Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors

July 13-17, 2016

By Br. Paul Bednarczyk C.S.C. and Sister Deborah M. Borneman SS.C.M.

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Register today by clicking here.

This workshop is intended for new and recently appointed vocation directors. Its goal is to provide participants with the skills, context, theory, challenges, and practicalities of contemporary vocation ministry. Topics include: theology of call; candidate issues; discernment, assessment and the application process; the role of membership and religious leadership; advertising and education; ethics and boundaries; and self-care of the vocation director.

Schedule

This daily workshop is from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with lunch offered from noon to 1:30 p.m. This workshop begins at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 13 and ends at noon on Sunday, July 17. Some of the printed material is now available in Spanish. Please indicate when you register if you would prefer an English or Spanish binder.

Overnight room reservations are for 5 nights with check-in after 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12 and check out by 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 17. If you are staying for the next workshop, you will not need to check out.

Presenters

Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C. is a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and has been the Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference since 2002. Prior to this ministry, Brother Paul served as teacher, administrator and campus minister in Holy Cross schools in Maryland and Rome, Italy. He was vocation director and member of the provincial council for the Eastern Province of Brothers for nine years. He has written several articles for Review for Religious, Vision, and Horizon and has given workshops in North America, Australia and Europe. Brother Paul has a M.A. degree in religion and religious education with a concentration in spirituality from Fordham University.

Sister Deborah Marie Borneman, SS.C.M. began working for NRVC in August 2011. A Sister of Saints Cyril and Methodius and a native of Pittsburgh, PA, Sister Debbie served 10 years as vocation director for her congregation. She has also ministered as coordinator for vocation awareness programs for the Diocese of Harrisburg and as a certified Catholic campus minister at Bloomsburg University of PA. Sister Debbie has a Master of Divinity degree and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University of Chicago. She focused her research on the "Weariness among Women Religious in Promoting Vocations in the 21st Century."

Program fees

Workshop fees include materials, speaker, and facility fees. The fees do not include meals or parking.

Commuter:

$ 675 – NRVC Member
$ 1,015 – Non-NRVC Member

Resident:

$ 1,225 – NRVC Member
$ 1,565 – Non-NRVC Member

Financial Assistance Available

In his announcement of the Holy Year of Mercy, Pope Francis said, “No one can be excluded from the mercy of God . . . the Church is the house that welcomes all and refuses no one.” Because we at NRVC believe in what do, we want to welcome all—and refuse no one—to our mission of promoting religious life for the next generation.

The Misericordia Scholarship Fund is available for NRVC members due to the generosity of donations made by NRVC members. Scholarship funds can be applied to NRVC workshops, however they do not cover the cost of transportation, accommodations, meals, or personal expenses. If you would like to attend an NRVC workshop and need financial assistance, please contact our Director of Member Relations and Services, Sr. Deborah Marie Borneman, SS.C.M. at debbiesscm@nrvc.net.

I really appreciated all of the featured resources, both in print and in electronic media. Everything was very practical.

—Brother John Eustice, C.S.V., Illinois

Both presenters were excellent--it is clear both are very experienced and engaging, sharing stories to make things clear. I liked the breath of topics covered, all the resources available, and to know that I can contact NRVC with questions.

-Sister Julie Sewell, O.S.B., Indiana

Brother Paul and Sister Debbie work very well together. Their delivery, as well as their knowledge of content was helpful for receiving and processing information. I feel their ongoing support will be a benefit as well. Their life experience examples were truly helpful. The sense of support from NRVC and the networking with other vocation ministers was extremely helpful. I like that there’s ongoing educational programs through NRVC.

—Sister Kelley Rush, S.N.D., Ohio