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Welcome to the Catherine of Siena Institute!

Established in 1997, The Catherine of Siena Institute is a program of the Western Dominican Province dedicated to equipping parishes for the formation of lay Catholics for their mission to the world. The Institute, directed by Fr. Michael Fones, OP and Sherry Weddell, provides innovative resources and programming that are faithful to the teaching of the Church and will enable parishes to become lively and dynamic centers of evangelization and formation.

The Church clearly teaches that all of the baptized are called by Christ to proclaim his Gospel in the world. However, rarely do parishes provide a formation that prepares Catholics for so great a mission. The Catherine of Siena Institute seeks to bridge the gap between the Church’s vision for the laity and their participation in the Church’s essential mission of evangelization, and the typical reality within the parish where there is little awareness of the mission of the Church, lay responsibility for the proclamation of the Gospel, and the necessity of lay formation for effective participation in evangelization.

Pope John Paul II taught that "Formation is not the privilege of a few, but a right and duty of all." (Christifideles Laici, 63.) The Catherine of Siena Institute works to ensure that every Catholic has access to a formation that:

  • Is distinctly lay in approach, spirituality, and focus;
  • Is deeply rooted in the Tradition and Magisterial teaching of the Church;
  • Fosters integration of faith, work, and relationships;
  • Takes seriously the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to every Christian;
  • Enables each one to further discern God's unique call in his or her own life;
  • Prepares him or her to be an effective, creative apostle in the midst of the world;
  • Encourages collaboration between the clergy and laity in mission to the world; and
  • Is geared to the real lives of working adults.
Our Mission

At the Catherine of Siena Institute, we work to make apostolic formation and support readily available to all lay Catholics by:

  1. Making self-formation resources available to lay Catholics throughout the world.
  2. Equipping parishes to become houses of formation, discernment, and apostolic support for the laity.
  3. Forming clergy, religious, and lay leaders to be effective formators of lay people.
  4. Fostering awareness, discussion, theological inquiry, and pastoral consultation throughout the Church regarding the apostolic mission and formation of the laity.
  5. Collaborating with interested individuals, groups, and organizations in the service of this mission.
Programs

The Catherine of Siena Institute offers workshops to help lay Catholics discern their spiritual gifts, their call from God, and their vocations. We provide training and seminars in adult formation to lay and ordained leaders in the Church at parish and diocesan level. Two of our more well known programs are Making Disciples and the Called and Gifted Workshop.

Making Disciples

Making Disciples is a four-day workshop that trains parish leaders to fostering the awakening of personal faith in Christ and intentional discipleship. Making Disciples will help you understand intentional discipleship as the normative source of the spiritual life and foundation of pastoral ministry, the stages of evangelization, why intentional discipleship must precede catechesis, recognize the pre-discipleship stages of spiritual growth, how to facilitate spiritual growth in the baptized and non-baptized, discover ways of articulating the kerygma so as to awaken faith in gentle and non-threatening ways, and apply all of these skills and concepts in parish life. The workshop will be offered in November 2008 in Schuyler, Nebraska and in July 2009 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Called & Gifted Workshop

The Called & Gifted Discernment Process is our most well known offering and has been used in the formation of over 40,000 lay, ordained, and religious Catholics in 85 dioceses on 5 continents. Just as God has given us our mission in baptism and confirmation, so also does Christ give us the tools or gifts by which we can effectively accomplish that mission. The Church calls these gifts of the Holy Spirit that Christians are given for the sake of others "charisms". Discerning our charisms is an important first step to discerning God's call for our life and participation in the Church’s mission of evangelization. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are both clues as to the nature of the mission for which God is preparing us and tools with which to successfully carry out our mission. Those who take the Called & Gifted Workshop have a chance to take the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, the first gifts inventory designed especially for Catholics. They will also have the chance to begin discerning their charisms. At a Called & Gifted Workshop, you will learn:

  • The role of every Catholic and of the local parish in the mission of the Church to the world.
  • The critical role of charisms in the life and service of other lay Catholics and in the life of the parish or Christian community.
  • The signs and characteristics of 24 common charisms.
  • How discerning and using your charisms can change your life and the life of others, your parish, and the world.
  • More information on all Catherine of Siena Institute programs and resources can be found at www.siena.org or by calling us toll-free at (888) 878-6789.


Copyright © 2008 The Catherine of Siena Institute. All rights reserved. The Catherine of Siena Institute. All rights reserved.