Penta Virtual Regional Congress
Date: September 25, 2021
Time: 8:30am – 1:00pm
This virtual Congress has been planned for PCLs (Parish Catechetical Leaders, such as Directors of Religious Education) focusing on their spiritual and emotional wellbeing as we move forward to new possibilities.
8:30am-9:15am – Welcome & Keynote Speaker Mari Pablo
Mari is a presenter for Ascension Press, a speaker for the Steubenville Youth Conferences, and has a Master’s degree in Theology.
9:15am-10:00am – Session 1
Paul Brogan – “Doing well to do good: emotional wellness ideas for the PCL”
Using the model of the wounded healer, we will examine stress reducing and energy enhancing techniques to help us in ministry. Using a Bio-Psycho-Social model, we will focus on very practical tools that will make us more effective in ministry.
Paul Brogan is a Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles. He works with individuals and couples virtually, in California. He teaches in the Psychology Department at Mount St. Mary’s University and presents at parishes and schools.
10:15am-11:00am – Session 2
Fr. Casey Cole – “The Beatitudes: Living with Hope After Affliction”
In the Beatitudes, Jesus preaches good news to the poor and afflicted, not only offering them the promise of future glory, but even calling them blessed in their present suffering. As the world begins to move forward during/after the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a temptation to move on quickly from our suffering, trying to forget what we’ve experienced in order to return to the way things were before, but we must resist this. There is something blessed about what we’ve been through, and we are holier people going forward because of it.
Fr. Casey Cole is a Franciscan Friar, priest, author, and online evangelist. He has published two books, Called: What Happens After Saying Yes to God and Let Go: Seven Stumbling Blocks to Christian Discipleship, is the creator of two YouTube channels, and regularly gives talks throughout the country on evangelization and vocations.
11:15am-12:00pm – Session 3
Dr. Xavier Cagigas, PhD – “Finding a way forward through the renewal of the mind in Christ Jesus”
This presentation will help people in parish catechetical ministry find a way forward in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that both fosters a sense of personal wellbeing and empowers those they serve to find a new normal. The acute and chronic stress posed by the pandemic will be re-examined through the reflective lenses of compassion fatigue and resilience by reviewing best practices for optimally coping and re-interpreting this trial as part of our ongoing faith journey toward a deeper relationship with Christ and our Catholic Community.
Dr. Xavier Cagigas PhD, is a clinical and research neuropsychologist, and as a bilingual and bicultural clinician, has been providing clinical assessment services to the Latina/o community of Los Angeles for several years. He graduated from Salpointe Catholic College Preparatory and completed his undergraduate education at Georgetown University. He then went on to complete a doctorate from San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, and subsequently completed a clinical psychology internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior. He currently serves as the Associate Director of the UCLA Hispanic Neuropsychiatric Center of Excellence, Co-Director of the Cultural Neuropsychology Program, and Co-PI for the Bilingual and Spanish Interdisciplinary Clinical Training Program (BASIC-T) within the UCLA and Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s Public Partnership for Wellbeing. Dr. Cagigas is currently a parishioner at Saint Sebastian Catholic Church.
12:00pm – 12:15pm – Wrap up & Closing Prayer
12:15pm – 1:00pm – Click to Connect (C2C): Breakout rooms for sharing and networking with other attendees
To register for this great event, CLICK HERE, and be sure to select “PCL Track in English” in your registration form.
This year, our Congress will once again be virtual but this time we have combined all five regions to form one, PENTA Regional Congress. The theme for our PENTA Congress is: “A New Beginning.” In moving forwards from 2020, we are excited for the new possibilities for our ministries.
