Tag Archives: Magdala Apostolate

Cloistered life, Women's Communities

Magdala Apostolate – For Cloistered Women Religious Too!

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By Mother Mary Paschal, PCPA, Abbess

Several years ago, a friend of our community who is an integral member of the Magdala Apostolate venture, encouraged us to take the plunge and join in the classes they offered. A period of discernment ensued since an online forum of classes was so far outside our realm of lived experience in the cloister. Yet the opportunity for ongoing formation offered by Magdala answered a real need that was not being met in our studies and classes. For many an enclosed monastery, bringing in someone to teach the basics of theology or philosophy is a rare feat that is seldom realized.

Thus the Magdala Apostolate offers an ingenious gift to women religious around the world. Under the guidance from proficient clergy, scholars, and professors, the horizons and the heights of our Catholic Faith and Tradition are opened up for apostolic and contemplative religious. The courses on Scripture and the Liturgy have deepened our life of prayer and illuminated the mystery of Christ in which we are immersed every day. Philosophy and Theology classes have opened the door for many of our Sisters to search with greater understanding for the wisdom hidden in Christ. We have benefited greatly from the classes offered on Religious Life itself and have often learned much from the insights and questions asked by fellow Religious Sister-students.

It would be impossible to quantify the gift that Magdala Apostolate has made towards our human and spiritual formation over the past few years. It has struck us deeply how much those who give their time and resources to make this endeavor possible, believe in the importance of building up a solid formation program for women religious. Joining with fellow Sisters and teachers of the Faith each week, we experience the truth of St. Paul’s exhortation through Magdala: that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3).

 Mother Mary Paschal, PCPA, Abbess
Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration
Our Lady of the Angels Monastery
Hanceville, Alabama

The Magdala Apostolate is an outreach project of the Institute of Catholic Culture and is dedicated to providing sound doctrinal formation, both initial and ongoing, for women religious and novices, in accord with the Church’s call for a new evangelization.

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Magdala Apostolate for Religious Sisters: A Testimonial from the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa

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The Magdala Apostolate is an outreach project of the Institute of Catholic Culture and is dedicated to providing sound doctrinal formation—both initial and ongoing—for women religious and novices, in accord with the Church’s call for a new evangelization. Each term, they offer free, online, semester-long courses in the faith to any religious sister or community who applies. 

Here is a testimonial from the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa who believe that this program provides their Sisters with orthodox, faithful and profound spiritual and academic formation that would be hard to obtain elsewhere.

“…Unity through charity, and pursuit of truth through learning”

As the Constitutions of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa are based upon the ancient Rule of St. Augustine, we are devoted to living according the above motto. In this “pursuit of truth through learning”, the Magdala Apostolate of the Institute of Catholic Culture has come to our unparalleled assistance.  In the decade since our founding we have been blessed with many beautiful vocations to our congregation, and as such our Mother House, Mater Dei Convent, is home to Sisters in every level of formation and profession. Mater Dei serves as Novitiate, House of Studies and Apostolic House all in one. Through courses offered through the Magdala Apostolate, formation is available for all our Sisters and their varying needs. As an individual and in community, our Sisters have benefited from the Magdala Apostolate from postulancy unto perpetual profession and beyond.

In the Postulate and Novitiate, the Philosophy, Scripture and Catechesis available through the Magdala Apostolate have constituted a foundational aspect of our formation program. The immense support that the Magdala Apostolate education provides for the Sisters’ ministries becomes all the more evident after profession when the Sisters, often teaching in some capacity, have a classroom of eager eyes, looking to them for the truth of History, Philosophy, Art, and—most importantly—the Faith.  Having been intellectually fortified for the task by the Magdala Apostolate, our Sisters are better equipped to meet this need.  Many Sisters have found the courses so helpful in this regard, that they will seek the opportunity to continue their education with the Magdala Apostolate through classes and recordings long after the profession of vows. Not only does the Magdala Apostolate provide edification for our Sisters intellectually but also spiritually. The many courses and special lectures on the liturgical year, lives of the saints, and spirituality have been utilized by the Sisters, as individuals and as a community, to expand our minds and hearts with the love and knowledge of God.

