Roncalli High School to hold winter theology courses beginning Jan. 7

Roncalli High School, part of Roncalli Catholic Schools, will hold “Learning on the Journey: A winter series of courses on faith, practices and perspectives” beginning Jan. 7 at the high school. 
 
The series, which will run each Tuesday from Jan. 7-Feb. 11, is open to the public and there is no admission fee. All sessions will be held at the high school, 2000 Mirro Drive, Manitowoc, on Tuesday nights from 6-7 p.m. with a social to follow. Refreshments will be served. Attendees should enter through the Fine Arts Center doors. 
 
People may attend as many or few session dates as they’d like. No reading or homework will be required to participate. Child care services will be provided, but families hoping to utilize this service must provide at least a week’s notice to ensure sufficient number of volunteers are available. Registration is not required, but appreciated, to attend the sessions. Please contact 920-682-8801 or [email protected] for child care and registration.
 
The series is presented with support from the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay, Inc. and the Koch Foundation.
 
Participating event presenters include: 

• The Rev. David Beaudry, M.A.
• Michelle Bishop, M.S.
• The Rev. Matt Colle, M.S.
• Taylor Geiger, M.A.
• Callie Hynek, M.A.
• Janine McIlheran, Ph.D.
• Emily Rudolph, M.F.A.
• Paul Schweigl, Th.D. 
• Dianne Vadney, M.T.S.

Each session will feature four speakers. The Jan. 7 session will feature the following presentations and speakers:
 
“The Life of Moses” presented by Paul Schweigl, Th.D. 
This session will offer an overview of St. Gregory of Nyssa’s classic work of Christian spirituality. Gregory prescribes a compelling reading of the Bible’s story of Moses, making constant connections between this greatest of Old Testament figures and the journey of the Christian disciple.
 
Paul Schweigl is a Roncalli alumnus, holding degrees from St. Norbert College, the University of 
Notre Dame, and La Salle University. He has taught theology at Roncalli since 2011. He lives in Sheboygan with his wife and three children and is a member of Holy Name of Jesus parish.  
 
Seeking Inspiration: Making Friends with the Saints presented by Dianne Vadney, M.T.S.
Be reinspired in living your life for God by taking time to hear from the saints in their own words, see photos or other images of them, as well as learning about the unique ways they lived and worked as a response to God’s call to “follow Him.”
 
Dianne Vadney is both an alum and a former campus minister for Roncalli, and parent of two current students at the high school. She earned her undergraduate degree from The Catholic University of America and her Master of Theological Studies from the John Paul II Institute of Studies for Marriage and Family in Washington, D.C. She has worked in ministry for youth, families and college students and is the Director of Campus Ministry at Marian University in Fond du Lac. She and her husband, Greg, are members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Manitowoc and are blessed to be parenting their six children, spanning in age from freshmen in college to 4K.
 
Introduction to Christian Prayer presented by Taylor Geiger, M.A.
Prayer can seem daunting, but it need not be! This talk will explore the basics of Christian prayer in order to be the scaffolding upon which we build our prayer lives around our particular states in life.
 
Taylor Geiger was born, raised, and still lives in Manitowoc with his wife and their three daughters. He graduated from Holy Family College with a degree in theology in 2015 and earned an M.A. in Theology from the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado in 2022. Geiger serves on the Mission and Theology team at Roncalli High School as a freshman theology teacher and campus minister.
 
Signs in the Science: How Modern Discoveries Reflect Intelligent Design by Michelle Bishop, M.S.
This talk explores how recent scientific breakthroughs might point toward an intelligent Creator, including evidence supporting the Big Bang theory and other widely accepted scientific principles. By examining current research through a lens of faith, we’ll discuss whether modern science can be seen as uncovering signs of purposeful design within the universe. The presentation will conclude with a period of visio divina (a form of prayer that involves engaging with visual art to connect more deeply with holy Scripture) using images from the James Webb Telescope.
 
Michelle Bishop has been blessed with the opportunity to share her love of the Lord Jesus and her passion for the sciences at Roncalli High School since 2021, where she teaches AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Engineering, and Leadership classes. She holds degrees from UW-Madison and Silver Lake College and is a regular musician at Holy Mass in the community. Michelle and her husband, Nick, live in Manitowoc with their three children and are members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish. In her free time, Michelle enjoys having fun with her family, reading, and doing old-lady crafts.
 
Jan. 14:            Acts of the Apostles (Schweigl)
 The Worship of the Eucharist Outside of the Liturgy (Beaudry)
 Auditorium Marriage: a Vocation of Love and Self Gift (Vadney)
 The Women of the Genealogy of Jesus (Hynek)
 
Jan. 21:            St. Augustine (Schweigl)
 Introduction to the Catechism (Geiger)
 An Introduction to Angelology: the Study of Angels (Hynek)
 The Sacred in Stained Glass: The Process and Its Local Examples (Rudolph)
 
Jan. 28:            The Apostle Paul and Evangelization (Beaudry)
 Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist (Colle)
 Healing: Part of the Good Life (Vadney)
 Mary: Our Model of Discipleship (Geiger)
 
Feb. 4:             The Anointing of the Sick (Beaudry) 
 In Accordance with the Scriptures (Schweigl) 
 Saint Kateri Tekakwitha: Lily of the Mohawks (Hynek) 
 Saint Ignatius of Antioch (Geiger)
 
Feb. 11:           Samwise Gamgee: Coming Home (McIlheran)
 Pilgrimage to Rome (Colle)
 Saint John Baptist de La Salle (Schweigl)        
 The Word of God at Vatican II (Geiger)