Roncalli High School to hold winter theology courses beginning Jan. 9

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. 9 at the high school.

The series, which will run each Tuesday from Jan. 9-Feb. 13, 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.
Janine McIlheran, Ph.D.
Tim Olson, M.A, principal emeritus
Paul Schweigl, Th.D. 
Dianne Vadney, M.T.S.

Each session will feature four speakers. The Jan. 9 session will feature the following presentations and speakers:

The Book of Job presented by Paul Schweigl, Th.D. 
Among the most difficult of the Biblical texts, Job challenges us to consider what theological lessons may be found in life’s most difficult circumstances. What does it mean to speak rightly of God in the midst of human suffering?

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. 

God Exists and Here Is How We Know presented by Tim Olson, M.A, principal emeritus
A rational approach to the existence of God. How can we respond to the talking points of the “New Atheism?”

Tim Olson is a graduate of St. Mary’s University with a B.A. in music and holds an M.A. in administration from North Dakota State University. He has been a teacher and administrator in Catholic schools for 45 years. After serving Roncalli for more than 20 years as principal, he retired from administration, but has stayed on as a part-time teacher. He currently teaches classes in public speaking and theology.

Ways of Praying: The “ARRR” Method presented by Taylor Geiger, M.A.
Prayer can be a difficult thing to begin, but having a method of praying can be a helpful way to guide our prayer. The, “ARRR” method is an acronym for, “acknowledge, relate, receive, respond.” This talk will explore what that means and how it can help boost your prayer life.

Taylor Geiger was born, raised, and still lives in Manitowoc with his wife and his two 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.

A Man of Hope: St. John Paul II presented by Dianne Vadney, M.T.S.
A look at the life of Karol Wojtyla, whose Polish roots during WWII along with his close circle of friends and family, would go on to inform his body of work and contribution to thought on community, social relations, as well as marriage and family. A brief history of his life, along with key passages from some of his major writings will be considered.

Dianne Vadney, an alumnae of Roncalli and a former member of their Campus Ministry staff, received a Biology degree from The Catholic University of America and her Master of Theological Studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. She is campus minister at Marian University in Fond du Lac, along with being a wife and mother of six. 

Jan. 16:           Acts of the Apostles (Schweigl)
                        Parables: The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Beaudry)
                        Christian Detachment: the Evangelical Counsels (Geiger)
                        Forgiveness (Vadney)

Jan. 23:            Judges (Schweigl)
                        The Call to Holiness (Beaudry)
                        Eucharistic Miracles (Colle)
                        Humanae Vitae: Considerations 55 Years Later (Vadney)

Jan. 30:            The Sacred Liturgy as the Living Spring of Assembly               
                             Spirituality (Beaudry)
                        The Life of Moses (Schweigl)
                        Marian Apparitions (Colle)
                        Eucharist: Source & Summit of Our Faith (Vadney)

Feb. 6:             Jesus of Nazareth: What Reason Can Tell Us (Olson)
                        Can God and Science Coexist? (Bishop)
                        The Word of God at Vatican II (Geiger)
                        Finding Mary in the Search for Jesus (Schweigl)

Feb. 13:           History & Charisms of Religious Orders (Vadney)
                         Mary: Our Model of Discipleship (Geiger)
                         70 Years: A Faith Journey (Olson)
                        Achilles, St. Joseph, Turbulence, and Humility (McIlheran)