INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE March 3, 2015 Dear Friend: For more than twenty-five years, the International Institute for Culture (IIC) has organized a summer program in Spanish language instruction for Catholic priests, seminarians and religious in Puebla, Mexico. Over fifty different dioceses and hundreds of priests and seminarians have availed themselves of our program. The IIC 2015 language and cultural program will run from May 30 to July 11. There are several things about our program that are distinctive. Spiritual and intellectual formation is not left behind during the Spanish language program. The IIC collaborates with the Catholic Universidad Popular y Autonoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP). The participants will live and pray together in a modern dormitory close to the main campus. They will have their own private chapel in the dorm and there will be the opportunity for daily mass, morning and evening prayer, and rosary in Spanish. None of these daily devotions are required but they are all available. Two afternoons each week there are lectures on Latin American history and culture from a Catholic perspective, in Spanish but with an interpreter. Ours is a rigorous program. Its principal purpose is to help participants learn Spanish so that they might more effectively minister to the Spanish-speaking in the United States. There are six hours of intensive Spanish instruction five days a week. Because the program takes place on the campus of a university there is ample opportunity for interaction with those who are native Spanish-speakers. There will also be weekly cultural excursions including a service project with students from the university. The enclosed brochure explains the summer program in greater detail. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Institute at 215-877-9910. Sincerely yours in Christ, Enclosures (2) John M. Haas, Ph.D., S.T.L. President Ivy Hall 6331 Lancaster Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19151-2620 phone (215) 877-9910 fax (215) 877-9911 www. iiculture.org email: info@iiculture.org
THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IMMERSION PROGRAM PUEBLA, MEXICO Comfortable Lodgings Language Courses Spiritual Exercises Cultural Immersion I commend your efforts to learn Spanish so that you might be of greater service to the Spanish-speaking community of the Church in the United States. Equally important is your commitment to learn of the riches of Catholic culture and the way in which it can serve to enhance the life of peoples here and prepare them for eternity. May God richly bless your endeavors. 1996 letter from His Eminence, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to participants in the IIC Spanish Immersion Program Scenic Excursions History Lectures
Growing need for Spanish-speaking ministry Over one-third of the U.S. Catholic population is comprised of Hispanics The IIC Summer Intensive Spanish Language and Culture Immersion program seeks to prepare seminarians and priests to respond to an increasingly urgent need for Spanish-speaking ministers in the United States. This need goes beyond a particular apostolate: as the U.S. Census Bureau has estimated that by the year 2050, 25% of the U.S. population will be Hispanic/Latino, knowledge of Spanish language and culture will be an essential tool for the New Evangelization. Our six-week program is set in the beautiful colonial city of Puebla, Mexico. A city of two million, Puebla is rich in Catholic history and culture. It is located on the route that Cortez followed on his way to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) during the initial evangelization of the Americas. In addition to experiencing Puebla itself, participants will also travel on excursions to other Catholic landmarks, such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) PUEBLA AT-A-GLANCE Puebla de los Ángeles is the capital city of El Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla (the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla). It is located in East-Central Mexico, about two hours Southeast of Mexico City. April 16, 1531 is considered the founding of the city, because that is the date of the first Mass offered there. The Archdiocese of Puebla serves 4,054,856 Catholics which is nearly 93% of the total population for the Archdiocese! The program is conveniently located on the campus of the University in Puebla. From its humble beginnings in 1973, the Universidad has grown into a first-rate institution of higher learning, and now hosts over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The University also welcomes exchange students throughout the year for language immersion. Our program participants will live and study on the UPAEP campus, giving them the advantage of its splendid dining services, accommodations, and recreational facilities as well as ample opportunity for interaction with native Spanish speakers. All classes in the Spanish language, as well as lectures in Hispanic/Latino history and culture, will be provided by the Universidad s faculty. Spiritual Exercises Daily Mass, the Divine Office, and community Rosary will be available in Spanish for participants to continue improving their new language skills while keeping up with their spiritual formation.
