Fall 2006 Newsletter - Regis College

Alumni News
It was good to hear from Helen Battler
(M.Div.,2000; S.T.B., 2001). We had
lost track of Helen but thanks to the list
in the Where are they section in the last
issue of the newsletter, she contacted us
to let us know that she is now the mother
of two children, Meagan 4 and Aaron 2,
and lives in St. Mary’s, Ontario.
Helen recently resigned from her position
as a chaplain (Certified Specialist in
Spiritual Care) at St. Joseph’s Hospital,
London to spend more time at home
with her children: “Mothering has been
one of the most profoundly challenging
paths I have chosen yet, but also one of
the most rewarding.”
She may be at home with the children
but she also manages to keep
herself busy in many other ways. She
works part time at her husband’s clinic,
offering spiritual counseling and directional
group workshops and conducting
a meditation group. She also has
developed a retreat day called Soul Food
for Mothers and Grandmothers, at which
women explore the spiritual/emotional
rigours of mothering, and create “wisdom
circles” of sharing from new mother
to grandmother. And to fill up any extra
time she might have, she is also working
on a book, Mother Wisdom: Soul Food
for Mothers, which explores the same
themes. She reports that she is busy,
happy and fulfilled. Not much more you
can ask from life.
Gregory Beath (M.Div./S.T.B. 1999)
complemented his foundational years of
solid theological studies at Regis College
by four years of ministry as a lay pastoral
assistant within a large, multicultural
parish in the Archdiocese of Toronto.
“I tried my best to simply be present to
people,” said Gregory, “but that is easier
said than done when ministering within
the demands of vibrant parish life. I wore
many hats: catechist, pastoral counsellor,
volunteer coordinator, R.C.I.A. director,
director of sacramental preparation
programmes, and liturgy coordinator.”
It was in the midst of this rewarding
parish work that Gregory started
10 Regis Newsletter
to feel a tug toward further studies. He
said: “All of the accompaniment and
faith formation within the parish was
connected in one way or another to the
sacramental life of the community. I
felt the need to know more about worship
in the life of the Church, and how
liturgy shapes our identity and furthers
our relationship with God and one
another.” Gregory received a scholarship
to study at the School of Theology
at Saint John’s Abbey and University
in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he
completed a Master of Arts in Liturgical
Studies. He is now a consultant with the
Office of Religious Education for the
Archdiocese of Toronto. He affirmed:
“I am really grateful for the theological
foundations that were given to me at
Regis College. The high quality of academics
and the careful, personable mentorship
from the Regis faculty and staff
have enabled me to not only share the
riches of the Catholic faith with others,
but to do so in a way that reaches into
the heart of the world and there finds the
abiding presence of God.”
Michael E. Connors, C.S.C. (Ph.D.,
1997) is Assistant Professional Specialist
in Theology, and Director of the Master
of Divinity program at the University
of Notre Dame. His fields of interest
include pastoral ministry, inculturation,
Latino theology and spirituality.
His recent book, Inculturated Pastoral
Planning: The U.S. Hispanic Experience
(Gregorian University Press, 2001) examines
the U.S. bishops’ 1986 document,
The National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic
Ministry, from the point of view of the
theology of inculturation.
Dorothy Cummings, (M.Div./S.T.B.
2005) reports that “this summer I
spent nine weeks at the Philosophisch-
Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen
in Frankfurt, Germany preparing for
my theological German exam at Boston
College. Because Sankt Georgen is,
among other things, a Jesuit theologate,
I made sure I wore my old Regis College
pin. Sure enough, early in my stay as I
was waiting in the cafeteria line, a tall
blond student I had never seen before
said, in perfect English, “Excuse me, do
you know Regis College in Toronto”
This was Johannes Waller, enrolled to
be a special student at Regis College this
September. Johannes is following in the
footsteps of another Sankt Georgen student,
Simon Schade, who studied at Regis
in 2002 and 2003. Upon discovering that
Simon was in town, I got in touch with
him, and we shared memories of Regis
and Toronto life over coffee in Frankfurt’s
famous shopping street, the Zeil. As I discovered,
Simon has made Regis College
quite famous at St. Georgen!
Students at Regis in 2004-05 may
remember Sisters Marta and Renata of
the Sisters of Social Service in Slovakia.
I am happy to report that I also spent a
wonderful weekend with the Sisters in
Bratislava, and the city is just as beautiful
as Father Michael Kolarcik describes.
Both Sister Marta and Sister Renata are
well and happy and send their regards to
Regis College.
Terry Dance-Bennink (M.A.M.S.;
D.S.D. 2002) reports from her new
home in Victoria, B.C. She has been
asked to help the Centre for Earth and
Spirit with their marketing and promotion
and she will also be offering a workshop
at the University of Victoria. She
would like to work with seniors in pastoral
counseling. She finds “life is already
rich and full, and the environment here
is GREEN all year round.”
Maria Karajovanova (M.A.M.S. 2004)
is the Regional Manager for the Ontario
Multifaith Council. Maria has taken up
dragonboating in her spare time and loves
it. She is also proud to report that her son
is now a University of Toronto student.
Rev. Alan McGuckian, S.J. (M.Div.
1984; S.T.L. 1986) reports that after
twelve years working full time in communications,
most recently as Director
of the CatholicIreland.net project, he
has moved to the Jesuit community
in Belfast and is developing a ministry
among the Gaelic-speaking community
there, starting first with the primary