Webinar Series (90-minute sessions) | No Cost to Attend
Thursdays - March 7, 14, 21, April 11, 18, 25 from 3:00-4:30 ET
Recordings will remain available on the website through May 24, 2024.
NCPD and the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame will offer education to Church leadership in relation to the new pastoral statement being written on disability, belonging, and the Church. It will explore foundational and aspirational concepts related to the full participation of persons with disabilities in the Church across six seminars. No cost to attend.
Seminar 1: A New Pastoral Statement on Disability - March 7
Session 1 - What is a pastoral statement?
Presenter: Siobhan Verbeek, JCD, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Session 2 - Analysis of the existing pastoral statement
Presenter: Sr. Kathleen Schipani, IHM, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Session 3 - The possibilities of a new pastoral statement
Presenter: Charleen Katra, M.A., National Catholic Partnership on Disability
Session 4: Developing the pastoral statement: Hopes and challenges
Panelists: Sr. Kathleen Schipani, IHM, Charleen Katra, M.A.
Seminar 1 Resources:
- 1978 Pastoral Statement of U.S. Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities. Linked here.
- Speaking of Disability: Pastoral Guidelines on Language. Linked here.
Seminar 2: Understanding Disability - March 14
Session 1 - Understanding the concept of disability generally
Presenter: Michael Waddell, Ph.D., St. Mary’s College
Session 2 - Understanding the concept of persons with disabilities generally
Presenter: Jana Bennett, Ph.D. , University of Dayton
Session 3 - Understanding persons with disabilities personally
Panelists: Katie, Aracely, Andy, John & Michele
Session 4 - A synthesis of learning about disability
Presenter: JD Flynn, JCL, Pillar Catholic
Seminar 2 Resources:
- Seven Principles of Universal Design. Linked here.
- Introducing Andy. Linked here.
- Introducing Katie. Linked here.
Seminar 3: The Church and a Vision for Full Participation - March 21
Session 1 - The Church and Disability
Presenter: Susan Windley-Daoust, Ph.D., Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Session 2 - The Church as One Body
Presenter: Archbishop Emeritus Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D.
Session 3 - A vision for Inclusion within the Church: Catholic Social Teaching
Presenter: David Cloutier, Ph.D., The Catholic University of America
Seminar 3 Resources:
- How Christianity Made Mercy Compassionate. Linked here.
- Work for the common good, even if it doesn’t benefit you personally. Linked here.
- McGrath Institute for Church Life lesson plans on the common good. Linked here.
Two Week Break for Holy Week and Easter Week
Seminar 4: The Participation of Church Members with Disabilities: Learning from Exemplars - April 11
Session 1 - Case Study #1: Nick Becker
Discussant – Shawn Storer, M.Div., Holy Cross College
Session 2 - Case Study #2: Fr. Paul Zirimenya, Archdiocese of San Francisco
Discussant – Mary O’Meara, Archdiocese of Washington D.C.
Session 3 - Case Study #3: Lorna DesRoses, M.A., Archdiocese of Boston
Discussant – Bob Furtado
Seminar 5: Toward the Full Participation of Persons with Disabilities in the Church - April 18
Session 1 - The role of listening in inclusion
Presenter: Clare Kilbane, Ph.D., McGrath Institute, University of Notre Dame
Session 2 - Inclusion and belonging as a step toward communion
Presenters: Charleen Katra, M.A., National Catholic Partnership on Disability, Colleen McCoy-Cejka, Inclusions Solutions, LLC, Fr. Brogan Ryan, C.S.C,
Session 3 - Addressing barriers to full participation with creativity
Tom Welch, Rosaria Communities, Peg Kolm, Bethlehem House Foundation
Session 4 - Inclusion: What it takes to get it right
Panelists: Michael Waddell, Ph.D., Jana Bennett, Ph.D., Lorna DesRosas, M.A.
Seminar 5 Resource:
- L.A.M.B. (Language, Accessibility, Meaningful Participation, Belonging) Linked here.
Seminar 6: The Church and its Role in the Culture - April 25
Session 1 - Mental Health – Special considerations with disability
Presenter: Beth Hlabse, M.A., LMHCA, McGrath Institute, University of Notre Dame
Session 2: Advocating for a culture of life: a focus on before birth and in medicine and at the end of life
Presenter: Mary O’Callaghan, Ph.D., , McGrath Institute, University of Notre Dame, Marie Hilliard, M.S., M.A., JCL, Ph.D., R.N., D.M., National Catholic Center for Bioethics
Session 3 - Advocating for a culture of life: Advocacy for persons with disabilities after birth
Presenter: Elizabeth Schiltz, J.D., University of St. Thomas
Session 4 - Looking back and moving forward: The pastoral statement and beyond
Presenter: Bishop Robert Barron, Diocese of Winona-Rochester
Seminar 6 Resources:
- On Pronouncement of Death (Linked here)
- Opposing the establishment of an end-of-life option (Linked here)
- Discrimination on the Basis of Disability (Linked here)
