November 3, 2014, Volume VIII, Number 44
St. Martin de Porres, Monday, November 3, 2014
St. Charles Borromeo, Tuesday, November 4, 2014
St. Elizabeth, Wednesday, November 5, 2014
St. Leonard, Thursday, November 6, 2014
St. Didacus of Alcalá, Friday, November 7, 2014
Question of the Week
For the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, November 9, 2014
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.” Are you helping to build the Church or do you view that as someone else’s responsibility? Are your words and actions grounded in your faith so that they continue to build on Jesus’ foundation, or do they come from a different foundation?
Saint of the Day: St. Didacus of Alcalá
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1192&calendar=1
St. Didacus of Alcalá, also known as Diego de San Nicolás, was born in the village of San Nicolás in the area of Seville, Spain, to a very poor, but pious family. As a young man, Didacus joined the Secular Franciscan Order and lived for some time as a hermit. After Didacus became a Franciscan brother, he developed a reputation for great insight into God’s ways. He was so generous with the poor that the friars sometimes grew uneasy about his charity.
Didacus volunteered for the missions in the Canary Islands and labored there energetically, becoming the superior of a friary there. Though it was an exception to the ordinary rules for a lay brother to be named to this position, his great zeal, prudence, and sanctity justified this choice.
In 1450 he was sent to Rome to attend the canonization of St. Bernardine of Siena. When many friars gathered for that celebration fell sick, Didacus stayed in Rome for three months to nurse them. After he returned to the Friary of Santa María de Jesús in Alcalá, Spain, he again pursued a life of contemplation.
As he was dying, Didacus looked at a crucifix and said: “O faithful wood, O precious nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven” (The Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 834). He was canonized in 1588.
San Diego, California, is named after him.
On this day in history: November 6, 1789
In 1784, Fr. John Carroll had been appointed as provisional Superior of the Missions in the thirteen United States of North America with faculties to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation. The Pope allowed the priests in the U.S. to recommend the city and the priest to be named as the diocesan seat and first bishop. Pope Pius VI appointed Fr. John Carroll as the first Catholic bishop in the United States in the newly formed Diocese of Baltimore. (Baltimore became an archdiocese in 1808.) Bishop Carroll was instrumental in the founding of Georgetown University. He encouraged a number of religious orders to come to the U.S. and establish schools. He convened the First Synod of Baltimore 1791. Bishop Carroll strongly promoted the reading of Scripture using the Carey Bible, an English-language translation of Douay-Rheims.
NCCL News
2015 Annual Conference & Exposition, May 18-21, Buffalo
FCH Pre-conference: Effective Catechesis with U.S.-born Hispanic Youth
The latest statistics show that the majority of Hispanic Catholic youth are U.S.-born, meaning from the second generation and beyond. For the most part, U.S.-born Latino youth are not as committed to parish life and Catholic faith traditions as their own immigrant parents and their first-generation peers. This workshop will employ the See – Judge – Act methodology to explore the reasons for this breakdown in the transmission of the faith, producing new insights and identifying effective practices for catechesis in pastoral context. Topics include:
· What is needed to effectively reach out to U.S.-born Hispanic young people?
· What role does sacramental and systematic life-long catechesis have in supporting U.S.-born Hispanic youth?
· What practical resources and strategies are available to reach and equip Hispanic families, parish communities, and dioceses to effectively catechize and minister to U.S.-born Hispanic youth?
· How do we harmoniously connect the three realities: first, second, and third generation?
Presented by Lynette Saenz, Director of Cultural Diversity, Diocese of Rochester NY and Ken Johnson-Mondragón, as Director of Research and Publications, Instituto Fe y Vida.
This Pre-conference takes place on Sunday, May 17. Full registration information will be available in a few weeks. NCCL Members: Reserve your place for only $309 through January 16, 2015
A limited number of guest rooms with 2 beds are available, so book your room early to have the best selection. To book a suite, please call the hotel directly. See http://www.nccl.us/hoteltransportation.html
Close-out Sale of Catechetical Sunday materials: while they last
NCCL’s 2014-2015 journal is on sale for $1 each, while supplies last. Buy it for your catechists, RCIA leaders and seekers, adult faith formation participants, and all parents! The insightful meditations will foster weekly discipleship for all ages. Dedicated to Master Catechist Lee Nagel.
Our 2014 NCCL catechetical pin reminds us of God’s Forgiveness. Order at sale prices for your Lenten retreats, days of reflection, or as gifts to those receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Remaining Posters, certificates, and Prayer Cards also on sale. https://nccl.wildapricot.org/
Representative Council meeting: November 20-22, 2014
In late August, your representatives on NCCL’s Representative Council were asked to contact the members of their constituencies seeking input on the following questions. We hope that all members provided responses to their reps. Reminder to Reps: Reports were due on October 24.
Questions for discussion:
1. Have you explored the Echoes 3.0 online website? If so, will you be subscribing to it? What do you believe are the best features of the site? What features would improve the site?
2. With the discontinuation of North American Forum on the Catechumenate, where do you receive support for training and implementing the RCIA process? Would it be beneficial for NCCL to offer support in this area?
3. At the November Rep Council meeting, Rep Council will approve the slates of officers for the elections in May 2015. What qualities are you looking for in the slates of officers for NCCL?
