Latest revision as of 11:47, 14 December 2022

You have stumbled upon, or have been invited to, an open work to capture in wiki-form the experience of "Środowisko" lived by a network of friends united though Quiet Waters Media at the Cabrini Center, friends hailing from Children of Mary Homeschooling, San Damiano Youth Group, WLOF Station of the Cross, Morning Star Family Holy Hour, St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, Franciscan University of Steubenville, some Roman Pontifical Universities and a Parish in Baltimore. The notes found here focus on an event that could otherwise be known as a Catholic Culture Experience (one debated alternative name for the event). While these pages (Środowiki?) are a way for those of us in different places to share our notes about what works for events, it is also thought towards a more formal and better understanding of how Pope John Paul II's approach to community is prophetic.

Thanks to Śro-père Fr. Martin Moleski for hosting this dialog on his own space, teaching us the ways of the wiki, and being an enthusiastic protagonist.

If you would like to become an editor on this wiki, send your name and e-mail address to Fr. Moleski.

The story of Środowisko

Środowisko is not a conference, camp, or package program. It is not first of all an activity, but refers to a group of people. It was a name used by Pope John Paul II to refer to his people, and his people came together for retreat-vacation events.

How does one use a name without hijacking it, a name for such a remarkable group with its canonized leader? There are precedents. In 1942 a German youth group calling themselves "the White Rose" came together around a professor to combat Nazism on an ideological level. In 1995 a group in Madison Wisconsin, inspired by their story and sharing their heroic ideal, took up the group's name "White Rose" for the task of an intellectual apostolate in their pro-life mission. Quiet Waters' use of the name "Środowisko" is in a like manner, inspired by the story of John Paul II's Środowisko and with great reverence and homage to their experience, while we create our own in a similar vein.

A milieu is not a militia... in a milieu you "receive" your people, in a militia you "recruit" them.

The Środowisko of JPII

School of Prayer

Mass
Liturgy of the hours
Lectio Divina
Rosary
Adoration and Confession
Silence

School of Communication

Video

This is the outline used for the week-long "crash course in videography" from years 1 - 4. With a solid group of leaders that already know a lot about video editing it's been more efficient to go over most of these things in the small groups themselves (depending on the type of project they will be producing) and save the group presentations for other things.

We've also shown clips from Navis pictures "How to make a movie".

1) Introduction to new media video production. Theological and theoretical aspects of thinking about new media. Video communication as the art of light.

2) Organization of production: Roles and goals

3) Writing for video: How to make treatments, scripts and storyboards

4) Audio Basics: Introduction to the microphones and their use

5) Introduction to composition for photography and video

6) Introduction of lighting for video

7) How to interview and be interviewed, different styles of interviews, how to talk to a video camera.

9) Introduction to post-production audio and music

10) Graphics and special effects, color correction and light, subtitles, CG

11) Editing: The grammar of video editing, exploring the languages of different styles, introduction to types of digital video editing software

12) How to Publish and / or television media: Youtube and beyond

School of Community

Dishes

"I like doing dishes, you can really talk and get to know one another". -Will Blackley

School of Ars Ecclesia

Icons
Mosaics
Stained glass windows
Illuminated manuscripts

The integration of ecclesial art projects in the srodowisko event was the magic ingredient which balanced the schedule and tied together teaching theology and media projects. The first year there were no individual craft projects with the logic "the video is the craft" and artistic energies were directed to storyboards and production elements of the video. By the end of the week the groups had finished the production aspects of the video and members of the group would be restless to see it finished. The next year "crafts"were introduced, we began with little projects - we designed and made woolen scapulars (with materials donated from the local Carmelites) and stenciled the designs on homemade shirts in 2008, tie-dyed shirts in 2009, made nice wooden rosaries and painted flower pots ("Rooted in Christ") in 2010. The first time we fully integrated a theme with a more elaborate ecclesial art project, video projects and theological teaching points was in 2011 when our friend, artist Britta Williams told us about how she taught icon writing to middle and highschool students.

The integration of a personal project that would take a whole week, and the harmonization of a prayerful "pilgrimage" with the steps of the art project lead to a much more relaxed atmosphere. Some people work better in groups, some people work better alone. The week event now had ample possibilities for both. When a group hits a wall on their video project they can do the next step on their art project. Early risers happily worked alone in the quiet on their icon.

The steps of the art project are linked to a personal journey of prayer and discovery [liber peregrinationis]. The art and video is tied into a theological theme the liturgy of the hours carries the day.

