CDU Blog

Catholic Distance University (CDU) is pleased to announce three new apologetics seminars are being offered in 2017:

1. Making The Case For Christ
2. How Are We Saved?
3. Why Do We Need The Church?

These 3-week-long online seminars are accessible from anywhere in the world and are being taught by Professor Steven Hemler, president of the Catholic Apologetics Institute of North America (CAINA) and author of The Reality of God: The Layman's Guide to Scientific Evidence for the Creator. These new apologetics seminars will strengthen your faith and equip you to better explain and share with family and friends why Catholics believe what we do about Jesus, salvation, and the Church.

Given our increasingly secular society and the atheistic worldview often promoted today, the need to strengthen the faith of Catholics and equip the faithful to better explain and share the Faith has never been greater. This need is especially evident in the large number of young people who are leaving the Catholic Faith, especially during and after college.

As New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan declared, “We have failed to equip our young people and ourselves with the art of credibly, convincingly, and compellingly defending and presenting our beloved Faith. Apologetics prepares us to survive a rational criticism of our Faith that is all over the place today. We need it more than ever.”

All three apologetics seminars being offered in 2017 are available at a special package price of only $299 total. The tuition may even be as low as $30 per seminar if you live in a diocese that is a CDU subsidy partner.  Encourage your diocese or parish to become a partner and share joy through the truth. Enroll today!

Making the Case for Christ (February 6–27, 2017)

Week 1: Was Jesus a Real Historical Person?

Week 2: Is Jesus Truly God?

Week 3: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

How Are We Saved? (March 13–April 3, 2017)

Week 1: Do Near-Death Experiences Reveal the Reality of Heaven and an Afterlife?

Week 2: Why Were Christ’s Passion and Death Needed for Our Salvation?

Week 3: How Do We Accept God’s Gift of Salvation?

Why Do We Need The Church? (July 3–24, 2017)

Week 1: Why Does the Church Still Matter Today?

Week 2: Why Are the Sacraments Important?

Week 3: Why Go to Mass?

Aiko Foster-Sutherland is a busy mother, business woman, and CDU student.  She is pursuing her BA in Theology from Japan. Aiko answered some questions to share her CDU experience from 7,630 miles away!

Tell us about where you live.

Naha, Okinawa, is a small sub-tropical island. It’s like a dot on the world map and the most remote place in Japan! A lot of US military people fall in love with this island while they are stationed here. It’s like Hawaii in Japan. 

Why did you choose a CDU education?

“I was looking for an online school that is passionate about the Catholic faith, and CDU is well-established and friendly for people who have a job. I started studying simply to deepen my faith through studying the Bible.”

How is CDU helping you reach your educational goals?

“CDU has wonderful professors who also have Catholic faith. They are highly educated, and they are very eager to help students to deepen the knowledge of the subject. CDU’s faculty and staff have been so encouraging to keep my passion for God burning. “

Since you are in a foreign country, do you feel a connection or sense of community with faculty and other students?

“Yes, I do. I have been through different stages of my life while I have been a student at CDU such as a promotion at work, moving between countries, giving birth to my daughter, and starting my own business. It’s been very challenging to stay focused on my studies, but the faculty members have helped me so much as I was going though all those stages.”

“Other students have been inspiring to me. They are from different backgrounds and upbringings. Studying at CDU helps me to realize God calls us regardless of our background and nationality. I met some students who are in the same boat as I am and they motivate me when I feel overwhelmed.”

What unique educational challenges are you experiencing in Japan?

“The population of Christians in Japan is less than 1%, so I don’t have a lot of people to share what I learn. It can get lonely sometimes, but being connected to other students at CDU helps”. 

Do you have any prayer requests?

“I’d like to break my financial difficulties and continue my education to earn a CDU Master’s degree. Also, I want to be used for God… Pray for me that I will reach out to the souls of Japanese people.”

Dig deeper into the Sunday Readings – CDU has just the right size of course on each of the Gospels to stimulate an expanded appreciation for the life and teachings Jesus shares with us through His Sacred Word.  Why not invite a friend to study with you one of the on-demand, digital Gospel courses: that of St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, or St. John! To get started, review the courses here:

The Gospel of St. Matthew 

The Gospel of St. Mark

The Gospel of St. Luke

The Gospel of St. John

Then register  at https://cdu.catalog.instructure.com/ and enjoy the course at your convenience.  Be ready for the transforming power of the Holy Spirit!

Review our vast collection of courses and be amazed. 

“The professor shared an amazing amount of information, videos, scientific facts and theological and philosophical evidence in the class 'Proof of God’s Existence'. I have been blessed by having taken this course.“ – Elaine, continuing education student

Did you know that if your diocese is a CDU partner, your non-credit continuing education classes are only $30? Please urge your diocese to become a CDU continuing education partner and share the joy of the truth with your whole diocese.

Looking for a great opportunity to meet and interact with Catholics from around the world, while furthering your formal education?

• Do you need a higher level degree for your job but don’t have the flexibility to drive to a college campus several nights a week?
• Would you like the opportunity to continue your education at a time and place that is convenient for your schedule?
• Does your current schedule simply not allow you to attend on-campus classes every week?
• Are you comfortable using email and accessing the Internet?
• Is being part of a learning community something you value?
• Are you self-motivated?
• Do you feel comfortable trying new ways to learn?
• Does the opportunity to interact with adults from all over the world excite you?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, then distance education could be for you. CDU offers several learning formats designed to meet the varying needs of adult learners.