Registration open to adults through August
Story by Reagan Scott
LINCOLN (SNR) - This fall, the Benedict XVI School of Catechesis will be offered as a hybrid program, allowing for both in-person and online learning at the John XXIII Center and over Zoom.
It is the organizers’ hope that this shift will allow individuals from across the diocese the opportunity to participate in the program, without having to travel long distances.
When COVID-19 restrictions went into place, Father Andrew Heaslip, director of the Office of Religious Education and instructor for the program, said the move to online instruction for the program worked well.
The pandemic led Jeff Schinstock, the director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Lincoln and instructor for the program to ask himself, “How do we spread the Gospel when we’re not able to be with people?”
He said the pandemic opened his eyes to the ability to incorporate a new way of delivering lessons from the School of Catechesis to participants in a diocese that covers such a wide expanse of the state.
“I have a great excitement for being able to get to people more than a reasonable drive away,” he said. “I want to share this catechesis diocesan-wide.”
With the hybrid format, distance learners will have the opportunity to watch classes live, ask questions and participate in discussion. Using Zoom, instructors will be able to record their sessions for later viewing by students who may not be able to attend a session due to other conflicts.
“I think it’s vital for the offices in Lincoln to reach out to other parts of the diocese,” Father Heaslip said. “I was in McCook for two years and definitely felt that distance. I think this will be a successful way to do that.”
The Benedict XVI Institute is a two-year program designed to help Catholic adults strengthen their intellectual and spiritual formation. The goal is to empower their spiritual formation in the world.
The program consists of monthly sessions. This fall’s events are scheduled for Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19. Each session will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will consist of Mass; Salvation History, Church History and Faith and Reason classes, lunch and exposition.
Salvation History and Church History will be taught for the full year, while Faith and Reason will last for a semester, followed by a class on Spirituality, typically taught by Matthew Simmons.
The instructors for this semester will include Schinstock, Father Heaslip, Father Joseph Faulkner and Father Matthew Rolling, who is new to the program this year and will teach Faith and Reason.
Schinstock is excited to have Father Rolling on board this year.
Father Rolling returned to the Diocese of Lincoln in 2019 from Rome, where he completed studies to obtain a doctorate in philosophy. He now teaches at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward.
“It’s a real chance to get an expert view on the relationship between faith and rationality,” Schinstock said.
While this year’s classes are billed as being part of “year two” of the program, Father Heaslip stressed that any participant can start their studies with the School of Catechesis in year two, and finish with year one classes. Each is its own individual unit.
Participants can sign up for in-person classes, Zoom classes, or a combination of both. There is also a discount for diocesan teachers and administrators.
Registration for the coming year is open now, and the first class will start Sept. 19. The registration page can be found at lincolndiocese.org/bxvi and will be open until August.
