3/8/07
year:
2007
Augustian Friar Offers 2-Day Program at Franciscan Spiritual Center
Aston, PA — The Franciscan Spiritual Center invites the community of faith to journey with an experienced guide through the current scandals within the Catholic Church. To lend support to all who have been affected by this reality, Ray Dlugos, OSA, an Augustinian Friar of the Villanova Province, will offer a two-day program, “Encountering the Shadow Reality of the Church: Finding Hope in the Midst of Disillusionment.” Part I, “Understanding the Shadow: Dynamics of Power, Authority, and Abuse,” will be held Saturday, March 31, 10 AM to 3:30 PM, and Part II, “Integrating the Shadow Realities into Growth and New Life,” will be held Saturday, May 19, 9:30 AM to 3 PM.
“The scandal of clerical sexual abuse has challenged, and even shattered, the faith and trust of many Catholics in the Institutional Church,” Ray Dlugos, OSA, said. “Here we seek a better understanding of ‘shadow’ and the dynamics of power, authority, and abuse. We also choose to move toward integrating the shadow realities into growth and new life.”
These programs are one of many offered by the Franciscan Spiritual Center, a ministry sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. It reflects an effort to live the Center’s mission statement, “to provide environments, experiences, and resources which enable persons to meet God.” Participants are welcome to attend one or both days; lunch will be provided. There is no fee for this event (free-will donations are welcomed), but participants must register no later than two weeks in advance of each event. Contact the Franciscan Spiritual Center at (610) 558-6152, fscaston@osfphila.org.
Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Ray Dlugos holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University at Albany State University of New York and is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Southdown Institute, a residential treatment center in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. Ray has presented workshops across North America on themes such as Maintaining Passionate Commitment to Ministry, Integrating Sexuality and Celibacy, Developing Honest Self-Awareness, Using Loneliness as a Source of Revelation, Understanding the Power and Authority of Priesthood, and Healthy Leadership for a Healthy Church.
For more information on the Franciscan Spiritual Center, see www.fscaston.org. For more information on the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, see www.osfphila.org.
