Not of Speech and Daydreams

From Mission to Mission Workshop

2012-03-01T11:33:00.000-05:00

WHAT: From Mission to Mission Re-entry Workshop
WHO: DOMESTIC and international volunteers and missioners
WHEN: April 12-15, 2012
WHERE: South Orange, New Jersey
WHAT WILL WE DO: Together with others who "get it" we will focus on...

• Telling the story of your experience

• Honoring the gifts of the experience

• Recognizing what needs healing from the experience

• Understanding and dealing with transition

• Integrating the experience

From Mission to Mission does not want finances to keep anyone from participating in our workshop. We are willing to work with each person to make it affordable.

Please see our website for more information: http://www.missiontomission.org/.

Be Kind.

2012-02-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

Fr. James Martin, SJ from America Magazine shares his recommendation for what to do for Lent:

http://www.americamagazine.org/content/video/video-index.cfm?series_id=1322

Pope Benedict Encourages Faithful on Lenten 'Journey of Spiritual Renewal'

2012-02-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

From National Catholic Register:

On Ash Wednesday, the Holy Father reflected: 'In these 40 days that will lead us to Easter, may we find new courage to accept with patience and with faith situations of difficulty, of affliction and trial, knowing that from the darkness the Lord will make a new day dawn.' He also commented on the meaning of ashes.

VATICAN CITY (EWTN NEWS)—As he observed Ash Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI urged Christians to live the 40 days of Lent with faith and patience, aware that God will bring light, truth and joy into the darkness.

“In these 40 days that will lead us to Easter, may we find new courage to accept with patience and with faith situations of difficulty, of affliction and trial, knowing that from the darkness the Lord will make a new day dawn,” the Pope said Feb. 22, the first day of Lent.

“And if we are faithful to Jesus and follow him on the way of the cross, the bright world of God, the world of light, truth and joy will be gifted to us once more.”

The Pope delivered his comments at his weekly general audience, which was held in the Vatican’s Pope Paul VI hall and attended by more than 7,500 pilgrims.

He explained that in the early Church it was only those preparing to be baptized who would observe the 40 days of Lenten preparation. Subsequently, however, all Christians were invited “to experience this journey of spiritual renewal, to conform themselves and their lives to that of Christ,” including those who had fallen away from the Church.

The Pope said that the “participation of the whole community” emphasizes that “redemption is not available to only a few, but to all, through the death and resurrection of Christ.”

“The time leading up to Easter is a time of ‘metanoia,’ a time of change and penance, a time which identifies our human lives and our entire history as a process of conversion, which begins to move now in order to meet the Lord at the end of time,” he said.

Pope Benedict noted that the Church calls the 40 days leading up to Easter “Quadragesima.” And it does so with a “clear reference to sacred Scripture,” where the number 40 is often symbolically used to express “a time of expectation, purification and return to the Lord,” he taught.

The Pope said that the “Christian liturgy of Lent” is meant to spur a “journey of spiritual renewal” and time more focused on learning how to imitate Jesus, who showed Christians “how to overcome temptation with the word of God.”

The Pope asked those at today’s audience to note how God sustained his people, even in the wilderness. After their exodus from Egypt, for example, God preceded the Jewish people “in a cloud or a pillar of fire, ensured their daily nourishment, showering manna upon them and bringing forth water from rock.” It was, in many ways, a “time of the special election of God,” or, added the Pope, “the time of first love,” of a people for their God.

But time spent in the desert can also be “the time of the greatest temptations and dangers,” Pope Benedict observed, pointing out that this happened to Jesus, but “without any compromise with sin.” Jesus always sought “moments of solitude to pray to his Father,” but it is in those moments he was most assailed by “temptation and the seduction of (the) devil.” It was there, for example, that he was offered “another messianic way, far from God’s plan.”

Just as this dynamic is found in the Old and New Testaments, the Pope said, it can also be found in the “condition of the pilgrim Church” as it makes its way through “the “wilderness’ of the world and history.”

This wilderness is made up of “the aridity and poverty of words, life and values, of secularism” and the “culture of materialism which encloses people within a worldly horizon and detaches them from any reference to the transcendent,” he said.

It is in such an atmosphere that “the sky above us is dark, because it is veiled with clouds of selfishness, misunderstanding and deceit.”

At the same time, “the wilderness can become a period of grace” for the Church, because “we have the certainty that even from the hardest rock God can cause the living water to gush forth, water which quenches thirst and restores strength.”

Pope Benedict finished by saying that this hope in God’s power should sustain the Church and each Christian during the following 40 days.

Like millions of Catholics around the world, Pope Benedict XVI received ashes on Ash Wednesday. He said that they become a “sacred symbol” of austerity which reflects both the “curse” of sin and the promise of the Resurrection in a fallen world.

The Ash Wednesday words from Scripture (“Dust you are and unto dust you shall return”) are “an invitation to penance, humility and an awareness of our mortal state,” the Pope said.

“We are not to despair, but to welcome in this mortal state of ours the unthinkable nearness of God, who opens the way to resurrection, to paradise regained, beyond death. … The same spirit that resurrected Jesus from the dead can transform our hearts from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh,” he said in his homily at the fifth-century Basilica of Santa Sabina, where he received ashes.

Lent is thus a journey towards the “Easter of resurrection.”

The Pope spoke after leading the Ash Wednesday evening procession on Rome’s Aventine Hill, a tradition revived by Pope John Paul II in 1979.

The papal homily included a short reflection on the meaning of ashes in Scripture and in Christian thought.

While the ashes are not a sacramental sign, they are linked with “prayer and the sanctification of the Christian people,” he said.

In Genesis, God created man out of dust from the soil and breathed a “breath of life” into him. The Ash Wednesday ashes, therefore, recall the creation of mankind.

Being human means uniting matter with the “Divine breath.” However, the symbol of dust takes on a negative connotation because of sin.

“Before the Fall, the soil is totally good,” the Pope said. But after the Fall, dust produces “only thorns and brambles.” Rather than recalling the “creative hand of God” that is open to life, dust becomes “a sign of death.”

Pope Benedict said that this change shows that the earth itself participates in man’s destiny. The cursing of the soil helps man recognize his limitations and his own human nature.

This curse comes from sin, not from God, he explained. Even within this punishment, there is “a good intention that comes from God.”

When God says in Genesis, “Dust you are and unto dust you shall return,” he intends not only a just punishment, but also an announcement of the path to salvation, the Pope preached.

This salvation “will pass through the earth, through that same dust, that same flesh which will be assumed by the Word incarnate.”

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-benedict-encourages-faithful-on-lenten-journey-of-spiritual-renewal/

Sainthood for Filipino catechist highlights evangelization, role of laity

2012-02-21T10:36:00.000-05:00

From the National Catholic Reporter:

Pope Benedict XVI announced Calungsod's canonization through Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, at St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday after the ceremony in which 22 bishops from around the world became cardinals.

Palma said the Cebu archdiocese had formed preparatory committees in January for preparations in Cebu, for pilgrimages and ceremonies in Rome, and for a thanksgiving ceremony on the pilgrims' return to the country.

Vidal said expenses for Calungsod's canonization activities could surpass the cost of his beatification, which cost 25 million pesos [$587,000] 12 years ago.

In Cebu, Catholics have long been offering prayers for canonization and thanksgiving at the shrine dedicated to Calungsod. After the canonization date was announced, Catholics trooped to the shrine to pray and light candles.

For Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the canonization is not just a jubilant celebration, but also an "opportunity for grace" for anyone who appreciates the life of saints.

"From the perspective of the fact that he was a catechist, it is a challenge to evangelization," the CBCP president said, noting that Calungsod would be canonized on World Mission Sunday.

"That's an added dimension to why he was canonized," Palma said. "He evangelized. He went out of the country to reach out to other people to proclaim about Christ. He is a layperson, a young boy who joined the priest as a catechist, and of course at that time, because of various reasons, but primarily because of animosity towards the faith, he was martyred."

He said Calungsod's life story is relevant to Filipinos and other Catholics today.

"The work of evangelization is everybody's work," Palma said. "For many years, when we think of evangelizing, catechizing or teaching other people about Christ, we say that's the work of the nun or the priest. This is all our work, and that's what makes Pedro Calungsod's canonization at this time more meaningful."

The archbishop cited other parallels between missionary life and struggles people face today.

"When we are inclined to complain or withdraw, just think the martyrs have had to do much more with much less," he said. "That holds true not only with mission to other countries, but even with fulfilling our daily duties. Many of them are not enjoyable, not all is sweet and easy and light. But if they are valuable and good, can we not make sacrifices?"

Palma and the canonization committees hope to stress these values in the catechesis they will conduct through October. He said efforts include publishing a book containing key information on Blessed Pedro.

"We will be planning so we can make this an opportunity for renewal for all, not only those pilgrims going to Rome," Palma said.

Others to be canonized with Blessed Pedro include:

Jacques Berthieu, French martyr and priest of the Society of Jesus
Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth and of the Congregation of the Humble Sister Servants of the Lord
Maria del Carmen, Spanish founder of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Teaching
Marianne Cope, German religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse, N.Y.
Kateri Tekakwitha, American laywoman
Anna Schäffer, German laywoman

http://ncronline.org/news/people/sainthood-filipino-catechist-highlights-evangelization-role-laity

Ritualizing Your Community Meal

2012-02-16T11:45:00.001-05:00

Judging by the abundance of stories in the New Testament involving food and eating, Jesus and the early Christians placed great emphasis on community meals. All four Gospels feature stories of Jesus sharing meals with Jews and non-Jews alike. At the Last Supper, Jesus teaches the disciples to connect with Him through the Bread and the Wine of the Eucharist. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus meets two believers who do not recognize Him until He sits down and breaks bread with them.

In your volunteer community, take turns talking about mealtime rituals in your family of origin or another community to which you belonged. Who was there? Did you say grace before the meal? Any favorite foods? Use this time of sharing as a chance to get to know one another better and to reflect on the ways in which sharing a meal builds community.

Now, discuss your hopes and ideas for mealtimes in your new community. How often do you want to eat together? Who will buy and prepare the food? Who will set the table and clean up afterward? Take a few minutes to write down the results of your discussion. You can use this 'community meal contract' to guide your first meals together, and re-visit it later to make changes if necessary.

http://www.pallotticenter.org/index.php?m=ca

The St. Vincent Pallotti Center to Close

2012-02-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends of the Pallotti Center:

It is with a sense of regret but also profound gratitude to you that we announce the closing of the St. Vincent Pallotti Center, to take place effective June 30, 2012. Our Board of Directors has decided that, after 27 years of service to prospective, current and former volunteers and to the Catholic lay mission programs that support volunteers, our organization has completed its mission.

When the Center was formed by the Immaculate Conception Province of Pallottine Priests and Brothers in 1984, long-term volunteer service was a unique, under-utilized option for recent college graduates. There were few ways for people to learn about how to volunteer or for lay mission programs to get the word out and bring the news of their mission to Catholics. At that time, there was no user-friendly access to the internet and there were few publications and resources to support volunteers, missioners and programs. That is why we established six fully staffed offices in dioceses throughout the country.

Today, in contrast, people of all ages are more aware of the many opportunities to serve through organizations both secular and sacred, and thousands annually seize those opportunities. We hope that to some extent, it was our partnership with you, diocesan offices, campus ministers and other national programs that has helped bring volunteer service into greater awareness in the Church in the United States. And for that collaboration with you and others, we are deeply grateful.

Be assured that though the Center will close in 2012, in the interim we remain committed to your program. We will strive to honor all our commitments to you for the current program year. During this past fall, for example, we attended as many as 20 college fairs promoting the work of our member organizations in hopes of finding you volunteers for the 2012-13 program year.

It is our goal to wind up the Center’s work with no disruption to our services through the end of June 2012, though likely with a gradually shrinking staff. Upon that date, day-to-day operations will cease but our website will continue to be available to programs as well as to prospective, current and former volunteers until the end of September 2012. You will continue to receive Shared Visions and Staying Connected through the spring of 2012 and we continue to provide valuable e-mail job listings to support former volunteers who are seeking meaningful employment. This year we will update our What’s Next? Notebook and, as usual, make it available to you.

Please remember that we have archived more than twenty years worth of supportive Pallotti publications on our website: http://pallotticenter.org. If you would like a DVD of these resources for your future use, please let us know. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We can be reached at 1-877-VOL-LINK or Pallotti@pallotticenter.org.

We thank you for your partnership and support over the past 27 years.

With Gratitude,

Fr. Peter Sticco, S.A.C.
Chairperson of the Board of Directors

Michael J. Goggin
National Director

Romero Center Conference

2012-02-09T13:19:00.000-05:00

Romero Center Ministries and NCYAMA (National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association) invites those in ministry to young adults to attend this year's "Integrating Faith, Service, and Social Justice" Conference. This conference, hosted at Romero Center Ministries in Camden, NJ, offers you an opportunity to:

o Network and share resources with others in ministry to young adults
o Explore how to invite young adults involved in service to work for justice
o Consider ways to integrate prayer and action groups
o Discover how to bring Catholic Social Teaching to life
o Share promising practices for guiding theological reflection
o Discuss ways that service can bridge college campus ministry with parish life

The conference will be held Thursday, May 17, 5pm - Sunday, May 21, 10am will include:

o Workshop presentations
o Symposium discussions
o Service experience and group theological reflection
o Opportunities for Liturgical worship

Cost before or on March 17 is $235 and is all inclusive (accommodations - simple, dormitory style rooms, all meals, all programming, printed and online copies of resources, access to Internet, discussion group for attendees). The cost for the conference if registering on or after March 18 is $280.

http://www.romero-center.org/

Upcoming Charis Ministry Events

2012-02-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

For the Least Social Justice Retreats
Saturday, February 25 at St. Ignatius Prep 5th Floor Chapel and
Saturday, March 10 at Simpson Living Learning Center - Multi Purpose Room

One of Charis’ most popular retreats - join us for one of these day long retreats that focus on Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel call to lead lives rooted in social justice. A great team of young adults will share their experiences and lead small group reflections. Join us to relax, reflect, pray, and celebrate Mass and Reconciliation. For more info or to register, visit http://www.charisministries.org/!

Journey with Jesus: Lenten Guided Prayer Group
February 22 - April 4, 2012 - Wednesdays at 6:30pm
Loyola's Water Tower Campus – Terry Student Center

Lent offers us the opportunity to come to know Jesus better as a true companion. In this Lenten program we encounter Jesus in Scripture and through prayer and reflection, deepen our relationship with Christ.

Each participant prays daily for 20 to 30 minutes over selected Scripture texts, and then meets weekly with a group to review prayer, discuss the Scripture texts, and receive direction for the following week’s exercises. For more info or to register, visit www.charisministries.org!

Gospel Reflection Email Series
Sign-up to receive Gospel reflection emails direct to your inbox! Beginning Ash Wednesday through the beginning of the Easter Season, Charis Ministries will send you a weekly email with a Gospel reflection written by a young adult. This is a great way to keep God present in your life through this holy time! To sign up, visit www.charisministries.org!

Are you seeking a volunteer opportunity?
Want to get involved with Charis Ministries and help inspire other young adults to grow in their faith? Do you enjoy writing and reflecting on the gospel? Charis Ministries is looking for young adults interested in volunteering to write spiritual reflections for various times throughout the year. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Stephanie Scherra, at stephanie@charisministries.org or at 773-508-2843.

••••••••

Charis Ministries is a Jesuit ministry to those in their 20s & 30s. A ministry of the Chicago-Detroit Provinces of the Society of Jesus, Charis offers retreats, service, leadership, and speaker opportunities that bring the gifts of Ignatian Spirituality to the lives of young adults.

Take a Walk in Someone Else's Footsteps

2012-02-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

Brief Description: Understanding people is not always easy, especially when they come from different backgrounds and experiences

Activity: Think of someone that you would like to better understand-it could be a community member or a co-worker that you are having trouble communicating with. Ask yourself, "What's it like to be__________? How can I better understand him/her?"

Use this exercise below to help you walk a few steps where this person has walked.

How did the journey begin for this person? What do you know about he/she grew up? What is her cultural/ethnic background?

What difficulties or challenges has this person faced in his/her life? During the past months as a volunteer? How do these affect who he or she is?

In what ways do the two of you differ? How are you alike?

If there is a certain level of trust between you and the person that you would like to understand, consider partnering up to answer these questions together.

Call To Faithful Citizenship Is At Heart Of 2012 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering

2012-01-31T14:18:00.000-05:00

From United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

WASHINGTON—The challenges of living one’s faith in the public square and protecting the lives and dignity of the poor and vulnerable are the focus of the 2012 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, which will be February 12-15, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

“Faithful Citizenship: Protecting Human Life and Dignity, Promoting the Common Good,” is the theme of this year’s gathering, and speakers and workshops will explore the social ministry implications of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the call to political and civic responsibility published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and reissued ahead of the 2012 elections.

The assembled Catholic social ministry leaders will also visit representatives of Congress to present proposals and concerns about policies affecting the most vulnerable people in the United States and around the world. The Catholic Social Ministry Gathering is sponsored by USCCB and 14 Catholic partner organizations including Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA, Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, Catholic Labor Network, Conference of Major Superiors of Men, National Catholic Rural Life Conference, National Catholic Partnership on Disability and the National Council of Catholic Women.

Among the plenary speakers are Carolyn Woo, the new president and CEO of CRS; Arturo Chavez, president of the Mexican American Catholic College (MACC); John Carr, executive director of Justice, Peace and Human Development for USCCB; as well as Mark Shields and David Brooks from the PBS News Hour.

For more information on the gathering, visit: http://www.catholicsocialministrygathering.org/.

For more information on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, visit: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/index.cfm

http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-016.cfm
---
MEDIA CONTACT:
Don Clemmer
O: 202-541-3206
M: 260-580-1137
DClemmer@usccb.org

Pallotti Center Resources

2012-01-26T13:46:00.000-05:00

Very often we get the question: so what does the Pallotti Center do? The quick response is that we are a resource center for volunteers before, during and after a year or years of service. But here's a little more in depth about our resources, with links to our website.

Before Service:

Connections directory - a searchable database of all of the programs we work with. Take a look and find the right program for you. We also publish a hard copy of the directory - email us if you would like a copy.

Tools for Discernment - Great resources to help you decide if you want to do service, what program to apply to, where to serve, and what type of work you want to do.

During Service:

Shared Visions - Our publication for current volunteers.

Volunteer Community Activities - Need ideas for a community or spirituality night? We have many ideas for you organized by theme.

After Service:
What's Next Notebook - A book to help you transition out of volunteer service and back to "real life."

Staying Connected - Our publication for former volunteers.

Job Bank - Looking for work? Sign up to receive weekly email updates of job openings all over the country.

Network of Former Volunteers - Our listserv for former volunteers of our programs to help find people, churches, resources or places to live in your city.

We are always looking for suggestions of how we can better serve you. Please email us with ideas for programs and resources we can provide.

How are You Communicating in Your Workplace?

2012-01-24T10:04:00.000-05:00

From an archived edition of Shared Visions:

As a volunteer, you spend a great deal of time and energy grappling with how to communicate with the people with whom you work. How well you are able to do this often determines your whole impression of how your volunteer experience is going. So take some time now and give yourself a chance to reflect on what your experience of communicating in your workplace has meant to you.

* Often, the volunteer experience is the first time a volunteer has ever had a full-time job. If this is the case for you, ask yourself: How has your experience of communicating with people at your volunteer workplace differed from your previous work experiences? Did that difference reveal itself gracefully, or was it a rude awakening? (If this wasn’t the case for you, ask yourself: How has this colored your experience differently than that of others?)

* Whether you are a teacher, a counselor, or a house manager, your words may very well carry more authority and responsibility than you have been used to having. How does that feel – good, bad, awkward, liberating? How does that shape your relationships with others?

* Depending on your experience, you may have already had some communication problems at work: a new language, a difficult dialect, people talking too fast or slow. How have these problems changed the way you communicate? What insights into your own personal growth can you take from this struggle?

* Is there anything in the way co-workers, clients or students speak to you that you feel discounts your value, perhaps because of your age or because you are ‘just a volunteer?’ Or, on the contrary, do your co-workers or clients express their appreciation, e.g., because you are a volunteer? What are some ways you can respond to their discounts or approvals?

Conclusion: If you had a particularly strong reaction to any of the above questions, consider sharing your responses with fellow volunteers or a trusted co-worker and ask for thoughts and suggestions of how they see you communicating in your workplace. How are they doing with their own communication?

http://www.pallotticenter.org/newsletters/sharedvision/vol15no2.pdf
Shared Visions, Volume 15: Number 2

Community Activity - Create-a-Cookbook

2012-01-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

Brief Description:
Ever wonder how your housemate made that delicious homemade bread? Too embarrassed to ask your fellow volunteers for that pasta recipe again? Want to introduce your family and friends to a taste of a foreign country? Create a cookbook!

