New online course takes Catholics deeper into faith

DENVILLE  Assumption College for Sisters here is inviting Catholics, especially lay young adults, to deepen their knowledge of the faith by joining “Spiritual Theology,” a new online course now in progress, which started on Aug. 24 and will continue on Dec. 16.

Taught by Mark Tosso, who has served as youth minister of St. Joseph Parish in Mendham since 2012, the classes do not meet on any specific day.

The course is a theological presentation of the activity of the Holy Spirit in the life of the person, who is striving for holiness, and a study of the spiritual life. It explores such topics as the universal call to holiness, the role of the Spirit in the life of believers, grace, virtue, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, and the journey of conversion. It also provides a historical survey and study of the various spiritual traditions and schools of spirituality of the past and present that enrich the life of the Church, Tosso said.

“We're so blessed as Catholics. The Church has incredible richness in the ways people have responded to God’s loving invitation to grow closer to him. We can all learn so much from the saints, mystics, and the endlessly diverse approaches that we can take to try and unite our hearts to the God, who loved us into existence and died for us that we could live with him forever. I hope people will use this course as an opportunity to do just that,” said Tosso, an adjunct professor at St. Elizabeth University in Convent Station since 2017.

Sister of Charity Teresa A. Bruno, Assumption College’s academic dean, said that Tosso previously taught a course here on Christology, a part of theology that is concerned with the nature and work of Jesus, including the Incarnation, the Resurrection, and his human and divine natures. Sister Teresa said that students would be able to catch up with any of the current “Spiritual Theology” sessions they missed by watching them on video and working with Tosso individually.

“Mark is young and comes from a different perspective. Young people like the way he teaches,” said Sister Teresa, who noted that a group of Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco are now taking Tosso’s course.

Assumption College exists to educate women called to a life of consecration to God and of service in the Church. It provides a value-centered, two-year program in theology and the liberal arts. The college welcomes women religious of any racial or ethnic background. In addition, any woman who is seriously discerning religious life and is recommended by a vocation director or spiritual director may also enroll, though she is not yet part of a religious community or a formal formation program, according to its website https://acs350.org.

In his Catholic ministry, Tosso previously served as youth outreach coordinator at St. Therese Parish in Succasunna and coordinated retreats and missions at Resurrection Parish in Randolph. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and communications from the University of Maryland in 1997, a master’s degree in political communication from Dublin City University in Ireland in 2002, and a master’s degree in theology from St. Elizabeth University in 2017.

Brian Honsberger, executive director of the Evangelization Center at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison and diocesan director of mission and technology integration, called Tosso “one of the best youth ministers in the Diocese and a phenomenal public speaker.”

To register for the “Spiritual Theology” course, visit https://forms.gle/B95uW3UGShxWU5eG6 or call the college at (973) 957-0188.