Ohio Dominican's MA in Theology Program Offers Summer Ministry Courses

May 25, 2005

COLUMBUS – Ohio Dominican University’s Master of Arts in Theology program will offer three one-credit master’s level ministry courses in professional development for those who wish to enrich their ministerial skills and knowledge.

These courses are open to the general public, especially for those individuals active in religious education, lay ministry and youth ministry. Each course meets a total of nine hours over a three-day period. The cost of each course is $100 for individuals not enrolled in the Masters in Theology program at ODU. All sessions will be hold in Erskine Hall on Ohio Dominican’s main campus at 1216 Sunbury Road.

"The education of the Catholic laity involves both academic and practical theology,” said Dr. Leo Madden, director of the program. “We hope that these one-credit courses will give to participants the inter-personal skills that will allow them to bring the message of Christ to people in need."

Upon completion of a course, participants will be given a certificate of completion, which they may use to apply for continuing education units from their employers.

“Theological Principles of Evangelization” focuses on the theological principles behind Catholic evangelization and its relevance for contemporary society. The topic will be presented with a perspective pertinent for persons concerned about the mission of the Church, as well as those specifically involved in RCIA, catechesis, or general parish ministry. Ms. Mary Pat Mulligan, Professor Emerita at the Pontifical College Josephinum, instructs the course. Mulligan holds a Master of Arts in Theology from the Pontifical College Josephinum and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Carlow College. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Systematic Theology at Duquesne University.

“Theological Principles of Evangelization” will be held Thursday, June 23 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, June 25 from 9 a.m. to noon; and Thursday, June 30 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“Family Grief Counseling” will review a basic conceptual framework of grief that will inform learning intervention strategies effective with grieving families. Ms. Patrice Rancour, Manager of OSU’s Prospective Health Care Program, will instruct this course. Rancour holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Nursing from The Ohio State University and is an adjunct faculty member of the OSU College of Medicine. From 1991 to 2003, as Chair of the Patient Support Services Committee at James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, she directed a comprehensive psycho-oncology program for patients, families and staff. The program included a full range of support groups, bereavement initiatives, staff development and patient education programs, body image programs, milieu treatment programs, and research and evaluation projects.

“Family Grief Counseling” will be held Thursday, July 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, July 9 from 9 a.m. to noon; and Thursday, July 14 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“Meditation and Wholeness” will introduce the student to meditation techniques that allow for a deeper experience of wholeness. It is both theoretical and experiential in nature. Each class meeting will include some meditation experience. Mindfulness meditation is a technique developed out of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It has been researched extensively and has become a tool used to deepen (or awaken to) the reality of the whole of our lives. Dr. Marianna Klatt, the instructor, teaches at The Ohio State University courses in the education of the whole person, courses in Integrative Medicine (the use of complementary and alternative medicine in conjunction with biomedicine), courses in the art and science of medicine, and courses pertaining to the philosophical and spiritual roots of yoga. She has taught Christian Spirituality, Jesus and the Gospels, and Introduction to the World Religions at Ohio Dominican University. Her clinical work is at the Center for Integrative Medicine at OSU. Her research centers on meditation as a tool for enriching one’s everyday life.

“Meditation and Wholeness” will be held Thursday, July 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, July 23 from 9 a.m. to noon; and Thursday, July 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Registrations are requested by June 15.

To register for any of the one-credit courses, please call Cindy Graves, Assistant Registrar, at (614) 251-4792. For further information about the M.A. in Theology Program, please contact Dr. Leo Madden at (614) 251-4720 or via email at maddenl@ohiodominican.edu.

Ohio Dominican’s Master of Arts in Theology program is a holistic course of study that helps people develop the personal and professional skills needed for effective church ministry. Although focused on the needs of current and future lay ministers in the Catholic Church, the program is open to non-Catholics, ordained ministers and students preparing for doctoral study in theology.