Activity:
Gather your fellow community members around and distribute a number of index cards to each person. Have each person write down the recipe for his/her mouth-watering delightful specialty dishes. Be sure to include traditional cultural meals from the region where you are volunteering!

Collect the recipes and assemble in a cookbook format of your choice. Some possible cookbook formats include:

Individual pages: each community member designs his/her own page with recipes, pictures, quotes, etc.

Category pages: divide recipes into categories (main meals, appetizers, etc.) and assemble.

Photo pages: community members take photos of each dish and write the recipes on the back of the photos.

This is a fun way to remember your volunteer experience, and once you return home you can make your favorite dishes for family and friends as they look at your pictures and albums. Or cook these delicious meals for yourself as comfort food to remember your experience!

Will This Prophet Be Heard?

2012-01-17T12:48:00.000-05:00

From America Magazine:

From April 20, 1968

The prophet speaks to men for God. Men are never sure that they wish to hear what God says to them. They sense that God's message will not be altogether comfortable. So men strive to ignore the prophet, or to silence him. Failing all else, they kill him. It is then, strangely, that the prophetic voice rings out most clearly, with greatest force. It is then, when the hour seems too late and all appears lost, that the prophet may be heard, God's message may be received, and men may take a decisive step toward a better way of life.

We mourn that the prophet must die in order to be heard. We are ashamed that his last and most eloquent word must be the shedding of his blood. What must not happen is that even this last word go finally unheard. The prophet must not have died in vain.

A prophet speaks in three ways. He reads the future. He denounces the sins of men and warns of God's punishments. He promises, with confidence, in God's name, a brighter tomorrow.

As we listen now to the moving words Martin Luther King uttered, close to tears, on the night before he died, we are willing to believe that this man, in some sort, peered into the misty future and half glimpsed his death. Humbly and simply he said: "I want to live"—as if he knew he would not. No matter, he said, gently brushing aside his intimation of death, "I want to do God's will." This good man spoke exactly as did another, on the night before He died.

Martin Luther King denounced one sin, one wickedness, of men. The evil he denounced was the sin of our time, the sin of the respectable, of the good, the sin that has been laundered and tricked out as relatively innocent, quite understandable, and—after some token penance—best forgotten rather than repented. It is that black sin against the black man that has been whitewashed, aptly enough, by the white man. This prophet warned that America would pay for its sin. We are so paying, and will pay for a long time to come.

But above all else, Martin Luther King was a prophet of hope and not of doom. "I have a dream," he cried again and again in his most eloquent hour; and, on the night before he died: "I have seen the Promised Land. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." As he believed in the ultimate might of nonviolence, so did he strongly believe in the ultimate triumph of racial justice in these United States. He would not have it otherwise than that one day the black American and the white American would face one another not as sworn enemies but as blood brothers, would face one another and clasp the other's hand in equal dignity and opportunity, with mutual respect, with unfeigned love.

There is only one question, a question for every man, woman and child in this country: Will this prophet be heard in death as he was not heard in life? Will the martyr accomplish by his blood what he could not achieve by his words? Will we make the dream of Martin Luther King come true?

http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=13214

Update on Haiti from Catholic Relief Services

2012-01-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

From Catholic Relief Services:

You Are Putting Haitians Back on Track

By Robyn Fieser

Nearly 2 years have passed since a devastating earthquake shook the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. Scenes of destruction dominated the news for weeks. Although the cameras have long gone, the work of Catholic Relief Services and our Haitian Church partners continues to help tens of thousands get back on their feet, thanks to your support.

The humanitarian response, beginning just hours after the earthquake, remains challenging and complex. Activities have transitioned from handing out emergency food and medical supplies to providing long-term programming that grows local leadership, and helps Haitian communities drive their own recovery and development.

Today, CRS is helping many of the 2 million Haitians left homeless by the earthquake move from camps into homes. Your support has made the rebuilding of their communities—shelter, clean water, sanitation, demolition, rubble removal and house repairs—possible. Through our flagship Community Resettlement and Recovery program, CRS and our partners have built more than 10,600 transitional shelters. The modest but sturdy quake- and storm-resistant houses are home to some 55,000 people.

To help residents of one camp find safe living conditions, CRS provided rental subsidies for a year. Residents took part in a 6-week course to learn everything from financial management to conflict resolution. Afterward, each family made a plan to cope with future challenges and to take back control of their lives. To encourage their progress, CRS is providing basic 6-month health insurance and educational support.

Building Jobs to Boost Incomes

Key to helping Haitians get back on track is job creation and other income-generating activities. Through CRS' innovative Rubble to Reconstruction program, Haitians are creating businesses using the rubble left by the quake. Program entrepreneurs and their employees use hand-cranked crushers to grind debris from damaged homes into a concrete mixture for new construction.

CRS buys the sand and gravel from these entrepreneurs to use in the foundations of the transitional shelters and latrines we build, and workers earn a living and learn to run a thriving business. As the program has matured, the entrepreneurs have added workers to mix cement and make cement blocks for sale on the local market.

To revive small businesses, CRS provides grants and business training to hundreds of entrepreneurs who either lost their business during the earthquake or envision a new one. In a few neighborhoods, your support is helping entrepreneurs set up recycling centers that pay community members for their recyclable plastic items.

You're also helping poor people form community savings groups. Too poor to access credit from traditional sources, group members, usually women, receive training and opportunity to build savings. Members can then borrow from their groups' savings to pay for health care or educational expenses.

Outside the country's urban centers, recovery depends on increased agricultural activity. About two-thirds of Haitians are subsistence farmers. However, after the earthquake, many families in rural areas shouldered the added responsibility of supporting others who had lost their homes. As a result, farmers are unable to regularly farm and grow enough food to cover their needs.

Using U.S. government funds, CRS continues its pre-quake focus on helping families in Haiti's southern peninsula improve their agricultural productivity and protect natural resources. And, to help grow Haiti's struggling mango and coffee industry, CRS is working with more than 5,000 farmers to improve production and farming practices, and create links to more lucrative markets.

Thanks to your generosity and continued support, CRS is resettling more than 10,000 families in Port-au-Prince. By enabling families to move home safely and earn a living again, CRS is helping to reduce the number of displaced people living in camps.

Our next challenge: to continue to help Haitian families regain control of their lives and lift themselves out of poverty.

Robyn Fieser is CRS' regional information officer for Latin America and the Caribbean. She is based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

http://crs.org/haiti/you-are-putting-haitians-back-on-track/

Privilege Walk

2012-01-10T14:59:00.000-05:00

An activity for current volunteers from the St. Vincent Pallotti Center's Volunteer Community Activities Resource Library:

Description: The purpose of this exercise is to provide participants with an opportunity to understand the intricacies of privilege in American society.

Activity: Since this is a powerful exercise and should be thoroughly processed, please plan on spending at least one hour for this exercise. You can spend more or less time depending on the number of statements you make to participants.

Participants should stand shoulder to shoulder facing the same direction in a straight line without speaking. Ask participants to listen carefully to each statement, and take the step required if the statement applies to them.

Possible statements include, but are not limited to:

1. If your ancestors were forced to come to the USA not by choice, take one step back.
2. If your primary ethnic identity is American, take one step forward.
3. If you were ever called names because of your race, class, gender, or sexual orientation, take one step back.
4. If you were ever ashamed or embarrassed of your clothes, house, car, etc., take one step back.
5. If you parents were professionals: doctors, lawyers, etc., take one step forward.
6. If you were raised in an area where there was prostitution, drug activity, etc., take one step back.
7. If you ever tried to change your appearance, mannerisms, or behavior to avoid being judged or ridiculed, take one step back.
8. If you studied the culture of your ancestors in elementary school, take one step forward.
9. If you went to school speaking a language other than English, take one step back.
10. If there were more than 50 books in your house when you grew up, take one step forward.
11. If you ever had to skip a meal or were hungry because there was not enough money to buy you food when you were growing up, take one step forward.
12. If you were taken to art galleries or plays by your parents, take one step forward.
13. If one of your parents was unemployed or laid off, not by choice, take one step back.
14. If you attended private school or summer camp, take one step forward.
15. If your family ever had to move because they could not afford the rent, take one step back.
16. If your parents ever told you that you are beautiful, smart, and capable, take one step forward.
17. If you were ever denied access to academics or jobs because of race, class, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, take one step back.
18. If you were encouraged by your parents to attend college, take one step forward.
19. If you were raised in a single-parent household, take one step back.
20. If your family owned the house where you grew up, take one step forward.
21. If you were ever offered a good job because of your association with a friend or family member, take one step forward.
22. If you were ever accused or cheating or lying because of your race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, take one step back.
23. If you ever inherited money or property, take one step forward.
24. If you had to rely primarily on public transportation, take one step back.
25. If you were ever stopped or questioned by the police because of your race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, take one step back.
26. If you were ever afraid of violence because of your race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, take one step back.
27. If you were ever uncomfortable about a joke related to your race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, but felt unsafe to confront the situation, take a step back.
28. If you were ever the victim of violence related to your race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, take one step back.
29. If your parents did not grow up in the United States, take one step back.
30. If your parents told you that you could be anything you wanted to be, take one step forward.
31. If you can get band-aids the color of your skin, take one step forward.
32. If you see people of your race widely represented in the media, take one step forward.

Ask the participants to remain where they are and to look at their position and the positions of other participants. Suggested questions for processing are: What happened? How did this exercise make you feel? What were your thoughts as you did this exercise? What have you learned from this exercise? What can you do with this information in the future?

Retreat Opportunities in Chicago with Charis Ministries

2012-01-05T10:14:00.002-05:00

Be Still: A Silent Retreat
Friday – Sunday, January 20-22

Cenacle Retreat and Conference Center

Renew your spirit and reflect in the presence of God at this quiet retreat away from everyday life. You'll have the chance to meet with a spiritual director, discover new ways to pray, celebrate Mass, read, journal, and rejuvenate! All in their 20s and 30s are welcome!

Visit http://charisministries.org/Be_Still_Jan_2012 for info.

For the Least Social Justice Retreats
Saturday, February 25 at St. Ignatius Prep 5th Floor Chapel
and
Saturday, March 10 at Simpson Living Learning Center - Multi Purpose Room

One of Charis’ most popular retreats - join us for one of these day long retreats that focus on Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel call to lead lives rooted in social justice. A great team of young adults will share their experiences and lead small group reflections. Join us to relax, reflect, pray, and celebrate Mass and Reconciliation. For more info or to register, visit http://www.charisministries.org/!

Are you seeking a volunteer opportunity?

Want to get involved with Charis Ministries and help inspire other young adults to grow in their faith? Do you enjoy writing and reflecting on the gospel? Charis Ministries is currently looking for young adults interested in volunteering to write spiritual reflections for the Lenten Season. If you are interested or need more information, please contact Stephanie Scherra, at stephanie@charisministries.org or at 773-508-2843.

••••••••

Charis Ministries is a Jesuit ministry to those in their 20s & 30s. A ministry of the Chicago-Detroit Provinces of the Society of Jesus, Charis offers retreats, service, leadership, and speaker opportunities that bring the gifts of Ignatian Spirituality to the lives of young adults.

Former Volunteer Volunteering Opportunities

2012-01-03T10:31:00.001-05:00

From Catholic Volunteer Network:

Martin Luther King Day of Service

Chicago-area alumni of Catholic Volunteer Network programs are invited to come together in honor of this year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

We will serve dinner to the guests at Franciscan Outreach Association's Marquard Center, and then enjoy a simple meal together and a time of reflection with Mark Laboe, Vice President of University Ministries at DePaul University and former director of Amate House.

Date: Monday, January 16, 2012

Time: 4:30pm – 9:00pm

Location: Francscian Outreach Association

Marquard Center
1645 W. LeMoyne St.
Chicago, IL 60622

Registration: Please visit https://www.catholicvolunteernetwork.org/volunteers/alumniserve.php for additional details and registration. (Registration deadline is January 9, 2012)

Those not in the Chicago area may be interested in our other upcoming alumni events:

Upcoming Alumni Events - Save the Date:

Los Angeles Alumni Day of Service – March 17, 2012

Washington, D.C. Alumni Day of Service – April 14, 2012

More details coming soon!

Questions? Please contact Katie Mulembe at kmulembe@catholicvolunteernetwork.org or 301-270-0900 ext. 14.

Prayer for the Solemnity of Mary

2011-12-29T16:27:00.001-05:00

From Pax Christi:

Glory to you, God our Creator ...
Breathe into us new life, new meaning.

Glory to you, God our Savior ...
Lead us in the way of peace and justice.

Glory to you, healing Spirit ...
Transform us to empower others.

Mary, wellspring of peace ... Be our guide.
Model of strength...
Model of gentleness...
Model of trust...
Model of courage...
Model of patience...
Model of risk...
Model of openness...
Model of perseverance...

Mother of the liberator ... Pray for us.
Mother of the homeless...
Mother of the dying...
Mother of the nonviolent...
Mother of widowed mothers...
Mother of unwed mothers...
Mother of a political prisoner...
Mother of the condemned...
Mother of the executed criminal...

Oppressed woman ... Lead us to life.
Liberator of the oppressed...
Marginalized woman...
Comforter of the afflicted...
Cause of our joy...
Sign of contradiction...
Breaker of bondage...
Political refugee...
Seeker of sanctuary...
First disciple...
Sharer in Christ's passion...
Seeker of God's will...
Witness to Christ's resurrection...

Woman of mercy ... Empower us.
Woman of faith...
Woman of contemplation...
Woman of vision...
Woman of wisdom and understanding...
Woman of grace and truth...
Woman, pregnant with hope...
Woman, centered in God...

Mary, Queen of Peace, we entrust our lives to you. Shelter us from war, hatred and oppression. Teach us to live in peace, to educate ourselves for peace. Inspire us to act justly, to revere all God has made. Root peace firmly in our hearts and in our world. Amen.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs090/1011223557022/archive/1109017704597.html

Christmas Prayer

2011-12-20T14:36:00.001-05:00

From the Franciscan Mission Service blog:

Prayers for Christmas: More of God, Less of Us

John the Baptist spent his life announcing the coming of Christ. When Jesus was beginning his public ministry, John said "He must increase; I must decrease" (John 3:30). John had done his job in baptizing with water, and it was now time to step aside for the one who would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit.

Today's prayer from returned missioner Jean Lecthenberg reminds us of the need to seek and accept the life-giving gifts God has for us (peace, acceptance, kindness...) and turn away from solutions that are temporary, and often hurtful, as we prepare the way for Jesus this Advent.

“For Christmas and the new year I pray for:

More peace, less violence

More acceptance, less judging

More kindness, less pettiness

More beauty, less crassness

More giving, less acquiring

More love.”

From 2007 to 2009, Jean and her husband Lee served in Bolivia where she taught English at the Universidad Academica Campesina in Carmen Pampa. The rural Catholic university provides an education to students who would have otherwise not have gone to school. These students return home with their degrees and experience in nursing, education, agronomy, veterinary sciences and ecotourism and to help and contribute to their communities. Jean also taught reading to children in first through fourth grades with reading difficulties.

In conjunction, she established a children's library and worked with others to collect books. Read about and see great photos from Jean and Lee's mission experience on their blog, Jean and Lee in Bolivia.

Support FMS this Christmas by purchasing a commemorative print of one of Lee's paintings. Each one is numbered and signed.

http://franciscanmissionservice.blogspot.com/2011/12/prayers-for-christmas-more-of-god-less.html

Advent Community Acticity - Joy Amid Struggle in Volunteering

2011-12-15T13:41:00.000-05:00

During Advent and the Christmas season, Biblical texts and Christmas cards encourage us to be joyful.

“The seers and listeners, the contemplatives of every age, will be prepared to recognize joy and to recognize its possibility everywhere…We must not be afraid to announce it to refugees, slum dwellers, saddened prisoners, angry prophets. Now and then we must even announce it to ourselves. In this prison of now, in this cynical and sophisticated age, Christians must believe in joy.”

- Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM

With Advent and Christmas approaching, consider the following:

Where do you find joy in your work as a volunteer?
To what extent do the people you work with (clients, schoolchildren, etc.) have joy? What insights about joy have you learned from them?

Moses was called to free God’s oppressed people (Exodus 3:4-9), releasing them from their prison. Fr. Rohr exhorts believers to believe in joy despite the shackles of the “prison of now.” Often people living in poverty or struggle are limited or defined by their present situation – their “prison of now.”

During this time of preparation, are there attitudes, feelings, or situations that you need to be free from? How can you free yourself and seek joy?

What struggles are happening among the people you work with? In what ways do you see God working despite these struggles?

In your workplace, how can your actions and attitude help set the people you work with free from being defined by the present?

The Psalms call us to “sing to God a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant” (Psalm 33:3). Together with your community and the people with whom you work, prepare a new song to sing, one that helps free others from situations lacking joy and hope. This Christmas and into the new year, your presence, and the joy you radiate, can truly be a gift to others.

http://pallotticenter.org/index.php?m=ca

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Reflection

2011-12-13T08:31:00.000-05:00

From Pax Christi:

By Arturo Chávez, Ph.D.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Zech 2:14-17 or Rev 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab | Lk 1:26-38 or 1:39-47
“Blessed is she who trusted that God’s words to her would be fulfilled…” (Luke 1:45)

Today we celebrate one of the holiest days of the year for Americans throughout North, Central, and South America. The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mother of the ONE Church in America, is a story of how God acted in a people’s history to bring light in a time of great darkness. The earliest account of the Guadalupe story states that “when it was night,” a great sign appeared in this part of the world: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon at her feet” (Revelation 12:1).

This gentle, pregnant woman came with a message of hope, a vision of unity from the God of “What is Near and Together.” Speaking to the powerful through a humble and wise Indian man, she offered all her children the opportunity to build together a Church where the homeless are welcomed, the sorrowful comforted, the sick healed, and the voiceless empowered. The imprint of her lovely brown face on the strands of Juan Diego’s garment still calls to the Church in America to weave together the many races and cultural groups of the continent into a “new creation.”

The message of the Virgin of Guadalupe is the same one she sang over two thousand years ago in her beautiful Magnificat. “God,” she says, “has looked upon my lowliness and from this day all generations shall call me blessed!” (Luke 1:48). Mary, the poor, young woman from Nazareth, knew what it meant to count for nothing in this world. She, like Juan Diego, lived her earthly life as a member of a conquered people living under occupation. Yet even in the face of a seemingly hopeless reality, Mary could envision a new reality — God’s Reign dawning upon the world from inside her womb.

This reign, Mary proclaimed, will be a complete revolution — not of swords and violence — a total change in the social order as we know it now. The poor will be lifted up and partake in a sumptuous banquet, while those who are rich in their greed and pride will fall on their faces and go away empty. This is not the cruel payback of an angry god; rather, it is a compassionate way of bringing empowerment and healing to the disinherited, and an opportunity for conversion for those who will learn in no other way.

Our Lady’s temple is yet to be built. Can we begin to envision it? Design the plan for it? Provide the labor for it?
How can we offer ourselves — in the words of St. Paul — “as living stones” for the creation of the ONE Church in America and in the world?

This reflection is from Awakening the Prophet Within: Reflections for Advent 2006, by Dr. Arturo Chavez. This year’s booklet by Diane Lopez Hughes is still available and can be ordered online here. Dr. Chavez is the President of the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio and former National Council member of Pax Christi USA.

http://paxchristiusa.org/2011/12/12/advent-2011-reflection-for-the-feast-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe-december-12/

Prayer for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

2011-12-08T12:06:00.001-05:00

Father,

you prepared the Virgin Mary

to be the worthy mother of your Son.

You let her share beforehand

in the salvation Christ would bring by his death,

and kept her sinless

from the first moment of her conception.

Help us by her prayers

to live in your presence without sin.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever. Amen

http://www.catholic-saints.info/catholic-prayers/immaculate-conception-morning-prayer.htm

Advent Reflection from the Center for Action and Contemplation

2011-12-06T11:38:00.000-05:00

From the Center for Action and Contemplation:

MARY, THE PREPARED ONE

“Mary, do not be afraid, you have won God’s favor,” declares the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:30).

The word favor doesn’t say anything about the recipient. Favor says something about the one who is doing the favoring. So it’s really not an evaluation of Mary. It’s saying something about God’s election of Mary. She is one who is the absolutely perfect receiver and refuses to play the “Lord, I am not worthy” card that had become normative in most biblical theophanies. She simply states, “Let it be done unto me” (Luke 1:38). She lets God do all the giving. Her job is to receive such perfect giving.

