpose,” said Eniola Honsberger, director of the diocesan Family Life Office. She developed the program and will be an instructor. “Young people are looking for answers and getting them elsewhere. The Church needs to lead in this discussion.”
The program is for those who want professional or personal formation as catechists; campus ministry chaplains; clergy, religious, and lay leaders; parents; and young adult and youth ministers. Anyone, who seeks a deeper understanding of the faith or a spiritual conversion, can attend.
A mixture of male and female academics and noted Theology of the Body speakers, including some from the diocese, will lead the sessions.
Instructors also will give participants a philosophical, theological and anthropological understanding of the human person and the ability to deliver Theology of the Body talks, comfortably teach Christian love and human sexuality, and the ability to respond in love and truth to challenging moral questions.
The instructors will be Timothy P. Fortin, Ph.D., theology associate professor and philosophical theology chair at Seton Hall University; Father Pawel Tomczyk, Ph.D., a diocesan priest and pastoral formation director at Imma-culate Concep-tion Seminary School of Theology; Jill Cherrey, diocesan Natural Family Plan-ning coordinator; Cindy Costello, who teaches theology and Christian spirituality at Franciscan University of Steuben-ville and is an adjunct professor of the School of Spiritual Direction; David Hajduk, Ph.D., a theology department member at Delbarton School and Im-maculate Conception moral theology adjunct professor; and Honsberger.
The cost of the program is $200. It’s $180 if the participant registers by Aug. 1. Payment plans are available. Please register by Aug. 28.
To register and get more information about the program, visit https://insidethewalls.org/tob2024.