Organizing the projects so everyone could work at their own pace in a small space was a challenge. Pizza boxes have been the key. Fresh new pizza boxes donated by Blasdell's or bought at a restaurant supply store provide a way to give everyone personal mobile space for their projects. They also served a secondary function as mailboxes for mystery messengers.

Roles

Group leaders

"Camp" Cook/Mom and Dad

Chaplain

Tracy

Rebecca and Sara

Śro Things

Encounters A presentation by a person or group that has something to do with the theme. (Past encounters: Prof. Kazimierz Braun, Fr. Peter Kauralus, Sr. Emily Marsh, Sr. Ann Kelly, Fr. Vincent Nagle (via Skype from Jerusalem), Helene Paharik (Skype), Catholic Voices Washington (Skype), Micheal John Porier, Mary Porier )

Mystery Messengers -

Śro Lingo

A certain lexicon has developed over the years as girls look for ways to describe their experiences from the week. The colloquialisms and idioms are usually formed by replacing the beginning of a word with the morpheme "Śro" or "Śr" to form a portmanteau. Or, in this case, a portmanŚro.

Śropening (opening)
Środown or Środeo (hoedown or rodeo)
Śroappro (appropriate)
Śreunion (reunion)

References

Links

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Here we can write some notes about the "Catholic Culture Experience" towards a how-to, what-why book.
+You have stumbled upon, or have been invited to, an open work to capture in wiki-form the experience of "Środowisko" lived by a network of friends united though [http://www.quietwatersproductions.com/ Quiet Waters Media] at the Cabrini Center, friends hailing from  Children of Mary Homeschooling, San Damiano Youth Group, WLOF Station of the Cross, Morning Star Family Holy Hour, St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, Franciscan University of Steubenville, some Roman Pontifical Universities and a Parish in Baltimore. The notes found here focus on an event that could otherwise be known as a ''Catholic Culture Experience'' (one debated alternative name for the event). While these pages (Środowiki?) are a way for those of us in different places to share our notes about what works for events, it is also thought towards a more formal and better understanding of how Pope John Paul II's approach to community is prophetic.
+Thanks to Śro-père Fr. Martin Moleski for hosting this dialog on his own space, teaching us the ways of the wiki, and being an enthusiastic protagonist.
+If you would like to become an editor on this wiki, send your name and e-mail address to [mailto:moleski@canisius.edu Fr. Moleski.]
 =The story of Środowisko=
-What it is and isn't (Compare to the white rose)
+:Środowisko is not a conference, camp, or package program. It is not first of all an activity, but refers to a group of people. It was a name used by Pope John Paul II to refer to his people, and his people came together for retreat-vacation events.
-The Środowisko of JPII
-Not a conference, camp, vbs, or program
+:How does one use a name without hijacking it, a name for such a remarkable group with its canonized leader? There are precedents. In 1942 a German youth group calling themselves "the White Rose" came together around a professor to combat Nazism on an ideological level. In 1995 a group in Madison Wisconsin, inspired by their story and sharing their heroic ideal, took up the group's name "White Rose" for the task of an intellectual apostolate in their pro-life mission. Quiet Waters' use of the name "Środowisko" is in a like manner, inspired by the story of John Paul II's Środowisko and with great reverence and homage to their experience, while we create our own in a similar vein.
+:A milieu is not a militia... in a milieu you "receive" your people, in a militia you "recruit" them.
+:The Środowisko of JPII
 ==School of Prayer==
@@ Line 17: / Line 25: @@
 ==School of Communication==
 * Video
+This is the outline used for the week-long "crash course in videography" from years 1 - 4. With a solid group of leaders that already know a lot about video editing it's been more efficient to go over most of these things in the small groups themselves (depending on the type of project they will be producing) and save the group presentations for other things.
+We've also shown clips from [http://www.navispictures.com/category_s/38.htm Navis pictures "How to make a movie".]
+) Introduction to new media video production. Theological and theoretical aspects of thinking about new media. Video communication as the art of light.
+) Organization of production: Roles and goals
+) Writing for video: How to make treatments, scripts and storyboards
+) Audio Basics: Introduction to the microphones and their use
+) Introduction to composition for photography and video
+) Introduction of lighting for video
+) How to interview and be interviewed, different styles of interviews, how to talk to a video camera.
+) Introduction to post-production audio and music
+) Graphics and special effects, color correction and light, subtitles, CG
+) Editing: The grammar of video editing, exploring the languages of different styles, introduction to types of digital video editing software
