June 3: Job Openings, Diocese of Oakland

Week of June 3, 2008

Musician - St. Philip Neri Church, Alameda
A musician (piano, organ or guitar) is needed for the 5:00 pm Saturday liturgy. Candidate should have good knowledge of Catholic liturgy and have accompanying experience. Candidate may work with parish music director in selection of music.

Salary Information: M-1, exempt

Position Begins: August 1, 2008

Please email resume to parish office at spirit_ruah@yahoo.com or mail to: 3108 Van Buren St. Alameda, CA 94501

Part Time Food Service Worker - San Damiano Retreat Center, Danville
San Damiano is a Franciscan retreat and conference center located on 50 wooded acres in Danville that serves 3 hot buffet meals daily for up to 160 guests and staff. Food Service Workers oversee the food preparation and service, as well as cleanup and maintenance of health and safety standards. We are looking for someone who is available to work both day and/or evening shifts, from 7 am - 2 pm, or 4:30-8:30 pm - especially on the weekends when we are busiest. As no buses run near San Damiano, you must have your own transportation. Please call or send resume to the contact listed below.

Salary Range: Start at $10/hr

Start Date: ASAP! Until filled

Contact: Email or fax cover letter and resume to Laurie Landis, lauriel@sandamiano.org, 925-837-9141 ext 308

Website: http://www.sandamiano.org/

Part Time Front Desk Coordinator - San Damiano Retreat Center, Danville
San Damiano is looking for a very special person to fill this important position. We are a Franciscan Retreat Center, and our goal is to provide warm and welcoming hospitality to all those who visit or stay with us. We are located on 50 wooded acres in Danville, dotted with deer, turkey, beautiful gardens and walking trails. The Front Desk Coordinator is a key position, with responsibility for answering phones, greeting guests, assisting in our Gift Shop, and coordinating volunteer projects. The work days are Monday-Thursday, 8:30 am -4:30 pm. Please send cover letter and resume to the contact listed below. We would like to fill the position as soon as possible.

Salary Range: $10-$12/hr DOE

Start Date: ASAP, until filled

Contact: Email or fax cover letter and resume to Laurie Landis, lauriel@sandamiano.org, 925-837-0522

Website: http://www.sandamiano.org/

END OF THE YEAR PARTY! FRIDAY!

Hi everyone!

I'm just writing to remind you that this year's end of the year party is THIS FRIDAY (May 11) starting at 5:30pm! The theme is "Margaritaville" and it should be a blast!

So take some time on Friday evening to relax, take a break from your finals, and CELEBRATE the end of another great year!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

ASDSPT Elections!

Dear Students,

Well, we have a fine slate of candidates who have accepted their nominations to next year's Student Council. There is a poster with the nominee's pictures in the DSPT Galleria. In your mailboxes downstairs in the Reception Area, you will find ballots on which to vote your selections.

Please vote only once and deposit your completed ballot in the box beneath the nominee poster in the Galleria. Voting continues until 5pm Thursday, May 10th. The new 2007-2008 Student Council will be announced at the End-of-Year Party on Friday, May 11th at 5:30pm.

Sincerely,
Dawn Sample
ASDSPT Secretary

SWJ event next week - from Alex Carpenter

Come and celebrate the progress Seminarians for Worker Justice and GTU member schools have made over the past couple of years in elevating the wages of our workers.

Come and hear more about efforts to adopt a living wage policy that will cover all workers at all GTU schools.

When: May 3rd, 2007, 1:10 p.m.—2:00 p.m.
Where: 1798 Scenic Avenue—on the Quad (yard area) of the Pacific School of Religion
What: A Liturgy of Celebration and a Call to Continue Working for Worker Justice

ASDSPT Elections!

Dear Students,

Yes, it's that time of year again... time to begin to think about who you want to represent you next year on the Student Council!

Have you been thinking that you would be interested in getting involved in the Council? Or do you know another student who you think will make a great student representative? Then please nominate yourself or someone else for an Associated Students Council position!

