Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls

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Bishop Martin Marty Institute

for the New Evangelization

"Do not be conformed to this world

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."

St. Paul's letter to the Romans, 12:2

The Bishop Martin Marty Institute for the New Evangelization is an initiative of the office of Evangelization & Adult Catechesis focused on providing Catholics opportunities to grow more deeply in their faith and on equipping them to share their faith with others. This webpage has information on upcoming Institute events, information on the Institute itself, and audio recordings of past events.

Upcoming Events

(You can view these and other upcoming events in the Adult Faith Formation calendar here.)

Feeding the Fire

Thursday, October 11th: What Does the Church Really Teach?

In the time and culture in which we live, it's crucial that Catholics have a proper understanding of what the Church actually teaches, so that they can more easily share the splendor of the truth of our faith with others. To that end, we are blessed to have a document which lays out in a clear & systematic way what that teaching is. At this month's Feeding the Fire, Dr. Chris Burgwald will begin the Year of Faith with an introduction to that document.

Feeding the Fire events are one-hour monthly events providing the opportunity to learn more about what we believe as Catholics and how to share our faith with others. New themes will be presented each month and will focus on timely topics regarding matters of faith. Feeding the Fire events are held monthly from 7:00pm to 8:00pm at the Catholic Pastoral Center located at 523 N Duluth Avenue in Sioux Falls. These events are recorded and the audio is available online here.

Extended Study

Saturday, November 17th: So You Think You Know Vatican II?

During this Year of Faith, Pope Benedict has called for all Catholics to prayerfully read and study the documents of Vatican II. At this fall's Saturday Session for the Institute for the New Evangelization, Dr. Chris Burgwald will introduce -- or re-introduce! -- participants to the richness of the Council's documents (hint: it's not just about changes to the Mass!). Blessed Pope John Paul II described the Council and its documents as the great gift of the Spirit to the Church of our time. Come and see how the Second Vatican Council can transform your life and the lives of all Catholics.

Time: 9:00am to 3:00pm

Location: Catholic Pastoral Center (the diocesan offices next to the Cathedral of St. Joseph)

Registration is required: please call Mary Andersen at 988.3766. There is a fee of $10, which includes the cost for lunch.

More about the Institute

Each Institute event addresses basic and timely topics, with the goal for every series that at the end each participant will be able to answer four questions:

what the Church teaches about the topic;
why the Church teaches what she does about that topic;
how the Church’s teaching is relevant and applicable to our lives;
and how we can confidently and charitably share that teaching with others.

The most extensive Institute event is the Extended Study, which includes time for prayer, discussion and reflection, all of which promote a deeper grasp of the truths of the faith given in the presentations. This is crucial, in that catechesis is not simply the intellectual learning of abstract theological truths, but rather is growth in understanding of Jesus Christ and His teachings in order that we might love Him and our neighbor more deeply. As the passage from St. Paul's letter to the Romans cited at the top of the webpage indicates, the renewal of the mind must lead to the transformation of the entire person.

We are working to make Institute events available to anyone around the diocese with internet access via the Internet. Watch this space for more information.

The goal of the Bishop Martin Marty Institute for the New Evangelization is that it will be a concrete way in which the Second Vatican Council’s call for a renewed and reinvigorated laity might be further implemented. The hope is that participants will seek to take up the call of the Council—echoed by Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI—to strive after holiness, to grow in their discipleship with Christ and knowledge of His teachings, and to embrace the mission of the laity: to bring Him into the secular world. What exactly that looks like in the case of each participant is up to them and the Holy Spirit, but God willing, it will contribute to the continual renewal of the Church, society and culture of eastern South Dakota.

Bishop Martin Marty

Past Events with Audio Online

Feeding the Fire

May 3rd, 2012: Jesus versus Religion? One of the most-watched YouTube videos early in 2012 was of a passionate Christian man who argues that Jesus is against religion. In this Feeding the Fire event, Dr. Chris Burgwald looks at this common argument and explains what the video gets right and what it gets wrong. Click here to listen to the audio from this presentation.

June 14th, 2012: The Tip of the Iceberg: As we know, the portion of the iceberg which is visible to most of us is just a fraction of the whole. The same seems true with the awareness which many Americans have of the Church's contribution to society... there's much more there than many people seem to realize. In this Feeding the Fire event, Travis Benson discusses the many ways in which the Church acts as the hands of Christ, serving those in need. Click here to listen to the audio from this presentation.

July 12, 2012: What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?: One of the central themes of Pope Benedict's teaching has been to go "back to the basics" and address the fundamental questions of Christian faith, most particularly the question of what it means to be a Christian, that is, of who and what Jesus Christ is for each of us and all of us. In this Feeding the Fire event, Dr. Chris Burgwald unpacks the Catholic understanding of what it means to be a Christian, in a manner easy to understand and to share with others. Click here to listen to the audio from this presentation.

August 9th, 2012: The New Evangelization: What and How?: Going back at least to the Second Vatican Council, the popes and bishops of the Church have been calling for a renewed and reinvigorated evangelization effort, which Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict have called the new evangelization. But what, exactly, is the new evangelization? And just as importantly... how do ordinary Catholics take up this call? In this Feeding the Fire event, Dr. Chris Burgwald gives a brief explanation of what the new evangelization is and then offer some practical tips and ideas on how ordinary Catholics can take part in it. Click here to listen to the audio from this presentation.

September 13th, 2012: God's Plan for the Renewal of the Church Today: The approach of the Year of Faith and the emphasis throughout the Church on the new evangelization presents an opportunity for us to look again at God's own plan for the renewal of His Church, a plan which Blessed John Paul II called the great gift of the Spirit to the Church of our time. What is that plan? In this month's Feeding the Fire and Dr. Chris Burgwald answers that question and introduces -- or reintroduces -- the plan for renewal provided by the Spirit Himself. Click here to listen to the audio from this presentation.