+) How to Publish and / or television media: Youtube and beyond
 ==School of Community==
 * Dishes
+"I like doing dishes, you can really talk and get to know one another". -Will Blackley
 ==School of Ars Ecclesia==
@@ Line 27: / Line 63: @@
 * Illuminated manuscripts
-==General Daily Schedule==
+The integration of ecclesial art projects in the srodowisko event was the magic ingredient which balanced the schedule and tied together teaching theology and media projects. The first year there were no individual craft projects with the logic "the video is the craft" and artistic energies were directed to storyboards and production elements of the video. By the end of the week the groups had finished the production aspects of the video and members of the group would be restless to see it finished. The next year "crafts"were introduced, we began with little projects - we designed and made woolen scapulars (with materials donated from the local Carmelites) and stenciled the designs on homemade shirts in 2008, tie-dyed shirts in 2009, made nice wooden rosaries and painted flower pots ("Rooted in Christ") in 2010.  The first time we fully integrated  a theme with a more elaborate ecclesial art project, video projects and theological teaching points was in 2011 when our friend, [http://www.brittworks.com/ artist Britta Williams] told us about how she taught icon writing to middle and highschool students.
+The integration of a personal project that would take a whole week, and the harmonization of a prayerful "pilgrimage" with the steps of the art project lead to a much more relaxed atmosphere. Some people work better in groups, some people work better alone. The week event now had ample possibilities for both. When a group hits a wall on their video project they can do the next step on their art project. Early risers happily worked alone in the quiet on their icon.
+The steps of the art project are linked to a personal journey of prayer and discovery [''liber peregrinationis'']. The art and video is tied into a theological theme the liturgy of the hours carries the day.
+Organizing the projects so everyone could work at their own pace in a small space was a challenge. Pizza boxes have been the key. Fresh new pizza boxes donated by Blasdell's or bought at a restaurant supply store provide a way to give everyone personal mobile space for their projects. They also served a secondary function as mailboxes for mystery messengers.
+==Roles==
+Group leaders
+"Camp" Cook/Mom and Dad
+Chaplain
+Tracy
+Rebecca and Sara
-*7:30 Rise
+==Śro Things==
-**In the beginning, we woke them up with a CD of bagpipe music and a strategically-placed stereo. It has since evolved as technology has evolved, and the girls are woken up by a Pandora playlist on an iPad. Some would wake up earlier than 7:30 to shower and get ready for the day, even as early as 6 AM, leading to the enforcement of a "no showering before 7" policy that sleepier kids are happy to oblige to.
+'''Encounters''' A presentation by a person or group that has something to do with the theme. (Past encounters: Prof. Kazimierz Braun, Fr. Peter Kauralus, Sr. Emily Marsh, Sr. Ann Kelly, Fr. Vincent Nagle (via Skype from Jerusalem), Helene Paharik (Skype), Catholic Voices Washington (Skype), Micheal John Porier, Mary Porier )
-*8:15 Lauds
-**The mornings always begin with Morning Prayer, usually chanted. Whichever group is scheduled for the Liturgy of the Hours rotation will handle the reading and the presiding. A short presentation is given by leaders regarding how to pray the LOH or how the LOH is used in the Church before each period of Liturgy.
-*8:30 Breakfast
-**Usually breads and bagels and cold cereal, though sometimes pancakes and sausage on a morning or two, breakfast is our way of getting the girls excited for the day - it's the only meal we eat indoors besides snack and the occasional dessert, and we try to show cool or inspirational videos to get their creativity going before we jump into work (the videos range from funny, touching, dramatic, musical, or cats).
-*9:00 Tasks
-**Our version of "ora et labora" has everyone doing light clean-up in the morning after breakfast. After arrival, people sign up for a task, which may be dumping trash, vacuuming the church, watering plants, or straightening up bathrooms. Every person has a job, one which never takes more than 15 minutes, to keep the space clean and efficient for the week.
-*9:15 Rotations
-**Each group rotates through a set of activities during this time slot. The rotations used to include campfire entertainment and working in the kitchen to set up for meals, but it now only includes Mass preparation, Lectio Divina, Liturgy of the Hours preparation, and whatever job may need to be done for the day (such as prep work for the Thursday night talent show, etc)
-*10:00 Great Room Meeting
