Growing in Faith
Rethinking the Vulnerable and Marginalized: Pope Francis' Challenge
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session George Worgul Jr.
Pope Francis has intensely focused on the vulnerable and marginalized throught his papal ministry. This study traces Francis' teaching on the poor, refuges and the marginalized during his papal ministry. It demonstrates that Francis' teaching challenges religious, civic, and national communities to engage with the vulnerable with care and respect. At the same time, Francis' teaching identifies the vulnerable as a treasured gift who enrich our human communities. Francis' perspective offers a horizon shift that can powerfully change both our understanding of vulnerability and its place in our increasingly globalized society.
Spiritual Preparation and Resilience in Teacher Education : Applying the Practice of Integrative Chaplaincy toward Increased Resilience in Novice and Preservice Classroom Teachers
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Catherine Mc Tamaney
Integrative chaplains offer spiritual and emotional companionship in ministry contexts, from faith communities to hospitals and other care centers. Classroom teachers often struggle with the ways in which their perceived "calling" to be teachers conflicts with the challenging demands of day-to-day school settings. How can teacher education programs better nurture the capacity of novice teachers to find purpose and resilience in the vulnerable first-years of teaching? How can the evidence-based practices used in diverse chaplaincy settings inform the spiritual preparation of classroom teachers? How might a more focused lens on teacher spirituality, vulnerability and resilience help prepare teachers for the complex psychosocial-spiritual relationships they will build with students in their classrooms. This paper proposes a conceptual framework describing a potential interaction of chaplaincy practices in nonsectarian teacher education programs toward the development of greater resilience and psychological flexibility in novice teachers.
Migration through the Lens of Hospitality
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gregory Olikenyi
The prophetic voice of the Church on migration is more urgent today than ever, especially in the current global social, economic and political climate. Xenophobic attitudes are being immensely generated across the board leading to almost a total breakdown in relationships and developments in our human family. Pope Francis has devoted much of his papacy in drawing attention to the vulnerability of migrants, strangers and refugees. This paper critically explores the global situation of migration and the causes, trace Pope Francis’ response to situation of migrants as the poor and marginalized, and through the analysis of the dynamics of hospitality offer a paradigm that resonates with a Church that is truly prophetic, a Church that demonstrates that the vulnerable are endowed with blessings/gifts.