Blessed are you, Church in America, for you have welcomed the Good News of the Gospel and given birth in faith to numerous peoples! Pope Saint John Paul II, in his homily at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1999 TRAVEL Participants arrange their own travel to and from the program. Travel plans should be communicated to the Institute no later than the week before the program begins, in order for staff to coordinate transfer from the airport of arrival to Puebla. In 1492, Columbus set sail under the patronage of Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, seeking a new route to the East. It is not often enough noted that, beyond seeking to advance his own and his patrons glory, Columbus went forth to emulate his patron saint, Christopher, as a Christ-bearer to spread the Christian faith. The new worlds Columbus discovered brought European Christians into contact with highly advanced civilizations which, despite their great learning, needed to be liberated from diabolical and inhuman practices. Two decades later, five priest accompanied Hernando Cortes s conquest, aggressively replacing the statues of pagan gods with the Cross of Christ and images of the Blessed Virgin. Upon reaching the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Cortes put his company s lives at risk by insisting that the Aztecs cease immediately the practice of human sacrifice despite his men being surrounded and outnumbered. Once this practice was ended, though, the conversion of the continent proceeded at an unprecedented and miraculous pace. In 1524 twelve Franciscan friars, in imitation of the apostles, arrived to evangelize and educate the native population. The monastery they founded in 1525 (in Huejotzingo just outside of Puebla) still stands as a monument to the solicitude of the Church for all peoples. Admittedly, injustices occurred during the conquest of America. However, as early as 1537, Pope Paul III formally condemned slavery, stating that the Indians, being human and therefore capable of faith and salvation, must not be destroyed by slavery. CLASSES Students are placed in classes according to their existing level of capability in Spanish. Thus, the program is able to accommodate learners at all levels, from novices to those with already an intermediate level of proficiency. CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF PUEBLA THE INITIAL AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION TUITION Tuition payment covers room and board and cost of materials for the classes, as well as excursions. Students should bring their own spending money for meals while away from the University and other miscellany. Along with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, European Civilization brought many humane institutions which serve the good of the human person and society, such as schools, hospitals, sanatoriums, and orphanages. The assimilation by the Christians of the noble and good in native societies has over the centuries contributed greatly to that richly humane and profoundly religious culture which we encounter in Latin America today. The Faith of the peoples of Latin America continues to be their most prized possession. It has kept them close to their Lord and His Blessed Mother. It has shaped their culture, instilled in them their love of family, fostered their commitment to friendship, deepened their appreciation of tradition, and filled them with an unwavering love of life. The Church in the United States must be better able to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking Catholics as they arrive in ever greater numbers. By enabling these immigrants to hold on more easily to their deep faith and traditions, it is hoped that they will in turn come to strengthen the faith in America. Through the summer program of the International Institute for Culture, the local Church of Puebla is collaborating to help the Church in the U.S. carry out its own mission more effectively. The Archbishop of Puebla has been very supportive of our efforts, has taken time to meet with the program participants in the past, and has urged increased numbers of North American Catholics to come on the program and encounter the deep faith and culture of Puebla.
Ivy Hall 6331 Lancaster Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19151 www.iiculture.org 215.877.9910 SUMMER 2015 PROGRAM INFORMATION Program runs May 30 th through July 11 th Total cost of $5,200 covers room, board, tuition, materials, and weekly excursions Deadline for application is May 8 th ABOUT THE INSTITUTE The mission of the International Institute for Culture (IIC) is to promote international understanding through cultural means. In response to Pope Saint John Paul II s call for the evangelization of culture, the Institute was founded in 1989 by John M. Haas, Ph.D., S.T.L., and has since grown in reputation to become one of the preeminent Catholic educational and research establishments in the United States. The IIC s annual programming includes: international conferences; language-learning programs; cultural immersion excursions; lectures series; educational seminars; art exhibits; musical recitals; film screenings; and special seasonal festivals. All of the Institute s events aim to reflect the rich cultural heritage of the Catholic Church and to bring more people into encounter with the Person of Jesus Christ.
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE PUEBLA PROGRAM IN SPANISH LANGUAGE & HISPANIC CULTURE SUMMER 2015 PARTICIPANT APPLICATION FORM PARTICIPANT INFORMATION NAME AS ON PASSPORT: ADDRESS (PRIMARY): ALTERNATE ADDRESS: DURING DATE RANGE: PHONE NUMBER: (HOME) (CELL) (ALT) BIRTHDATE (MM/DD/YYYY): CITIZENSHIP: EMAIL ADDRESS: EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION NAME OF CONTACT: RELATION TO PARTICIPANT: ADDRESS: PHONE NUMBER: (HOME) (CELL) (ALT) EMAIL ADDRESS: Ivy Hall 6331 Lancaster Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19151-2620 phone (215) 877-9910 fax (215) 877-9911 www. iiculture.org email: info@iiculture.org
Puebla Summer Program 2015 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE Participant Application Form AFFILIATION INFORMATION DIOCESE/RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY: ORDINARY/SUPERIOR NAME: CONTACT INFO FOR INSTITUTIONAL POINT-OF-CONTACT: NAME: POSITION: PHONE NUMBER: EMAIL ADDRESS: ADDRESS: YEARS IN SEMINARY/MINISTRY: COLLEGE PRE- THEOLOGY THEOLOGY YEARS ORDAINED OTHER (EXPLAIN): SEMINARY (IF APPLICABLE): PARISH: OTHER INFORMATION HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU STUDIED SPANISH? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ADDRESS WHEN WE CONTACT YOU? Program runs from May 30 th through June 11 th 2015 in Puebla, Mexico. Total cost is $5,200.00 for room, board, tuition, materials, and excursions. Airfare is arranged and paid separately by the participant! Deadline for payment in full, and for travel arrangements to be communicated to program organizers, is May 8, 2015. A $50.00 APPLICATION FEE IS REQUIRED TO SECURE A PLACE IN THE PROGRAM. Please send check made payable to INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE or IIC, along with this completed form, to: International Institute for Culture 6331 Lancaster Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19151