God does not love you because you are good; God loves you because God is good. God does not love you because you are good; you are good because God loves you.

Adapted from Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality, p. 178

Starter Prayer: The Almighty has done great things for me.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Daily-Meditation--Mary--the-Prepared-One----Dec--6--2011.html?soid=1103098668616&aid=GX9LySeTOfg

Analysis of Liturgical Changes

2011-12-01T11:59:00.001-05:00

From the newest edition of Shared Visions:

In chapter 2 of their book Social Analysis: Linking Faith and Justice, Joe Holland and Peter Henriot, S.J. present three interpretative models of social change. They name them the traditional, liberal and radical models. Each has an underlying governing principle and highest value.

In the traditional model, the authoritarian principle is paramount, holding order and static resistance to change in high esteem. The liberal model is more managerial in its approach, emphasizing balance and evolutionary change. The radical model, meanwhile, is highly participative and values community. The authors do not shy away from articulating their own personal bias for the liberal model.

Holland and Henriot state that these models of change are operative within the Church just as they are within the socioeconomic and political arenas. The Church thrived while employing the traditional model in the 400 years between the Council of Trent (1545-1563) and the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). For the past fifty years, the liberal model has been the prevailing principle surrounding the reception of the changes of Vatican II, especially here in the United States. The radical model has found its widest acceptance to date in the Latin American Church of the late 20th century.

Holland and Henriot wrote their book in the early 1980s, but their analysis can easily be extended to consider the current liturgical changes coming to English-speaking Catholic parishes around the world on November 27, 2011 – the First Sunday of Advent. One major change that is coming with the start of the new liturgical year is an emphasis on a more literal translation of the words of the liturgy from the original Latin. You will notice that the language is more formal and much less colloquial as the shift is made from dynamic equivalence (where the aim is to express the general thought pattern of the original in clear English) to formal correspondence (which attempts to make more of a word for word translation from the Latin.) Which of Holland and Henriot’s three models do you see most at work in such a change?

In considering the coming changes, much emphasis has been placed on the fact that Pope John Paul II called for the publication of a new Roman Missal and that the changes in the English Mass will put us more in line with our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters – among others – who have, for example, been saying “And With Your Spirit” rather than “And Also With You” in response to the priest’s greeting “The Lord Be With You” for generations.

Using this evidence as data, do you think the Church is in the midst of a transition from one model of social change to another? If so, where do you see that change headed – from liberal to traditional? Traditional to radical? Radical to liberal? Beyond the liturgy, what other evidence would you offer for such a change taking place in the Church?

Some of you serving this year in Latin America are experiencing the vibrancy of comunidades de base. Back in the early 1980s, the authors viewed these base communities as a shining example of the re-creation of Church envisioned there. Thirty years on, the proponents of these base communities have weathered some sharply worded rebukes for the political and economic policies they sometimes advocated along with their views on Church. Today, do you feel that these comunidades de base are on the margins of Church life or at the center of the Latin American Church? How does your answer compliment or contradict some of the evidence of a shift in models presented above?

The Pastoral Circle reminds us that our experience of these liturgical changes and the preceding analysis of them will not be complete without deep theological reflection and careful pastoral planning. The process reminds us that change is a constant of life. Why should our spiritual life be any less dynamic than that? Too fast for some and too long delayed for others, expect that this will not be the final word on changes in our liturgy. As Church leaders have proclaimed for generations, lex orandi, lex credendi – as the Church prays, so She believes.

Advent in Two Minutes

2011-11-29T12:34:00.001-05:00

From Busted Halo:

Happy Advent!

Prayer for Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T11:03:00.002-05:00

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Walter Rauschenbusch

O God, we thank you for this earth, our home;
For the wide sky and the blessed sun,
For the salt sea and the running water,
For the everlasting hills
And the never-resting winds,
For trees and the common grass underfoot.

We thank you for our senses
By which we hear the songs of birds,
And see the splendor of the summer fields,
And taste of the autumn fruits,
And rejoice in the feel of the snow,
And smell the breath of the spring.

Grant us a heart wide open to all this beauty;
And save our souls from being so blind
That we pass unseeing
When even the common thornbush
Is aflame with your glory,

O God our creator,
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

From Living God’s Justice: Reflections and Prayers, compiled by The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors

http://www.americancatholic.org/features/thanksgiving/prayers.aspx

Programming Note

2011-11-10T14:52:00.001-05:00

The St. Vincent Pallotti Center staff will be attending the Catholic Volunteer Network annual conference next week. Because of this, there will be no blog entries for the week of November 14. We will resume our blogs on Tuesday, November 21.

Jesuit Institutions Across U.S. join together

2011-11-10T14:49:00.002-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC – Over 1,000 students, teachers, parish members, and others passionate about faith-inspired social justice will gather in Washington, DC, from November 12-14, 2011, for the 14th annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ) sponsored by the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

The Teach-In is an opportunity for members of Jesuit institutions and partners to gather for learning, prayer, networking and legislative advocacy on Capitol Hill. Teach-In attendees represent twenty-eight Jesuit universities, over twenty-five Jesuit high schools, Jesuit parishes, Jesuit volunteer communities, and many other Catholic institutions and organizations.

Started in 1997, in Columbus, Georgia, the IFTJ takes place in mid-November to remember the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador. The six Jesuit priests and their companions were murdered on November 16, 1989, in El Salvador for their work advocating on behalf of the economically poor of El Salvador. The IFTJ moved from Georgia to Washington, DC, in 2010, to respond to the growing interest in integrating legislative advocacy into the teach-in experience.

Keynote speakers include Rev. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, S.J., Provincial of the East African Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits); Jim Keady, activist and executive director of a labor rights advocacy organization focused on Nike factory workers in southeast Asia; Colman McCarthy, former Washington Post journalist, author, and college professor; Br. Mickey O’Neill Mcgrath, OSFS, artist and director of Bee Still Studios; and Jennfier Smyers, an immigration and refugee policy advocate at Church World Service. On Sunday (11/13) evening at 6:30 PM a Eucharistic liturgy will be celebrated, the principal celebrant will be Rev. Don MacMillan, S.J., a campus minister at Boston College and long-time peace and justice advocate.

The theme of IFTJ 2011 is “The Gritty Reality: Feel It, Think It, Engage It,” derived from a speech given by former Jesuit Superior General, Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., in 2000 entitled, “The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice in American Jesuit Higher Education.” Kolvenbach said, “Students, in the course of their formation, must let the gritty reality of this world into their lives, so they can learn to feel it, think about it critically, respond to its suffering and engage it constructively.”

Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice SCHEDULE - more details available at: http://tinyurl.com/IFTJ-schedule

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center (3800 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20057)

4 PM – 10 PM

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center (3800 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20057)

9 AM – 9 PM (includes liturgy at 6:30 PM)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Capitol Hill Advocacy Day (various locations – more information available upon media request)

9 AM – 3 PM

##
The Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) promotes leadership and advocacy among students, alumni, and other emerging leaders from Jesuit schools, parishes, and ministries by educating its members on social justice issues; by mobilizing a national network to address those issues; and by encouraging a life-long commitment to the “service of faith and the promotion of justice.” ISN is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization. Additional information can be found at: http://www.ignatiansolidarity.net/.

Pallotti Center Resources

2011-11-08T08:59:00.001-05:00

Before Service:

Tools for Discernment - Great resources to help you decide if you want to do service, what program to apply to, where to serve, and what type of work you want to do.

During Service:

Shared Visions - Our publication for current volunteers.

Job Bank - Looking for work? Sign up to receive weekly email updates of job openings all over the country.

Network of Former Volunteers - Our listserv for former volunteers of our programs to help find people, churches, resources or places to live in your city.

We are always looking for suggestions of how we can better serve you. Please email us with ideas for programs and resources we can provide.

Patrons and Companions

2011-11-03T11:39:00.002-04:00

When it comes to the saints, there are two extremes to avoid.
By: James Martin, SJ

Over the past few years, I have spent a good deal of time speaking to groups both large and small about the saints. After listening to the comments and questions of people in parishes, colleges and universities, retreat houses and conferences, as well as reading scores of letters, I have noticed two extremes in contemporary Catholic devotion to the saints, both of them perilous.

The two main ways of understanding the saints in the Catholic tradition are to see them as patrons and as companions. These two models are elucidated in most scholarly studies of the saints, among them Friends of God and Prophets by Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J. They also find voice in the Preface of the Mass for Holy Men and Women, used on the feast days of the saints: “They inspire us by their heroic lives and help us by their constant prayers.”

The main challenge in fostering devotion to the saints lies in steering between the extremes surrounding those two models. On the one hand, there is in some quarters an exaggerated emphasis on the patron: the canonized saint in heaven who intercedes for us. In this understanding, the focus is on the one who prays for us in company with the risen Christ, the Blessed Mother and the communion of saints, after having led an earthly life beyond any critique; the patron never entertained an unorthodox thought, never suffered doubt for even a moment, never experienced conflict with the institutional church. Seen thus, saints are supposed to be acceptable in every way to people of every devotional type. Catholics who overemphasize this model are sometimes shocked to hear about the flaws of the saints, the areas where they did not follow the status quo and those times when they found themselves in conflict with church leaders.

On the other side are those who overemphasize the companion model: the earthy, sinful, struggling man or woman who shows us, through sometimes flawed actions, how holiness always makes its home in humanity. In this conception, the saint is someone who, once dead, serves no other role than that of model—as if their lives ended once they died. People in this camp often recoil from the parts of saints’ lives that include apparitions, visions or anything that remotely smacks of the supernatural. They are often aghast at talk of intercession, pilgrimages, novenas for the saint’s help and, of course, miracles.

A healthier (and more accurate) model is to see the saint as both patron and companion: the manifestly human being whose earthly life shows that being a saint means being who you are, but who now enjoys life in heaven and intercedes for us.

By way of illustration, let me share two stories from the two dangerous extremes.

Human Lives

A few years ago I wrote a brief article for the op-ed page of The New York Times that described the incredible life of Mother Theodore Guérin, the newest American saint. Mother Guérin was born in 1798 in France, entered religious life and eventually journeyed to Indiana. There this remarkably determined woman founded the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods and started a college and several schools in the region. One might think that such zeal would have won her favor from the local bishop.

It did not. The idea of a strong, independent woman deciding where and when to open schools apparently offended the bishop of Vincennes, Ind., a man whose name sounds like that of a villain in a Victorian-era potboiler: Celestine de la Hailandière. In 1844, when Mother Guérin was away from her convent raising money, the bishop, in a bid to eject her from the very order she founded, ordered her congregation to elect a new superior. Obediently, the sisters convened a meeting. There they re-elected Mother Guérin—unanimously. Infuriated, Bishop de la Hailandière informed the future saint that she was forbidden to set foot in her own convent, since he, the bishop, considered himself its sole proprietor.

Three years later, Bishop de la Hailandière demanded Mother Guérin’s resignation. When the exceedingly patient foundress refused, the bishop told her congregation that she was no longer its superior, that she was ordered to leave Indiana and that she was forbidden from communicating with her sisters. Her sisters replied that they were not willing to obey a dictator. At one point, the bishop locked Mother Guérin in his house until her sisters pleaded for her release. The situation worsened until, a few weeks later, Bishop de la Hailandière was replaced by the Vatican.

My op-ed noted that for a time the future saint, through no fault of her own, found herself in conflict with the church hierarchy. Within just a few days, I received a letter from a bishop with whom I am friendly. My article, he said, was damaging to the faithful. Was I saying that the only way to be a saint was to oppose the hierarchy? By no means, I replied. Rather, Mother Guérin’s struggles with her bishop were part of her spiritual journey, her very human life on earth.

Coincidentally, I had just returned from a pilgrimage to Lourdes, where I had spent time cheerfully chatting with this friendly bishop. I am surprised that this would come from someone who visits Lourdes, he said in his letter. In response, I pointed out that St. Bernadette Soubirous, the visionary of Lourdes, had herself been booted out of the town’s rectory by the local pastor, after she first reported her visions of Mary. Here was another instance of a future saint being, for a time, rejected by the church. (The story of Mary MacKillop, the new Australian saint who was for a time excommunicated, is another of many such examples.) Understanding the saints as bland figures whose lives were free of any conflict indicates an exaggeration of the patron model, where any “controversial” aspects of a saint’s life are seen as irrelevant, now that they are in heaven.

Some Catholics who gravitate toward this extreme are discouraged to hear that the saints sometimes sinned even after their conversions; that they did not follow the “expected” things that saints are supposed to do; or that they were, in a word, human. Once, during a parish talk, I quoted St. Thérèse of Lisieux on the rosary, as an example of how different were the saints. They were not cookie-cutter models of one another, nor were their spiritualities. “The recitation of the Rosary,” said the Little Flower, “is as difficult for me as wearing an instrument of penance.” The crowd—believe it or not—gasped audibly.

“Why did you say that?” said a Catholic sister afterward. “Because it’s true,” I said. “Well, you shouldn’t say such things,” she said.

One extreme to be avoided, then, is an excessive emphasis on a homogenized, noncontroversial blandness. For the one who prays for us in heaven also lived a human life.

Saints Alive

The other extreme is an overemphasis on the companion model, which stresses the saints’ humanity. More explicitly, it is an approach that shies away from what happens after the saint’s earthly death. A few years ago after another trip to Lourdes, I told a Catholic theologian about my visit there and about the pilgrims with whom I went.

“That’s dangerous,” he said.

“What is?” I asked.

“The notion that the saints pray for us, that miracles happen—like magic.”

But that is what we mean by “patron,” I responded, quoting the prayers of the Mass: “They help us with their constant prayers.” After all, I said, the law of prayer is the law of belief (Lex orandi, lex credendi). Besides, the records of miraculous cures are available in Lourdes for all to see, authenticated by physicians, many of them nonbelievers. And that is just for St. Bernadette. Read the canonization papers for any modern saint and you will be gobsmacked by the cures: immediate, irreversible, inexplicable. From the look on my friend’s face, however, you might have thought I was telling him that I believed in the Great Pumpkin.

But if God can create the universe and raise his Son from the dead, then miracles—miracles today, that is—seem easy in comparison. Regarding the question of why some prayers are answered and others are not: I have no idea. Why, if millions visit Lourdes annually, have only 67 miracles been authenticated? I have no clue. But that is no cop-out; it is on the same theological plane as the problem of evil: Why do some people suffer? I don’t know, but I do not need to understand God fully to believe in God fully or to love God fully. But those miracles, whether or not we understand why they happen, do happen.

When the doubtful or suspicious ask about intercession I often ask them this: If we ask for the prayers of friends on earth, why not from friends in heaven—unless we do not believe that they are with God, or that God somehow destroys their unique selves after their death, which I cannot believe. If our fellow sinful believers on earth pray for us, why wouldn’t the saints? Regarding intercession, it is also important to look at the sensus fidelium. Millions of Catholics pray to the saints for their help; they can recount personal stories of being helped in ways that go beyond credulousness, gullibility or stupidity. So I pray to the saints regularly. But I do not get overly upset when my prayers are not answered.

The dangerous thing is not so much “believing in miracles” or even “believing in intercession.” The dangerous thing is limiting God. In essence, it is saying, “God cannot possibly work like this.”

Both/And

When it comes to devotion to the saints one must hold in tension their dual roles as patron and companion. An overemphasis on one destroys the saint’s humanity, renders their earthly lives almost meaningless and negates their roles as models, examples and companions as Christian disciples. An overemphasis on the other makes their new lives in heaven meaningless, renders the tradition of intercession irrelevant and negates their current place in the communion of saints.

There is an obvious parallel to Christology. In classical Christian theology, Jesus Christ is understood as “fully human and fully divine.” An overemphasis on the divinity of Christ (for example, saying that Jesus could not suffer because he was God) is as unhelpful as is overemphasis on Jesus’ humanity (for example, denying his ability to perform miracles). Both need to be kept squarely before us as Christians, to be held in tension for us to begin to understand Jesus Christ. The same tension needs to be held when looking at the saints, balancing hagiography “from above” and “from below.”

So in my own work and life I am trying to restore a little balance. And I’m happy to do so with the help of the saints, my patrons and companions.

James Martin, S.J., is culture editor of America. This essay is adapted from an address given at the Catholic Theology Society of America meeting in San José, Calif., in June.

http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=13118

Prayer of Forgiveness on All Souls Day - November 2

2011-11-01T12:38:00.002-04:00

From The Romero Center:

November 2 - All Souls Day
Prayer for Forgiveness on All Souls Day

Opening:
We praise and thank you, Creator God, for the story of life you have written us into. We pause to remember the lives that have gone to sleep before us, especially those whose deaths occurred before a natural end.

(Pause)

Have mercy on us. Forgive our failure to serve those who have passed from this life to the next from preventable causes. We take a moment now to reflect on a parable from Luke about Lazarus and the rich man. Help us receive this parable with open hearts, mindful of the times when, like the rich man, we have failed to serve you. Guide us as we pause for a moment of silence after the reading to reflect on those times and ask forgiveness.

Reading:
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’

Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’

He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’

But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’

He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’

Luke 16:19-31

Reflection:
In silent reflection, consider when in the past month you as an individual, and we, as a country and a Church, have contributed to unnecessary death.

Petitions:
R) Forgive us, Oh God, for the preventable deaths of our brothers and sisters.

For our failure to share with our brothers and sisters who have died from starvation, especially those who have died in East Africa throughout the past few months. R)

For our failure to commit to our brothers and sisters throughout the world who have died because of lack of access to clean drinking water. R)

For our failure to invite in our brothers and sisters who have died homeless and alone on the streets in ________ (name city near where you live). R)

For our failure to speak for our brothers and sisters, including Troy Davis, who have been executed. R)

For our failure to intervene for our brothers and sisters who were murdered, especially for those in Camden, NJ, and Detroit, MI, where there are the most murders in the United States. R)

For our failure to remember our brothers and sisters those who have died in war, including soldiers of all nationalities, targeted terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, and civilians who have been caught in violence. R)

For our failure to respect our brothers and sisters whose lives were taken from them before they left their mothers’ womb. R)

For our failure to listen to our brothers and sisters who have committed suicide or killed because they were bullied about their sexual orientation, including 13 year old Seth Walsh. R)

For our failure to care for our brothers and sisters, especially children, who have died from preventable illnesses, like diarrhea. R)

For our failure to pray for our brothers and sisters in ways that we offer now… R)

Closing:
God, we beg forgiveness for the deaths we have allowed to happen throughout the human family.

On this feast of all souls, give us the grace to commit to making daily decisions that protect life and prevent unnecessary death, especially in our purchasing, voting, and by being generous stewards of our time and resources.

We ask for the intercession of our brothers and sisters who have passed away at our own hands.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Putting the “Hallow” in Halloween

2011-10-27T12:57:00.002-04:00

From Busted Halo:

Is Halloween really the holiday from Hell?

by Timothy Hester

From my high school students this time of year I often get a lot of questions like this:

“Mr. H., why are we celebrating Halloween? I mean, isn’t it a pagan/demonic/commercial holiday anyway?”

Well, let’s look at a tiny bit of the history of this ghoulish night of witches and goblins. Or is it a gleeful night for saints and angels? Let’s go way back to the 8th century, when a chapel dedicated to the memory of all the holy martyrs in Rome was declared. This feast, which happened to coincide with other pagan festivals — such as the Irish samhain (pronounced “souwain”) celebrating the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter with a touch of playful remembrance of the dead — ultimately became a universal Catholic celebration. The evening before a holy day is typically referred to as the “eve” of that day. In Catholic liturgy, solemnities or major feasts are considered to begin at sundown on the night before. Since the evening of October 31 would therefore be All Saints Evening or All Hallows Eve this has been shortened to Hallow e’en or Halloween. So there’s the simplest explanation of the “why” of Halloween. You take a noble cause — celebrating all the saints and martyrs — place it near a pagan holiday and extend the celebration to the night before and certain elements of that pagan day are bound to crossover to the religious day.

Our modern practice of sending the little ones begging for candy has a connection to the celebration of the saints. There was, in the Middle Ages, a custom of “souling” in which the poor would go through neighborhoods begging for food in exchange for prayers for the dead. This souling took place November 1, and the prayers would be offered on the following day, All Souls Day, which is a day of remembrance and prayers for all the faithful departed. For some customs, there seems to be no general consensus as to when or how the practice of dressing in costume came about.

For other Halloween traditions, such as carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, the historical path is easier to trace. Once again, those crafty Celts found a way to turn turnips into lanterns by hallowing them out. In this country, the pumpkin was more plentiful then the turnip and so it proved a worthy replacement.