In sum, the Magdala Apostolate has enabled us to provide our Sisters with orthodox, faithful and profound spiritual and academic formation at a level that would be nigh impossible to receive without it. The ability to learn from our convent home, to enroll in courses that best suit our personal and community needs, and to know better and better through these courses the Lord who is the Lord of all truth so that we may, faithful to our charism, better impart “…the beauty goodness and truth of the Catholic Faith…”. With much gratitude to the generous benefactors of the Magdala Apostolate, and to all that labor with this wonderful branch of the Institute of Catholic Culture, we wholeheartedly pray that this apostolate grow, with Our Lord’s help, forming the minds and hearts of Religious so that we may in turn form the souls of those to whom we minister.

Registration for the Spring 2023 semester will close on Monday, January 9, 2023. The following is a list of courses:  

HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE II—Mother Maria Regina van den Berg

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES—Mark Wunsch, Ph.D. 

NICAEAN AND POST-NICAEAN FATHERS—John Pepino, Ph.D. 

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT—Ximena DeBroeck, Ph.D. 

SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY—Rev. David Anderson 

BIBLICAL APOLOGETICS
—Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D. 

 In addition to their classes specifically for religious sisters, the Institute of Catholic Culture also offers courses online available for all in people seeking to learn more about the Faith, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Here is one for the Spring semester: 

CATHOLIC POLITICAL THOUGHT 101—Chad Pecknold, Ph.D. 

 Religious sisters may register here: magdalaapostolate.org

News, Women's Communities

Magdala Apostolate Spring Courses – Registration Begins!

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The Magdala Apostolate offers free educational courses to women’s religious communities. They have top notch professors and incredible content. This spring, they are collaborating with the IRL to offer a  class on the Evangelical Counsels.

Registration for the Spring semester begins on Thursday, November 19th, and will close on Sunday, December 13th. Please register early as classes fill up quickly!

In addition to their classes specifically for religious sisters, the Institute of Catholic Culture also offers courses online for a wider audience. These classes include priests, religious, the lay faithful, and non-Catholics alike from the US and abroad and are open to any curious adult seeking to learn the faith. The format of ICC classes is very similar to Magdala, with some differences since the class size is usually quite large!

If you are new to the Magdala Apostolate, please take a few minutes to browse their website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kelsey Mcmanus at coordinator@magdalaapostolate.org or (540) 635-7155.
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EVANGELICAL COUNSELS
Spirituality 301
in collaboration with the Institute on Religious Life

Mondays, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
January 18 – May 10 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Rev. Brian Mullady, O.P.

This class gives a comprehensive study of the evangelical counsels in relation to the spiritual life. Topics include: Original Justice, Original Sin, The Old and New Law, Christ, Concupiscence, Poverty, Chastity and Obedience for both religious and laity. This study includes both primary sources and modern reflection on these sources.

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SACRAMENTAL THEOLOGY
Theology 302

Mondays, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
January 18 – May 10 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Matthew Tsakanikas, Ph.D.
This course will present the sacraments as the channels of the life of the Holy Trinity revealed and made present. We will focus on the scriptural, liturgical, and patristic origins of the “mysteries” which constitute the center of the inner life of the Church.

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HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE II
Spirituality 102 / History 202

Tuesdays, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
January 19 – May 11 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Mother Maria Regina van den Berg, Ph.D.
This two-semester course studies the development of the consecrated life, in its various forms, with an emphasis upon the living of the vows, the life of prayer, the enclosure, and the role of the apostolate. Within the context of Church history, we will read primary documents such as Rules and Church documents about consecrated life. The second semester will cover from the Council of Trent to the present.

Prerequisite: Introduction and Development of the Consecrated Life I.

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ETHICS
Philosophy 202

Wednesdays, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
January 20 – May 12 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Mark Wunsch, Ph.D.
This course on Aristotelian/Thomistic ethics studies the good human life: achieving the ultimate end of contemplative union with God through growth in virtue. Included is the study of the voluntary character of human action and moral good and evil.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
Scripture 201

Thursdays, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
January 21 – May 13 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D.
This course is a survey of the books of the New Testament as the fulfillment of the old covenant epoch, including the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline Corpus, the Catholic Epistles, and the book of Revelation.

