Associates Rosy Hartz and Deborah Perez have earned a Certificate in Faith, Innovation, and Social Impact from New York University’s Bronfman Center and innoFaith, through an organizational partnership with the Catholic Volunteer Network.
Rosy (top), Deborah (middle), and Jamie (bottom) each presented their projects to the cohort as part of a final meeting of the group that took place in New York.
Their coursework, spanning 20 academic hours and a hybrid set of 10 meetings, taught methods and concepts for innovation for faith-based contexts and helped them envision implementations for their ideas, and they each presented a proposal at the course’s end.
Rosy coordinates youth ministry and faith formation for St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas, so she presented on a program for high school students participating in parish youth ministry. Deborah volunteers with several parish ministries and used to teach kindergarten at St. Viator Parish School, so she designed a program for parish families with children who are four years old or younger.
Mrs. Jamie Reyburn, who coordinates baptism and safe environment for St. Viator, also completed the certificate with Rosy and Deborah. Since Jamie is the volunteer coordinator of campus ministry for the parish school, she prepared a program focused on middle school students.
Deborah valued the interaction with peers and felt affirmed for what she and our Viatorian Community are doing. “I was drawn to the dialogue and collaboration with faith-based non-profit leaders across the United States and to learn what ‘intrapreneurship’ looks like within the Catholic parish,” Deborah said, describing the overlap between innovation and entrepreneurship. “The biggest takeaway was the affirmation that the Viatorians are doing good by consistently seeking opportunities for community engagement and growth.”
The Clerics of St. Viator awarded them scholarships to defray toward the costs of the program. The three women traveled to New York for the final presentations and certificate conferral last month. “We’re beyond blessed for the Viatorians to give us this support, and I’m thankful for my two friends who said yes to this journey with me,” Rosy said.
“Viatorians support education and take pride in walking with the young church and supporting youth and campus ministry through programs such as VYC. So, it’s such a great sign of support when the community sends people who are leading these programs to continue learning, and it is an investment worth making,” Deborah said.
The Viatorian Community is working to strengthen and deepen ongoing formation. For some, it means taking part in regional gatherings to listen to a talk and have a discussion; for others, it may mean participating in a retreat or spiritual direction. For Rosy and Deborah, for Viatorian students at Catholic Theological Union, and for others to come, it will mean taking classes for ongoing education, formation, or certification. As Viatorians seek paths to continued formation, we will continue striving to read the signs of the times thoughtfully and discern meaningful responses to serve the People of God.