-** At this point of the day, we meet back in the main space for a light snack (which ends early enough to meet the hour fast before Mass), and an introduction to the projects and theme for the week. A presentation is usually given by leaders, which comprises videos, Scripture, images, Prezis and Powerpoints, books, and so forth. Here, the main theme for the week is presented as well as the beginning stages of whatever personal project has been chosen to represent the week.
-*10:15 Group Projects
-**Group video projects are also introduced. Each group has their own table, and each of those group leaders has a folder of papers and resources so the group can begin working on projects together.
-*11:45 Break
-**At this point, snack has been put away so the girls can still fast before Mass. Break is a good way to stretch and begin channeling energy towards preparing for Mass. Most kids will change into something a little nicer for Mass.
-*12:00 Mass
-**Nothing much to be said here other than the obvious - Mass is celebrated for the day. Back in the beginning, the Angelus was also said at noon, though this has since become lax. Whichever group has the Mass rotation for the day prepares the readings and the Prayer of the Faithful, though a music ministry team almost always handles the music for every day.
-*12:45 Lunch
-**First of the meals to be outside unless the weather is severe. Some group singing typically commences (we leaders enjoy making the girls sing for their meals in order to rally them and wake them up) and occasionally there are "O-grams" or messages from "Mystery Messengers."
-*13:15 Dishes
-**This rotates between groups - two groups at each meal will hand wash the dishes and take them into the house while the other groups begin their free time.
-*13:45 Swim or Recreation
-**At this point, all groups including the two who completed dishes will have free time. Free time may have a scheduled game of volleyball, soccer, or the like, or the girls have the opportunity to go swimming at a nearby farm. The house becomes quieter for those who want to take naps and people with energy are sent outside or continue work on personal projects.
-*15:30 Projects
-**More work on personal and group projects is scheduled for this point. It's a good way to draw girls back into a quieter and more creative mindset after running around or being outside.
-*18:00 Vespers
-**The second of the daily liturgy cycle. Again, whichever group is scheduled for this rotation handles everything. Vespers is usually chanted.
-*18:30 Dinner
-**This meal works the way lunch works - it may begin with singing or messages, eating is outside, two groups handle dishes. At each meal outside, especially at dinner, there is an activity such as games, opportunities to witness and share, or quick entertainment to establish a sense of community and to spark conversation.
-*19:30 Free to Be
-**The second set of free time, a little more lax than Recreation time. Many girls will opt for working on projects at this point.
-*20:30 Campfire and Rosary
-**Campfire is outside (around the fire, obviously) unless the weather prevents it. Campfire is scheduled with games or entertainment, perhaps singing or skits or the annual "Initiation Ceremony" which has girls new to the camp being "initiated" by dancing around the fire. When the sun sets, everyone settles and the Rosary is prayed. For each campfire or time the rosary is said, a different group or set of people will lead it. Following the Rosary is dessert or snack (though this is occasionally pushed until after Compline).
-*21:30 Compline
-**The third time we pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the day. Like Lauds and Vespers, a group handles the presiding and so forth. Compline is not chanted as often as Lauds and Vespers, though it is preferred.
-*22:30 Lights Out
-**After Compline, a period of silence is assumed. Girls are asked to remain quiet in the house and sleeping areas as they get ready for bed, and to go downstairs to the main meeting space if they want to work on projects or talk quietly. In the past, strict silence was enforced everywhere as soon as Compline was complete, but it has since become a little looser. Leaders will have a quick meeting to discuss the day and the upcoming days while the kids get ready for bed. After the Leader Meeting finishes, lights will be turned off, doors will be locked, and leaders will do a sweep to make sure that everyone is where they should be - in bed. Girls are allowed to be in the Chapel to pray, or bathrooms, or with a leader, though leaders must use prudence in determining who may be up, for what, and at which time they must be sent to bed. A leader may go around at Lights Out to bless the girls with Holy Water and say goodnight.
-==General Weekly Events==
+'''Mystery Messengers''' -
+==Śro Lingo==
+A certain lexicon has developed over the years as girls look for ways to describe their experiences from the week. The colloquialisms and idioms are usually formed by replacing the beginning of a word with the morpheme "Śro" or "Śr" to form a portmanteau. Or, in this case, a portmanŚro.
+*Śropening (opening)
+*Środown or Środeo (hoedown or rodeo)
+*Śroappro (appropriate)
+*Śreunion (reunion)
 == References ==

Working title: The Śro Story: Difference between revisions