* The nomination process will continue from Monday, April 23, 2006 until Monday, April 30, 2006 at NOON.

* Nominations must be accepted by Monday, April 30th at 5pm.

* Elections will be held from Friday, May 4 until Thursday, May 10 at 5pm.

Students who have been nominated are asked to complete and sign the nomination form (attached to the email sent on Monday or found at Eleanor's desk) indicating their official acceptance of their nomination. The nomination forms also contain a description of the responsibilities of the individual offices. Nomination forms accepting your nomination should be placed in the mailbox of Dawn Sample or emailed to the council at asdspt@dspt.edu by 5pm on April 30th.

If you have any questions about the Council positions, feel free to ask any of the current members of the Council or email your questions to asdspt@dspt.edu.

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Academic Group Workshop

The DSPT-Sponsored GTU Academic Group Presents

Presenting at Conferences:
A Brief Introduction

- Curious about how to go about writing a good conference proposal and presentation?
- Want to build up your CV before you apply to PhD programs?
- Interested in finding out where to present your work?

Then come join us for a short workshop on conference presentations!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

7:30pm – General introduction to presenting at conferences by Regina Schwerd (veteran conference presenter)
8:00pm – Break to socialize and meet other students
8:15pm – Opportunity to hear practice conference presentations of other GTU students

(Feel free to come for only the introduction or only the practice papers—whatever your schedule allows!)

Location: DSPT Classroom 3
2301 Vine Street (on the corner of Arch & Vine)

Academic Group & Pastry Thursday

Dear fellow students,

I am writing this brief email to let you know about two items of interest.

First, we have officially started the new online Academic Group!

The DSPT is host to a GTU-wide group for M.A. students who are interested in pursuing a PhD. The group was created to open up a discussion space for students who had questions about what to do to increase their chances of getting into a good PhD program. It is primarily based online, but also hosts social events and informational events, like the PhD Admissions Panel, during the year.
http://groups.google.com/group/gtu-academic-group

If you are at all interested, or just curious what it's all about, please join! I believe that this can be a good resource for students, especially once some of us actually begin the application process. If you've already joined and listed your preference to not receive email, check out the new items that have been posted!

Second, please take a moment to see if you would be able to bring something for a pastry Thursday this semester. Remember, you are only spending $35--which will be reimbursed by the Council! If you've been enjoying the pastries that have been brought in by other students, maybe you would consider signing up for a week to bring some yourself!

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

PhD Admissions Panel Hosted by DSPT

On Tuesday, February 6, the newly-formed DSPT Academic Group hosted a GTU-wide PhD Admissions Panel. The panel consisted of Joseph Duggan, Associate Dean of the Graduate Division for Degrees, Admissions, and Appointments at UC-Berkeley, Kathleen Kook, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the GTU, and John Campbell, Professor of Philosophy at UC-Berkeley. The panel opened with an introduction by Elissa McCormack, ASDSPT President, followed by short talks by each of the panel participants and ending with time for questions.

(Read more...)

GTU Beatitudes Society

Greetings DSPT folks,

The GTU Beatitudes Society is hosting a stellar guest.

Thursday, Feb 8, 6:30, Mudd 103 _______________________________________________________

Sara Miles is a left-wing journalist, cook and activist, a blue-state lesbian raised as an atheist, who lived an enthusiastically secular life--until she wandered into a San Francisco church, ate a piece of bread, took a sip of wine, and found herself radically transformed by her first communion.

Her new book Take This Bread--A Radical Conversion is the story of her journey to faith, and of her decision to take Jesus' call to feed others literally, by organizing food pantries run by poor people. Phyllis Tickle calls this book "the finest confession of faith I've read in years....an astute assessment of the present intertwining of politics and Christianity in American culture." And our Anne Howard says: "this is the BEST description of Christianity, and the most HONEST description of church life, that I've ever read."