New traditions

But perhaps this would be a good time to look at how we as 21st century Catholics could add to the centuries-old collection of Halloween traditions. Remember, it is a celebration of our saints, after all, and it’s not as if there’s a law banning innovation. But since it is essentially a celebration of our faith why don’t we start by adding to the party atmosphere?

My wife and I try our best to instill a sense of true celebration in our kids where feast days are concerned. Owing to my wife’s expert baking abilities this usually translates to a specialty cake. This year, for instance, she plans on shaping cake batter into the Roman Pantheon, the church commemorating all the saints. Just kidding. Apparently she’ll be making cupcakes with images of some of our favorite saints iced on top. Truthfully I don’t know how she ever planned on creating the dome.

We’ve decided to keep the big traditions. Our kids really enjoy having pumpkins around. Daddy really enjoys seeing his two angels trying to pick them up. And my daughter, Rita, who eats everything in sight, is so adorable as she tries to find a way to get her tiny mouth around the giant orange-colored rinds.

But the best part of our Halloween is, in fact, the costumes. We couldn’t decide at first how to approach this one. Should we turn them into headless monsters or incorrupt medieval saints? As luck would have it, it seems we could do both! We decided that during the day we would dress them as saints, preferably two saints with a connection to one another, while at night they could be their favorite characters for trick-or-treating.

Last year they were Mother Teresa (my daughter is indirectly named for her) and John Vianney (it was the year of the priest). Since their dad is a high school teacher and since teenage girls go nuts for little kids in costume, they get to come to school and show off their holy alter egos. This year, they will be Saints Benedict and Scholastica, the holy twins who founded the Benedictine order. OK, this one’s kind of cheating since the costumes, two black robes, are about as simple as you can get. When they get home they’ll change into Woody and Jesse from Toy Story. We figured it was appropriate since we just moved to Texas.

We’ll still get around to all the “scary” elements of Halloween. The kids enjoy hanging ghost and witch decorations and wearing their glow-in-the-dark skeleton pajamas to bed. I’m not sure they’ll ever get around to watching The Exorcist or Carrie as long as I’m alive; but I suppose some scary movie, like anything with Lindsay Lohan, could be acceptable. So, Halloween will continue to thrive in our house. Only this celebration will include a nod to the real meaning behind the holiday. And the best part is all the candy that Daddy gets to “test” before letting the kids have at it.

The Author: Timothy Hester
Jersey boy Tim Hester is a blogger and high school theology teacher in Dallas, Texas. Fourteenth in a family of 16 and father of his own two saints in the making, Tim previously worked as a TV producer. He is the purveyor of harveymillican.wordpress.com.

http://bustedhalo.com/features/putting-the-hallow-in-halloween

Charis Ministries Retreat and Volunteer Opportunities

2011-10-25T12:01:00.002-04:00

Charis Ministries is a Jesuit ministry to those in their 20s & 30s. A ministry of the Chicago-Detroit Provinces of the Society of Jesus, Charis offers retreats, service, leadership, and speaker opportunities that bring the gifts of Ignatian Spirituality to the lives of young adults.
http://www.charisministries.org/

Be Still: A Silent Retreat

Friday – Sunday, November 18-20
Marytown Retreat Center, Libertyville, IL

Renew your spirit and reflect in the presence of God at this quiet retreat away from everyday life. You'll have the chance to meet with a spiritual director, discover new ways to pray, celebrate Mass, read, journal, and rejuvenate! All in their 20s and 30s are welcome! Visit http://www.charisministries.org/ for info and registration!

----

Are you seeking a volunteer opportunity?

Want to get involved with Charis Ministries and help inspire other young adults to grow in their faith? Do you enjoy writing and reflecting on the gospel? Charis Ministries is currently looking for young adults interested in volunteering to write spiritual reflections for the Advent and Lenten Seasons. If you are interested or need more information, please contact Stephanie Scherra, at stephanie@charisministries.org or at 773-508-2843.

Opportunity for Former Volunteers

2011-10-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

Trinity Fellows Program, Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Full-time service organization volunteers and alumni are invited to apply for graduate study in the Marquette University Trinity Fellows Program, a 21-month study/work program offering master’s degrees in business, civil and environmental engineering, communication, dispute resolution, economics, English, history, international affairs, applied philosophy, political science, or public service.

While engaged in full-time graduate study, Fellows work on substantive projects designed by selected nonprofit organizations in the Milwaukee area. The nonprofit work commitment is 18 hours per week during each academic year and 40 hours per week during the intervening summer.

To qualify for the program, student applicants must meet the admission standards of the graduate school and must have completed service in AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, or comparable full-time volunteer organization.

Each fellowship includes a monthly stipend ($1565 per month) and a full-tuition scholarship. Each student is charged a participation fee of $1250 per semester. Up to ten fellowship awards will be distributed each year.

See program website for further details about the program, application procedure, and application deadline: www.marquette.edu/trinityfellows.

Contact Carole Ferrara, Program Coordinator, at (414)-288-5861, or carole.ferrara@marquette.edu for additional information.

Celebrating the Life of Dean Brackley, SJ

2011-10-18T10:30:00.001-04:00

Jesuit Father Dean Brackley passed away on Sunday after a battle with cancer. Brackley volunteered to take the place of the Jesuits murdered in El Salvador in 1989. He remained in El Salvador, as a professor and pastoral minister, until his death. He was 65.

---
"I invite you to discover your vocation in downward mobility. It's a scary request... The world is obsessed with wealth and security and upward mobility and prestige. But let us teach solidarity, walking with the victims, serving and loving. I offer this for you to consider - downward mobility. And I would say in this enterprise there is a great deal of hope.

Have the courage to lose control.
Have the courage to feel useless.
Have the courage to listen.
Have the courage to receive.
Have the courage to let your heart be broken.
Have the courage to feel.
Have the courage to fall in love.
Have the courage to get ruined for life.
Have the courage to make a friend."
- Dean Brackley

At 83, Honduran priest returns to help his country face its past

2011-10-13T14:42:00.002-04:00

By Paul Jeffrey
Catholic News Service

SANTA ROSA DE COPAN, Honduras (CNS) -- An 83-year-old Honduran priest has returned from exile to help the Central American nation face its past.

A member of an alternative truth commission established by human rights groups, Father Fausto Milla fled Honduras July 8 after a series of threats and other acts of intimidation against him and his assistant.

For the more than two months he lived in neighboring Nicaragua, Father Milla said, he missed his homeland. The priest suffers from chronic back problems and started using a cane while in Nicaragua. He returned home Sept. 18 and said that, within four days, he quit using the cane and began walking normally.

He had wanted to keep his return quiet, hoping to continue his work without attracting attention, but it's hard to keep his presence a secret.

"Even the dogs on the street recognize me and greet me," said Father Milla, who lives in Santa Rosa de Copan, a regional capital in the northwest. He helps celebrate Mass at a local parish and runs a store that sells natural herbs for healing.

Father Milla is no stranger to controversy. In 1980, scores of Salvadoran refugees were massacred at the Sumpul River along the Salvadoran-Honduran border in a combined operation of the two countries' militaries. Father Milla's parish was nearby, and he widely condemned the massacre and participated in an international tribunal to investigate the crime. In response, he was threatened repeatedly and finally kidnapped in 1981. Following an international outcry, he was released after five days. Later that year, he was forced into exile for four years, allowed to return to his parish only after lengthy negotiations between the Honduran military and his bishop.

Now, Father Milla wants to know the truth about what happened before and after the 2009 military coup that overthrew Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.

In May 2010, international pressure led the Honduran government to create a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that includes Honduran and foreign members. Yet many Hondurans doubted that such an official commission would produce anything critical of the coup plotters and, with violence increasing across the country, human rights groups created an alternative commission that June. They called it the "True Commission."

Father Milla is one of two Hondurans on the alternative commission, which is chaired by Maryknoll Sister Elsie Monge, an Ecuadorean who serves as president of that country's Ecumenical Commission on Human Rights.

"The official commission was created by the delinquents who carried out the coup. If I kill you but also function as judge in my trial, my verdict isn't going to be legitimate," Father Milla told Catholic News Service.

"The official commission's creation was part of the clown act in the circus, something to distract the attention of the people from the growing violence around them. It's entertainment, like football," he said.

The alternative commission's creation put pressure on the official commission to produce a more balanced report, Father Milla said, admitting he was pleasantly surprised at the Truth Commission's final report, released recently.

"We were surprised, first of all, because they recognized that what happened was indeed a coup d'etat. The coup plotters had worked hard to convince the world that it was a legitimate change of presidents. And now even (current Honduran President Porfirio) Lobo has recognized that it was a coup," Father Milla said.

"They pointed out that the (post-coup) government of Roberto Micheletti was illegal, which is a serious charge. And they pointed out a variety of crimes that need to be processed, but that won't happen because there's complete impunity here," he said.

Since the 2009 coup, the security situation in Honduras has deteriorated dramatically. Demonstrators protesting what they consider to be an illegitimate government have been beaten and killed. Journalists asking hard questions about government corruption or involvement in drug trafficking have been frequently threatened; according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, 12 Honduran journalists have been murdered since March 2010. And landless peasants seeking rich farmland they claim is rightfully theirs under the country's agrarian reform laws have been assassinated and had several of their settlements burned in the fertile Aguan Valley.

Thelma Mejia, an independent journalist and political analyst in Tegucigalpa, said the official commission's report is a good contribution to resolving the country's many problems -- if anyone would pay attention.

"The report is well-written and very professional. It says a lot about where the country should be headed. But there was no reaction to it. Its recommendations, such as the creation of a constitutional court, are being ignored," Mejia said.

The alternative commission's mandate is broader in scope, but several obstacles have slowed its work. The commission's requests for U.S. records under the Freedom of Information Act, for example, have been stymied by U.S. officials.

"The Department of Defense can't seem to find any records for the week before or the week after the coup," said Tom Loudon, executive secretary of the True Commission.

Loudon, a former representative for the American Friends Service Committee in Central America, said the increasing violence in the Aguan Valley stems directly from the policies of the post-coup government.

"Zelaya was beginning a process to address some of the land conflicts and move toward significant land reform in that area, and so people felt hopeful that the poor who had lived there for years would finally be able to get titles. But that came to an abrupt stop when the coup happened. And then the evictions started. The evictions are the gasoline fueling the violence there," Loudon said.

Father Milla said that, instead of ordering the police to stop the evictions, Lobo has ordered officers to put on a friendlier face.

"The people aren't stupid," he said. "They'll believe in the police when there's a different police. They'll believe in the police when they put the criminals in the police in jail. The people think (the president's) order is a joke. (The president) and his people live up there in another world and don't have a clue what the people think."

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1104021.htm

¡Oye! Magazine

2011-10-11T13:42:00.002-04:00

¡Oye! Magazine has featured the St. Vincent Pallotti Center this week in their Volunteering section!

Check out their website (www.oyemagazine.org) and check out our website too (www.pallotticenter.org)!

Need a Community Activity?

2011-10-06T14:21:00.001-04:00

Check out the Current Volunteers section of our website for more Community Activities!

Asking Yourself New Questions

Brief Description: For the past several months, you have been hard at work at your placement site and striving for some type of rhythm in your community living Activity:

Group activity: Sharing what puzzles you, seeking new insights

Plan a time that works best for all of your community members to participate in this activity. Be sure to let the participants know that they should come to the activity with examples of questions that have been puzzling them. Allow an hour for discussion.

Directions: Gather your volunteer community in a comfortable space that lends itself well to discussion. Choose someone to facilitate the discussion.

The Facilitator may use the following for discussion.

1. What are some questions that you’ve been dealing with concerning your volunteer community life or your work placement site? List all the questions your group raises.

2. Ask the group to prioritize which questions they want to tackle and in what order.

(Some examples could be practical matters or might include tougher issues.)

3. Begin with the question which has the greatest interest. Ask the person who first raised it to briefly summarize his or her question and what he or she finds puzzling or interesting about it.

4. Invite others to contribute any insights they have which clarify the question and then give each person a chance to share their response to the question.

5. When the wisdom of the group is exhausted, decide if any follow-up research is needed, who will do it and when and how it will be reported back to the group.

6. Then proceed to the next most interesting question and repeat the process.

If this activity works well for your group, consider the possibility of moving to broader areas of the puzzling aspects of:

life in your neighborhood, society or in the Church,

policy issues, poverty and access to health care,

communication and relationships related to community living, etc.

Remember, the goal is not to settle for a predictable answer and thereby stop the process of thinking, but to continue to ask deeper questions and gain broader understandings.

Pallotti Center on the Radio

2011-10-04T12:44:00.001-04:00

Take a listen to hear our National Director, Mike Goggin, on WMET 1160AM Guadalupe Radio:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/SharedPublic/wmet-2011-09-23-10.mp3

Mercy Home for Boys and Girls Receives Award

2011-09-29T09:11:00.001-04:00

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls was honored by the readers of Catholic Digest, a nationally-distributed magazine that explores the work of faith and God in our everyday lives.

Each year, Catholic Digest readers choose a Catholic charitable organization to receive the annual “Love Your Neighbor Award.” This award recognizes the invaluable work of Catholic charities around the world and is accompanied by a $5,000 cash gift. We are so grateful that readers chose Mercy Home for this year’s honor.

The magazine’s monthly “Love Your Neighbor” section spotlights charities that are making a difference those in need, told often through the personal stories of those who have been impacted. In 2006, “Love Your Neighbor” shared the story of Mercy Home alumna, Kristina. Last August, Catholic Digest revisited her story for an update. Kristina continues to flourish and is preparing to serve her adopted country in the United States Army.

The magazine also featured another youth in 2008. Many thanks to Catholic Digest, to its faithful readers, and to editor Julie Rattey, who has been so kind in sharing the challenges and triumphs of our young people. We are also very grateful to Kristina for bravely sharing her story in order to give back and help us raise more friends and supporters of this life-saving mission.

http://www.mercyhome.org/blog/2011/09/28/catholic-digest-reader-vote-love-mercy-home/

Wangari Maathai dies at 71; Kenyan environmentalist

2011-09-27T10:48:00.000-04:00

Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist who made it her mission to teach her countrywomen to plant trees and became Africa's first female Nobel Peace Prize winner, has died. She was 71.

One of Kenya's most beloved figures, Maathai died Sunday after a yearlong battle with cancer. Her illness was not widely known until after her death in a Nairobi hospital.

Maathai won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her work on sustainable development, democracy and peace. She believed that environmental degradation and unbridled development were among the roots of poverty.

"You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them," Maathai said on the website of the environmental movement she founded, the Green Belt Movement.

She started the group in 1977, encouraging poor women to collect native tree seeds in the wild, cultivate them and set up tree nurseries for a livelihood, paying them a small sum for any trees they planted. One aim was to ensure that poor families had access to sustainable firewood for cooking and water for drinking.

"I came to understand that when the environment is destroyed, plundered or mismanaged, we undermine our quality of life and that of future generations," she said in a speech accepting the Nobel Peace Prize." Tree planting became a natural choice to address some of the initial basic needs identified by women.

Also, tree planting is simple, attainable and guarantees quick, successful results within a reasonable amount of time."

She soon realized it was useless to struggle for environmental improvements without having democratic, accountable government, and her movement embraced human rights and democratic issues.

All her life, she battled government corruption and corporations that put profits and development ahead of the interests of the population.

She was a thorn in the side of the government of Daniel arap Moi in the 1980s and '90s, and was arrested for treason, harassed and beaten several times.

She also exasperated her husband, who divorced Maathai in 1979, reportedly complaining that she was "too educated, too strong, too successful, too stubborn and too hard to control."

Maathai issued scathing remarks about the Western consumer culture, which she said was unsustainable because it was based on the rich few consuming more and more at the expense of the poorest people in developing countries.

When she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, Maathai said she drew her inspiration from her childhood in a rural Kenyan village in the central highlands.

"As I was growing up, I witnessed forests being cleared and replaced by commercial plantations, which destroyed local biodiversity and the capacity of the forests to conserve water," she said.

"My fellow Africans, as we embrace this recognition, let us use it to intensify our commitment to our people, to reduce conflicts and poverty, and thereby improve their quality of life. Let us embrace democratic governance, protect human rights and protect our environment," she said, adding that Africa must solve its own problems.

Born April 1, 1940, Maathai grew up in rural Kenya and received a scholarship to study at Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kan., where she majored in biology, graduating in 1964.

She went on to study for her master's degree at the University of Pittsburgh. She was inspired by a group of environmental activists pushing for clean-air regulations, her first view of environmental activism. She also studied in Germany, returning to the University of Nairobi in 1969 to complete her doctorate, the first Kenyan woman to earn such a degree.

Under Moi's increasingly autocratic government, with corruption rampant, Maathai angered the government from the president down, with protests against unbridled development.
Moi called her "a madwoman" and said she threatened Kenya's security.

In 1989, she successfully led protests against the construction of a 60-story building in Nairobi's Uhuru Park. In 1992, she and other members of a pro-democracy group were arrested and charged with treason.

The charges were dropped after intense international pressure.

The same year, she was arrested during a hunger strike demanding the release of political prisoners. She lost consciousness when police beat her on the head, sparking international condemnation. Early the next year, the political prisoners were freed.

In 2002 she was elected to parliament as part of the opposition Rainbow Coalition that defeated the ruling Kenya African National Union party. She served as deputy minister for the environment and natural resources but was defeated in 2007, after one term.

But she continued to press for improvements in democracy, accountability and human rights across Africa.

"Time and again, post-independence African governments have been unprincipled or blatantly corrupt, beholden to only a small set of cronies or elites," she wrote in a commentary for The Times in 2009.

"Too many in leadership positions have plundered national resources, persecuted political rivals and citizens who dared to question their actions, and even stoked violence within and across national borders, all the while crushing the hopes of ordinary citizens to make an honest living. Few have consented to share power freely or supported development of a vibrant civil society."

When Kenya's 2010 constitution was being drafted, she and the Green Belt Movement successfully pressed for the inclusion of a clause guaranteeing Kenyans the right to a clean and healthy environment.

She campaigned on climate change and often expressed anger that decades after she began her environmental movement, activities that threatened the environment and the planet's future went on unabated.

"In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other," she said in her speech accepting the Nobel Prize.

Survivors include three children and a grandchild.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

The Execution of Troy Davis

2011-09-22T11:57:00.001-04:00

We pray for all involved - for Mark MacPhail and his family, for Troy Davis and his family, and we pray for an end to the death penalty.

“Even when people deny the dignity of others, we must still recognize that their dignity is a gift from God and is not something that is earned or lost through their behavior. Respect for life applies to all, even the perpetrators of terrible acts. Punishment should be consistent with the demands of justice and with respect for human life and dignity.” - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

---

Troy was found guilty of murdering a police officer 19 years ago, based upon the testimony of 9 witnesses. Today, 7 of those 9 have recanted their testimony entirely, and there are enormous problems with the testimony of the remaining 2 witness accounts. There is NO OTHER EVIDENCE. The murder weapon was never found. There is no DNA to test. Troy is scheduled to die by lethal injection on September 21, 2011. (Below is a message from Troy Davis.)

To All:

I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime.

As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can’t even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.

I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.

So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country.

I can’t wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing,

“I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!”

Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!

http://road2justice.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/a-message-from-troy-davis/

Seeds of Service - Volunteer Reflections Needed

2011-09-20T12:09:00.000-04:00

Who We Are

My name is Christina Gebel. I did two years of volunteer service with the Amate House program in Chicago working at a small, all-female Catholic high school on Chicago's southwest side. A fellow volunteer, Esther Pomranky, and I had a conversation which led to an idea for a collection of stories from other volunteers. We've contacted you in hopes that you will help us make contact with volunteers from your organization who may be interested in contributing.

Our Search

Our goal is to publish a collective memoir of volunteers who have participated in faith-based service programs in the last twenty years. This project began with a poignant conversation about the value and impact of service programs here in the United States. We love, respect and value those volunteers who commit themselves to international service and have been excited to read stories of those volunteers’ experiences. When it comes to domestic service, however, it seems that few firsthand accounts of service here in the United States have been published. Our own rewarding experiences in a faith based service program prompted us to want to have a print space for sharing these stories.

We have chosen to center our publication around the theme of growth. It is our hope that images of seeds and growth in urban and rural settings will mirror the growth volunteers experienced throughout their time of service.

More Information

We've created a blog with further information, including submission requirements and deadlines. Would you be willing to pass this website along to current and former volunteers in your organization?

http://seeds-of-service.blogspot.com

I'd love to have a conversation with you and provide you with more information if you'd like. My contact information is listed below.

Thanks!
Christina Gebel
Email: seedsofservice@gmail.com

Jesuit Volunteer Corps is Hiring

2011-09-15T12:14:00.000-04:00

General Summary: The Development Assistant will be responsible for the coordination of specific fundraising initiatives and for carrying out clerical and support functions within the department. S/he will ensure that all data is transcribed according to procedures established by the Department, provide effective organization within the office regarding scheduling, filing, copying, collecting data, running reports, and gathering information.

