Since 2000, when the University of Dayton’s Institute for Pastoral Initiatives (IPI) launched the Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF), I’ve had the honor of facilitating their faith formation e-courses 50 times. Over the years, these e-courses have centered on communication and the Church, media literacy, media and the moral imagination, pastoral approaches to culture, community and collaboration — and they are still offered today.
As a Daughter of St. Paul for almost 60 years, I have had the opportunity to carry out my community’s mission of evangelization using the media of communication in many ways. One of the highlights has been collaborating with UD to facilitate these online faith formation courses with the VLCFF.
This form of faith formation not only uses the most modern means of communication for evangelization — something that was a charismatic imperative for our Founder, Blessed James Alberione — but also provides an increasingly relevant way to respond to the signs of the times: digital learning in a mediated world.
During a WhatsApp conversation with IPI Executive Director Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski, MHSH, a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned how much I love facilitating these courses. It makes me happy to turn on my computer each morning and review the work the students posted overnight.
Because the VLCFF is so portable, I have facilitated courses from Rome since 2022, and before this, from other countries as I traveled the world. For me, this apostolate is a delight and never complicated — well, except when students offer creative excuses for being late or submitting all their work within the first day or two of a week. In fact, there was a particular instance of this happening recently that I wanted to share.
Things were off to a great start in this current cycle of courses. The first week was brilliant. Then, on the second day of the second week, two students from — let’s say, near the Arctic Circle — submitted the entire week’s worth of work.
When I wrote to them to remind them that the VLCFF methodology structures the work over a week, with readings and interactive reflections on discussion boards for deeper learning, they both answered that they were moose hunting and berry gathering for their families. The wireless connections were spotty, so they worked on their smartphones when they could.
Imagine, 25 years of facilitating these courses, and I had never received an excuse like that. And not from one student, but two! Priceless! All I could do was laugh.
I think St. Paul would definitely teach and preach online if he were here today.
I am very grateful to the Lord and the VLCFF staff for this accessible, educational and pastoral expression of the apostolate. I am thankful for all I have learned from the experiences and insights of the VLCFF students over the years.
So, whether you have some berries to pick, or moose to hunt, the VLCFF is flexible enough to work around your busy schedules. If you are curious about growing in your own faith, feel free to explore the VLCFF Course Catalog and Course Calendar to see if there are any courses that would fit your journey. Email us at vlcff@udayton.edu for any questions or interest you might have in registering for one of these courses and being a part of our global community.