April 9, 2012, Volume VI, Number 15
"Christ is Risen!" "Truly, He is risen!"
B L E S S E D EA S T ER
FEAST OF SAINT CASILDA
Monday in the Octave of Easter
Question of the Week
For the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday
“‘My Lord and my God!’ …Blessed are those who have not seen and believed.” How did you come to your belief? What have you seen that helped your belief? What signs have strengthened your belief?
NCCL News
The latest episode of the CL Podcast went live this week:John Rinaldo - REAL Ministry (http://tiny.cc/d1xgcw).
According to Jonathan Sullivan, "This month we welcome to the podcast John Rinaldo – diocesan director, podcaster, and founder of REAL Ministry, a web site about developing church leaders to serve the kingdom of God. We discussed what it means to be a leader in the Church, what we can learn from business leaders, how we can develop our leadership skills, and some of our favorite resources." For more on REAL Ministry, go to http://www.realministry.org/blog/
Book Your Hotel Rooms NOW – Rates Guaranteed till FRIDAY, April 13
We have plenty of rooms for May 5 - 10, however Towne & Country is sold out on May 2, 3, 4th - but T&C has an overflow hotel that is .4 miles away, the Doubletree Mission Valley, and they will honor our group room rate. T&C will provide transportation to and from the Doubletree. Anyone looking for a room on one of the nights not currently available should call the T&C (800-77-ATLAS or 619-291-7131) and they will walk through the process to book the rooms at both the T&C and to book at the overflow hotel. If you have any difficulties, please contact the NCCL office. There are only five (5) days left to guarantee these rates. BOOK NOW!
For pictures of the hotel and a video, go to http://www.towncountry.com/about/index.cfm#photo_gallery. For more information including transportation options form the airport, please check out www.nccl.us.
To Those in Their 20s and 30s – Let’s Talk! (at the conference…Monday 8:30 p.m.)
Charis Ministries will once again be sponsoring this session for young adults at the conference on Monday night beginning at 8:30 p.m. Join other young people in the catechetical ministry for wine, refreshments and conversation about the challenges and joys of working in ministry.
The session will be led by Pam Coster and Michael Noser of Charis Ministries, a Jesuit ministry to those in their 20s and 30s.
Charis provides retreats in the Ignatian tradition in Chicago and 30 cities throughout the country through its Partner Program. www.charisministries.org
Sunday Mission Tour UPDATE - $5.00 Fuel Surcharge
This four hour Tour not only includes a view of the Historic Mission San Diego de Alcala, but also has a visit to the Presidio Park Museum, and a stroll through the Old Town Village. Due to the increase in fuel costs a $5.00 surcharge has been added and will be collected as one enters the bus. A total of 26 people is needed or the tour will be cancelled.
Invitation to FCH Extended to All NCCL Members Registered for the Conference
As a registered member for NCCL you are entitled to participate at our Pre-Conference for FCH (Forum for Catechesis with Hispanics) at no additional charge with morning snacks and lunch provided for both Saturday and Sunday, May 5-6th 2012. A flyer can be downloaded at FCH Pre-Conference (http://tiny.cc/2xu7bw).
The goal of this Pre-Conference is to assist Catechetical Leaders who minister to Hispanic Catholics with resources and an understanding of the Hispanic heritage and culture. This year our statistics showed a 4% increase of the Hispanic Catholic population in the Diocese of San Diego, this tells us we must prepare for this increasing reality, since those numbers only show the actual registered Spanish population. For your convenience FCH is totally conducted in English.
One of the highlights of FCH will be a Sunday Tour to three historical sites; San Diego de Alcala Mission, Presidio State Park and Museum, and the Old Town Village. The additional charge for this tour is $25.00. Please check the CL Weekly for additional information.
