UNIVERSITY A GOOD FIT FOR LENT ADULT EDUCATION SERIES FOSTERS KNOWLEGE, SPIRITUAL GROWTH.

Byline: HOLLY J. ANDRES

Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS -- Despite its name, there's no need to worry about grades at The University, a Lenten adult education series starting Thursday at Roman Catholic parishes in Ventura County.

Knowledge and spiritual growth are the basic goals of the six-week program, which will feature more than 100 classes -- some in Spanish -- covering 13 topics including church history; marriage and family; current events and faith; morality and ethics; and spirituality and prayer.

"The appeal to me is the ability to get a broad education in a short period of time," said Bob Jordan, a member at St. Paschal Baylon Roman Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks, and the program's publicity chairman.

"Lent is the traditional time of renewal, so The University is a natural fit."

The program is the brainchild of the Rev. Dave Heney from St. Paschal Baylon.

The informal classes first began in 2001 and were held at just two Ventura County parishes. Ten parishes are participating this year, offering the 90-minute classes, teen programs and Saturday concerts.

"Lent is a time of preparing to meet Christ at Easter. Traditionally, people think about giving something up -- like coffee, alcohol or chocolate. What I've been doing is thinking about what area of my life can I improve," said Wendy Gigliotti, associate director of The University.

"The University is open to everyone. I think it can help people develop a better relationship with God," Gigliotti said. "It's designed to help people connect with their faith."

One of the classes that Gigliotti has enjoyed taking in the past, and which is offered again this year by Maggie Rickelmann, is "The Human Face of Mary."

"The course shows how each of us is called by God. God gives us choices and when Mary was called by God, she said yes," Gigliotti said. "We can think, how are we called to serve God and will we accept?"

The faculty for The University is eclectic, featuring local clergy and lay guest speakers, including Bishop Thomas Curry of the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region and Rabbi Michael Lotker from Temple Ner Ami in Camarillo.

Laughter and one's soul and strategies for parents bring authors, respectively, Sister Anne Bryan Smollin and Char Wenc, to make guest-speaker appearances.

Daniel Smith-Christopher, a professor at Loyola Marymount University and a frequent commentator for programs on the Discovery and History channels, will speak in March on "War and Peace in the Bible" and "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Revelation."

Church history has been, surprisingly, one of the most popular offerings over the past years. Keith Lewis, professor of church history at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo, gets glowing reports from Jordan, Gigliotti and Mary Lou McGee, the director of The University.

"He's an excellent presenter. He really knows his material," McGee said.

McGee is particularly excited about attending a new addition to the "Jesus in the News" category, "Hollywood and Faith: Enemies or Partners?" This will be a panel discussion led by Steve McEveety, the producer of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ," scheduled for March 14.

McGee lauds Sister Edith Prendergast -- "She is just top-notch, excellent" -- who will speak on "The Conscious Conscience." Jordan won't miss any class that has the Rev. Jim Clark ("Love One Another, Even if it Hurts") as the teacher.

"I'm a note taker and when I leave a class I usually say, wow, I've got a lot of stuff!" Jordan said. "I get practical advice from many of the classes and I feel uplifted. There's always one thing I'm thinking about on the drive home."

The University courses will run from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on various weekdays except Fridays, from Feb. 22 to March 31. Admission: $7, includes a guest.

This week: "Bible Archaeology: Excavating Jesus, Part I," the Rev. Dave Heney, Thursday, Our Lady of the Assumption, 3175 Telegraph Road, Ventura; and "Love One Another, Even if it Hurts," the Rev. Jim Clarke, Thursday, St. Jude the Apostle, 32032 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village. For a catalog of classes or parishes where one can be picked up, call St. Paschal Baylon [phone] or www.stpaschal.org.

holly.andres(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

The University marketing director Bob Jordan, left, assistant director Wendy Gigliotti, director Mary Lou McGee and the Rev. Dave Heney are shown at St. Paschal Baylon in Thousand Oaks.

Michael Owen Baker/staff photographer