Healthy Boundaries:
Caring for Others, Caring for Oneself
You were formed to care—for your community, your parishioners, your students, and those entrusted to your ministry. But sustainable care for others begins with an honest understanding of yourself and the boundaries that make healthy relationships possible.
In this keynote address, Dr. Hsin-hsin Huang invites us to examine what boundaries truly are, why we so often resist them, and how setting them well is itself an act of justice and compassion. Drawing on both psychological insight and pastoral wisdom, Dr. Huang will help participants identify the false beliefs and obstacles that make boundary-setting difficult, explore how self-awareness is the essential foundation for healthy limits, and discover how practicing boundaries with both firmness and grace can strengthen every relationship in ministry and in life.
Presented by: Dr. Hsin-hsin Huang
Dr. Huang served as Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Aquinas Institute and was a favorite among students. Prior to coming to Aquinas Institute she was the co-chair of the Counseling department at Webster University. She is a Pastoral Counselor, a spiritual director, a Certified EMDR Therapist, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Her research focuses on spiritual formation and the integration of psychology, spirituality, and theology.
Trauma is not the exception in the lives of those we serve—it is a reality woven into the human experience. To walk with others through pain and toward healing, those in ministry must understand what trauma is, how it shapes a person's inner life, and what genuine accompaniment looks like in its wake.
In this workshop, Dr. Hsin-hsin Huang offers an honest and compassionate exploration of trauma and its impacts, equipping ministers to better support those in their care. Participants will examine the factors that can interfere with healing, reflect on the unique role of Christian identity in the journey toward wholeness, and learn to identify and gently challenge the negative beliefs that too often keep people from finding the freedom they seek. Whether you serve in parish ministry, chaplaincy, education, or spiritual direction, this session will deepen both your understanding and your capacity to companion others well.
Presenter: Dr. Hsin-hsin Huang
Dr. Huang served as Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Aquinas Institute and was a favorite among students. Prior to coming to Aquinas Institute she was the co-chair of the Counseling department at Webster University. She is a Pastoral Counselor, a spiritual director, a Certified EMDR Therapist, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Her research focuses on spiritual formation and the integration of psychology, spirituality, and theology.
You were formed to preach, teach, and lead—and the practical work of scheduling volunteers is often part of your ministry. But when systems are inefficient or unclear, they can drain energy from the very ministries they’re meant to support.
In this practical session, Krista Kutz from Ministry Scheduler Pro will share insights drawn from real parish settings—including Aquinas alumni serving in church ministry—and offer best practices for organizing and growing liturgical ministries. We’ll explore how simplifying schedules, streamlining communication, and accommodating volunteers' complex availability and family realities can both reduce burnout and increase full, conscious, active participation—helping more parishioners and students answer their call to serve.
Presenter:
Krista Kutz, MDiv
Every Sunday, you’ll find Krista Kutz in the soprano section at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church in St. Louis—often with a child on her hip. A lifelong choir member, she’s also an active parish volunteer: coaching basketball, supervising recess, and coordinating ministry schedules for volunteers and families.
Professionally, Krista has led mission-driven work in both ministry and nonprofit settings—from serving as Director of Liturgy at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago to fundraising roles in human services and health care. She holds a Master of Divinity from The University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Xavier University.
Before joining Rotunda Software as Growth & Impact Manager, she spent more than a decade organizing volunteers with Ministry Scheduler Pro in her own parish. Her lived experience as a ministry leader fuels her passion for helping churches sustain ministries where all volunteers are welcome to serve.
About Ministry Scheduler Pro
Ministry Scheduler Pro is an online tool for organizing and communicating with liturgical volunteers—Lectors, EMHCs, Servers, and more. Trusted by over 3,800 churches nationwide, including Aquinas alumni in parishes and campus ministries, MSP simplifies scheduling and grows participation in ministry. Learn more at ministryschedulerpro.com.
You were called to minister—and that call doesn't end at ordination or commissioning. Staying rooted, spiritually nourished, and theologically engaged is not a luxury for those in ministry; it's a necessity.
In this dynamic panel discussion, three Aquinas Institute alumni—Fr. Don Goergen, OP, Deacon David Harpring, and Marian Love—will share how they have pursued ongoing formation throughout their lives and careers, and how you can too. Whether you are just beginning your ministry journey or have served for decades, this conversation will offer both perspective and practical next steps. We'll explore a range of formation opportunities available to lay ministers and clergy alike, from degree programs and certificate tracks to spiritual direction, retreats, and peer learning communities—helping you identify the pathways that can deepen your faith, sharpen your gifts, and sustain your call for the long road ahead.
Our Panel:
Fr. Donald Goergen, O.P.
Fr. Donald Goergen, O.P. is a Dominican priest, theologian, and author whose ministry has taken him across North America, Asia, and Africa as a preacher, teacher, and retreat leader. He has published ten books and numerous articles in the areas of Christology and Christian spirituality, and is widely beloved for his gifts as a teacher and guide. Fr. Goergen has served the Dominican Order in significant leadership roles, including as Provincial of the Central Province and President of the Dominican Leadership Conference. He co-founded the Dominican Ashram, a contemplative community devoted to prayer and ministry, where he lived for nine years. A graduate and former faculty member at Aquinas Institute of Theology, he remains a cherished figure in the Aquinas community.
Deacon David Harpring
Deacon David Harpring is a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, ordained in 2003, who has served parishes across the North County area for more than two decades. A retired engineer with a long career at Boeing, David came to Aquinas Institute in 2005 with a desire for formal theological education and went on to earn a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (2010) and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction (2012). He has served as a Parish Life Coordinator and currently ministers at St. Ann Parish in Normandy, including the Newman Center at UMSL. Trained in the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, David companions others through the Exercises and serves on the Archdiocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Commission. His wife Vicki is also an Aquinas alumna, and together they share a family that includes three adult daughters and three granddaughters.
Marian Love
Marian Love is a lay Catholic woman with more than 25 years of experience in spiritual direction, retreat work, and adult faith formation. Trained in Ignatian Spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, she holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Aquinas Institute of Theology. Marian served on the Aquinas Institute staff for over a decade, directing both the Lay Human and Spiritual Formation program and the Spiritual Direction Certificate Program. She is passionate about accompanying seekers in discovering God within their own lives and experiences, and continues to serve as a spiritual director, retreat presenter, and formation facilitator at the parish level. Marian and her husband Allen, a permanent deacon and Parish Life Coordinator at Little Flower Parish, share two adult sons and seven grandchildren.
Afternoon Prayer - 3:30 pm Friday
Ann Garrido, Preacher and Presider Closing Mass - 10:30 am Saturday
Fr. Don Goergen, OP - Presider
Fr. Eric Wagner, CR - Preacher
Registration is free for alumni.
Sign up for the full conference or for the specific sections you are able to join us.
If you would like to make a donation to help offset the cost of the event, suggested donation amounts are listed on the registration site and you can make a secure online donation there. Please make any checks payable to Aquinas Institute of Theology and place 'Alumni Weekend' in the memo line.