Her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Out, The Progressive, La Jornada and Salon, among others. She has written extensively on military affairs, politics and culture. She is the founder of St. Gregory's Food Pantry in SF. _______________________________________________________

And if that's not enough to convince you to blow off everything else, check out her short sermon on the radical Gospel about gay marriage and little children.

http://www.saintgregorys.org/Liturgy/Sermons/AudioFile/061008-1030-miles.mp3

She is also blogging for the Beatitudes Society and is keen to get to know us at the GTU.

Everyone is welcome. Feel free to bring any friends and lovers, there will be enough pizza and wine and conversation for all. If you need transport, let me know.

If you want to know more about the Beatitudes Society and its paid fellowship program for GTU students, that's a good reason to come as well.

Pax,
Alexander

Adoration for the Spring Semester

Dear Students,

With our school and new chapel, the DSPT is again able to have Adoration of the most holy Eucharist during the day, now for Spring term. We would like to offer this to as many students, for as many hours as possible during the week. We are currently looking at any hours between 8am – 5pm

The only requirement would be a regular weekly time commitment by individual students, with a minimum commitment of 30 minutes.

If you would be interested in committing to a specific time, please reply to asdspt@dspt.edu. Include days/times you would be available (or, if you prefer, days/times you would be unavailable). This is NOT a commitment at this point, until we and you agree to a specific time (or times) and date (or dates).

If you would be interested in learning more about this devotion, please reply to asdspt@dspt.edu, either with specific questions or with a general statement of your interest.

The Adoration schedule will be organized by Ed Hopfner. THANK YOU for your interest and participation. We hope to begin Adoration at our new chapel in the next week or so.

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

DSPT Academic Group's PhD Admissions Panel

Considering a PhD?
Curious about what options exist for you?
Questions about the admissions process?
Interested in getting an insiders view on how to present yourself in your application?

Come to the DSPT Academic Group-sponsored
PhD Admissions Panel
on Tuesday, February 6
at 7pm
in DSPT Classroom 1

Panel participants are:
· Joseph Duggan, Associate Dean of the Graduate Division for Degrees, Admissions, and Appointments at the University of California, Berkeley
· Kathleen Kook, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Graduate Theological UnionJohn Campbell, Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley
· John Campbell, Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
2301 Vine Street Berkeley, California 94709

For questions or more information please contact
Elissa McCormack, elissamccormack@gmail.com or asdspt@dspt.edu

New DSPT Merchandise!

Dear Students:

Just in time for Christmas giving, we've gotten in the brand new zip-up VERITAS hoodies! The merchandise is now being displayed downstairs across from Eleanor's desk, so take some time to check out the new zip-up sweatshirts when you have a chance!

The new zip-up sweatshirts can be purchased for $35 from Eleanor (please make checks out to ASDSPT).

Zip-up hoodies not your style? Don't worry! We still have gray and black DSPT sweatshirts for $25 as well as the "Can You Handle the TRUTH?" T-shirts in gray and black for $12 and the old VERITAS T-shirts for $6. (The new style of VERITAS T-shirts will be available at the beginning of next semester.)

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Upcoming Events: Week of December 4

Dear Students,

Sorry for the lateness of this email, but I wanted to write to tell you about the events that are coming up this week.

First off all, are you feeling stressed as the semester winds down? Then I recommend attending the Advent Reflection at DSPT. It begins tonight at 7:30pm with snacks and entertainment and follows tomorrow morning 9-12 with a mini-retreat led by Sr. Marianne Farina and an opportunity for the sacrament of confession. Please note however that it is not necessary to come to the session tonight in order to come to the session on Wednesday--so please join us for whatever part of the Advent Reflection that you can!

Finally, I would like to invite everyone to DSPT for our holiday party on Friday. The night will begin at 6pm with Mass, which will be followed by dinner. I look forward to seeing everyone on Friday!

I encourage you to take a look at the ASDSPT blog when you have time. I've posted on there a bunch of conferences as well as a summer internship in worker justice that you might be interested in.

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Seminary Summer/Islamic Internship for Worker Justice

Sr. Marianne forwarded me the following information. If you're wondering what you might do this summer, this might be something to consider.

