top of page

Learn With Us

We are making some of our DFP courses available to the general public (English only). If you are interested in learning about a particular topic without enrolling in the full Discipleship Formation Program, use this form to register.

We request a donation of $5 per session to help cover course costs.

Schedules posted here are subject to change without notice. Contact us if you have any questions.

Video course, from Formed.org. 8 sessions with participant and leader’s guides. This small group course explores the realities of mental health and illness, as well as the vital need for faith-based community conversations about these topics. The sessions are accompanied by compelling films that feature the stories of Catholics living with mental health challenges, along with the insights of archbishops, theologians, and psychologists.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2022: Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6

Desiderio Desideravi (Pope 

Francis)

Book study, 4 sessions. This June 2022 apostolic letter poses a question from Pope Francis: “How can we become once again capable of symbols?” To answer this question, he calls for ”a serious and dynamic liturgical formation… beyond the academic environment, in an accessible way, so that each one of the faithful might grow in a knowledge of the theological sense of the Liturgy.” The letter will, accordingly, be a precursor to a deeper dive into liturgical studies.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2022: Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21, Oct 25.

Video course, from the Liturgical Institute. 5 sessions. This course introduces the theological and pastoral dimensions of the sacred liturgy. Specifically, it uncovers the spiritual reality of every liturgical celebration, considers the ritual medium employed by liturgical celebrations, and examines the various sacramental signs and symbols that contribute to a liturgical rite, such as objects, actions, words, time, ministers, music, and architecture.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2022: Oct 26, Oct 27, Oct 28, Nov 1, Nov 2

Video course, from the Liturgical Institute. 5 sessions. This course examines the groundbreaking insights into liturgical theology and practice which set the context for the Second Vatican Council’s famous call for “active participation” in the sacred liturgy. Beginning in the nineteenth century and continuing up to the Council documents themselves, the writings of great liturgical thinkers are examined to provide the understanding of liturgical participation as a mystical sharing in the very actions of Christ through the rites of the Church.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2022: Nov 3, Nov 4, Nov 8, Nov 9, Nov 10

Mysterion (Fr. Harrison Ayre)

Book study with video discussion, 6 sessions. This book expresses the idea that the word “sacrament” has a broader and deeper meaning than we often give it. It explores the idea that we always have access to the life of Christ today, principally through the Church and the life of discipleship, but also by looking to the whole of creation and seeing it as a sign that points us to God. It proposes a new and deeper vision of reality based in the heart of the Church’s tradition and teaching.

If guests will want their own copy of the book, they will need to purchase it independently.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2022: Nov 11, Nov 15, Nov 16, Nov 17, Nov 18, Nov 22

Video course, from the Liturgical Institute. 5 sessions. This course defines what is meant by “structures” and how their purpose in the spiritual life is to foster the virtues. Both the benefits as well as some dangers of structures are examined. The course then reviews how structures are at work in the liturgy and walks viewers through how to apply structures to their personal life as well as to family or community life.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM on Nov 23, Nov 24, Nov 25, Nov 29, Nov 30

Video course, from the Liturgical Institute. 5 sessions. This course provides an introduction to Catholic liturgical art and architecture, understanding them as bearers of sacramental realities which participate in the glorification of God and the sanctification of the world. Class sessions discuss foundational sacramental theology, the meaning of the Temple, Early Christian use of the classical tradition, the Baroque, the influence of early liturgical reform, and the recent loss and recovery of traditional design after Vatican II.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM on Dec 1, Dec 2, Dec 6, Dec 7, Dec 8

Apologetics

5 classroom sessions, led by Gilbert Vielfaure. Apologetics is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse.  This presentation will source itself from the writings of Dr. Alan Schreck in his book "Catholic and Christian."

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2023: Jan 27, Jan 31, Feb 1, Feb 2, Feb 3

Video course, from Formed.org. 5 sessions with study guide.