Accountability: Reports to Associate Director of Development

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Data entry
• Follow established procedures in processing all gifts and checks and inputting required information into database

• Process all letters and correspondence pertaining to donor acknowledgement (schedule revisions for acknowledgments at times throughout the year, varying our language as is appropriate). Keep an online donation log in Excel to be given to the Director of Finance on a monthly basis

• Scan all donation related mail and attach it to the relevant records in the fundraising database

Fundraising
• Coordinate all aspects of the parish mission appeals, including communication with identified parishes, scheduling appeals with church pastors and with FJVs or others who will speak at the masses Coordinate all aspects of the combined federal campaign and state campaigns and take the necessary actions to ensure all paperwork is completed in a timely manner

• Assist with the logistics for events, such as handling RSVPs, fielding inquiries regarding the event and working with vendors

Departmental tasks
• Serve as departmental contact for general development inquiries and routing them to the appropriate person for effective response

• Assist donors in a pleasant and professional manner with questions related to events and donations

• Update the organization-wide calendar with Advancement meetings and events

• Prepare reports for management as required

• Participate as team member in offering suggestions for improvement of department functions; performing other duties as assigned or as seen to be necessary.

Requirements

Education
• High school diploma, some college preferred

Experience
• 2-3 years of work experience in a professional, administrative setting

• Experience working with a database preferred

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
• Highly organized, efficient, mature and a team player

• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple ongoing deadlines

• Strong customer service skills

• Attention to detail

• Knowledge of Microsoft office required.

Working Conditions

• Typical work day of 9am to 5pm

• Large amounts of office work; must have the physical ability to sit and stand for long periods of time and perform daily activities from a desk and must be able to operate a computer and other office equipment

• Given office layout, the ability to climb two flights of stairs several times a day

A Time for Remembrance, Resolve and Renewal: Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11

2011-09-13T12:38:00.000-04:00

Archbishop Timothy Dolan President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

September 8, 2011

As we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, it is a time for remembrance, resolve and renewal.

We reverently recall those who were most directly affected by this tragedy—those who died, were injured or lost loved ones. In a special way we recall the selfless first responders—firefighters, police, chaplains, emergency workers, and other brave persons—who risked, and many times lost, their lives in their courageous efforts to save others.

We also remember how our nation responded to the terrifying events of that day—we turned to prayer, and then turned to one another to offer help and support. Hands were folded in prayer and opened in service to those who had lost so much.

We resolve today and always to reject hatred and resist terrorism. The greatest resource we have in these struggles is faith. Ten years ago our Conference of Bishops issued a Pastoral Message, Living with Faith and Hope after September 11, which drew on the rich resources of our Catholic faith to minister to our nation and world. The truth of that Pastoral Message still resonates today.

A decade later we remain resolved to reject extreme ideologies that perversely misuse religion to justify indefensible attacks on innocent civilians, to embrace persons of all religions, including our Muslim neighbors, and to welcome refugees seeking safety. We steadfastly refrain from blaming the many for the actions of a few and insist that security needs can be reconciled with our immigrant heritage without compromising either one. Gratefully mindful of the continuing sacrifices of the men and women in our armed forces, and their families, we also resolve to bring a responsible end to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This tenth anniversary of 9/11 can be a time of renewal. Ten years ago we came together across religious, political, social and ethnic lines to stand as one people to heal wounds and defend against terrorism. As we face today's challenges of people out of work, families struggling, and the continuing dangers of wars and terrorism, let us summon the 9/11 spirit of unity to confront our challenges. Let us pray that the lasting legacy of 9/11 is not fear, but rather hope for a world renewed.

In remembering the fateful events of September 11, 2001, may we resolve to put aside our differences and join together in the task of renewing our nation and world. Let us make our own the prayer of Pope Benedict XVI when he visited Ground Zero in New York in 2008:

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.

God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.

Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/september-11/9-11-tenth-anniversary-statement.cfm

Serve on September 11

2011-09-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

For most Americans, September 11th is a day of complicated emotions. It may recall painful memories and heart-breaking images. But it should also remind us of the patriotic pride and resilient American spirit that shined that day.

September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is a way to pay tribute to those who were lost and to honor the heroes who answered the call to serve on that day and in the weeks and months that followed.

As the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance approaches, we want to share this new public service announcement by First Lady Michelle Obama.

In it, she calls on Americans to remember the spirit of unity and compassion that bound all of us together and asks Americans to visit Serve.gov to find ways to pay tribute to the heroes of September 11.

Watch the PSA and share with your friends, family and networks to encourage them to honor the victims and heroes of September 11th through not only words, but deeds as well.

Interested in Service?

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Responding to the Call of Service

What you need to know about full-time volunteering

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a full-time service program. The good news is that Catholic Volunteer Network is here to help you through that process! During these interactive, web-based workshops we will cover the most commonly asked questions about full-time service and you will be able to hear from recent volunteers about their own service experience. We will also provide ample time for Q&A at the end of each session.

Our first session will be an overview of faith-based service for those that are beginning to discern if full-time volunteering is right for them. The second session will focus on international service programs.

Each session will last approximately 30 minutes. Pre-registration is required.

What You Need to Know About Full-Time Volunteering
September 6, 2011
5:30 – 6:00pm EDT
To register for this session, visit:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/788116184

What You Need to Know About International Service
September 22, 2011
5:30 – 6:00pm EDT
To register for this session, visit:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/742254664

Guadalupe Radio Network Happy Hour!

2011-09-01T11:01:00.000-04:00

If you're in the Washington, DC area, support our friends at...

Guadalupe Radio Network

Invites you to a Happy Hour with

WMET 1160 AM

Thursday, September 8, 2011

6:00 – 8:00

Fire Station One

8131 Georgia Ave

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Join us for a great evening. Tickets are $20.00 for advance purchase or $25.00 at the door.

Purchase tickets online at www.grnonline.com or call 877-636-1160.

Quiet in the Librarian: Developing a Spirit-centered approach to service

2011-08-30T11:03:00.000-04:00

By Anne Lindley

For my first few years as a librarian, I felt richly rewarded, a shining star of helpfulness. In a nutshell, I get paid to give people advice when they ask me for help, and then they thank me. Smart! Altruistic! Serving the public! What’s not to love? As my younger brother said when I first got the job, “Well, Anne, you do love to tell people what to do.” But after a few years, the unrewarding aspects of the work began to overshadow the more enjoyable ones.

Some people dismissed my advice. Some were rude. Troubled souls came to me with problems a librarian couldn’t solve. At times, I felt like the public wanted to tear me into pieces and chew me up. I had panic attacks and migraines. I took a lot of sick days, a lot of naps, and a lot of sedatives.

In the midst of this darkness, Christmas came and I was struck by the beautiful exchange between Mary and the angel Gabriel in Luke 1 when she declares, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” When I was a kid, that sounded kind of cushy to me, as if “handmaid” were a job where you might fetch scented oils or pour tea. I had to grow up a bit to understand that only the most gracious soul could embrace Mary’s infinitely difficult service.

That Christmas, I began to wonder exactly how I was helping people as a librarian if, perhaps, a big chunk of the equation was that I was using their need for help to elevate myself on a pedestal labeled, “Anne: A public-spirited, smart and good person.”

Did I foster neediness so I could feel important?

The help she needs

Ironically, it was one of my neediest library users who helped me get past this conundrum. Kelly, a teenager with a host of problems, came to use the internet for hours each day and no one on the staff wanted to help her. Sullen, unhealthy, easily offended, she was slow to learn in every way. She asked us to show her the same things over and over again. My first thought was that she might have a reading or vision problem. But a glance at her Facebook page showed that she could read and spell and type well enough.

She had learned with no difficulty at all that if you raise your hand in the library, a librarian will walk over and offer to help you. It’s just like clicking on a FarmVille hay bale on Facebook — she moved her digital bales of hay around with her mouse, and she moved us librarians around with her raised hand.

One day when she waved me over to her computer, again, and I felt I was at the very frayed end of my very last rope, I found myself spontaneously praying, “Dear Jesus, please help me to give Kelly exactly the help that she needs right now, in this moment.” At once, the grumbling that normally played in my mind when I dealt with Kelly went silent and I felt strangely quiet inside.

After she asked me her question — how to print, again — I found myself just holding her gaze for a while. I think none of us ever really looked at Kelly, she was so annoying to us all. When I did reply, I didn’t feel that it was me choosing the words. It was more like I was a pitcher full of water pouring over her hands; as if there was an open window next to us and I was pointing to it effortlessly. My quick and rather desperate prayer had been answered as a gift to both of us.

The words that came out of my mouth were, “What do you think you might click on, if it were up to you?” She pointed tentatively at the print icon. “You could try that,” I said. “See if it works. You can try something else if it doesn’t.” She clicked, and up came the instructions for how to print. She smiled, and looked surprised at her own smile. I was surprised to find I was smiling too.

Of course, my actual words to Kelly are not at all important, in the sense that it wasn’t a magic phrase I can whip out when I’m frustrated. It was just the right thing to say to that girl in that moment, and it flowed out of my mouth as if it had come from a much more powerful source than my brain.

My cranky ego

As I walked away from our exchange, something dawned on me. Truly, it wasn’t helping Kelly that was so exhausting; it wasn’t her sullen personality. It was my own cranky ego seething with complaints — Kelly is wasting library resources; people don’t appreciate what I have to deal with.

Not Kelly, not a dozen people like Kelly, it was my own mind that was killing my joy in life, killing my will to serve.

Since then, I have tried (not always successfully) to be mindful that I can’t dole out water all day from the small bucket that is my self. I have to reach instead for the endless stream of water that comes through Spirit. It helps if I treat each inquiry at the library as a fresh piece of paper, a fresh chance for two souls to be together, a chance to practice service by dipping into that endless stream. It can be as simple as just standing still and looking a person in the eye when I ask, “Would you prefer to take the stairs or the elevator?” It can be as challenging as keeping my eyes, ears and heart equally open as I broker a truce between two grown men fighting over the fax machine.

When I begin a conversation with that sense of service to, and service from, the Spirit, I’m quiet inside, listening to people, taking their requests seriously. They feel they are at the heart of my intention to help, that there is plenty of room for them in the library, that they can explore its endless possibilities.

If I do this well, then the people I help will feel that the library is theirs, perhaps even more than it is mine. Because, after all, I am just the guide. I am just the finger that points to the open window, the servant who offers water from a stream.

http://bustedhalo.com/features/quiet-in-the-librarian

Retreats for Former Volunteers

2011-08-25T10:11:00.001-04:00

The Volunteers Exploring Vocation program of the Fund for Theological Education will host four regional retreat events for former volunteers in the fall of 2011. The retreats will begin on Friday evening and conclude on Sunday afternoon. Former volunteer retreats provide an opportunity to:

• reconnect with other former volunteers, from your program and other related programs

• discuss how your volunteer experience shaped your life

• learn ways to stay connected to the practices and values discovered by serving

• reflect on your faith commitments

• step away from your current commitments to reflect, socialize, worship and relax

Because of the support of the VEV program, your participation in this event is price at a low cost--$50 for all accommodations, meals and program. Scholarships are available.

Here's the dates:

Midwest, September 30-October 2, 2011
Cencle Retreat and Conference Center, 513 Fullerton Parkway, Chicago, IL. www.cenaclesisters.org. Deadline for registration, September 16.

East Coast, October 7-9, 2011
Bellarmine Retreat Center, “Blue Ridge Summit,” 13308 Buena Vista Road, Waynesboro, PA. www.bellarmineretreat.org. Deadline for registration, September 23.

Southeast, October 14-16, 2011
Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center, 4511 Jones Bridge Circle NW, Norcross GA. www.simpsonwood.org. Deadline for registration, September 30.

West Coast, October 21-23, 2011
San Francisco Theological Seminary, 105 Seminary Road, San Anselmo, CA. www.sfts.edu. Deadline for registration, October 7.

Registration begins July 1, 2011 TO REGISTER go to www.fteleaders.org and click on the Events tab.

Spaces for each event are limited. Register online to guarantee your reservation. Cancellations 30 days in advance of event are eligible for a full refund. Cancellations after that time will be ineligible for a refund. Payment will be considered a credit toward a future event or may be designated as a contribution.

For more questions regarding accommodations, program or if needing some financial assistance, contact Martha Wright, mwright@fteleaders.org or 304.233.2615.

Catholic Volunteer Network is Hiring!

2011-08-23T11:56:00.000-04:00

Catholic Volunteer Network, AmeriCorps Assistant Program Coordinator

Catholic Volunteer Network AmeriCorps Education Awards Program (AEAP), funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, is a network of faith-based volunteer programs which serves communities in the areas of education, healthy futures and economic opportunity, with a special emphasis on working with youth and the poor. Approximately 90 volunteer programs participate in the AEAP program, with more than 1300 members enrolled in AmeriCorps.

General Functions: Assist Program Coordinator in administration and coordination of the AmeriCorps Education Awards Program (AEAP) for CVN member programs.

Specific Function:

• Coordinate and implement enrollment and exit procedures of CVN/AmeriCorps Education Awards Program members via the Internet.

• Responsible for program data entry, compilation and statistical analysis of semi-annual progress reports to the Corporation for National Service.

• Field and respond to all CVN AmeriCorps Education Awards Program inquiries (phone, mail, e-mail).

• Provide monthly article for CVN’ general newsletter (“How Can I Help?”) on AEAP activities.

• Assist in preparation and distribution of materials for CVN program directors and members.

• Assist in the planning and implementation of CVN national meeting.

• Participate in conference calls with Corporation and CVN program staff.

• Assist in planning and hosting program staff trainings and retreats as scheduled or necessary.

• Make site visits to AmeriCorps programs as necessary.

• Provide input in assessment of CVN AmeriCorps Education Awards Program's training and technical assistance needs.

• Assist in advertising CVN AmeriCorps Education Awards program (including providing Recruitment Coordinator with information, brochures, etc.)

• Provide support in developing continuous improvement plans for CVN AmeriCorps Education Awards Program.

• Screen members (service descriptions) and sites (site descriptions) for eligibility for AEAP participation.

• Coordinate and support time tracking data entry of members’ hours in online reporting systems.

• Coordinate mailing of orientation materials and required paperwork (including handbooks and manuals) for CVN program directors, site supervisors, and members.

• Coordinate in-house file review for active members.

• Create and maintain up to date training materials for programs, members and service sites.

• Conduct trainings as necessary.

• Perform other duties as necessary or assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree. 2-3 years experience preferred.

• Highly organized: Position requires thorough and accurate tracking of information with minimal supervision. Must be well organized and able to process large amounts of data in a time-sensitive environment. Careful attention to detail a must.

• Confidentiality: Adheres to professional standards of confidentiality at all times.

• Excellent Communication Skills: Must be able to provide clear, concise, and courteous information about AEAP and online data base to program directors, site supervisors and members via telephone and e-mail.

• Computer competencies: Word processing and data entry programs, especially MS Access and MS Excel. Internet proficiency. Database training and experience helpful.

• National Service/ AmeriCorps background preferred.

• Salary commensurate with experience, plus benefits and opportunities for professional development.

To apply, please send an email to Nikki Rohling, Associate Director, at nrohling@catholicvolunteernetwork.org. EOE. No phone calls please.

World Youth Day Isn't Just About Youths

2011-08-18T12:11:00.001-04:00

From The Telegraph:

By Fiona Govan

For the last 84 years she has spent every day of her life behind the cloistered walls of a convent to the north of Madrid but on Friday Sister Teresita, aged 103, will venture into the world outside – to meet the Pope.

The sprightly centenarian has been confined within the convent of Buenafuente del Sistal since she took her vows as a 19 year old, two years before the Wall Street Crash.

By strange coincidence she entered the convent on April 16, 1927 – the day that Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, was born in Germany.

Sister Teresita has remained at the convent ever since leaving its seclusion for only a few hours at a time during the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War when the nuns fled to escape the fighting.

But on Friday she will join a delegation to meet Pope Benedict during his three day visit to the Spanish capital to celebrate World Youth Day.

"She said she thinks she will make the trip with her eyes closed, so that nothing will distract her," said the convent's mother superior, Maria.

Sister Teresita was the subject of a book entitled "What is a girl like you doing in a place like that", which the author Jesus Garcia recounted the lives of 10 nuns in the convent,

"Who can spend 84 years in a convent without being happy? You feel happiness when you follow your vocation."

More than a million pilgrims have flooded in the capital for five days of events that began yesterday evening with a concert and will culminate on Sunday when the Pope celebrates an open air mass at an airfield in southwestern Madrid.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8704855/103-year-old-nun-to-leave-convent-for-first-time-in-84-years-to-meet-Pope.html

So Others Might Eat is Hiring an Intern

2011-08-16T08:00:00.005-04:00

SOME's Development Department is seeking a volunteer to assist them during the fall season when they are preparing for three major events; the Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger, the Dinner Gala, and the Silent Auction. Administrative support is needed to work alongside their team during this especially busy time. The focus will be on providing support for SOME’s special events.

Candidate must be flexible and have strong administrative, computer, communication and writing skills, as well as working knowledge of Microsoft Office. The service commitment will be from September 1, 2011 through December 10, 2011 (can be discussed). There is flexibility with the schedule, however the preference is for the individual to work four days a week in October and November. Please e-mail your cover letter and resume to lparisi@some.org or fax to 202-280-1261.

USCCB President and CRS Chairman Issue Aid Appeal for Drought and Famine Victims in Somalia and Parts of East Africa

2011-08-11T10:54:00.000-04:00

August 10, 2011

WASHINGTON—Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, chairman of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), have asked the bishops of the United States to encourage pastors and parishioners to support emergency relief efforts in the Horn of Africa, possibly by taking up a second collection.

“Every day we are seeing more and more heartbreaking news about the drought and famine in Somalia and the eastern parts of Africa. We see millions of people being forced from their homes, leaving behind what meager possessions they had, and walking for days over rough terrain,” wrote Archbishop Dolan and Bishop Kicanas.

“There are parents whose little children have died, and children who have been orphaned.They are suffering from hunger, thirst, disease, and drought,” they said. “It is a humanitarian crisis that cries out for help to Christians throughout the world. The Holy Father, on several occasions, has asked Catholics to respond generously to the desperate needs of our brothers and sisters in East Africa.”

More than 12 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia because of what many are calling the worst drought in decades. This severe lack of rainfall has resulted in failed crops, deaths of livestock and critical shortages in food and water.

CRS has worked in East Africa for decades and is on the ground responding to this emergency. In Ethiopia, CRS is expanding its food distribution program to 1.1 million people and is working closely with local partners to provide livelihood support, water and sanitation. In Somalia, CRS is supporting local partners to assist highly vulnerable, displaced families with basic necessities, such as food packages, support for clinics, therapeutic feeding, and shelter. In Kenya, CRS is working both to assist newly arrived refugees with hygiene, sanitation promotion, and protection, and also to provide water, sanitation, and supplemental feeding to drought-affected Kenyan communities.

“CRS can use all the help we can offer in this current tragic situation,” wrote Archbishop Dolan and Bishop Kicanas. “Through CRS our generosity could literally feed thousands and provide them clean water, shelter and other life-saving goods. Over time, CRS will be able to expand already proven drought mitigation and other development programs that unfortunately are now only available in a handful of villages.”

They concluded by asking the bishops of the United States to request that their pastors “bring the plights of these poor people to our faithful and generous parishioners and ask for their support, possibly through a second collection.”

How to Help

Donate by Phone
Call 1-800-736-3467 from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time.

Donate by Mail
Mail your check or money order to:
Catholic Relief Services
Memo: East Africa Emergency Fund
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090

Donate Online
http://www.crs.org/kenya/kenya-refugee-camp-expands-daily/

Original article: http://www.usccb.org/news/2011/11-157.cfm

Vatican Issues Warning About Environment

2011-08-09T12:45:00.000-04:00

From Staying Connected:

More than two million deaths worldwide occur on a yearly basis due to human-caused changes in air composition, according to a recent Working Group report commissioned by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The world’s “bottom 3 billion” – those too poor to withstand the dangers of industrialization – face particular threats to water and food security.

This dangerous geological epoch that we are living in, characterized by human exploitation of fossil fuels and natural resources, has been given the name “Anthropocene” by Nobel Laurete Paul Crutzen.

The 1,000 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere each year have led to rapidly shrinking glaciers. Their disintegration threatens local communities near the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain region of Tibet, as well as others who depend on mountain water. Humans have made changes to the climate resulting in losses of forests, coral reefs, and wetlands, which cause food and water shortages for vulnerable persons. The Working Group is committed to making sure that all people “receive their daily bread” as well as fresh air and clean water.