4. NCCL’s committees and the committee charges are listed online. We hope members will consider joining an NCCL committee to further the ministry of catechesis in the USA.
If you have not shared your responses with your reps, please do so. Late responses can still be incorporated in the discussions. If you don’t know who your rep is, or you don’t have a rep, please email your responses to NCCL at:
If there are discussions items that you would like to submit for possible inclusion in the Representative Council agenda, please email them to
Pope: Are You a Child of Light, Darkness, or Gray Areas?
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-at-casa-santa-marta-are-you-a-child-of-light-or-of-darkness?utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch
Reflecting on the reading in which Paul invites the Christians of Ephesus to be “imitators of God, as beloved children”, the Pope said that it helps to discern whether one is a child of light, of darkness or “gray areas”. The third type of Christian, one that is neither light nor dark, but gray, are the “lukewarm” Christians referred to in the book of Revelations which the Lord will vomit out. “The Lord has strong words for these Christians of gray areas. ‘I am a Christian, but without overdoing it!’ they say, and in doing so cause so much harm, because their Christian witness is a witness that in the end only sows confusion, it sows a
CNS photo – Reuters negative witness”, Pope Francis said. He added that it would do us all good to ask
Tony Gentile ourselves: “Am I a Christian of light? Am I a Christian of the dark? Am I a
Christian of the gray areas?”
Spiritual Life Is Like Breathing
Pope Francis says the spiritual life is like breathing, comparing prayer to inhaling and mission to exhaling. Without both, he says, the Christian cannot live.
C4: Ignite Your Catholic Faith – How Am I Supposed to Pray?
This short video by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, talks about ways to pray. It is part of a web series produced for the Year of Faith. They are great as discussion starters for teens or adults and could be used in in-services, RCIA sessions, parent sessions, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpfcBsqlXGE
Hildegard von Bingen - Voice of the Living Light
There are a number of YouTube videos with instrumental music or chant that can help anyone who wants to pray in a quiet, meditative, or contemplative way. As a devotee to St. Hildegard of Bingen, this is one of my favorites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dehwp_dRlYQ
Football Season: Hail Mary Pass
If you’re a fan of football –and even if you’re not! – you probably know what a “Hail Mary” pass is. The phrase originated after a 1975 playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. When asked about his game-winning touchdown pass, Catholic Roger Staubach, Cowboys quarterback, said, "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary.”
And, have you noticed how many Catholic baseball players make the Sign of the Cross before stepping up to the plate to bat?
Purgatory… Limbo… Interesting how Catholic words and actions have become part of the secular culture. Post a message on NCCLonline and let us know what other Catholic signs/words/etc you can think of that have become part of the culture in which we live.
Mission: the Leadership Institute Webinars and Catholic Relief Services
We are called to “exhale” in mission in many ways, as the New Evangelization reminds us. The latest Leadership Institute webinar is: The New Evangelization and Catholic Social Teaching. Dr. Carolyn Woo, CEO of Catholic Relief Services connects the three pillars of the New Evangelization – worship, faith and witness – to Catholic social teaching. She describes how service to the poor is integral to each of the three pillars and incarnates this social dimension of evangelization, providing action ideas for your ministry.
Catholic Relief Services is part of the universal mission of the Catholic Church; they work with local, national and international Catholic institutions and structures, as well as other organizations, to assist people on the basis of need, not creed, race or nationality.
Unpacking Adolescent Catechesis on Parent Engagement
The Partnership for Adolescent Catechesis is offering focused dialogue guides on topics of interest to those who are involved in the faith formation of adolescents. These easy to use guides are designed to stimulate conversation among colleagues on critical questions, issues and strategies encountered by those involved in the formation of young people. The first guide centers on engaging parents in the faith formation process. Please download and use it at your next onsite or online gathering of colleagues or with your catechists as a way of continued formation and reflection on this important and critical task. Use #ACunPAC to post your thoughts and reflections so others can stay connected with emerging insights.
Pope’s November Intentions
Every month, the Pope asks Christians all around the world to pray together for two specific intentions.
Pope Francis asks Christians to pray in November so that “all who suffer loneliness may experience the closeness of God and the support of others.” His missionary intention for the month is “that young seminarians and religious may have wise and well-formed mentors.”
Photo - Communio
Pope: Be Open to Inner Renewal for True Ecumenical Dialogue
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-explains-the-road-to-reconciliation-full-communion-among-all-believers-in-christ?utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch
Speaking to members of the Orientale Lumen Foundation of America, Pope Francis said that if one seeks true ecumenical dialogue, he must allow himself to be renewed by the Lord and to be more faithful to Him and His will. “Every Christian pilgrimage is not only a geographical journey, but also and above all an opportunity to take a path of inner renewal taking us ever closer to Christ our Lord.” Hearing that the pilgrims are honoring the memory of Saints John XXIII and John Paul II, the Pope was delighted, noting “this decision underlines their great contribution to the development of ever closer relations between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches.” He said that the example of these two saints “is without doubt enriching for all of us, since they always bore witness to an ardent passion for Christian unity.”
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Feedback/Comments on this issue of CL Weekly should be addressed to this week’s writer, Joanie McKeown, Interim Co-Administrator of NCCL:
CL Weekly, November 3, 2014 Page 1