Diocese of Palm Beach Participants: Those who have earned Basic/Intermediate or Foundation/Level 1 Certification through the Searchlight Virtual School automatically receive credit for this course when they enter the School of Christian Formation.

Course Description: This course develops the principle that the Second Vatican Council remains the fundamental event in the life of the contemporary Church and is the constant reference point for pastoral action. This course will:

• Familiarize students with the antecedent historical context of the Council
• Familiarize students with the Popes behind the Council
• Assist students in understanding that Vatican II addressed an extraordinary number of issues, and familiarize them with ten basic principles of reform
• Explore vital Church teachings and practices, first through a historical examination of the vision set forth by the major documents of the Second Vatican Council and then in light of the Church’s contemporary life and practice

Course Requirements:

• Complete the Online Tutorials for Vatican II and the Text Assessment for the required text: Vatican II Today.
• Submit the completed course worksheets to the Searchlight Virtual School. To submit, attach the completed document to an e-mail. Send to Michelle@SearchlightVS.com.
• Read The Decree on Ecumenism. You may read the Decree on Ecumenism online at the Vatican Website. You can also download a PDF version of the document. Reading this document in its original form is a required part of your course. This document is also the topic of your required reflection paper.
• Submit a written reflection on the Decree on Ecumenism.  Narrow the focus of your reflection to something within the document that stood out to you, grabbed your attention for a particular reason, or perhaps even surprised you. Explain why.
• This reflection paper has no specified length but should demonstrate that you have given sufficient thought and attention to the issues at the heart of this document.
• The last page of the PDF document sent to you for this course contains a text input field for you to use for your reflection paper. If your reflection requires more room than allowed, the text box will automatically scroll.
• This is a single course, so all requirements must be met within a three month time frame.

Course Description: This course emphasizes that the Christian moral life begins with the experience that we are loved by God in an unimaginable, unfathomable way and that living faithfully is our attempt to respond to the gift of that love. This course will help students:

• Understand the meaning of Christian morality
• Explain why morally good choices lead to true human fulfillment
• Examine and explain what the true human goods are and why they lead to human fulfillment in this life and in the next
• Clarify what is meant by "loving others"
• Realize and embrace the Christian's moral responsibility to take an active role in the work of establishing the reign of God

Course Requirements:

• Complete the two online tutorials and submit the completed corresponding course materials to the Searchlight Virtual School.
• Purchase and read the required course text.
• Complete and submit the "Assessment" materials associated with the course text. The format for the Assessment is "open book."
• Since this is a single course, all requirements must be met within a three month time frame.

Diocese of Palm Beach Participants: Those who have earned Basic/Intermediate or Foundation/Level 1 Certification through the Searchlight Virtual School automatically receive credit for this course when they enter the School of Christian Formation.

Course Description: This course stresses that “to work for social justice is embedded in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, who came ‘to bring good tidings to the poor ... liberty to captives ... and recovery of sight to the blind’” (NDC #42-C).  This course will:

• Assist students in understanding and carrying out the seven key themes at the heart of Catholic social teaching articulated by the  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Familiarize students with important Social Justice terms and how they apply to the work of catechizing for social justice
• Present an exploration of the contributions of five Popes who played an important role in formulating, articulating, and expanding the Church’s social teachings
• Provide an examination of eight social documents (six Social Encyclicals and two USCCB Pastoral Letters) and stress the key points of each
• Clarify the distinction between “social justice” and “private charity,” leading students to understand how and why the Church’s social teaching “seeks to apply the Gospel command of love to and within social systems, structures,
• and institutions” (NDC #43-C)
• Establish a Biblical foundation for the Church’s social teachings, one which clarifies the framework through which both the Old and New Testaments have established a “living tradition of social justice in thought and action” (NDC #43-C)
• Provide an overview of Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes - The Constitution of the Church in the Modern World

Course Requirements:

• Complete all six steps of the Online Tutorial for the Social Doctrine Course and submit completed work to the Searchlight Virtual School.
• Purchase and read: A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching by Kevin E. McKenna, Ave Maria Press.
• Submit a written reflection on the effect of the Church's social teachings on your spiritual outlook. Your reflection should clearly take into account the material learned through the online tutorials and what you read in the course text.
• This reflection paper has no specified length requirement but should demonstrate that you have given sufficient thought to these issues and how they affect your own spirituality.  Has this material changed you in any way? If so, how?  If not, why?  Support your answer.
• Since this is a single course, all requirements must be met within a three month time frame.
• The last page of the PDF document sent to you for this course contains a text input field for you to use for your reflection paper. If your reflection requires more room than allowed, the text box will automatically scroll. It may also be sent as an e-mail attachment using .doc, .docx, .txt, or .pdf extensions

Course Description: The history of the Church is the story of faith handed on, of how fallible human people have struggled to live out the Gospel in the very concrete circumstances of their lives for two thousand years. This course will help students:

• Understand that the entire Church is responsible for the conservation and transmission of the Gospel message
• Examine the role that prayer, study of Scripture, and the teachings of the Church have played in the Christian story
• Learn from the insights and wisdom, as well as the mistakes and missteps, of those who have striven to live the Gospel message throughout the history of Christianity
• Understand why some knowledge of the depths and riches of the past help nourish the ministry of the Church today

Course Requirements:

• Complete the two online tutorials and submit the completed corresponding course materials to the Searchlight Virtual School.
• Purchase and read the required course text. Complete and submit the "Assessment" materials associated with the course text. The format for the Assessment is "open book."
• Since this is a single course, all requirements must be met within a three month time frame.

Course Description: This course provides an overview of lay ecclesial ministry situated within the social and ecclesial environment and within the framework of the Church's belief, teaching, and pastoral practice. This course:

• Presents a foundation for lay ecclesial ministry grounded in Scripture and the teachings of the Church
• Outlines the specific characteristics of lay ecclesial ministry as laid out by the USCCB
• Explains the sacramental basis for lay ecclesial ministry
• Explains why "all ministry finds its place within the communion of the Church and serves the mission of Christ in the Spirit"
• Examines why the Church is a "communion for mission" and explains the role of lay ecclesial ministers in that mission
• Demonstrates the possibility of a fruitful collaboration between ordained and lay ecclesial ministry in the service of the Church
• Examines the call of lay ecclesial ministers and challenges the whole Church to move forward in hope

Course Requirements:

• Complete the two online tutorials and submit the completed corresponding course materials to the Searchlight Virtual School.
• Purchase and read the required course text. Complete and submit the "Assessment" materials associated with the course text. The format for the Assessment is "open book."
• Since this is a single course, all requirements must be met within a three month time frame.

Phone: 772-563-9457   •   E-mail: info@SearchlightVS.com