We are excited to offer the following Breakout Sessions available to participants in the Parish Ministry & Leadership Conference on August 24, 2024. Participants can choose which workshop they would like to attend for each afternoon session when they register.
Below you can find more details on the breakout sessions. To register to attend the conference please visit our main conference page.
Click on any of the following to jump to a particular section
Keynotes | Period 1 Sessions | Period 2 Sessions | Youth Tracks
Keynotes
Baptism: A Call to Share Your Gifts
Wayne A. Cavalier, O.P., Ph.D. is an ordained Dominican friar (Southern Province), and founding Director of the Congar Institute for Ministry Development. Wayne grew up in rural Louisiana and gained much experience in a variety of lay leadership positions on both the parish and diocesan levels and in Catholic education. He served on the Core Team developing the Lay Ministry Formation Program in the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese (Louisiana) in the early 1980s. Summers at Catholic University earned Wayne an M.R.E. in 1985; then entering the Dominicans he earned his M.A. (ecclesiology) and M.Div. (Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, CA, 1990), and learned Spanish. His ministerial internships included community organizing with rural Hispanic ranch workers for two years. In 2005, he completed studies for a Ph.D. in theology and education at Boston College. His dissertation focused on lay ecclesial ministry formation. He has published several articles and given major presentations on lay ministry formation. In 2016, he was presented with the Juan Diego Award by the National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM) for his outstanding witness to the spirit and values embodied in the life of the lay minister, San Juan Diego.
Period 1 Sessions
Servium: A Leader’s Call to Sanctify the Workplace
I will serve! We are instructed in Lumen Gentium to contribute to the sanctification of the world through the witness of our lives. We are called to use our gifts and expertise to transform our vocation into a holier realm. This keynote addresses a few fundamental behavioral and philosophic practices from Dr. Winkle’s forthcoming book on Catholic Leadership for the Laity that enable us to unite our vocation and our avocation through the teachings of our Catholic faith.
Dr. Winkle owns a leadership development consultancy, through which he works with organizations, parishes, and Christian organizations to grow prayerful, Christ-centric leaders. In addition, he is the CEO of the YMCA of Monroe County in Bloomington, Indiana. He served over 20 years in higher education as a professor, director of corrections education, associate dean, and interim dean at Indiana State University. He is a former faculty member of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and he frequently teaches leadership courses at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. He has a master’s in theology from Saint Meinrad and a Ph.D. in education leadership from Indiana State University.
The RCIA Team: Journey to Lifelong Moments
In this workshop participants encounter practical tools and practices for creating, building and maintaining an RCIA TEAM that is durable, knowledgeable and essential. You will hear stories of hospitality, struggles and growing-pains that reflect years of continuous growth. You will walk-away with ideas to help form, strengthen and build a better TEAM for 2024-2025 Adult Christian Initiation.
Rose Wheeler, Director of Faith Formation at Holy Name of Jesus Parish since 2008, began ministry in 1980 teaching 3rd Grade Religious Education. This first teaching experience exposed my passion to share faith and life experiences, which sparked my desire to create understandable and authentic “teaching moments”. As Director the greatest challenges or rewards of ministry happen while walking a journey of faith with persons of any age toward sacramental moments. While having received Certificates of Recognition in several areas, my greatest joy is when an RCIA adult or 1st Sacraments child/youth ask me to join their family in a picture. Why? In my eyes this request invites me as part of their family and that is a priceless moment.
Eucharist and Discipleship: Making Jesus Kenosis Our Own
Participants will reflect on the Paschal Mystery of Jesus that continues to be present in the Eucharist. The complete self-giving of Christ offers a pattern for the spiritual life, as we are invited to “take on the mind and heart of Jesus” in order to become “other Christs” or mature Christians. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on how Eucharist implies and leads to ever greater discipleship in their individual lives.
Sr. Cheryl Clemons, an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph, high school teacher and university professor of scripture and theology, and a licensed spiritual director and Ignatian retreat leader, has also served both in community and Brescia University administration. She received her Master’s in Theology from the University of Dayton and her Ph.D. in Historical Theology with an Emphasis in Systematics (Catholic Doctrine) from The Catholic University of America. She has been active in retreat work, RCIA programs, and adult faith formation experiences for several decades. Her own spirituality has been profoundly shaped and continues to be nourished by Scripture and the Eucharist.