 

Largely hidden from the cultural, religious, and political tempest surrounding homosexuality, the wisdom and truth of the Catholic Church lies ageless. The series begins with a look at the lived reality of women and men who experience same-sex attractions, who are ultimately drawn to the power and interior peace found in the virtue of chastity. The series also examines the "Divine Design" and meaning of sex, rooted in natural law, insights from medical and social science experts who unpack the secular research about homosexuality that often confounds cultural understanding, a guide for parents and others whose sons and daughters, family and friends are involved in homosexual relationships, an authentic roadmap to pastoral care, including the work of Courage International, a worldwide apostolate supporting Catholics who experience same-sex attraction in their efforts to live chastely.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM on Dec 9, Dec 13, Dec 14, Dec 15, Dec 16

Video course, from Formed.org. 22 videos with study guide, done in 11 sessions. 

 

We are all on a mission. Do you know what it is? Have you planned the goals and oriented your life to achieve it? Pope Paul VI famously said, "the Church exists to evangelize" - that is, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples.

 

Spreading the Gospel and inviting others into a relationship with Christ is not just the priest's job; it is the responsibility of all baptized Catholics. What does that look like in our modern world? How do we do it effectively? Let renowned speaker, writer, and expert Chris Stefanick teach you his tried and true methods of spreading the Gospel, that is, evangelization. In his three hour course, Chris breaks down the why, the how, and the what of effective ministry to help Catholics of all backgrounds fulfill the Church's mission.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2023: Jan 11, Jan 12, Jan 13, Jan 17, Jan 18, Jan 19, Jan 20, Jan 24, Jan 25, Jan 26 

Video course, from the Liturgical Institute. 5 sessions. In this course you will learn the principles of liturgical music as requested and explained in the official documents of the Church, beginning with Pope Pius X's groundbreaking 1903 motu proprio Tra Le Sollecitudini and ending with the 2007 American bishops' document Sing to the Lord. Discussed throughout are the fundamental questions of music as sacramental revealer of the song of heaven and the relationship between music and active participation.

8:00 PM - 9:00 PM in 2023: Jan 10, Jan 17, Jan 24, Jan 31, Feb 7

Video course, from Formed.org. 30 videos with study guide, done in 15 sessions.

Have you ever wondered what the term "missionary disciple" means? Who can become one? And even more significant, what "missionary" activity should they be participating in?

 

Let author and speaker Julianne Stanz teach you from her wealth of insights after decades of training men and women to embrace their call to become missionary disciples. In her four hour class designed for all Catholics, Julianne provides rich examples, stories, and ideas to help us deepen our faith in our walk with Christ... and to go on mission, even in our neighborhoods and communities.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2023: Feb 7, Feb 8, Feb 9, Feb 10, Feb 14, Feb 15, Feb 16, Feb 17, Feb 24, Feb 28, Mar 1, Mar 3, Mar 7

Video course, from the Liturgical Institute. 5 sessions.

Using the texts and directions from the Roman Missal, the Lectionary, and the Liturgy of the Hours, Celebrating the Easter Mystery leads participants from the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, through Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum, to Pentecost and beyond. By examining the Church's liturgical and patristic texts, the course provides clarity to clergy and ministers for a more authentic and beautiful celebration of the Easter feasts, as well as spiritual insights for all who join in these most sacred of liturgies.

 

Rather than taking this in all once, we will intersperse these sessions right before the appropriate upcoming Liturgical event.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM in 2023: Feb 24 (Ash Wednesday), Apr 6 (Holy Thursday), Apr 7 (Good Friday), Apr 8 (Holy Saturday), Apr 11 (Easter Tuesday)

Life Culture

4 classroom sessions, led by Justony Vasquez.

In these four sessions, we are invited to dive deeply into the dignity of the human person. On scriptural, catechetical, biological, and logical bases, we will see how every person, from the moment of fertilization until natural death, has a life worth living, respecting, and protecting. Pregnancy (planned and unplanned), abortion, mental health, euthanasia, assisted suicide, human suffering, and other social issues will be investigated. Through this course, we will see how we can respond to God's call to uphold one another's dignity, and how together, we can transform our culture into a culture of life.

9:30 AM to 10:30 AM in 2023: Mar 2, Mar 9, Mar 16, Mar 23

Video course, from the Liturgical Institute. 5 sessions.

