That’s where Dr. John Van Epp, Ph.D., founder of LoveThinks, LLC, has something to offer.  He’s the author of, “How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk,” published by McGraw-Hill, which blends in-depth research with humorous stories to provide a map for making healthy relationship choices. His twenty-five years of clinical experience and extensive research in premarital, marital and family relations have paved the way for his teach-out-of-the-box courses, PICK (How to Avoid Falling for a Jerk) and Marriage LINKS to be taught in thousands of churches, singles organizations, educational settings and social agencies in all fifty states, ten countries and by more than 2,500 military personnel. Van Epp and his innovative Relationship Attachment Model, book and relationship courses were awarded the Smart Marriage Impact Award (2008) and have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Psychology Today, O Magazine, and Cosmopolitan; and he has appeared on the CBS Early Show, the O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, and Focus on the Family. He has been happily married for over thirty years and is the proud father of two daughters.

He will deliver his popular and effective presentation this coming Thursday, September 16, at 8:00pm, in the Auditorium of David Lawrence Hall, University of Pittsburgh.  All students from any of the local universities are welcome; bring a friend, of any kind!

This semester’s series of Bible studies for local grad students will begin Monday at 6:00pm, when we’ll depart from the Newman Center for Holy Trinity parish in McKees Rocks to hear Dr. Stephen Miletic present on, “The Bible and Culture: Biblical Spirituality.”  Dr. Miletic is presently a professor of Sacred Scripture and Catechetics at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and has instructed both students and teachers in this field for over 25 years. According to the précis: “Spirituality is a personal encounter with God. How can you have a subjective experience of an objective reality? What is Biblical Spirituality? This lecture examines the Interior, Religious, and Spiritual Life and how this life interacts with the culture.” Ordinarily, the weekly grad Bible study begins at 7:45pm, on Monday nights. Please email Fr. Joshua, or Courtney Long for more information, or to be added to the email list for updates.

Every Thursday night at 7:30pm, beginning June 17th, we will be considering the fundamental elements of this beautiful spiritual tradition by reading A Beginner’s Introduction to the Philokalia by Anthony Coniaris. This book focuses on twenty basic themes from the Philokalia, explaining them as simply as possible – such as watchfulness, thoughts, spiritual discipline, the heart, the intellect, inner stillness, the passions, deification, discernment, and of course, the Jesus Prayer.

For more information, contact Fr. David at frdavid@pittsburghoratory.org

Notice will be given when the books are available.

This group will run from mid June through mid August.

The Nature and Spirit of the Secular Oratory:

How did the Oratory begin? – - With laymen gathered for prayer and spiritual reading, for conversation and recreation, and for the care of those in need.  St. Philip was at the heart of the group, of course.  Yet how unobtrusive he was!  He desired to bring his friends to Christ, not to himself.  Christ was to be found in the sacraments, in Holy Scripture, in the lives of the saints and the history of the Church – and also in other people, especially the poor and the sick, to care for whom is to care for Christ.  The Oratory was not particularly dramatic or especially demanding.  All sorts belonged, drawn simply by their sense that here, from St. Philip, they could learn how to make progress in knowing and loving our Lord.

Those who participate today in the Secular Oratory are among their successors.  Keeping Philip’s original way in mind, the Secular Oratory is not so much a formal confraternity or third order as it is an association of all those who wish to serve God under Philip’s gentle guidance.  It is also a special blessing for us to to receive St. Philip’s spirit from the hands of the soon to be “Blessed” John Henry Newman.  Newman understood that spirit; he knew that in our relations with God and with each other, we must try to leave behind all that is wrong, false and pretentious, so that, in all simplicity, heart can speak to heart.

This is what Saint Philip wants for those who take him as a special patron: simply and intimately, to know Christ.  It is the aim of the members of the Secular Oratory, each one as far as he or she can, to seek that knowledge in Saint Philip’s way and Newman’s: in prayer and devotion, through the bonds of Christian friendship and in works of practical charity.

When:

Every other Saturday (2nd and 4th) 7:00pm, Newman Center Conference Room

Confessions and Eucharistic Adoration available prior to meeting (6:00-6:45pm) in Oratory Chapel

What:

The meetings consist of:

The singing of a hymn
A reading from scripture or other spiritual text
period of silent meditation
period of discussion
praying of the Litany of St. Philip Neri
Hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Social (about 8:00pm)

When the first members of what became the Secular Oratory met with Saint Philip in 16th-century Rome, he often asked them to give talks to one another on Scripture, Church history, the lives of the saints, and other aspects of Catholic life and culture.  We continue this tradition by inviting members of Secular Oratory to volunteer to make presentations at our meetings.

Additional Activities:

Regular Retreats
Pilgrimages
Social Events
Regular Outreach Opportunities

First Meeting:   June 26th

For more information, contact Fr. David at frdavid@pittsburghoratory.org

This group is open to ALL who are interested.  It will meet every Thursday evening from 7:30pm-8:30pm beginning February 11th.  For more information, contact Fr. David at frdavid@pittsburghoratory.orgLenten Season

Want to understand the “nature” in natural family planning? Beyond just the Catholic way of planning a family, science and medicine are forging a path to understand the gift of fertility, the meaning of love and communion inscribed in the marital act, and its “rules of engagement” present in all persons and between all couples.

The Creighton Model FertilityCare program of NFP offers a scientifically valid approach to human fertility in both its evaluations and prescriptions. It is able to boast significantly greater success than artificial methods in both postponing as well as achieving pregnancy, because it regards natural fertility as an integral part of the married relationship, not an obstacle to be overcome or replaced.

This talk is an introductory session to a larger program of fertility training especially suited to women and couples interested in more fully understanding the woman’s reproductive health; it is also aimed at providing young people a greater understanding of the meaning inscribed in the human body, and as such, an appreciation of the gift of sex and sexuality. The Creighton Method is an allied health service with scientific foundations.

Please reserve a place by contacting the Newman Center: campusministry@pittsburghoratory.org

All are welcome.

Presenter: Karen Guentner, FCPI, is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and currently an intern in the Creighton Model FertilityCare System Practitioner Program.

Are you a little nervous about sitting down and interviewing with future employers? Come join us on April 19 at 1:00pm for a one hour talk titled Interviewing with Integrity and Purpose. The speaker will be Dave Chodorowski who is the President and Career Coach of the Catholic and Christian company Conversion Consulting Inc. With years of hiring experience and implementing successful interviewing techniques Dave will put the interviewing process at ease and give you some practical tools to prepare for your interviews.