Holy Names University in Oakland, in partnership with the Diocese of Fresno, has introduced a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Pastoral Ministries for Fresno Catholics. Expansion of the program is made possible by a state-of-the-art video conferencing system between Oakland and Fresno. The HNU lay ministry formation program is built around leading certification standards of the National Association for Lay Ministry. Robert Lassalle-Klein, PhD, director of the HNU program, said the Fresno program is designed to “accommodate the lives of fulltime pastoral ministers who also have family obligations.” Classes will meet Monday nights for seven weeks, and will be offered via state of the art, face to face video-conferencing at Saint Agnes Medical Center, Fresno and in the HNU classroom. Other sites throughout the Diocese of Fresno will be added later. In 2000, HNU collaborated with the Diocese of Oakland to offer an MA degree in Pastoral Ministries. Two cohorts have successfully completed the program. Recently over a two-day period, Cohort III which began in January 2004 presented their final projects to students, faculty, staff, family and friends who attended a reception and luncheon celebrating their accomplishments. Bob Henderson, current Cohort IV student, said about the presentations that they “…were an amazing two-day seminar in Pastoral Ministry, covering a diverse expanse of topics including Music, Liturgy, Theology, Catechesis and social consciousness, as well as the practical aspects of working in today's church." Cohort IV students who began their studies in August 2007 joined with the first Fresno Cohort in January. With funding from a grant, the Pastoral Ministries program is able to offer live video-conferencing equipment in the Oakland classroom which will be transmitted to the Fresno designated location currently at the St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno. Susan Rizo, Director of Garces High School Campus Ministry, a Catholic school in Bakersfield, commented: “This is an exciting time for those of us in the Fresno Diocese. In the San Joaquin Valley, we are hours away from a Catholic University therefore, this satellite program is a great way to connect us to professors that can broaden our studies in the area of theology. For me, it has been a dream of mine to complete a Master’s degree in theology. I’m elated that Holy Names University and the Diocese of Fresno have come together to create this distant learning cohort.” The interaction between instructor and students will be in real time and allow for both cohorts to come together and share their stories of ministry and experiences with each other. Cohort III students and their topics included: Anne Marie Fourré: “Growing in the Fullness of Love: Developing a Program to Support and Enrich Marriage in the Alameda Deanery" -- The family is described as “a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity” (Lumen Gentium), and a married couple as a living symbol of God’s oneness with creation. This thesis explores the current reality of marriage, and the local parish’s responsibilities and opportunities to support couples in their efforts to live a sacramental marriage in today’s world. Rob Grant: “We Are What We Eat: Preparing a Parish Repertoire That Truly Feeds” -- The words we sing in the music of our liturgy are as much a part of the food that informs, shapes and expresses our faith as are the words we hear in scripture, prayer and homily. For our music to be truly nourishing, truly effective, there must be an artful and faithful marriage of lyric and melody. Given that many of the most beloved and well known tunes of our Catholic Tradition are paired with lyrics reflecting pre-Vatican II paradigms, in my project I have taken ten of these archetypical, powerful and memorable tunes, and rewritten for these melodies, lyrics which reflect contemporary theological and pastoral paradigms. Kirsten Koehler: “Spiritual Formation Sessions for Lay Ecclessial Ministers” -- Provides a template for small group spiritual formation and support. Also includes ready-to-use sessions to prompt discussion surrounding topics which are applicable to the specific character of lay ministers (i.e. living in the world as a single or married person, often times holding another job, etc.). Mary Kovalitsky: “Workers in the Vineyard/Word Made Flesh”-- Provided a four-week workshop where church secretaries could come together to dialogue about their role in the church, both locally and globally, in addition to making a much needed connection with other church secretaries within the Diocese of Oakland. Gabrielle Miller: “What Did Jesus Mean? Understanding how the Eucharist and Social Justice are Linked” --A multimedia parish presentation and homily that explores the meaning of Jesus’ real presence in liturgy, and the meaning of the assembly’s response of “Amen.” Cynthia Ney: “Called from Worship into Service” -- My project is to create session planners for pastors, parish staff and lay ministers to put Catholic Social Teaching into the forefront of parish life. The integral relationship of faith and justice is essential to an authentic Christian life, as we are called from worship into service. Koleen Polintan: “Servant Leadership on Campus—A Student Leadership Program for College Campus Ministry" -- College campuses are concentrated centers of creativity and passion. Students are at a time in their lives where they are trying to figure out who they are as adults and where they belong in their world. It is at this time that the Church needs to be present, to help empower them as they discern where their gifts will best be used. This program is designed as one model of how to empower college students. Lisa Promani: “Advertisement, Catholic Social Teaching & Our Youth” -- Equipping our young people with the tools to enable them to become media literate with an emphasis on advertisement and the dignity of the human person. Jeremy Stafford: “Parish Based Youth Formation Program” -- Creating a process that invites teenagers to become disciples of Jesus Christ. While the project began as a confirmation program, it became more than that, as it evolved into a parish-based formation program where individual teenagers are truly empowered to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Erin Tribble: "Food for the Journey: A Eucharistic Response to Death and Dying" -- An exploration of the meaning and experience of Eucharist as the foundational sacrament of the Church’s ministry to the dying and the role of the lay chaplain in administering the "last rite" of Viaticum. Cohort IV students are: Lyndee Billups, Maria Estrada, Cassilda Gabbadon, Jennifer Ginorio, Robert Henderson, Robyn Lang, Laura Lemus, Betty Levin, Keith Machi, Gina McCormick, Mary Ellen Waite, and Lois Williams. Holy Names University is a liberal arts school with more than 25 degree programs, credentials and certificates for traditional undergraduates and adults returning to school for bachelor’s or graduate degrees. The university, located just off Highway 13 in the Oakland Hills, celebrates its 140th year in Oakland in 2008. Media contact: John Bowman, 510.436.1405 or bowman@hnu.edu.