Protecting the environment is an issue of peace and justice, as its devastation is deadly to the human race. To address this issue the Working Group has made the following recommendations:

I. Immediately reduce carbon dioxide emissions to meet international global warning targets. Nations should transition to renewable energy sources, stop deforestation and develop technology to take excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

II. Slow down climate change this century by decreasing the amount of air pollutants (including dark soot, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons) by half. This will prevent millions of deaths caused by respiratory disease and millions of tons of crop damages each year.

III. Make a plan to deal with chronic and abrupt climatic changes that society cannot mitigate.

The Working Group advocates for climate policy that stabilizes greenhouse gas emissions to stop dangerous human interference with the climate and ensure that food production is not threatened. The group says policies relating to air pollution and climate change should be made in conjunction. In addition to efforts to mitigate environmental destruction, the Working Group calls for a plan to assess and adapt to damage that has already been done.

“We appeal to all nations to develop and implement, without delay, effective and fair policies to reduce the causes and impacts of climate change on communities and ecosystems, including mountain glaciers and their watersheds, aware that we all live in the same home. By acting now, in the spirit of common but differentiated responsibility, we accept our duty to one another and to the stewardship of a planet blessed with the gift of life,” the Working Group states in its report.

The 15-page report, entitled “Fate of Mountain Glaciers in the Anthropocene” was put together by a group of glaciologists, climate scientists, physicists, meteorologists, hydrologists, mountaineers and lawyers whose meeting was organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in the Vatican from April 2-4, 2011. It serves as both a warning and a call to action and can be found online at http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/05/Pontifical-Academy-of Sciences_Glacier_Report_050511_final.pdf.

To see the newest edition of Stayed Connected, please visit our website.

Lasallian Volunteers are Hiring!

2011-08-04T08:30:00.000-04:00

Director of Development

Lasallian Volunteers of The De La Salle Christian Brothers

Job Overview: The Director of Development has primary responsibility for raising operating and reserve fund monies from individuals, foundations and corporations. The Director of Development is a part of a five-member-team which includes the Director, Associate Director, Coordinator of Recruitment and the Program Coordinator. The Director of Development manages and implements all fundraising activities, including cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and events. The Director of Development also works with the Lasallian Volunteers Leadership team for the development of marketing strategies and publications to increase the organization’s visibility to potential funders throughout the USA.

General Responsibilities (include, but are not limited to):

Work with the Advisory Board, Fundraising Committee and Lasallian Volunteers staff to identify, cultivate and coordinate the solicitation of potential donors.

Work with the Fundraising Committee and the Director to develop, implement and evaluate a comprehensive annual plan for development, fundraising and public relations.

Develop strategies to increase outreach beyond Lasallian Volunteers traditional funding base to new prospects.

Maintain a network of marketing and public relations contacts so as to be able to advance the story and mission of the program in the communities served.

Responsible for oversight of foundation relations, proposal development, interim and final reporting.

Oversee the planning, execution and follow up to special events/promotions for the program as necessary.

Annually review publication needs with the LV program staff and oversee the process involved in meeting those needs.

Oversee production of annual report.

Assist the Director as requested in other activities that relate to the promotion and support of the LV program.

Moderate travel nationally for events, gatherings, conferences, donor visits and programming.

Qualifications:

2-5 years of relevant fundraising experience for nonprofit organizations preferred.

Proven record of increasing revenue portfolio(s) of small nonprofits (annual operating budget of $300,000 or more) through fundraising.

Ability to work both independently and as part of the Lasallian Volunteers team.

Exemplary written and verbal communication skills.

Meticulous attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

Experience with Major Gifts or direct donor solicitations.

Willingness to participate in Lasallian Formation Programs.

Location of Office: The Christian Brothers Conference, located in Washington, DC

Start Date: September 15, 2011 (negotiable)

Benefits: Full health benefits, Employee Pension Plan, 403B Employee Match, Professional Development

Salary: Competitive

Application Deadline: August 20, 2011 or until position is filled.

Applicant should submit a resume, cover letter, and three references to:
Jolleen Wagner
Director of Lasallian Volunteers
Hecker Center, Suite 300
3025 4th Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
202-529-0047
jwagner@cbconf.org

An Uncommon Diplomat: Remembering Archbishop Pietro Sambi

2011-08-02T12:16:00.001-04:00

From America Magazine:

By: Drew Christiansen

The report that Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, died from complications after lung surgery Wednesday, July 27, was sad news indeed. A large, towering man with a booming voice and a hearty laugh, he was an exceptionally bold diplomat. He exuded both bonhomie and authority.

Once when the tour bus carrying U.S. bishops from Bethlehem to Ramallah for a meeting with Yasser Arafat was delayed in traffic at an Israeli checkpoint, he appeared in the oncoming lane directing the bus driver to crossover the median and proceed ahead. When the driver hesitated, he brought back an Ethiopian Israeli soldier, who stood alongside him machine gun at the ready, as he directed the bus through the checkpoint to its meeting with the Palestinian president.

At another time, when an another American bishops’ delegation was visiting Jerusalem, he invited the Israeli Foreign Ministry official charged with inter-religious relations to share dinner with them. Uninhibited, he disregarded the customary delay of tough conversation until coffee was served, and he used the dinner to review the full range of difficult outstanding issues in Vatican-Israeli relations in the presence of the American delegation. It was a bravura performance.

Archbishop Sambi could signal his intentions in the coded ways more often associated with all diplomats and especially those of the Holy See. But he was capable of sharing jaw-dropping confidences too and of taking decisive action when needed. When high-placed American prelates in Rome pontificated about controversial political issues in the U.S., he was quick to ask that they be instructed to leave U.S. affairs to the U.S. bishops. And when some bishops threatened to divide the bishops’ conference with partisan posturing during a presidential election year, he voiced his criticism.

Unlike some of his predecessors, Sambi took his diplomatic duties seriously and did not allow his pressing church agenda to override his ambassadorial duties. During his first three months in Washington he met with 24 department secretaries and assistant secretaries. One St. Patrick’s Day he spent nearly two hours patching up relations with then- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi after rabid stateside protests had spoiled her visit to the Vatican. He also had direct access to the top. Just before President Obama’s inauguration, the president-elect telephoned the nuncio, one of only two ambassadors to receive a call those days.

Whether I joined him in Jerusalem or Washington, the gregarious nuncio hosted a wonderful table. It was always full of good-natured conversation with a wide range of humanity. He brought together Catholics and others of very different backgrounds and ideological dispositions. Everyone was ready to accept his invitation, “Come and share a bowl of pasta.”

Archbishop Sambi also delighted in drama and surprise. After a warm and full conversation a few years ago, he saw me to the door, and with a confidential and re-assuring air he told me, “You should know that a year ago the Holy See ceased to ask for weekly reports on America.”

Had he lived, Pietro Sambi would have surely received a cardinal’s red hat. He will be laid to rest with the love and respect due a true churchman. May he be received into the company of Christ and his saints.

Drew Christiansen, S.J., is editor in chief of America.

http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=12968

East Africa Drought Solution Runs Deep

2011-07-28T10:13:00.000-04:00

From Catholic Relief Services:

By Bekele Abaire and Sara A. Fajardo

Ethiopians remember keenly the devastating losses of the drought in 1984 and the more recent one in 2000. The numerous pastoralist communities in Ethiopia know that lack of access to water will kill their livestock and destroy the very fabric of their culture.

The East African drought of 2011 that is hitting Kenya and Somalia so hard is also proving to be one of the worst that Ethiopia has faced in 50 years. Currently more than 4.5 million people in Ethiopia alone are facing severe hunger due to the La Niña-induced rainfall shortage. The work that CRS has been carrying out in Ethiopia for more than 50 years is paying off in this drought.

One particularly hard-hit area is eastern Ethiopia near the lowlands of the Somali region. A common sight is pastoralists traveling across the barren landscape in search of water for their livestock.

As the sources dry up, desperation is taking hold. Their animals, losing weight and producing less milk, are further weakened as the pastoralists are forced to move them up to 6 miles a day to find drinking water. In the worst cases, their herds die from thirst, starvation and exhaustion.

"When people hear the word drought, they automatically assume that there is no—or very little—water in an area. And while it is true that we're dealing with the aftermath of poor rain seasons, the truth is that there is water in Ethiopia," says Bekele Abaire, CRS water and sanitation program manager. "There is a solution to this problem of recurrent drought that has left millions to face severe hunger. The challenge is that the water runs below the surface in underground caverns as deep as 1,000 feet. This water is difficult but not impossible to access."

During the past 8 years, CRS—with generous funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.N. Office for the Coordination of International Affairs, and donations from concerned Catholics and others of goodwill—has helped fight the effects of recurrent drought in Ethiopia.

"We brought in rigs to drill wells 1,000 feet into the earth. A recent visit to the field revealed that 95 percent of 28 wells we've constructed are still operational," Abaire says. "These sites were built to serve up to 5,000 people in any given community, but we're finding that the need is so severe that up to 10,000 are now flocking to these water points."

Pastoralists travel in search of water. Drought, though, often forces them to stay in one place, their livestock dies off, or they move to cities to buy food. The strains of urban life are debilitating to them both psychologically and culturally. Taking these factors into account, a CRS water and sanitation team studied the migratory path of pastoralist communities to create a system that would meet their needs for water and help maintain their nomadic traditions.

"We've drilled wells along the route pastoralists often travel. The goal was to provide water without encouraging any given group to settle in one spot," Abaire says. "It's an approach that includes a drinking trough for livestock, water for human consumption, showers, and washbasins for women to do their laundry."

The difference between communities with water sources and those without is remarkable. The livestock are plumper and produce more milk, which, in turn, means that the people themselves are nourished better. People in these areas rely less on food aid and more on their own means. Water is prized here. It is never squandered.

"Most years our system works beautifully. Pastoralists migrate and access water easily." Abaire says. "A concern of ours now, however, is that, because of the current drought, many of them are settling near water points out of fear that they will not be able to access more. This puts a strain on the existing resources."

Much more work needs to be done. Water is there, but more wells need to be built. Yet, few rigs in Ethiopia have the capacity to drill deep enough to access the water. Abaire says that the solution won't come overnight, but, if planned right and with adequate resources, it can happen.

Bekele Abaire is a water and sanitation program manager with CRS. He is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Sara A. Fajardo is CRS' regional information officer for eastern and southern Africa. She is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Original article: http://crs.org/ethiopia/east-africa-drought-solutions-run-deep/

To donate to help our brothers and sisters in East Africa, visit Catholic Relief Services.

The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach is Hiring!

2011-07-26T11:53:00.000-04:00

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: OUTREACH ASSOCIATE

The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach is the Missionary Society of St. Columban’s national office for social justice advocacy and domestic and international service programs. We seek a creative individual who is able to multitask in a work environment that is community centered, and committed to social justice and inviting people to join us in mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop and implement yearly outreach plan which includes recruiting, vetting and placing prospective volunteers/interns and building relationships with volunteer and Catholic organizations as well as universities, parishes and community organizations
- Develop and implement in collaboration with New Media Coordinator social networking and web-based outreach campaigns
- Co-supervises interns and volunteers with an emphasis on preparing orientations, special events, closing celebrations, and web related projects
- Develop and implement tools and systems for cultivating relationships with program alumni
- Maintain up-to-date paper and electronic files on CCAO program inquiries, participants, and alumni
- Assist with administrative tasks of the daily operations of CCAO.

QUALIFICATIONS:
- Minimum B.A.
- Bilingual English-Spanish highly desired
- Prefer 2 years minimum cross-cultural mission or volunteer experience
- Ability to work nights/weekends and travel domestically
- Ability to relate to a diverse population
- Experience using social networking as a tool for awareness raising and outreach
- Skill in computer programs such as Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, Movie Maker

Salary commensurate with experience including an excellent Benefits package

HOW TO APPLY:

Send résumé, cover letter, and two references with the subject “Outreach Associate“ to Amy Echeverria at: ccaoprograms@columban.org. No Phone Calls Please.

Deadline: Open until position filled

Anticipated Start Date: Immediately

The Missionary Society of St. Columban is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

World’s poorest remain vulnerable, according to Millennium Goals report (July 2011)

2011-07-21T11:26:00.000-04:00

From Center of Concern:
By: Lauren Tonon

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that outline targets to eradicate extreme poverty, improve health, create opportunities for women, promote education, and jump start a partnership for development, are on target, says the latest UN report on MDG progress. The eight goals set in 2000 were a seemingly gargantuan task in great need of funding and international program coordination to reach the world’s poorest in the most remote corners of the earth. The recently published UN update reports steady progress, but the 2008 financial collapse derailed many gains the minimalistic goals had made in developing nations.

The poverty rate is falling, and access to education and drinking water is steadily improving as is health and general livelihood. The remarkable growth in China and India greatly skew the numbers, driving down poverty rates and perhaps is singlehandedly keeping the goals on track.

The most daunting task of the Millennium Development Project, reaching the poorest of the poor, has eluded the UN, though. The report concedes that “despite real progress, we are failing to meet the most vulnerable.” In Sub-Saharan Africa for instance, survey data was only collected from 20% of the region’s population. Access to programs for rural villages has always been challenging, but the crisis has exacerbated the difficulty to reach the world’s poorest.

Most alarmingly, the rate of hunger has plateaued. The Millennium Development Project set out to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. Hunger was estimated to affect 20% of the world population in 1990 when the Millennium Goal was set, but hunger has only declined to 16% while the number of people living in extreme poverty has diminished at a higher rate. At this rate, the UN goal to lower hunger to 10% will not be reached by 2015. The disconnect points to spikes in food prices, a trend that has recently resumed, alongside the announced “recovery” from the global financial crisis. Hunger also directly adversely affects sanitation and spread of disease.

As a result of the crisis, unemployment soared in both developing and developed nations. While the recovery in 2010 alleviated unemployment to some extent, problems remain. Like in most facets of development, gains for women are noticeably absent. Furthermore, those lucky enough to be employed are not receiving significant wages and security. The UN reports that “worldwide, one in five workers and their families are living in extreme poverty” which is less than $1.25 per day.

The international marketplace is experiencing a slight recovery, but the damage in developing countries has been done. Unemployment and volatile food prices are crippling and protectionist policies and plummeting exports are indebting developing nations without any relief in sight.

In 2010, Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa in particular fell USD 14 billion short of the pledges made at the Gleneagles Group of Eight Summit. The inability of the G8 to deliver promised funds contributes to the growing urgency for innovative sources of finance in developing nations, a topic conspicuously absent from this MDG report on progress. The UN does expect aid to grow at a decreased pace over the next three years. Measures such as financial transactions taxes or Special Drawing Rights could close the gap and raise funds for development.

Many MDGs are on target in the areas of poverty reduction, education, and health, but their progress is only slow and gradual. Charts and bar graphs tell a story of growth and progress, but our newspapers are monopolized by a different story of war, poverty, and hunger that plague our globe. The Millennium Development Goals Project is coming to a close, and its legacy will be disputed. What it has succeeded in is initiating a unique global coordinated effort to eradicate poverty. Let us hope they are the beginning, not the last, step in the fight against global injustices.

http://www.coc.org/node/6722

School Readiness Backpack Program

2011-07-19T10:07:00.000-04:00

When your limited income barely covers your family’s basic needs throughout the year, budgeting for seasonal expenses like new clothing and supplies for school is nearly impossible. Christian Appalachian Project believes that every child in eastern Kentucky should start school on a level playing field, no matter their parents’ economic status.

Your gift of school supplies ensures that children from low-income families have access to the resources they need to succeed in school. We use your monetary gifts to purchase new clothing for our “School Readiness Stores,” where children and their parents “shop” for a new outfit and shoes for the school year.

What’s needed:

Grades K-1
Clear backpack
No. 2 pencils (10)
Crayola crayons (24)
Fiskar blunt scissors
Washable markers
Kleenex
Glue stick
Wide rule Kindergarten paper
Plastic/vinyl pencil holder

Grades 2-5
No. 2 pencils (10)
Crayola crayons (24)
Fiskar blunt scissors
Glue stick
Kleenex
Ruler
Wide rule loose-leaf paper
Folders with pockets (3)
3-ring binders

Grades 6-8
No. 2 pencils (10)
Pens (10)
Colored pencils
College rule loose-leaf paper
Folders with pockets (5)
3-ring binders
Assignment books
Small calculator

High School
No. 2 pencils (10)
Pens (10)
Colored pencils
College rule loose-leaf paper
Folders with pockets (5)
3-ring binders
Assignment books
5-subject notebooks (2)

Mail backpacks & supplies to:
Christian Appalachian Project
495 WIlliams Street
Mt. Vernon, KY 40456

Three Takeaways from “Integrating Faith, Service and Justice: Catholic Young Adult Ministry for the 21st Century”

2011-07-14T10:21:00.000-04:00

By: Genevieve Jordan, Romero Center, Diocese of Camden

If we start with service, incorporate meaningful reflection on experience, and accommodate their state in life, we’ve begun well on the journey of integrating faith, service and justice in ministry with young adults.

About 30 people in ministry to young adults gathered from May 22-26, 2011, at Romero Center Ministries in Camden, NJ, for, “Integrating Faith, Service and Justice: Catholic Young Adult Ministry for the 21st Century,” the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association’s Mid-Atlantic regional gathering.

Conference participants represented a variety of ministerial fields: campus ministry, parish ministry, diocesan directors, Catholic volunteer programs and Catholic non-profits that engage young adults in service and reflection. They gathered for professional development and renewal through prayer and reflection, service immersion, workshop presentations and facilitated discussions.

There was so much insight gleaned from the week, but below are just three practical takeaways that can help us to integrate faith, service and justice in Catholic young adult ministry.

1. Start with Service

A few months ago, I said to Patricia Slater, former Director of Romero Center Ministries and the Pastoral Associate for Peace and Justice Ministry at Christ Our Light Catholic Community in Cherry Hill, NJ, that service experience is the backdoor for engaging young adults.

“Gen,” she corrected me, “it’s the front door.”

Melissa Cidade, Director of Pastoral Assistance Surveys and Services Service for CARA (Center for Applied Research and the Apostolate) shared data with conference participants that suggests Slater is right. Cidade’s data showed that 90% of millennial Catholics (born between 1982 and 1990, age 18 to 26 in 2008, and make up 15% of adult Catholics according to CARA data) said that as Catholics, helping the poor is very important to them.

Anyone in ministry with young adults knows that many either disagree with the Church on some issues, or place so much value on certain issues that they neglect others. It is staggering that an overwhelming percentage of millennial Catholics agree that helping the poor is very important to being Catholic. (It’s also staggering that as ministers, we continue to miss this, though it’s one of the most definitive statistics we have about young adults and the Church!) This Fall 2010 article from St. Anthony’s Messenger also suggests that service is a Catholic value, second nature to millennials. In my own ministry, I hear repeatedly that Church teaching and values are irrelevant to the world and daily life; service is an exception.

While most Catholic young adults believe that helping the poor is important, significantly fewer connect service to justice and even fewer can articulate a theology about why helping the poor is essential to our faith. Cidade’s data showed that 55% of millennial Catholics think Church involvement in social justice activities is somewhat important and 31% of millennial Catholics think it is very important. Only 10% said they were very familiar with Catholic Social Teaching.

The implication of this data for ministry is that service experience makes sense and is important to most millennial Catholics: so we should start there. Nothing can replace service in providing encounters with others that lead to personal reflection and transformation. Service experience ignites an interest in justice issues and the theology connected with a need for service.

2. Don’t Throw Out the Reflection

Reflection is an essential part of integrating faith, service and justice. Conference participants spent a few sessions reflecting on their own service experience through various models of theological reflection.

David Golembowski, board member of JustFaith Ministries and Associate Lobbyist for NETWORK, guided participants in theological reflection after the service they had done that day at sites in and near the city of Camden. He used resources from JustFaith’s program for college aged young adults, JusticeWalking. JusticeWalking’s model for reflection is great for young adults: it includes ritual, music, Scripture, and questions that relate directly to service experience and life.

After their second day of service, Patricia Slater led conference participants in reflection using the pastoral circle. The pastoral circle method of reflection leads with social analysis of the service experience. This model may be helpful when working with young adults who do not know each other or feel uncomfortable diving right into faith sharing, since social analysis allows folks to collectively troubleshoot an external issue. The conversation can’t stop there, however, and we shouldn’t be afraid to encourage young adults to move from social analysis into deeper conversations about where God is working and how they’re called to serve.