Many of our students will be called to the sacrament of marriage. This course prepares them to live out this beautiful and challenging mystery by sharing the theology, spirituality, and morality of the Sacrament of Matrimony. It will reveal the real nature and purpose of marriage as God has created it. Watch Dr. Perry Cahall’s fresh approach to the sacramental theology of marriage with a broad scope that incorporates the invaluable insights of the Theology of the Body given to us by John Paul II.

9:30 AM to 10:30 AM in 2023: Mar 8, Mar 10, Mar 14, Mar 15, Mar 17

Wisdom of the Ancients

Classroom sessions, led by Paul Bonekamp.

Welcome to the 21st century. We spend more time in a formal education system than any previous generation. We have almost every possible scientific fact ever discovered available immediately at our fingertips. Yet, for all our knowledge, for all our connectivity, our technology, and our time spent in buildings called "schools," our culture seems to be coming apart at an ever increasing pace. Fewer and fewer people pray to God. Fewer and fewer believe in a cosmos in which their lives have a definite purpose. Fewer and fewer know anything about what truly makes a life worth living. Distracted by distraction from distraction, we have forgotten much of what we once knew about these things. We have a vast ocean of knowledge and know-how, but our sense of wonder and our desire for wisdom have drowned in it. As a result of this, one of the tasks of the Christian disciple in this age is the rediscovery of the wisdom of the ancients. We must learn to look at the cosmos through a new (though in some ways very old!) paradigm. Join us in "Wisdom of the Ancients" where we study the insights of the great philosophers of the past in order to learn how they can help to make us the saints of today.

8:00 PM - 9:00 PM on these Wednesdays:

2022

Sep 21, Oct 5, Oct 12, Oct 26, Nov 9, Nov 23, Dec 14

2023

Jan 11, Jan 25, Feb 8, Feb 22, Mar 8, Apr 12, Apr 26

Biblical Life Integration

Classroom sessions, led by James Kautz.

This course will help students to understand the narrative flow of the Bible and the many genres of its books. But more importantly, through study and practical application, it will help them to know how to pray with the Bible in their daily life and to integrate it deeply into their hearts.

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM every Tuesday Sep 13 - Dec 13 (2022) and Jan 10 - Apr 25 (2023)

Church History Alive

Classroom sessions, led by Jeff Lesage.

The Catholic Church has one of the most intriguing histories that has lasted for over two millennia. Founded by Jesus Christ and led by His apostles and their successors, the Church has been blessed with many remarkable saints who have contributed to matters of faith, education, and culture. Throughout its history, the Church has faced many persecutions that it has overcome through the graces it has been given by God. When it has needed time for reform, there were saints who helped steer the Church back towards its Mission to provide for spiritual and corporal needs of the world.

This course will provide an overview from the beginning to the present time of the Catholic Church and the many people that have made significant contributions to building and strengthening the Body of Christ. Special focus will be provided for the lives of key saints during each period who continue to be holy examples that Catholics to the present day can look up to. Learn how the Catholic Church evolved from a few disciples to become what over a billion people consider to be their faith.

8:00 PM - 9:00 PM on these Thursdays:

2022

Sep 22, Oct 13, Oct 27, Nov 10, Nov 24, Dec 8

2023

Jan 12, Jan 26, Feb 9, Feb 23, Mar 9, Mar 23, Apr 13

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

Classroom sessions, led by Deacon Gilles Urquhart.

This class will look at the CCC as a foundational document for understanding Catholic belief and practice. We will look at the 4 parts of the Catechism: The Creed, The Sacraments, The Commandments and Prayer. We will examine the core beliefs of the faith (Creed), the main ways we celebrate the faith (Sacraments) how we are to live the faith (Commandments) and how we grow in our personal relationship with the Lord (Prayer). The goal of the course is to gain a confident knowledge of what it means to be a Catholic disciple of Jesus Christ.

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM every Monday Sep 12 - Dec 12 (2022) and Jan 9 - Apr 24 (2023)

bottom of page