Dead Theologians Society

What Do We Do?

At every meeting, we, The Church Militant, are learning about and asking for the intercession of the great saints—The Church Triumphant—while praying for the Souls in Purgatory—The Church Suffering. Society members meet on a regular basis--at least once per month--to learn the lives of the Saints (who are only dead by the world’s definition and are certainly alive with Jesus in Heaven.) Their lives of heroic virtue continue to inspire.
          Using the interesting and engaging DTS format and through the examples of the Saints, young people develop life-long role models at a time when they are truly needed. In addition, members make use of time-honored Catholic prayers, devotions and sacramentals such as, Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and more!  Sound boring? Thousands of teens around the world would tell you otherwise!
          
Meeting Format

We will meet at Brzana Hall at St. Mary's Cathedral. The schedule is yet to be determined, but we expect to meet at least twice per month, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. We will choose the weekday that best fits most members of the group.
Here is he meeting format:

          Social Gathering - 30 minutes
         A time for the young people to hang out with friends to share the latest news, some laughs, introduce themselves to visitors or new members and generally socialize. Snack foods and soft drinks will be available. Having this time is important and will facilitate  "shifting gears" to the quieter prayer time of the meeting. After the gathering time, the facilitator will lead the group to the Deacon Winter Chapel.

          Teaching  - Profile of the Saint - 15 to 20 minutes
          The facilitator will begin the meeting with a short opening prayer asking the Holy Spirit to help put all participants in a proper frame of mind, heart and disposition to what is being taught and learned for the evening. The facilitator will introduce the profile of the Saint for the meeting. Our purpose is to learn the lives of the Saints, their heroic virtue, and listen to their inspiring witness. Usually, actual quotes or writings of the Saint will be read and then certain aspects on how they relate to us today can be discussed. Where possible, the most teen and young adult aspects of the Saint's life will be drawn out.

          Question & Answer - 5 to 15 minutes
          At this time, participants are invited to ask any questions about what they've just learned or about anything regarding the Faith. The facilitators may not know the answer to every question, but they are committed to having an answer for the next meeting. As St. John Henry Cardinal Newman said, "Ten thousand difficulties do not make one single doubt."

          Intercessory Prayer - 10 minutes
          Following the time of teaching is a time of communal, intercessory prayer. This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to bond and grow. The facilitator tells the youth that they are free to mention a specific prayer request, or they may simply state "for a special intention" or leave their prayer intentions in the silence of their hearts.  
         
           Mystery and Decade of the Holy Rosary - 15 minutes
         The facilitator explains one mystery of the rosary and then leads the group in praying one decade. The facilitator recites the first part of the prayer and the group recites the second half in unison.

          St. Gertrude Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory
           A special charism of the Dead Theologians Society is to pray for the release of the Souls in Purgatory. The St. Gertrude prayer for the souls in Purgatory is prayed immediately following the decade of the rosary. The group prays in unison:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
 

The name is a take from the popular ‘90’s movie "Dead Poets Society." In the film, teens learn to appreciate the writings of poets and various authors who had gone before them. In 1997, youth group leader Eddie Cotter and some of the teens from his parish were discussing how it would be very exciting and worthwhile to help other young people appreciate the richness, beauty and truth of their Catholic faith by discovering the writings and lives of the Saints. Since the Saints are “dead” only by the world’s standards but are certainly alive with Jesus in Heaven, the name Dead Theologians Society seemed like a winner. 

The DTS motto, "Mortuum Mundo, Vivum in Christo", is Latin for "Dead to the World, Alive in Christ." This is inspired by Romans 6:11 where St. Paul tells us to be dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus. The Saints we study are alive in Christ forever. DTS members seek to always become more alive in Christ through their Catholic faith and "dead" to the negative influences of the world.

The logo of the Dead Theologians Society is a depiction of the Blessed Sacrament contained in a monstrance, with the motto of the Society encircling it. Below the montrance are the initials DTS. 

          Of course as Catholics we believe the Blessed Sacrament is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The monstrance is a beautiful container which holds the Blessed Sacrament when used in Eucharistic Adoration, blessings, and processions. It comes from the Latin word, "monstra" which means to show.

The DTS meeting is followed by social time and a meal. Athough the more serious segment of the Dead Thelogians Society meeting has concluded, this time of community and relationship building is very important. The DTS Team is commiting to provide something substantial and of high quality. This time helps the community grow and provides an atmosphere for followup discussions from the evening's meeting.