Room: 104

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Using the “Prayer of St. Francis,” this presentation offers practical tools and techniques to help teachers deal with bulling and disruptive behavior in the classroom. We look at bullying in both educational and family settings, from cognitive, neuropsychological, developmental and clinical viewpoints. Participants will learn how to become “instruments of peace” by using interventions to effectively reduce the episodes of bullying.

Paul Brogan, MFT is a Catholic Marriage and Family Therapist in Encino. He also teaches in the Psychology Department at Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles. He teaches classes on Loss and Grief, Trauma, Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Bullying and Truancy, and Spousal Abuse. Originally from Ireland, he has completed graduate studies in theology and psychology and he regularly presents at local schools and parishes.

Room: 107

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

In this workshop, catechists will have the opportunity to nurture their vocation as catechist and discover the essentials for their spiritual journey through prayer, art and music.

Lillian Cruces has been involved in Religious Education since 1977. She is a long time Catechist and has taught 5th grade and coordinated Religious activities in the Los Angeles area Catholic schools. She is currently the Coordinator of Elementary Catechesis at St. Mary’s Church in Whittier.

Room: 505

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

This course is designed to provide an introductory level of information regarding autism spectrum disorders, common characteristics, and behavioral functioning. Discussions will include practical techniques and behavioral management skills used to support these students in our religious education classes. Techniques focused upon will center around social stories, behavioral support strategies, contract based motivational systems, and strategies for the reduction of anxiety through the use of visual schedules.

Giorgia Diomedes is currently working as an assistant principal for Los Angeles Unified School District supervising special education at three elementary school sites. She has worked for nearly 18 years supporting teachers and paraprofessionals develop appropriate and helpful strategies for working with students with developmental and learning disabilities as well as other behavioral or physical difficulties. She is a Behavior Intervention Case Manager and has her Master’s degree in Special Education. She has developed a three-session Special Needs course for the improvement of delivery of services and education to catechumens with different abilities and needs.

Room: 601

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Handout: Science & Religion

Rabbi Lotker discusses how his religious faith is informed and strengthened by his scientific training and 30 year career as a physicist. He will discuss the evidence for God’s existence, the truth of the Bible, the question of how a good and loving God can allow evil and tragedy in the world and the question of why be religious.

Rabbi Michael Lotker is a Phi Beta Kappa/Magna Cum Laude physicist. He spent the bulk of his first career in the alternative energy business, working in wind power, solar and geothermal energy. In 2003, he was ordained as a rabbi at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, where he also received his Master of Hebrew Letters degree. He is presently Rabbi for the Jewish Community of Ojai, California and the Community Rabbi for the Jewish Federation of Ventura County.

Room: 503

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Through integrating faith and psychology, this workshop will explore how understanding our personality can help us in our relationships with others and in creating a life that honors God’s purpose for us. This workshop will take participants through a simple personality assessment based on the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory. Using this information, we will explore how personality impacts our lives and relationships in the areas of communication, decision making, stress management and sense of well-being. Resources will be provided to help build on the information discussed in the workshop.

Veronica Marchese, Ph.D. is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Ventura County with 12 years in clinical practice. Veronica’s educational background includes a B.A. in Psychology, a M.A. in Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Depth Psychology with an emphasis in Somatics. Veronica offers online courses integrating faith and psychology through her website www.WholenessandHoliness.com. She is currently developing a premarital program for Catholic parishes bases on her dissertation research found at www.TheCatholicMarriageProject.com.

Room: 508

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

St. Luke tells us that the child Jesus grew in age, wisdom and grace. This is our challenge through all the seasons of our lives. When we are young we think we know everything. As we mature we wonder if we know anything. As we grow older, we realize that it’s what we learn after we think we know it all that counts!

Kay Murdy has a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies from Mount St. Mary’s College, and is a Master Catechist for the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Kay is the founder and member of the teaching team of the Catholic Bible Institute co-sponsored by the Archdiocese Office of Religious Education and Loyola Marymount University. Kay has written five books on scripture and spirituality for Liturgy Training Publications, and one for Ligouri Publications. Her novel, Song of the Dove, a story of Mary of Nazareth, was published by ACTA, 2014.

Room: 203

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Are you interested in leading people to Christ? Why are some people more effective in this area than others? God chooses the F.A.T. to lead His people. As servants of The Lord, we need to be Faithful to God, Available to God, and always Teachable. Failing to do so means we will be in danger of leading others astray. A great problem in our parishes is that oftentimes we represent ourselves rather than Christ. If we want to lead the people of God, we need to remember Whom we are representing. I must decrease that He may increase!

Eddie Perez is the Southern California Curriculum Sales Representative for Our Sunday Visitor and has been active in various aspects of Catechetical Ministry, whether it is teaching Confirmation, leading Bible Studies, directing Retreats, or hosting Generation Connexion. Eddie has served as President of the Catholic Communicators of Southern California. He also founded and developed The Sower Ministries which continues to reach thousands of Catholics through Bible Studies and Community Outreach Programs. Eddie is a graduate from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.

Room: 307

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

RCIA #75 calls for the “suitable pastoral formation” of catechumens. Participants in this workshop will explore the many different ways in which adults learn and how it can be applied to the Period of the Catechumenate while being “aimed at training [catechumens] in the Christian life.” This session will challenge parishes to think outside of the box in our shared ministry of forming disciples.

Michael Ruzicki serves as Editor and Liturgical Training Consultant for Liturgy Training Publications and the Director of Music for Notre Dame de Chicago Parish. In addition to having served as a team member of the North American Forum on the Catechumenate, Michael has experience as a parish pastoral associate and archdiocesan coordinator of adult faith formation and RCIA and director of archdiocesan music ministry. He is a graduate of The Catholic University of America Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC.

Room: 302

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

The content of the Christian message is the person of Jesus Christ. Our mission to evangelize, therefore, hinges on his identity. Many see him as nothing more than a great teacher or wonder-worker, but Jesus claims to be the very presence of God among us. These claims are either legendary, or he is who he says he is: the Lord himself. Come walk through Jesus’s divine claims in each of the four Gospels.

Fr. Parker Sandoval is a priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; he is associate pastor of Resurrection Church in Boyle Heights. Fr. Parker is a regular speaker on Evangelization, the Scriptures, and the Liturgy.

Room: 304

Session 3: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Both the NDC and the Catechism call for parishes to strengthen family catechesis. Parents need concrete and easy to follow ways to be able to carry out their role as the primary catechists of their children. This workshop will review five quick and easy tips for helping families with their role. Hands on concrete ideas will be discussed during this presentation.

Victor Valenzuela is a National Religion Consultant for Bilingual Resources for William H. Sadlier, Inc. He has presented workshops to numerous groups both regionally and nationally. Victor has been in ministry for 20 years including classroom teaching, youth ministry, teacher training, and writing and development of new materials. He has a Bachelor of Arts from St. Joseph Seminary in Menlo Park, CA and a Masters of Arts from the University of San Francisco. Born in Arizona to parents of Mexican descent, he is fully bilingual and bicultural.