-------------------------------

Seminary Summer/Islamic Internship for Worker Justice is a joint project of Interfaith Worker Justice, the AFL-CIO, and Change to Win unions. This unique program will give 35 to 50 Muslim and rabbinical students, seminarians, and other future religious leaders the opportunity to:
• Witness workers' struggles for a voice in the workplace;
• Discover how unions can be a vehicle for achieving social justice;
• Work with religious, community and union activists to build support for workers who are organizing unions;
• Find ways to include worker justice in future ministry.

This 10-week internship program will begin on June 10 with a one-week orientation at a central location. Interns will then travel to worksites around the country to spend eight weeks supporting a specific worker campaign. Requests for placement in local worksites will be considered, but cannot be guaranteed. Participants will reconvene Aug. 15-17 for reflection and to plan next steps.

Each intern will receive:
• A weekly stipend;
• Possible academic credit;
• Help with housing costs if needed;
• On-the-job transportation costs;
• A mentor for theological reflection throughout the summer (if desired).

Qualified applicants must be enrolled (or accepted) in a graduate program preparing them to be religious leaders. Muslim students enrolled in any graduate program are also eligible. Applicants should be committed to social justice, willing to work relatively independently, able to communicate with a broad range of people, and flexible. This is not an internship for someone who likes everything to be perfectly clear.

Seminary Summer began in 2000 as a track of the AFL-CIO's Union Summer program, which has involved nearly 2,500 young people since 1996. Interfaith Worker Justice is the leading national religious organization addressing worker justice issues and rebuilding alliances with the union labor movement. Deadline: March 1 for early acceptance. Applications will there after be considered on a rolling basis.

For more information, contact Sara Wohlleb at Interfaith Worker Justice, 1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave., 4th Fl., Chicago, IL 60660; (773) 728-8400 x 43; seminarysummer@iwj.org; www.iwj.org.

CAL Islam Awareness Week

I received the information about these speakers from Ahmad, my contact with the Muslim Students Association. Unfortunately the ones I would really want to go to are Monday and Tuesday nights and Monday night I'll be at the Dumb Ox (7:30pm... all the cool people will be there) and Tuesday night I have class. But I'm passing on the dates in case anyone is interested.

--------------------

WHAT IS ISLAM? WHO ARE MUSLIMS?
Come find the answers to your questions during Islam Awareness Week!

The following are the different events we will be holding throughout the week:

- What makes a successful Jihad?--Monday (11/13) - 7 pm, 110 Barrows
-Muslim Women: Unveiling the Truth--Tuesday (11/14) - 7 pm, 2060 VLSB
- Spoken Word: The Voice of Silence with Amir Sulaiman--Wednesday (11/15) - 8 pm, Naia Lounge in Lower Sproul
- The Truth about Palestine--Thursday (11/16) - 7 pm, 2040 VLSB
- The Jumuah Friday Prayer - The Quran: Applications in Daily Life--Friday (11/17) - 1:15 pm, East Pauley Ballroom

Some DSPT business and upcoming events

Dear Students,

I have been discussing with Pete Macleod about putting student accomplishments up on the DSPT website. Do you have anything that you have done as a DSPT student that we could put up to show how great DSPT students are? Conference presentations? Article publications? Poetry or other writing that was published? Competitive internships in DC?

If you have anything like this, please email me back at asdspt@dspt.edu and we'll put it up on the website so everyone can see how great YOU are. :)

Additionally, I'd like to remind you about some GREAT upcoming DSPT events. Details about all of these can be found on the ASDSPT calendar.
** This Wednesday (Nov. 8) is Dr. Berkman's inaugural lecture at 7:30pm in Classroom 1.
** Starting this Thursday (Nov. 9) will be the Theology of the Body Discussion Group at 7:30pm in Classroom 2.
** Don't forget that next Monday (Nov. 13) at 7:30pm will be the second meeting of the Dumb Ox: a Theology Forum! Br. Augustine will be speaking on the topic of original sin. Also, the discussion from the first meeting of the Dumb Ox continues on the ASDSPT blog, in case you couldn't make it.
** Then Monday, Nov. 27 will be an Owl of Minerva. The speaker will be Alice Sowaal, a professor of philosophy at SFSU.