Conference participants and presenters alike voiced that unprocessed service experience may only encourage stereotypes or expectations of a particular community. It’s also a missed opportunity to connect the service experience with the life and call of the individual. Reflection should ideally take place directly after service experience, even if it’s only for a short period of time and sends folks with questions for the road. Though post-service reflection often feels uncomfortable or inconvenient, it is grounds for transformation. Don’t throw it out!

3. Accommodate Busy-ness and State in Life

If we want people to take part in our activities, we need to provide activities that accommodate their schedules. In my own listening through the conference week, I heard that young adults are incredibly busy.

A panel of five post-college young adults spoke to conference participants about how service and justice can bridge campus and parish life. Many of them were involved in service in college or completed a year of post-graduate service.

They represented a slice of the young adult population stretched thin with commitments but that still hopes to be involved with other young adults in faith-based opportunities. All of the panelists voiced interest in service experience, but didn’t want to commit to something too frequent or ongoing. One panelist said she appreciated when parishes offered young adult events every few weeks, as long as she could drop in without feeling pressure to show up every time.

Slater reminded us that service experience attracts young adults who are single or married without children. If we advertise an event for “young adults, single and married,” then we need to provide babysitting. Slater suggested that respecting the state in life of young adults with families might mean creating a session for families that simulates the kind of reflections one might have after a few hours of service, such as a hunger banquet or a short, relevant video.

We heard over and over again from conference participants that the young adults they minister with are overextended. We need to show young adults that we respect their commitments and busy-ness by providing opportunities that are one-time events and accommodate their state in life.

Genevieve Jordan is currently the Director of Young Adult Ministry at Romero Center Ministries and transitioning to Executive Director this summer. She holds a Master’s degree in Theology through the University of Notre Dame’s Echo Faith Formation Leadership Program. She is a regional representative for the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association for the Mid-Atlantic region.

Graduates find time for service

2011-07-12T11:28:00.001-04:00

From National Catholic Reporter, featuring our Director, Mike Goggin:

By Sara Angle, Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON -- For many young graduates, the bleak job market coupled with the desire to help others is leading them to commit their time to service.

There are numerous groups that offer service programs for graduates, but organizations such as the St. Vincent Pallotti Center and Catholic Volunteer Network link Catholics with faith-based service opportunities.

"The thing that makes Catholic volunteer service unique is that you have the pillars for why we do what we do. It's based in the Gospel and Catholic social teaching," Mike Goggin director of the St. Vincent Pallotti Center in Washington, told CNS.

Rooted in community, simple living and prayer, faith-based service is "appealing for people who want to live a more authentic Christian life," he said.

The Pallotti Center's mission statement explains that its goal is to "share a vision of church which encourages collaboration, having laity, clergy and religious work together in the mission of the church."

"For me, faith and service have always been interrelated; my faith has always been really important to me," said volunteer Caitlin Baummer. Baummer is finishing her year of service with Catholic Charities Project SERVE in Baltimore, a position she received through Catholic Volunteer Network.

Catholic Volunteer Network and the Pallotti Center publish directories of volunteer opportunities and help people find a volunteer program that will match their skills and needs. They also follow up to ensure volunteers have positive experiences and to encourage personal and spiritual development.

Baummer's interest in service began in college, after she went on a service trip to West Virginia. "As much time as I got to spend doing service work in college, it just wasn't quite enough for me," she told CNS in a phone interview.

Baummer discerned she had a vocation for service, and decided to apply for only faith-based volunteer opportunities after college.

"I definitely wouldn't call it a year off," she said of her service year, "It's a very different kind of work ... it's a very thankless job. It can be rewarding, but that's not why I do it," she explained.

Goggin said the Pallotti Center has heard from volunteer programs that the number of applications has risen in recent years.

"It has to do with the economy," said Goggin. "There is a lack of opportunities for gainful employment elsewhere," so recent graduates are looking for places to build and use their skills.

Baummer said the state of the economy did not affect her decision to volunteer, but she feels "very fortunate to have been born into a place of privilege," so that she was able to dedicate a year to service. "I feel that with such privilege comes a responsibility to share the resources and talents that God gave me with those who do not have the same opportunities."

Goggin also noted that "volunteer service will be a great resume builder. There will be skills people will learn that they wouldn't learn otherwise that are very marketable and transferable."

He explained that the center has seen an explosion of interest in short-term mission projects among college and high school students. "We try to help them process the experience when they get back," he said.

Young adults may be the biggest group coming to the Pallotti Center for assistance in the discernment process, but there also are volunteer trends among members of the baby-boom generation and families and couples who are looking to volunteer together.

Goggin cited the abundance of technology and today's fast pace as other reasons for the increase in volunteer interest. "As Americans, we tend to have a lot of stuff and sometimes we wonder if it would be simpler to get off the grid."

In a recent meeting with Catholic University of America students who had returned from a short-term mission trip, Goggin discovered that the students found their trip to be a good opportunity to de-clutter their lives.

For Catholics trying to find a new way to connect with the church, many Catholic volunteer programs introduce different models of prayer. "Prayer disciplines are best learned in a year away," said Goggin.

http://ncronline.org/news/graduates-find-time-service

Fun, Inexpensive Summer Activities for Volunteers

2011-07-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

From Busted Halo: Recession-Proof Summer Fun
by Allison Dilyard

Get in Touch with Nature:

1. Go for a hike
It doesn’t matter if you live near the mountains — going for a hike, or a long walk through nature, is a great way to get outdoors and get away close to home. Find a state or national park, pack a picnic, bring your friends, and have a great day trip. The best part? The only thing you’ll pay for is gas.

2. Go on a bike tour
If you live near the shore, this is an especially great idea. Bike paths and easy-to-manage terrain make beach biking relaxing and fun, with beautiful views and cool ocean breezes. Make a few pit stops for ice cream or cold drinks along the way.

3. Go boating
Whatever body of water you live near — lake, river, ocean, bay — take advantage of the aquatic opportunities! Go kayaking, tubing or canoeing down a placid stream with some friends, take a sightseeing cruise, or just rent a rowboat to take out for a few hours. Who knows — maybe you’ll find a hidden island to explore!

4. Picnic in the park
Take a stroll in your local park and enjoy the performers and street vendor fare. People watching is always fun, too.

Relive Your Childhood:

1. Take a trip to the zoo
Who doesn’t love cute, fuzzy animals? Chances are, there’s a zoo near you and, chances are, it has all sorts of cuddly (and not so cuddly) creatures to see.

2. Have a game night
Invite your friends over for a potluck party of all the games you had fun playing as a kid. Everyone brings a game and a dish to share, so you can enjoy some Twister (and hope it doesn’t get too awkward), Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit over mini-quiche and cocktail wieners.

3. Visit your local science museum
Remember learning about atoms and molecules from awesome exhibits with hands-on fun? Pretend you’re a kid again and revisit the thrill of discovering some cool facts about science that you might have forgotten. And don’t forget to use your student ID (if you have one) for a discount.

4. Paint some pottery
There are plate-painting places in pretty much every part of the country. Take advantage of them with your friends and make some customized kitchenware. Paint a picture of your puppy on a mug or decorate a serving dish with a festive pattern. You can even make things to exchange with your friends when you’re finished.

Arts and Culture:

1. Go to a drive-in movie
There are only about 700 left in the country, but hopefully one is near you. Experience the American Graffiti-esque nostalgia of the 50s and 60s as you and your friends (or maybe a date!) park the car, recline your seats, grab some popcorn, and have a movie-going event you won’t forget.

2. Make your own film festival
Why pay for three-day passes to a film festival with only two movies you want to see? Instead, get your friends together for a movie night (or day!). Have a marathon viewing of Lord of the Rings, invite all the girls for a night of rom-coms and Ben & Jerry’s, or get the guys together for some beers to help you through all the movies in the Rocky series.

3. Be a tourist in your own city
There’s nothing more fun for me than going with my friends on vacation in the Big Apple for a day — visiting the Empire State Building, Times Square and Rockefeller Center, and snapping goofy photos of each other in front of all the best tourist attractions. But even if you don’t live in a city, hop in the car (or on public transportation) and get to the nearest city for a day. If the nearest urban center is too much of a trek, visit some of the best off-the-beaten path attractions or cheesy side-of-the-road tourist traps in a town near you.

4. Look at some art
Even if it’s not super-renowned, there’s probably a museum or gallery near where you live. Get out for the day and be inspired by some beautiful artwork and have something to talk about with your friends later over dinner.

http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/recession-proof-summer-fun
Allison Dilyard, a current Busted Halo intern, lives in New York City while studying undergraduate religious studies at Barnard College. In her spare time she reads whatever she can get her hands on and goes to as many movies as possible. She wants to get a Ph.D. and become either a professor or novelist -- or both.

Drastic Loss of Funding for Faith-Based Volunteer Service

2011-07-05T08:00:00.021-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 8, 2011

Drastic Loss of Funding for Faith-Based Volunteer Service

Washington, D.C. -- Catholic Volunteer Network learned recently that the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) did not fund its grant for AmeriCorps Education Awards. Catholic Volunteer Network has been able to offer the AmeriCorps Education Award to about 1,300 volunteers each year for the last 13 years.

“The loss of this funding is going to have a tremendous negative impact on many people,” said Jim Lindsay, Catholic Volunteer Network Executive Director. “Our organization’s mission and outreach initiatives will suffer, but the hardest hit will be the 1,300 volunteers who would have served as AmeriCorps members at the 900 sites run by our programs in 43 states and the District of Columbia, where volunteers have filled needed roles in schools, soup kitchens and social service agencies.”

CNCS, the federal agency that oversees volunteer service initiatives across the U.S., received a cut in funding and was able to fund only 53 programs out of more that 330 that applied. Fiscal year 2011 congressional budget appropriations were $1.1 billion, $72 million below the 2010 fiscal level. The Learn and Serve America program was cut entirely and AmeriCorps programs received a $22.5 million reduction. Coupled with the cuts, CNCS received requests for nearly twice as many national service funds as it did last year.

AmeriCorps Education Awards are vouchers earned to pay education costs at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training or to repay qualified student loans. For terms of service that are supported with 2011 funds, the award value for completion of 1,700 hours of service is $5,550. Catholic Volunteer Network volunteers will lose over $5 million dollars in education awards.

In the 2009-2010 grant year, Catholic Volunteer Network placed:

• 400 AmeriCorps volunteers in educational placements, serving nearly 250,000 people
• 80 AmeriCorps volunteers in health placements, serving nearly 85,000 people
• 50 AmeriCorps volunteers in nutrition placements, serving more than 600,000 people
• 525 AmeriCorps volunteers in social services, serving more than 750,000 people

“For 13 years, we have had a wonderful partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service,” Lindsay said. “Without the Education Award, many of the young adults, the vast majority of whom are recent college graduates, may not be able to serve. ”

Lindsay said the loss of loan forbearance during a volunteer’s period of service, an AmeriCorps benefit, will create serious obstacles for volunteers who need to defer their educational loans. “Volunteer service may no longer be an option for many young people.”

Established in 1963, Catholic Volunteer Network is the leading non-profit association for domestic and international volunteer programs. Currently, more than 14,000 volunteers serve in its member programs throughout the U.S. and in over 100 other countries worldwide. It has been the largest faith-based grantee of CNCS. The program has been vigilant in ensuring that volunteer hours counted toward the Education Award do not include religious activities or other pursuits prohibited by AmeriCorps.

Lindsay is concerned that the ability of Catholic Volunteer Network programs to recruit and retain volunteers may suffer. Catholic Volunteer Network publishes RESPONSE, an annual directory of full-time, faith-based volunteer opportunities, with more than 30,000 copies distributed last year to schools, churches and individuals. Catholic Volunteer Network conducts recruiting efforts on more than 80 college campuses annually. It holds an annual conference for its members and hosts workshops for startup programs.

Further information is available online at http://www.catholicvolunteernetwork.org/.

Mental Health and Faith

2011-06-30T08:00:00.007-04:00

Therese J. Borchard: 'Beyond Blue' By John Feister

THERE WAS A MOMENT in Therese Borchard’s life when she found herself crouched in a closet, terrified, with her kids in front of the TV in the other room. The bouts of depression and anxiety she had fought since she was a teenager—the same depression that had led her aunt-godmother to suicide—had become unbearable to her.

Eric, her husband of 10 years, persuaded Therese to allow him to take her to the hospital for help. That trip to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore was the beginning of a journey that led Therese to become one of this nation’s leading advocates for people with manic depression. You sometimes can find her books Beyond Blue or The Pocket Therapist on the racks at stores nationally; she’s been interviewed for Psychology Today, among other magazines, and has been a guest on national television shows.

But she is most known on the Internet, at a Web site of many religions called www.beliefnet.com, where she blogs and interacts with online visitors. Hers is an advocacy of caring.

“It was my Catholic faith that saved me,” Therese says unabashedly, as Eric helps two children up the stairs toward bed. At home in Annapolis, Maryland, Therese shares her story of faith, struggle, how she found a way to cope and how she now helps others. Faith is clearly at the heart of her story.

Too Catholic?

Bipolar disorder, the more accurate name for what has been called manic depression, is now known as a “spectrum disorder,” one that exists in all sorts of severity. It can be a mild cycle of ups and downs, looking more like grumpiness or sadness contrasted with superstar performance. It’s usually worse than that, going as far as days in bed contrasted with hallucinations and requiring hospitalization. In Therese’s case, it is a severe, disabling disorder, though hers is kept at bay through a combination of medical help and self-management.

For 40-year-old Therese, it started at a young age in Kettering, Ohio, where she grew up as Therese Johnson. What was masked as an exceptional childhood devotion to Catholicism was actually the beginnings of a medical condition. “When I was a little girl, I would have these anxiety spells,” she recalls. Observing her mother’s piety in the face of an alcoholic husband, who was gone by the time Therese reached 12, Therese devoted herself to religious expression. But for Therese, there was more than faith at work.

“Catholicism is the best religion for the mentally ill,” this devout Catholic says half-jokingly (she is humorous). She is speaking of a compulsive, unhealthy piety. “It can mask behaviors so that the counselor doesn’t get called.” That’s what happened in her case. The godmother she had so loved had taught Therese prayers and devotions, and Therese lost herself in them, kneeling in her room, saying “extra prayers,” doing all of the devotions a few extra times. Everyone around saw in her a profound holiness (to this day she remains devout, but less extreme).

But with her teenage years came depression. She drank heavily for the fun of it, or so she thought at first. She actually was “self-medicating” a serious depressive illness. And she had what now would be called an eating disorder—she was not eating enough.

Smart young Therese could see a problem. Her lack of freedom with alcohol was her first clue: “After giving it up for Lent for three years and being unsuccessful, I knew that moderation was just not going to work,” she recalls. She really did not want to fall into her alcoholic father’s footsteps. “I stopped drinking senior year of high school.”

But her problems persisted. At St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, she sought a counselor’s help, first to find a local Alcoholics Anonymous group. The counselor sensed other troubles and ultimately helped Therese find medical help for what she learned was bipolar disorder.

After college she went to work in Chicago for a short while, pursuing her dream to be a journalist. It wasn’t working, though. During that time, providentially, she now knows, she met Eric Borchard. They married and eventually moved to his hometown, Annapolis, to start a family.

Throughout, she clung to her faith. Her bouts with depression followed by manic energy were sometimes managed, sometimes not. She went from doctor to doctor, to no avail. She experimented with family-recommended alternative treatment approaches (meditation, yoga and so on), but they didn’t work either. Her faith could console her but couldn’t fix her: Her illness had become overwhelming.

A Helping Hand

The day Eric took Therese to the hospital was the day Therese’s life began to turn around. Receiving treatment in the coming years, she learned about bipolar disorder. She learned that it is hereditary; that alcohol is often used for self-medication of mood swings (it doesn’t work); that stress can make things worse; that certain stressors are triggers for bipolar episodes; and that with a careful diet, hearty exercise daily and doctor-supervised medication, it can be managed.

People with bipolar disorder—once they understand the illness and receive medical help—can live relatively normal and healthy lives. Ask Therese Borchard!

Her passion—in addition to being a wife and mother—has become telling the world about bipolar disorder and reaching out a helping hand to those with the disease. Bipolar disease is relatively rare—affecting about 2.6 percent of the U.S. population, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. But that’s no small number, about 5.7 million adult Americans.

Therese got involved with Beliefnet in 2006, not long after her stay at Johns Hopkins. About a month after she left the hospital, there was a politician, Douglas M. Duncan, who left the Maryland gubernatorial race because he had been diagnosed with clinical depression. “I was so empowered by that,” Therese says, speaking of the public, open way that Duncan talked about his disorder. She decided to do likewise. She wrote a piece about Duncan’s openness that wound up at Catholic News Service, which feeds news to Catholic media outlets across the continent. Someone at Beliefnet, where Therese had contributed before, read the piece and liked it. Beliefnet’s research showed that many of the site’s readers suffered from depression, so editors invited Therese to write a column about that.

“I hesitated at first, because going public with your story about depression is just—it’s really a deal-breaker,” she says with a laugh. “But I thought about the people who had really saved my life, and some of my heroes who suffered depression,” she says, citing Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, who didn’t let depression keep them from doing important work. “I needed to tell those people before me that they weren’t going insane and that there was life after depression, life after anxiety, life after hospitalization.

“Plus, I lost my godmother. She took her own life. And I thought, If I can save one person, then who cares if I ever can’t get a job because my name’s out there? That is an issue now, but I still believe I did the right thing.”

Her pages at Beliefnet are accessed by about 200,000 visitors per month, at this writing, and that number is continuing to grow, she reports. “The letters and comments I get are really amazing!” says Therese. “Whenever I think that I don’t have the energy to keep it up, I get a letter—like the one from this woman from Switzerland. She said that for two years I’ve kept her alive. Whenever she feels frightened [fearing suicide], she goes on to YouTube to watch my videos.”

Recently, Therese became associate editor of another online resource, www.PsychCentral.com, a site devoted more to medicine than to religion. She keeps up her “Beyond Blue” column at Beliefnet, though, which she still considers her favorite work.

If suicidal people contact her for help, Therese refers them to hotlines. Crisis intervention is beyond the kind of help she can give. “I need to be careful about that: I’m not a therapist,” she cautions.

The hardest parts about being so public with her illness are the “crackpots” and overly critical visitors, she says. “It’s so hard when you take a risk and put yourself out there and hear people complain, ‘You’re so obsessed, so selfindulgent.’ Or ‘There are hungry people in China, if you think you have problems!’ But you just try not to take those so personally. If I can save a life, or two, then it’s worth it.”

Therese longs for the day when, as with diabetes, arthritis or cancer, people will be able to talk about mental illnesses more freely. That’s what removes the social stigma.

Four Theresas

Therese is fueled in her advocacy through devotion to her faith. She and her family are regular parishioners at nearby St. Mary’s, where she serves as a lector and where her children attend elementary school. She prays each morning (“I really do,” she insists) because it centers her. “If you’re not centered on God and peace, and that sense of stillness, then I think you’re getting off to a rough start!” she says, laughing.

But Therese has a special devotion, as she says, to three Theresas. First is Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, with whom Therese spent a volunteer week just out of college. (“I met her!” she exclaims.) Mother Teresa’s letters, which document her own struggles with darkness, are an inspiration to Borchard. She’s quick to add that Mother Teresa’s darkness is not to be confused with clinical depression—Mother Teresa was able to keep on with her life and work; clinically depressed people can’t do that as they turn in on themselves.

St. Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite, is a source of inspiration for Therese’s mystical side—Borchard certainly believes in a very real and present transcendence. And St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Borchard’s patroness, has played an important role in her recovery.

For years our Therese carried around a St. Thérèse medal given to her by her best friend. Through thick and thin she kept that medal close at hand during the year and a half when she felt suicidal. “It was my token of hope,” she says. As her sickness progressed, though, she came dangerously close to taking her life.

These were the days before her Johns Hopkins treatment. After six weeks of outpatient therapy was deemed a failure by her health-care provider, she sat in her driveway, considering taking all of the failed prescription pills in her house. “It was probably my lowest point,” she quietly recalls. “I thought, If I’ve gone through seven doctors and a hospitalization program and six weeks of outpatient and they say that they can’t help me, then there’s obviously nothing I can do, so I’m just going to take my life and get out of here.” She pleaded for—or, more accurately, demanded—a sign from God.

On her way into the house, she reflexively picked up her mail, and noticed a piece from a woman she’d met at a conference. “In the mail there was another medal, like the one that I had been hanging on to, from a woman named Rose, and she said that she had said a novena in my name—talk about a sign!”

So, she concludes, “All of the T(h)eresas are important to me!”

Heroic Husband

In a more practical way, Therese depends upon those around her. She would not be in the place she is without Eric, she gratefully admits. “The thing he does best is to suspend his judgment and just listen. That’s the best thing you can do for anyone who is in pain, especially if you have different ‘health philosophies.’”

