The purpose of the following study is to detail the essential events in the history of the Catholic Church in Indiana during the years 1846-1866, a period of reconstruction and reorganization.

The Korean American Catholic church has been permanently impacted by Confucian ideals. These values have perpetuated a filial patriarchal image of God resulting in the marginalization and subordination of women. It has distorted the image of God and has damaged the self-image carried by first and second generation Korean American Catholic women. Liberative feminist theology that recognizes the full humanity of women is the means by which second generation Korean American Catholic women can begin to reconstruct a fragmented self-image and image of God.

Within Hispanic families there is a growing gap – a disconnection between Hispanic immigrants and their U.S. born and raised children. The cultural gap formed between these two groups has caused many U.S. Hispanic teens to disconnect from “Catholic” as a marker of identity. In order to help Hispanic teens establish a Catholic identity, the local church community needs to help families bridge the gap between teens, parents, and the Church itself. Through the exploration of mestizaje and the incorporation of lo cotidiano and accompaniment in catequesis familiar, parents in conjunction with the Church community can help engage teens in Church life. By creating a space for parents and another for their teens, each will receive sound faith formation relevant to their respective realities. Parents will gather to learn about their teens’ Catholic identity and how to help their teens embrace it, while their teens meet separately to learn more about their faith in a space they feel comfortable created for them. Thus, a holistic approach that addresses each group’s needs may lead to genuine involvement and understanding.

Deaf people often have been outsiders in a hearing Church. Ninety-five percent of Deaf people are born to hearing parents. This is a Community that is doubly marginalized for they are Latino/as and Deaf. Therefore, I will present the needs of Deaf Latino/a Catholics in order for the Church to recognize them as a Community of faith. First, I present how language impacts the development of culture and identity. Second, how this community of Deaf Latino/as is trying to make sense of their identity as they are being raised in the United States. Finally, I present a plan to bridge the gap between Spanish speaking parents and their Deaf child.

The issue of education in the Roman Catholic Church of today, particularly amongst the Latino youth, presents an important opportunity. The Church can reach out to the youth of its largest minority group in the Church through the process of acompañamiento and show these youth the value of their education on their future. In addition, the Church can encourage the Latino youth in their faith formation education. Promoting values of education and creating well-rounded, educated Latino youth will foster a stronger Catholic community both in and out of the parish setting.

This thesis examines the steps which should be taken to foster a true conversion of heart and mind for those in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. The area of focus is on the individual who is looking to join the faith and then be married in the Catholic Church. Attrition within this group is observed at an early stage which leads to the pastoral issue of whether there is a true conversion to the Catholic faith, or whether this journey is seen by the convert as a means to be married in the church. Understanding the importance of adult faith formation and its impact on a person’s journey, is of great importance to the future of the Catholic Church. The journey should help the individual establish a base for further growth in the areas of prayer, scripture, and the emphasis of community.

A lack of understanding and praxis of mission among middle-class Catholics serving on various advisory boards and councils is a pastoral issue in the local Church. These Catholics make important decisions affecting others without enough consideration for the human and faith aspects of matters. In response to this issue, I argue that re-envisioning the praxis of mission calls us to encounter Christ in others. This study presents the surrounding social contexts including: demographics, gentrification, privilege, and tolerance. By examining key theological thoughts, I provide a framework for realizing the praxis of mission in our daily lives. Reflecting on the Catholic understandings of the common good and imago Dei helps lead to the practice of solidarity and the preferential option for the poor. All of which is required for building and proclaiming the Kingdom of God today. By “going out” to encounter others we model mission in movement as Christ exemplified and Pope Francis reminds us. The study concludes with the proposal of a mission formation program to address this pastoral issue with the hope that the praxis of mission will continually transform the decisions and lives of all humanity.

Christianity was founded without a major distinction between “clergy” and “lay” members. As the church grew the need for structure, organization and administration advanced and elevated the position of the clergy and diminished the role of the laity. Recalling practices of the earliest church the Second Vatican Council sought to promote the laity to their proper place as “priest, prophet and king” and reasserted that the sensus fidelium of all the faithful continues to be rooted in their sense of faith as revealed by God and in their baptism. This concept establishes the magisterial competence of all the church, including the laity. The current priest crisis provides the opportunity for the laity, including lay ecclesial ministers, to become, as Pope Benedict says, “’co-responsible’, for the Church’s being and action.” What can be done to tighten the bond between clergy and laity and help to prepare for shared leadership? How can we embrace the visions of ALL the baptized and be open to the fulfillment of each person’s calling? In this paper I offer three proposals for diocesan consideration to advance lay/clergy relations and develop greater acknowledgement and appreciation for each other’s gifts and charisms.

In my work in a diocesan marriage tribunal I have observed that many couples who are planning their weddings are influenced greatly by the superficial focus of our culture. In fact, there is statistical and sociological evidence that culture is highly influential in much Catholic wedding planning. Presented in this paper is evidence of how little Catholics know about the sacramental nature of marriage and how their married life affects themselves and others around them. This paper presents a theological reflection on the sacrament of marriage; an analysis of how the Rite of Marriage is usually perceived and carried out; a study of how the attitude of brides and grooms at the time of their wedding effects their life thereafter and, by association, the greater family and community; and it offers an explanation of how instructing couples on the theology behind the Rite of Marriage as prima theologia can better prepare them to live their marriage sacramentally. The pre-marital classes in the Diocese of Orange are currently comprised of mostly practical information on how to live successfully as a married couple, but they neglect to also consider the most important issue for them as Catholics: how to live out a sacramental marriage. It is proposed in this document that a diocesan-wide premarital handbook be designed and employed which provides greater emphasis on the ecclesial aspect of marriage as well as the practical advice of seasoned mentors.

The primary interest in this work is to examine Maritain's solution to this problem in philosophy, and to examine it as it applies to the various kinds of knowledge. Thus, this position will be examined in connection with knowledge in general, or in connection with what might be called common sense knowledge. We will also examine the kinds of knowledge which are proper to the various sciences,2 both speculative and practical. Furthermore, throughout the consideration in this work of Maritain's solution, as it applies to the various kinds of knowledge to be considered, the fundamental involvement of being will be followed.