Don't forget that the deadline in order to lock in the preorder price for the VERITAS zip-up hoodies is Wednesday, Nov. 8 at NOON! We will be placing the order at that point, so if you know you want one and want to get the discounted price, email us back at asdspt@dspt.edu ASAP!

I hope the semester is going well for everyone!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

Recap: When does an embryo have a soul? - by Elissa McCormack

Saint Thomas Aquinas believed in what today is called “delayed hominization,” i.e., that the embryo has first a vegetative soul, then a sensitive soul, and it is only later that the embryo actually has a human soul. There are also two definitions of Thomas’s soul that we have to keep in mind: first, the soul is the substantial form of the body (so a human soul is what makes a human to be a human), and second, a soul could not be united to a body unless the potency of the body were disposed by its present form to be actualized by the human soul (there has to be a sufficient amount of organization to support the soul). However, Thomas’s theory is based on outdated biology, so we need to look at what his theory would look like when it is informed by a modern understanding of biology.

During the process of fertilization, the embryo receives its genetic structure, unique from that of the mother or the father, and then cell division begins. However, according to Thomas’s idea of the soul, we cannot say that the embryo has a human soul at this point because there are no structures in place to support the higher functions of the human soul, i.e., the intellect and the will. In fact, the brain is the last organ to develop and continues to develop until two years after the birth of the child.

Another problem with saying that the embryo has a soul at this point is the issue of twinning. Although with the genetic code the embryo is set to develop into a human being, at this early point in the pregnancy any cell that divides from the other cells has all the genetic material to develop into an entirely new human! Since an individual human soul cannot divide, the idea of an individual human being splitting into two human beings is kind of hard to take. Additionally, one-third to one-half of all fertilized eggs do not survive to implant. If the embryo is given a soul by God at the “moment” of conception, what happens to all these souls?

The interesting thing about implantation (ten to fourteen days after conception) is that this is the point when the possibility of twinning is removed and then the nervous system and the heart first begin to develop. I think that if we are using Saint Thomas’s idea of the soul, this is the point when God would infuse the embryo with a human soul. There is also no longer any chance of this “human” splitting into more than one human through twinning. Additionally, since the cells that make up the nervous system and the heart are beginning to differentiate themselves, this is also the first moment in the pregnancy that you can argue that the embryo has even the beginnings of the structures necessary to support the rational functions of the human soul.

What does this mean for the teaching of the Catholic Church? Not much actually. Since implantation is really the first moment that a woman can know that she is pregnant, the teaching on abortion would not change. Additionally the teaching on the morning-after pill would not change because, properly speaking, that pill is classified as emergency contraception and so would be covered under the Church’s teaching on contraception. The only teaching that might have to change (and I welcome comments on this issue because I am not as informed about it) is that on stem-cell research. The question as I see it is: what is the moral status of the artificially fertilized eggs that are never intended for implantation? If the human soul is connected to implantation, these eggs would not have moral human personhood.

However, since science cannot teach us morality, in this issue we need to turn to the certainty we get from faith and the teachings of the Church. Both John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s Declaration on Procured Abortion teach that since we do not know when the embryo receives a human soul, it is better to respect the life of the embryo than it is to risk the sin of murder.

Daughters of Mary movie night update!