Boston Boy Choir
On this Easter weekend of great religious music, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly visits the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School. It is the only Catholic all-boy choir school in the country and has been described not as a school with a choir, but as a choir with a school. You can read/listen to this twelve (12) minute segment at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/april-6-2012/boston-boy-choir/10683/.
Ideal Gift to Remember One’s First Communion
201102 Do This in Memory of ME
This distinctive, high quality 1 inch lapel pin is composed of a high shine gold chalice with a white enamel host positioned on top. It is surrounded by the phrase, “Do this in Memory of ME”. This pin is an excellent gift for children receiving their First Eucharist. This is an exclusive NCCL product.
Place your order for immediate delivery.
Quantity discounts apply.
Order from NCCL
(202) 884-9753.
Pope Proposes St. Clare as Model for Today's Youth
On the occasion of the Claretian Year, Pope Benedict XVI sent a special message to Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi, Nocera Umbria and Gualdo Tadino, to celebrate the first female disciple of Saint Francis. Clare’s and Francis’ charism “speaks also to our generation, and has a fascination especially for young people,” added Benedict XVI, referring to the 27th World Youth Day being celebrated on Palm Sunday. Again today the Claretian Order, having “become a robust tree, in the fruitful silence of the cloisters, continues to spread the good seed of the Gospel and to serve the cause of the Kingdom of God.”
It is no coincidence that the Holy Father’s letter was published precisely at the beginning of Holy Week: in fact, the story of Chiara’s (Clare’s) conversion “revolves around the liturgical feast of Palm Sunday,” explained the Pope. It was precisely on the Vigil of this Solemnity that Clare went to Francis to share her choice with him.
According to Saint Clare’s Testament, it was Francis himself who received the prophecy of the vocation of his first spiritual daughter: the Crucifix spoke to him in the church of San Damiano, announcing that “that place would be inhabited by women who would glorify God with their holy tenor of life.”
Saint Clare’s monastic life is profoundly linked to Assisi and it was precisely her prayer and that of her Sisters that saved the city from “violence and devastation” in some difficult circumstances. Chiara’s, explained the Pope, is the “conversion of love” of a young woman who gives up the “fine clothes of the nobility of Assisi” but keeps “the elegance of a soul that spends itself in praise of God and in giving itself.”
Francis’ and Chiara’s example is proposed “to the attention of today’s young people,” wrote Benedict XVI. The Medieval context of their earthly event “has not diminish their fascination,” even at this time when illusions and disappointments abound, “with the thousands attractions of a life in which everything seems possible and licit.”
In fact, examples are not lacking also today of young people who “who take up the invitation to entrust themselves to Christ and to face with courage, responsibility and hope the journey of life, also making the choice of leaving everything to follow him in total service to Him and to brothers,” wrote the Pontiff, before imparting the Apostolic Blessing upon the whole diocese of Assisi, “with a particular thought for the daughters of Saint Clare of the Proto-monastery.” A translation of the full text of the Pope's letter can be found at http://www.zenit.org/article-34557?l=english.
Elderly Married Couple Writes Stations of the Cross Reflections for Pope
Every year Pope Benedict XVI asks a different person to write the meditations for the traditional Stations of the Cross procession on Good Friday (April 6) at the Colosseum in Rome. This year, the Pontiff has chosen an elderly married couple who have chosen to tackle family problems such as marital infidelity and divorce. Danilo Zanzucchi, 92, and his wife, Anna Maria, 83, who have been married for nearly 60 years and have five children, are the founders of the “New Families” group, an offshoot of Focolare, a Catholic movement.
Issues familiar to families worldwide will feature prominently in the Zanzucchis’ texts. They say that every family has to go through its own “Via Crucis” (Way of the Cross) made of “illnesses, deaths, bankruptcies, poverty, infidelity, immorality, family quarrels and natural catastrophes. The couple reflects on the “pain” induced by adultery: “So many separations, so many infidelities ... Jesus, help us understand what is love and the meaning of forgiveness.”