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BIBLICAL APOLOGETICS
Scripture 502

Thursdays, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
January 21 – May 13 (14 sessions, 28 hours)
Rev. Sebastian Carnazzo, Ph.D.
This course is designed to equip students with the tools needed to defend the Faith from Sacred Scripture and to expose the errors of various Protestant heresies effectively. This is accomplished through lectures on the most common biblical apologetic subjects, and a seminar-style study of the actual dynamics of debate.

Prerequisite: Introduction to the Old Testament and Introduction to the New Testament

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The following two courses are offered through the Institute of Catholic Culture to all curious adults at no cost. While they are intended for a wider audience, you will find the content to be rich and the instruction intellectually stimulating.

PHILOSOPHY 101
The Pursuit of Wisdom
with the Institute of Catholic Culture

Thursdays, 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM ET
January 21 – June 24 (19 sessions, 24 hours)
John Cuddeback, Ph.D.
This course is an introduction to philosophy especially through reading dialogues of Plato. Since Socrates and Plato stand as foundational pillars of the great Western tradition of philosophy, in reading these dialogues we have occasion to consider the major areas of philosophical thought and many of the main questions of the greatest thinkers through the ages. The course will emphasize first principles of reasoning, foundational concepts, docility to reality and to the wise, and a philosophical habit of mind. Pre-Socratic thinkers will also be treated.

CATECHISM 201
The Art of Catechesis
with the Institute of Catholic Culture

Saturdays, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
January 23 – March 27 (10 sessions, 10 hours)
R. Jared Staudt, Ph.D.
The Art of Catechesis provides an overview of the Church’s mission to hand on the Catholic faith to new generations. It looks at the history, principles, and methods of catechesis and how we can employ them within the growing challenges of a secular culture. It will look at how to teach the faith using the Bible and Catechism, complemented by an approach of evangelization and discipleship. It will also engage topics such as the New Evangelization, culture, beauty, and prayer.

News, Resources, Women's Communities

Institute of Catholic Culture Welcomed as New IRL Affiliate!

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icc

The institute of Catholic Culture, through its’ apostolate the Magdala Institute, has for several years now been providing top-quality, free formation classes for sisters and nuns. We were pleased at the IRL’s September Board Meeting to approve them as a new IRL Affiliate.

The ICC was founded in 2006 by Rev. Franklyn McAfee, S.T.D., and Rev. Hezekias Carnazzo, M.A., as an educational outreach project within the Office of Evangelization at St. John the Beloved Catholic Church in McLean, Virginia, in response to the Church’s call for a new evangelization.

From the beginning, the ICC has offered weekly seminars in Catholic history, philosophy and theology, with a strong emphasis on the study of Sacred Scripture. Soon, it was bursting at the seams, as attendees from all over the Northern Virginia / Washington D.C. metropolitan area began to visit, knowing they could receive quality, orthodox education with the Institute’s programs.

Today, the ICC averages over 200 eager participants at its regular education programs and offers Catholic adult faith formation opportunities in local parishes. In addition, it has expanded beyond its initial geographical region by offering live and on-demand video streaming of its programs, CD production of past seminars, and over 600 hours of catechetical programs in its free, on-line media library.

magdalaOf interest to IRL communities is their Magdala Apostolate, dedicated to providing sound doctrinal formation—both initial and ongoing—for women religious and novices, in accord with the Church’s call for a new evangelization. Each term, they offer semester-long courses in the faith to any religious sister or community who applies. All that is needed to participate is a:

  1. A computer
  2. An internet connection with a download speed of about 4.00 Mbps and an upload speed of about 1.0 Mbps.
  3. A webcam

They have also begun building an online resources library, so that those who visit their web site can access not only the archived and live programs, but also the written resources discussed and referenced.

Topics covered include:

  • Scripture
  • Theology
  • Church History
  • Philosophy
  • Catechetics
  • Spirituality
  • Continuing formation classes like Greek, Biblical Apologetics, Ante-Nicaean Fathers

fr-hezFather Carnazzo has been to many IRL National Meetings, both as a speaker and participant. Ordained to the priesthood on May 1, 2016, he also serves as the Director of the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization for the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Newton. We highly recommend his courses. Feel free to call the ICC for more information at 540-635-7155.