By FATHER JOSEPH A. WAHL
I recently reported that some 200 participants in Course One of the Institute for Parish Leadership Development were receiving their Certificates of Recognition (April 29 issue).
Each of the week’s classes were offered at 13 classroom sites. A presenter or teacher was needed at each one. We had 18 teaching classes and two discussion classes in Course One. Of the 234 classes statewide, each needed to have a presenter who taught from a lesson plan using an adult interactive model of learning, i.e. make a presentation and involve the participants in dialogue. This method proved to be highly effective according to the evaluations given by the participants.
The presenters spent long hours of class preparation. Some drove hundreds of miles to the classroom site though we usually were able to schedule each presenter close to home. They tried their very best to present the topics in clear and relatable ways. They had the wisdom not to lecture for two hours but to provide stimulating group discussion points.
From my position of having to recruit and see to the week to week operation of Course One, I want to say we had the most competent and dedicated presenters I could have hoped for. Several presenters did six to 10 classes.
What amazed me was the diverse group of presenters that accepted this responsibility. The 74 faculty members consisted of married men and women, single people, women religious, priests, deacons and lay brothers. We had people who run their own businesses and could bring the wisdom of the marketplace into the classroom. We had academically qualified teachers with doctorates, master’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees. We had pastors and teachers from universities. Ethnic and racial diversity brought additional perspectives. Most had extensive field experience sharing their stories of all kinds of ministry.
I just wanted all to know what these dedicated servers contributed so very much to the success of Course One. We thank God for them. We applaud them!
Brother Edward Bergeron, CFC — 1, 2, 17; Deacon Frank Farina — 1, 2, 12, 13; Sister Patricia Keating, OP — 1, 2, 14, 15, 16; Sister Joan Kobe, DW — 1, 2, 6; Sister Mary Laura Lesniak, SSMN — 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17; Deacon Joseph O’Connor — 1, 2; Sister Clare Reinert — 1, 2; Father Jerome Schwab — 1, 2, 12, 13; Father Joseph Wahl, CO — 1, 2; Abbot Francis Kline, OCSO — 3; Sister Donna Lareau, OLM — 4, 5, 6; Sister Kathleen Kane, SSMN — 5, 6; Deacon Joseph Cahill — 5; Deacon John Karandisevsk — 5; Father Herbert Conner, SJ — 5, 6, 9, 10, 11; Msgr. Thomas Evatt — 5, 6; Father Sandy McDonald — 5, 6, 7, 8; Msgr. Joseph Roth — 5, 6; Father Gregory West — 5, 6; Deacon James Hyland — 5, 6; Sister Jane Claire Simon, SSND — 5, 6; Deacon Frank Petrusak — 6, 17, 18; Deacon Robert Sturm — 6; Catherine Donovan — 6; Aileen Sause — 6; Father Peter Clarke — 7, 8; Mark Dickson — 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15; Sister Mary Gallagher, RSM — 7, 8; Msgr. Robert Kelly — 7, 8, 17; Mary Pat Farnand, 7, 8, 17; Father Martin Laughlin — 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; Peter McCord — 7, 8, 17; Sister Rosemary Riggie, SSMN — 7, 8; Paul Schroeder — 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; Patricia Millus — 9, 10, 11; Deacon Charles Easterling — 9, 10, 11, 12, 13; Deacon Jack Crocker — 9, 10, 11; Karen Dietz — 9, 10, 11; Deacon Robert Water — 9, 10, 11; Greg Bowden — 12, 13; Deb Campeau — 12, 13; Msgr. Thomas Duffy — 12, 13, 14, 15, 16; Sandy Ferencz — 12, 13, 18; Jay Keenan — 12, 13; Deacon John Klein — 12, 13, 18; Tim Moore — 12, 13; Sister Mary Thomas Neal — 12, 13; Bernadette Worsham — 12, 13; Sue Zedek — 12, 13; Sister Susan Schorsten, HM — 14, 15, 16; Sister Stella Breen, OSF — 14, 15, 16; Sister Sheila Byrne, OSF — 14, 15, 16; Brother Jeremiah O’Leary, CFX — 14, 15, 16; Msgr. Edward Lofton — 14, 15, 16, 18; Sister Margie Hosch, OSF — 14, 15, 16; Simon Bula — 14, 15, 16; Deacon Donald Dashnaw — 14, 15, 16; Deacon Robert Mahaffey — 14, 15, 16; Diane Bullard — 14, 16; Catherine Fleming Bruce — 14, 15, 16; Father ‘Rick LaBrecque — 17; Father Jim LeBlanc — 17; Msgr. Chet Moczydlowski — 17; Dan Smith — 17; Dennis Atwood — 17; Jay LeVan — 18; Sister Carol Gnau, SSND — 18; Max Learner — 18; Sister Isabel Haughey, OSF — 18; Father Hayden Vaverek — 18; Deacon Paul Shook — 18; Dr. Margaret Adams — 18; Dr. Gay Rowzie — 18
Oratorian Father Joseph Wahl, CO, is director of the diocesan Institute for Parish Leadership Development.