The Zanzucchis also mention the difficulty of educating children in values such as “sobriety” and “sacrifice” in a society devoted to the pursuit of material wealth. In an interview with L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s official newspaper, the couple said they have tried to make Jesus’ passion “contemporary” through the lens of their family experience. The reflections can be found at http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/lent-easter/the-way-of-the-cross-at-the-colosseum-watch-live-online-and-follow-the-stations-with-salt-light#more-34843.
Families in Trial Are Not Alone
In his brief address to conclude the Via Crucis, the Pope reflected: "The experience of suffering and of the cross touches all mankind; it touches the family too. How often does the journey become wearisome and difficult! Misunderstandings, conflicts, worry for the future of our children, sickness and problems of every kind. These days too, the situation of many families is made worse by the threat of unemployment and other negative effects of the economic crisis.
"The Way of the Cross which we have spiritually retraced this evening invites all of us, and families in particular; to contemplate Christ crucified in order to have the force to overcome difficulties. The cross of Christ is the supreme sign of God’s love for every man and woman, the superabundant response to every person’s need for love. At times of trouble, when our families have to face pain and adversity, let us look to Christ’s cross. There we can find the courage and strength to press on."
The Holy Father also affirmed that in times of trial, "we are not alone; the family is not alone. Jesus is present with his love, he sustains them by his grace and grants the strength needed to carry on, to make sacrifices and to overcome every obstacle. And it is to this love of Christ that we must turn when human turmoil and difficulties threaten the unity of our lives and our families. The mystery of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection inspires us to go on in hope: times of trouble and testing, when endured with Christ, with faith in him, already contain the light of the resurrection, the new life of a world reborn, the passover of all those who believe in his word." The full text can be found at http://www.zenit.org/article-34592?l=english.
Parish Nurses
"As a parish nurse one of the greatest things we do is be present and just listen," says Diane Tieman of Queen of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church in suburban Chicago. There is a growing number of registered nurses on the staffs of churches of many denominations, helping people with both physical and spiritual care. This program was featured on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. It runs a little over seven (7) minutes and you can read/listen to it at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/april-6-2012/parish-nurses/10684/.
Catholic Extension: 2012 Lumen Christi Award Nominees
Catholic Extension has announced that the 2012 Lumen Christi Award nominees are in and it's time to show your support! These incredible individuals and groups have been shining the light of Christ all across America. They are building faith, inspiring hope and igniting change in our nation's mission dioceses. Read about their amazing work and then vote for the person or group who you'd like to see become the next Lumen Christi Award recipient!
We have been notified that Sr. Dorothy Giloley, NCCL member and diocesan director in Fairbanks, Alaska is one of the nominees. Check it out at 2012 Nominees (http://tiny.cc/tdnxbw) and vote soon as voting ends on April 13. Here is what was said in Sr. Dorothy’s nomination:
In any given week, Sister Dorothy Giloley, SSJ, can travel thousands of miles to meet the needs of the 23 parishes she serves as Director of Religious Education for the Diocese of Fairbanks. This vast territory makes getting around difficult, but Sister Giloley takes it in stride. She teaches religious education certification classes as well as theology courses, and holds annual retreats for catechists so that they can pass the knowledge on to their Catholic communities. With her support and determination, she's igniting enthusiasm in Alaska's Native parishes and ensuring that faith thrives even with the absence of resident clergy.
Book-signings By Some of Your Favorite Presenters – Watch for details
Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio Joe Paprocki
Jim Blackburn David Rizzo
Kathy Hendricks Lupita Vital
Tom McGrath
Catholic Home Missions Appeal: Strengthening the Church at Home
The Catholic Home Missions Appeal, which will be taken up in many U.S. parishes the weekend of April 28-April 29, supports home mission dioceses, which are dioceses in the United States and its dependencies that need outside help to offer basic pastoral services. The Appeal, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), strengthens the church at home by bridging the gap between need and available resources in those dioceses.