INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE

Ivy Hall 6331 Lancaster Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19151-2620 phone (215) 877-9910 fax (215) 877-9911

www. iiculture.org email: info@iiculture.org

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,

John M. Haas, Ph.D., S.T.L.

President

Enclosures (2)

Comfortable Lodgings

Language Courses

Spiritual Exercises

Cultural Immersion

Scenic Excursions

History Lectures

THE INTERNATIONAL

INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE

SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IMMERSION PROGRAM

PUEBLA, MEXICO

“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

Growing need for Spanish-speaking ministry Over one-third of the U.S . Cathol ic populat ion is comprised of Hispanics

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 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)

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.

speaking ministry

GLANCE

“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.

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.

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.”

CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF PUEBLA

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.

THE INITIAL AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION

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.

Ivy Hall

6331 Lancaster Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19151

www.iiculture.org

215.877.9910

SUMMER 2015 PROGRAM INFORMATION

· Program runs May 30th through July 11th

· Total cost of $5,200 covers room, board, tuition,

materials, and weekly excursions

· Deadline for application is May 8th

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE

PUEBLA PROGRAM IN SPANISH LANGUAGE & HISPANIC CULTURE

SUMMER 2015 PARTICIPANT APPLICATION FORM

Ivy Hall 6331 Lancaster Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19151-2620 phone (215) 877-9910 fax (215) 877-9911

www. iiculture.org email: info@iiculture.org

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: _________________________________________________________________________

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURE Puebla Summer Program 2015 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 30th through June 11th 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