Tag Archives: Institute of Catholic Culture

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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

Prayers for the Holy New Martyrs of Nigeria

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This note was received from Fr. Hezekias Carnazzo, Executive Director of the Institute of Catholic Culture (ICC), an IRL Affiliate Community. He asks for prayers for members of the ICC community who were killed in the terrorist attack at a Catholic Church in Nigeria on Pentecost Sunday 2022.

As members of the ICC family, and more importantly, as members of the Body of Christ, you and I have a special call to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those in most need.

By now, I am sure you will have heard of the terrorists who broke into the Nigerian church in the middle of Pentecost Mass and shot over fifty people. Yesterday, we were further shocked and saddened to learn that some members of that parish are also members of our ICC family and students in our Bioethics course. Yesterday afternoon, we received an email from one of the parish priests asking our ICC family to gather in prayer for all those suffering from this terrible attack. He writes:

I ask for the prayers of the whole ICC community. My parish (St. Francis Catholic church, Owo, Nigeria) was attacked by terrorists yesterday during the Pentecost Sunday Mass (it’s all over social media and news channels in Nigeria). We have lost about 39 of our parishioners already and so many are still under intensive care.

Myself and the other priests are so engrossed in pastoral care for our parishioners at this emotional moment. It is devastating and saddening to see so many children and adults murdered in cold blood. The church (what is left of it) is temporarily closed as an active crime scene and the faith of the people is being tested by the horrific ramifications of the attack.

Please, take a moment right now with me and with our entire ICC family to pray together for this priest, for the people of Saint Francis parish, and for all Christians in Nigeria. Let us especially ask for the intercession of the new martyrs of St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria.

✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Lord God of Hosts, God of our Salvation, God who alone workest wonders: look with mercy and goodness upon thy humble servants, and in thy love for mankind hearken unto us and have mercy on us. For, behold, our enemies have gathered themselves against us to destroy us and to bring ruin to our sanctuaries.

Help us, O God our Savior, and deliver us, for the sake of the glory of thy Name, and grant that we also may say with truth, as did Moses when he spoke to the people of Israel: ‘Behold, and stand fast; and you shall see the salvation that comes from the Lord. The Lord shall fight for you.’

Yea, O Lord God, our Savior, our Strength, our Hope, and our Protection: remember not the transgressions and unrighteousness of thy people, and turn not away from us because of thine anger; but in mercy and goodness look upon thy humble servants who bow down before thy loving-kindness. Rise up to help us, and grant us victory in thy name. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who, in the mystery of thy dispensation, will lay down their lives in battle, and on the Day of thy Judgment bestow upon them crowns of incorruption. For thou art the Protection, the Victory and the Salvation of those who put their hope in thee, and to thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Holy New Martyrs of Nigeria, pray to God for us.

Your servant in Christ,
Father Hezekias
Executive Director
Institute of Catholic Culture

 

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.