The Role of the Catechist: Help Others Encounter God and Live as Disciples
In this session, the role of the Catholic Catechist is illuminated as a sacred vocation aimed at fostering profound encounters with the divine and nurturing individuals to live as committed disciples. The catechist’s pivotal role as a guide, mentor, and spiritual companion on the journey of faith will be emphasized. Through practical insights and theological reflection, attendees will begin to recognize their own potential as catalysts for encountering God and spreading the transformative message of discipleship in their communities.
Period 2 Sessions
The Effective Pastoral Council
Can’t we all just get along? Many Pastoral Councils struggle to not only be effective in their threefold role, but to simply collaborate and cooperate. A primary goal of a council is to increasingly align the life and actions of the Church with the teachings of the Gospel. Using that goal as our starting point, this breakout session will examine key areas that must be addressed in building and sustaining an effective Pastoral Council.
Dr. Winkle owns a leadership development consultancy, through which he works with organizations, parishes, and Christian organizations to grow prayerful, Christ-centric leaders. In addition, he is the CEO of the YMCA of Monroe County in Bloomington, Indiana. He served over 20 years in higher education as a professor, director of corrections education, associate dean, and interim dean at Indiana State University. He is a former faculty member of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and he frequently teaches leadership courses at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. He has a master’s in theology from Saint Meinrad and a Ph.D. in education leadership from Indiana State University.
Morality & Justice: Intimate Partners
In this session, the symbiotic relationship between Morality and Justice in Catholic theology is illuminated, revealing them as inseparable companions on the path of righteousness. The moral teachings of the Church with the imperative of promoting social justice and human dignity will be explored. Attendees are invited to contemplate how personal virtue and societal equity intersect, empowering them to embrace a holistic vision of moral living that advocates for the flourishing of all individuals and the common good.
Stewardship: Increased Offertory, a Disciple’s Response
Welcome to our workshop on the Increased Offertory Program, this initiative is designed to help parishes increase their weekly collections. This program not only aims to increase your offertory but also addresses the specific financial requirements of each parish directly. The Increased Offertory Program is a nine-week program. It features customizable pre-written letters, brochures, and bulletin inserts tailored to your parish’s unique context. Throughout the program, Valeria will provide guidance and support every step of the way.
Valeria Vessels serves as the Director of Stewardship & Development for the Diocese of Owensboro. She is an alumna of the University of Kentucky College of Business and has 34 years of experience in parish ministry and development. Her expertise and dedication make her a great resource for our parishes.
Small Group Discipleship
Disciples are formed in the community. Jesus met with 12 people for three years and sent them out. As parish leaders, we too are invited to gather in small groups, share life and faith and are then sent out on mission. Sounds easy and it is, come explore the key principles that create successful small group discipleship.
Jeff Andrini serves as the Director of the Office of Evangelization and Discipleship for the Diocese of Owensboro. He is a graduate of Marquette University and has advanced degrees from Loyola University, St. Joseph College, and the Catholic Theological Union. He has served in full-time parish and consulting ministries since 1990 and joined the Diocese in 2019. Jeff has been married for 33 years and has four adult children and three grandchildren.
Youth Tracks
Susana Solorza serves as the diocesan coordinator for Pastoral Juvenil for the Diocese of Owensboro. She has degrees from Western Kentucky University and Georgetown College in Education, Cultural Anthropology, and Spanish. As an educator for the past 7 years, she has worked between languages and cultures and built bridges between young people and their families. Her goal is to empower young people to respond to their baptismal call of being priest, prophet, and king in their communities. She is working to help parents better understand their young people as they face challenges and joys together. She comes from a big, Mexican American family that has roots in Texas and Kentucky. She is currently living her vocation to married life with her husband, John, and we her two rambunctious boys, Santiago and Luca, and another baby boy in the way! They are a homeschooling family that is learning a lot about God’s Grace and Mercy through our growth as a family.