Please join the Daughters of Mary

MOVIE NIGHT

for a very serious film retrospective of

Sophia Coppola

and a career that spans years

7pm-ish a brief introduction by fil curator, Colleen Power*

7:15ish The Virgin Suicides (1999) - "Depressing, beautiful & thoughtful"**
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Kathleen Turner and the perennially cool James Woods

8:30ish make your own pizza (and then eat it)***

9:30ish Lost in Translation (2003) - "Breathtaking"****
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray and Japan

* Not actually a film curator
** Some dude on IMDB
*** Pizza making paraphernalia (and sangria and other beverages) will be provided
**** Some other dude on IMDB

Daughters of Mary Upcoming Events

Baking Party: Thursday, October 5
Come have some fun with the Daughters of Mary! We will be staked out in the new, spacious, wonderful kitchen at the DSPT from 4-7, baking up a storm (and some brownies) for Friday’s bake sale to raise money to purchase a statue of the Blessed Mother for our new chapel. We will have basic ingredients and a selection of recipes to work on, but it would be great if people brought their own favorite recipes as well. (You’ll probably need to bring any special ingredients you need.) So come and do your own thing with some company, help out with baking projects already underway or just hang out and lick the bowls afterwards and help DJ the baking party. Come for all of that time or drop in on your way to/from class.

Bake Sale: Friday, October 6
The Daughters of Mary will kick off their fundraising efforts to purchase a statue of the Blessed Mother for our new chapel this Friday. Baked goods to be sold or help manning the sale would be appreciated. Or, better yet, come hungry to class on Friday and buy lots of baked goods. And then buy some more to give as gifts. And then buy some more because you really want that statue. And thanks to everyone for past support: Our bake sale last May was a huge success—we made more than enough money to fund this year’s May crowning.

Films with Style: Sofia Coppola
This semester we’re planning on indulging our girly, but aesthetically sophisticated, tastes by watching “Films with Style.” We’re starting on Friday, October 13th at 7pm with Sofia Coppola’s first two films, The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation. Not only does the girl have a great eye, but she’s a master of the story of young women finding themselves and their way in the world. Then, we’ll try and organize a time the next weekend to see the release of her new film, Marie Antoinette. Keep your eyes out for November when we hit the Wes Anderson libraries. Boys are welcome, but there will be giggling.

UCB Muslim Student Association Fast-a-Thon!

You may have noticed in your mailbox today there was a form for the UCB Muslim Student Association's Fast-a-Thon. This event will take place on Tuesday, October 10 and I would like to try to get as many DSPT students (and faculty if they're interested) as possible to participate because I think it would be a good way for us to reach out to UCB.

So if you're interested, fill out the pledge form and put it in my mailbox by 3:30pm on Monday, October 9. Then, on Tuesday, October 10 you will abstain from all food and drink during the daylight hours (5:45am-6:40pm) and, because for Muslims fasting is not just about abstaining from food, to try to practice self restraint and refrain from negative thoughts and speech. Then we can meet as a group outside 2510 Le Conte Ave. around 6:10pm and head over to dinner with the MSA. If you're not going to meet with the group, you should be at the Heller Lounge on the 2nd floor of the MLK Student Union Building by 6:30pm.

If you have any questions, send an email to asdspt@dspt.edu. I hope that you will all be able to participate!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President.

------------------------------

Hi Elissa

Thank you so much for your interest. The MSA holds a Fast-a-Thon every year and basically fellow students, faculty and community members fast along with Muslim students. For everyone that fasts, businesses and corporate sponsors donate a certain amount to a charity of choice (usually a local charity like the Children's Hospital). This year, for each person that fasts, local businesses in Berkeley will donate money to Doctors Without Borders.

It is for the dual purpose of raising awareness about Ramadan and to raise money for charity. We have a big community dinner event at sunset when we break our fast and approximately 250-300 people attend each year. The dinner this year will be on Tuesday October 10th at 6:30 pm in Heller Lounge in the Martin Luther King Student Union. I really hope you will be able to make it and bring your fellow students to attend.

Fyi, we get all the fasting people to sign these pledge forms so we know how many people fasted. The forms should be distributed before the day of the event. If possible, it would be best if we could have then signed and collected before the event so we know how many people to expect and what sort of food amount to plan for... especially because people will be fasting and hungry. If you could please keep a count of how many pledge forms are signed that would be awesome... just so we know how much food to cater for. If we could know a total number by Monday by 3:30pm that would be best.

Please don't hesitate to email me if you have any more questions.

Thank you once again.

- Ahmad