It was difficult for the two of them to sort out. “I never realized how many different health philosophies there were until I started to hit bottom. There were so many judgments—if I ate organically, if I did this or that.

“Self-educating and listening are the two most important things” for those close to people with bipolar disorder, she insists. “Eric got on the Internet and just studied.” The more he understood, she says, the less likely he was to think this was something Therese could control without medical help. And the more he understood, “the less scared he was.”

From today’s perspective, she can laugh: “I sort of have to stay with him no matter what he does, after him going through that!”

It was Eric who loved her, who stood with her during impossibly hard times, seeking one method after another to treat her, who didn’t throw in the towel. It was Eric who knelt on one knee before Therese in the closet that day, imploring her to put aside fear and go to a hospital. “We can’t go on this way,” he had pleaded.

It was with Eric, too, at Johns Hopkins, walking into the lobby, that Therese found the spiritual succor that would lead to healing. The two stood before the large wooden statue of Jesus that greets all who come in the main lobby with an inscription, “Come, all you weary, and I will give you rest.”

“I just cried when I read that,” she recalls. “I was so tired.”

She says she felt like the hemorrhaging woman of the Gospels (see Luke 8:43-48). “All she wanted to do was just to touch the robe. I felt like her. And I just said, ‘I believe, Jesus, I believe.’” Then she and Eric went into the elevator together and began rebuilding her life.

How Hospitable Are You?

One of the biggest challenges to families dealing with bipolar disorder—or practically any mental illness—is the social stigma, even in local parishes. There are ways, though, that we can be more sensitive and welcoming. Some suggestions from Therese’s blog at PsychCentral.comare adapted here with Therese’s permission.

Learn about it. Therese recommends starting on the Web, with mental-health Web sites such as PsychCentral.com, MentalHealth.com, WebMD.com, RevolutionHealth.comand EverydayHealth.com; checking out nonprofit groups such as NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) or DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance). You can also tune in to one of the top 10 psychology videos found on YouTube. These all can be augmented by the public library, lectures and talking to local mental-health professionals.

Talk about it. This advice is for preachers: Find ways to bring mental-health themes—understanding, compassion, solidarity—into homilies and other parish worship or presentations.

Pray about it. Praying together is a powerful affirmation to families that they are not going it alone, and that they have nothing to hide. Ask the parish liturgy committee if a Mass or other liturgy might be planned. Encourage parish prayer groups to be open to families affected by mental illness. Bring these needs into your family and personal prayer.

John Feister is editor-in-chief of this publication. He has master’s degrees in humanities and theology from Xavier University, Cincinnati.

http://www.americancatholic.org/samo/Feature.aspx?articleid=28&IssueID=24

Washington Theological Union to Conclude its Mission in 2013

2011-06-28T14:15:00.002-04:00

Press Release- June 27, 2001.

WASHINGTON, DC – Washington Theological Union (WTU), a Roman Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry in Washington, DC, announced today that it does not have the financial resources to be able to continue offering its academic services to the Church and the community beyond the 2012 - 2013 academic year.

In recent years, WTU, like many other seminaries and religious schools, has been navigating multiple financial challenges with the recent economic downturn, decline in the number of religious vocations and a national decrease in private funding for religious initiatives. Earlier this month, the Board of Trustees, in consideration of these challenges and a declining endowment, decided to close enrollment to new students after September 2011. Classes will then continue to be held to allow current students the opportunity to complete their degrees in the time remaining before the end of the 2012 - 2013 academic year.

“This was a difficult decision for us, not least because of the excellence of the education and formation our students are receiving,” said Very Rev. James Greenfield, OSFS, and Chair of the Board of Trustees. “We remain proud of all we’ve accomplished as a community, and of the many successes and contributions our students, faculty, staff and alumni are making to the Church.”

All efforts will now be focused on working with currently enrolled students to complete their studies by the 2012 - 2013 academic year. WTU, long a host to nationally recognized conferences and workshops, will continue to operate its conference center and offer lectures and programs for the Church community during this time period.

“Let this be a time to celebrate the Union's contribution to the Church, to honor the various constituencies that made it possible, and to reaffirm the Union's values, still much needed .We will enter this final phase with dignity, a sense of accomplishment, and gratitude to God," said Very Rev. John Welch, O.Carm., Provincial of the Chicago Carmelite Province and Board of Trustees member.

WTU, which boasts over 1400 religious and lay alumni throughout Archdioceses and parishes across the nation and worldwide, has educated men and women for ministry to the Church for over 40 years. Its graduates include bishops, theologians, presidents of universities, missionaries in every part of the world, pastors and lay associates. Its faculty has included world renowned scholars, homilists, pastors, pastoral counselors, spiritual masters and directors.

Media Contact: Kerry Ann Turner
Office: 202-541-5235
Email: kturner@wtu.edu

Bishops Welcome Standards to Reduce Hazardous Emissions, Cite Protection of Human Life and God’s Creation

2011-06-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Conference welcomed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed standards for mercury and air toxics produced by power plants, according to a June 20 comment filed with the Environmental Protection Agency, by Bishop Stephen Blaire, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

“Such standards should protect the health and welfare of all people, especially the most vulnerable members of our society, including unborn and other young children, from harmful exposure to toxic air pollution emitted from power plants,” said Bishop Blaire.

Bishop Blaire cited Catholic teaching on the protection of the environment and the need to protect human life and dignity at all stages. “Children, inside and outside the womb, are uniquely vulnerable to environmental hazards and exposure to toxic pollutants in the environment,” he said. “Their bodies, behaviors and size leave them more exposed than adults to such health hazards. Furthermore, since children are exposed to environmental hazards at an early age, they have more extended time to develop slowly-progressing environmentally triggered illnesses.”

Bishop Blaire also urged the EPA to take steps to not disproportionally impact the poor and vulnerable in the implementation of this rule. He noted that “[w]hile there are short-term costs involved in implementing this standard, the health benefits of such a rule outweigh these costs.”

The Domestic Justice Committee chairman stressed the urgency of acting on this health and environment priority. He called upon “leaders in government and industry to act responsibly, justly and rapidly to implement such a standard” to significantly reduce toxic air pollution.

Full text of Bishop Blaire’s comment is available online: http://www.usccb.org/ogc/2011-usccb-letter-to-lisa-jackson.pdf.

In a similar letter to the EPA, the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) also expressed support for mercury and air toxics standards to reduce harmful pollution and its health effects. The CHA’s letter is posted on their website: http://www.chausa.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=4294968373

---

Keywords: EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, emissions, standards, regulations, environment, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2011/11-130.shtml

New San Quentin chaplain sees Jesus in inmates

2011-06-21T11:43:00.000-04:00

From Catholic San Francisco:
June 8th, 2011
By Lida Wasowicz

Where others see murderers, rapists and gangsters, Jesuit Father George Williams, the new Catholic chaplain of San Quentin State Prison in Marin County, beholds Jesus.

He sees Christ in the Hell’s Angel shouting a greeting, “Hey, from one angel to another, how’s it going?” He sees Christ in the shackled inmate seeking freedom from sin through baptism, in the convict with devil’s horns tattooed on his shaved head asking to be confirmed.

And he sees Christ in the lifers who are studying theology. These inmates, on occasion, stump him with their insightful questions and surprise him with their knowledge of church teaching, which, he admits, at times surpasses his own.

“God jumps out at you when you least expect it,” said Father Williams, who served 15 years in prison ministries in Massachusetts before being appointed to his “dream job” by San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer, at California’s oldest penitentiary in January.

Walking to death row for the first time, he looked up through the razor wire to the rafters and spotted a dozen red-winged blackbirds.

“They sang all day long, a reminder that even in all this oppression and darkness, God is here,” Father Williams said.

That’s the message he spreads at the 159-year-old facility that houses nearly 6,000 prisoners, including some 750 on the nation’s largest death row. About a quarter of them are Catholic, and they keep him busy.

He’s in charge of a full sacramental calendar: three baptisms at Easter; confirmations; confessions, which are significant for their healing and forgiving; the Eucharist; and anointing of the sick. Not included are weddings and ordinations, although Father Williams says he knows inmates who would make wonderful priests and points out that St. Paul “had blood on his hands” and that prisons have a built-in monastic structure.

He makes cell calls, entering when invited as he walks the prison blocks. He says three death row Masses weekly and hopes to increase the frequency so the 50 high-security felons who usually go can do so more than once a month. At most, five are allowed to congregate at a time, so only 15 can attend a week.

Coming from a state without a death penalty, Father Williams was taken aback by San Quentin’s harsh conditions and security measures that make him the only priest in his community to wear a bulletproof vest to work. He was pleasantly surprised by the plethora of programs, beautiful Catholic chapel and hordes of volunteers who bring “a humanness here I didn’t expect.”

Passionate about his work, the priest will be encouraging students to get involved in prison ministry when he starts teaching at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, his current home.

“You see the Gospel in a totally different light in prison,” Father Williams said. “The early Christians were no strangers to prison and execution, including Jesus.”

He wants to have the same impact as the Jesuit brothers who changed his life.

Inspired by a parish priest in New Haven, Conn., Father Williams felt God’s calling as a child but was turned off to his faith when his family forbade any questioning of it as he grew older.

He sought answers in other religions — at Syracuse University in New York where he majored in political science and planned a career in the diplomatic corps, and in the Air Force, which he joined as a second lieutenant.

He started seeing the light on a mission to Alaska.

“I remember very clearly being on top of a mountain with 30 men 200 miles from anywhere,” he said, “wondering, ‘What am I doing here?’ and asking, ‘God, what do you want me to do?’”

He got the answer through an Air Force chaplain, who introduced him to a group of Jesuits working in remote Alaskan villages.

“I discovered you can be Catholic and think and have an open mind and a sense of humor,” Father Williams said. “These real missionaries on the edge got me interested in the Society of Jesus.”

In 1987, at age 30, he entered the Jesuit novitiate. As part of a prayer exercise, he was to picture himself in Gospel stories. He could easily visualize the stories but never the face of Jesus. His superior advised him to ask Jesus the reason. He did.

“I heard a voice saying, ‘I’ll show you my face in the people you will work with,’” Father Williams recalled. “The first day at the Massachusetts state prison at Norfolk, I encountered God, vividly seeing Christ in the prisoners — an image that has been with me ever since.”

The inmates urged Brother Williams to become Father Williams. He was ordained in 2004 by Cardinal Sean O’Malley in Boston.

As a Jesuit priest, his mission is to go where the need is greatest, Father Williams said.

“Nowhere is there a greater need than in the prison system that holds more than 2 million mostly poor and often disenfranchised people,” he said. “I feel a call to respond to that need.”

From the June 10, 2011, issue of Catholic San Francisco.
http://catholic-sf.org/news_select.php?newsid=23&id=58635

Prayer for Holy Trinity Sunday

2011-06-16T08:00:00.003-04:00

Let us Pray

[to the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
that our lives may bear witness to our faith]
Father,
you sent your Word
to bring us truth
and your Spirit to make us holy.

Through them we come to know
the mystery of your life.

Help us to worship you,
one God in three Persons,
by proclaiming and living our faith in you.

We ask you this, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
one God, true and living, for ever and ever. Amen.

http://www.churchyear.net/trinityprayers.html

Leaders in Transition Certificate Program

2011-06-14T10:55:00.000-04:00

Qualities of leadership exhibited by postgraduate volunteers are increasingly recognized by employers. The goal of this week-long certificate program is to offer tools and resources to help leaders transition from volunteering to employment. The certificate program is open to anyone who has completed a year or more of full-time community service within the past 12 months (since June 2010). The certificate program will be held at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana during the week of July 31–August 5, 2011. A $25 application fee is required; otherwise the program is free and includes a $150 stipend to help cover travel and food. Free on-campus housing is available.

The Leaders In Transition Certificate Program in Career Management is presented by the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business Master of Nonprofit Administration Program in collaboration with the Center for Social Concerns, Alumni Association, and The Career Center.

For more information about this opportunity and to apply, please click the following link: http://socialconcerns.nd.edu/postgraduate/leaders_transition.shtml

The Promise of Pentecost

2011-06-09T12:05:00.002-04:00

By Deacon Mike Murphy

From Catholic San Francisco:

“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” — John 20

One of the things I like to do at my school is coach. Actually, “coach” may be a bit strong. Rather, I show up at the scheduled game and practice times and try to manage the chaos. My fervent hope at the end of each day is that everybody’s smiling and nobody’s gotten hurt. Bruce Bochy and Bill Walsh, I’m not.

I work, though, with a fellow who is an absolutely fabulous coach. His players have fun, learn a lot and win most of their games. They would literally run through walls for him.

What I really love watching is how he works with his players. He treats them all as individuals, maximizing their strengths, working on their weaknesses. During a single practice, he may be a quiet teacher, a firm disciplinarian, a shoulder to cry on. He’s always there for his players, in exactly the way they need him. Because he’s been their coach, they become better players; more important, they often become better people.

I thought of him as I looked at the readings for Pentecost and the various ways in which the Holy Spirit enters the lives of the apostles. At different times, the Holy Spirit comes as tongues of fire, a strong driving wind and through the gentle breath of Jesus. These are utterly different descriptions. Yet, like my friend the coach, the Spirit in each instance touches the apostles in exactly the way they need, just when they need it. The Spirit acts with power and force, giving the virtues of courage and strength. He enters quietly, bringing to bear his calming presence. Each time, we see the same Spirit that’s present today, changing lives, forming community, bringing peace to the earth.

We turn to God for many reasons. Yet we see this week that no matter the reason, the Holy Spirit will be there, ready to make a difference. The face that the Holy Spirit will show to us each time will be the face of God that we so need at that moment.

Perhaps some young parents have been overextended and their nerves are a bit frayed. They would do anything if they could just take a nap or have a quiet cup of coffee. In that instant, the Holy Spirit might appear as a calming word from Scripture, a couple minutes of blessed silence, or even better, an understanding grandparent. That’s God, that’s the Holy Spirit, working and present in our lives, entering the world like the peaceful breath of Jesus.

At other times, the Holy Spirit might be much more forceful and directed. Maybe we witness an injustice. We might want nothing more than to just close our eyes and hope it all goes away. Yet in this case, the Holy Spirit won’t let us rest, but instead will give us the courage and strength to go into action. We’ll be amazed at what we’re able to do, the difference we’re able to make. That’s also God, that’s also the Holy Spirit, working and present in our lives, entering the world like a strong and driving wind.

Our challenge this week is twofold: To recognize that the Holy Spirit is always with us, and to then live our lives with the peace and courage that knowledge gives us. Knowing we are not alone, we can be confident he will give us the necessary graces to be good, holy, and loving people. At very different places and very different times in our lives, we may need the Spirit in very different ways. But he will be there, just when we need Him, exactly how we need him. Pentecost promises us that.

Reflection questions:
How do we need the Holy Spirit at this moment in our lives?
Are we open to recognizing the Spirit making a difference in our lives?

Mike Murphy is a permanent deacon serving at St. Charles Parish in San Carlos. He teaches religion at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton.
http://www.catholic-sf.org/news_select.php?newsid=21&id=58664

Ascension 2011

2011-06-07T10:47:00.004-04:00

From America Magazine:

Posted at: Monday, June 06, 2011
Author: John W. Martens

"One of the great beauties of the Church is the liturgical calendar and the eternal rhythms to which one becomes attuned. One of the realities of writing with the Church’s calendar is that soon you have written on almost every feast day. It is a wonderful thing to turn one’s mind to writing about the Ascension of the Lord, but should one have something new to say about the Ascension every year, or can you rely on, if not exactly the eternal rhythms of the calendar, the tried and true cut and paste from last year’s musing on the Ascension, or perhaps the year prior to that? This is a combination of posts from the last three years, dating back to Ascension 2008, which I offer today because they reflect the eternal significance of the Ascension and, in some cases, current and recent concerns.

The Ascension is not a time to be gazing skyward or backward. St. Augustine gets to the ground of this reality in The City of God Book XVIII, Chapter 53, when he says of the Parousia, citing Acts 1:6f, “it is usual to ask at this point, ‘When will this happen?’ But this question is entirely inappropriate. For had it been of profit to us to know the answer to it, who better to tell us than the Master, God himself, when the disciples asked him? For they were not silent on this matter when they were with Him; on the contrary, they asked Him directly, saying, ‘Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ But He said, ‘It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power.’” Augustine goes on to say, “in vain, therefore, do we strive to compute and define the number of years that remain in this world”; it might be an intriguing past-time, but pulls us away from the many tasks of the Church at hand.

On the other hand, Augustine returns to this passage in Book XX, Chapter 30, on the last page of his massive tome, as he considers the reality of Christ’s return – without calculating dates! – as “prefiguring the eternal rest not only of the Spirit, but of the body also.” Augustine speaks specifically of our bodily reality, but it is true also of Jesus, “who will return in the same way.” This bodily reality of Jesus, which the disciples gaze at in the Ascension narrative at the beginning of Acts, prefigures the bodily return of Jesus.

There is a very real and continuing physicality of Jesus Christ. The ascension is the celebration of Jesus’ enthronement as Lord, but also a sign of his continuing existence in the flesh, albeit the resurrected body. It has also been, in many ways, a marginalized teaching of the Church, perhaps because of its very physicality which can tend to embarrass modern or postmodern sensibilities. Where is the Risen Lord? Luke reports that “as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven” (1:9-11). Ephesians states that God has seated Christ “at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come” (1:20-21). The cosmology reported in these two New Testament writings is so very foreign to us, as Jesus seems to “float” into his home in the sky. On the other hand, the bodily existence of Jesus is real and so we cannot simply revert to the body-soul split of the ancient Greeks and even many modern thinkers.

How do we retain the core of our faith, the resurrection and the ascension of the Lord, while embedded in an ancient cosmology which we no longer share? It was Douglas Farrow’s book, Ascension and Ecclesia (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1999), which made clear to me how significant the doctrine of the ascension was, not only within the New Testament, but to the Church today. While we may reject the ancient cosmologies which describe Jesus flying into the ether, if we reject the particularity of Jesus we lose not only his bodiliness, but our own and are prone to fall into the trap of Gnosticism. The ascension is essential for the Church. Farrow writes, “to take seriously the fact that Christ has ascended to the Father is not to say he is everywhere, or nowhere, or somewhere else, but that he is with us in this twofold way: He is there, in first-century Palestine, and there again, at the parousia. Because he is with the Father, he is before us and after us; only so is he with us. He is with us precisely as a question put to our very existence, so that we too must decide with Pilate – and under essentially the same circumstances – ‘What shall I do with Jesus, who is called the Christ?’” (Ascension and Ecclesia, 225).

We must focus on the particularity of the Risen Lord. This seems such a significant point to me, that we serve and await not a cosmic or universalized principle, but the Risen Lord, who is present to us in the Scriptures, the Church and the Eucharist. Our task as Christians seems that much more grounded in light of the Ascension. T.F. Torrance in Royal Priesthood writes, “to demythologize the ascension (which means of course that it must first of all be mythologised) is to dehumanize Christ, and to dehumanize Christ is to make the Gospel of no relevance to humanity, but to turn it into an inhospitable and inhuman abstraction” (cited in Ascension and Ecclesia, 265). Jesus is not an abstraction; he has ascended to the Lord, as Ephesians 1:17-23 stresses. Our task is here on earth, again as a passage from Ephesians, 4:12, notes: “for building up the body of Christ.” We work “with all humility and gentleness” (Ephes. 4:2), according to the gifts we have been given. We are a part of the body of Christ here on earth because he is, indeed, our heavenly Lord. But we await the return of Jesus and we know that he will return, the one who shared in our humanity in every way but sin, and who models for us the life in the glory of the resurrected body."

http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=1&entry_id=4281

Helping Catholic Students Remain Catholic in a Setting of Nietzsche and Beer Pong

2011-06-02T08:00:00.010-04:00

Helping Catholic Students Remain Catholic in a Setting of Nietzsche and Beer Pong

By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN

Published: May 20, 2011

NEW HAVEN — When she graduated four years ago as the valedictorian of a Catholic high school in Chicago, Marysa Leya received a present from her biology teacher. It was a hand-painted crucifix, intended for her college dorm room, with a note from him on the back urging her: “Be sure to stay as grounded and awesome as you are now.”

Before leaving the Midwest for Yale University here, Ms. Leya also got some parting advice from her grandmother. “Don’t lose your faith,” Ms. Leya, 22, recalls being told, “out there on that liberal East Coast.”

In their divergent ways, Ms. Leya’s teacher and grandmother were expressing the conventional wisdom about religious young people heading off to college. Exposed to Nietzsche, Hitchens, co-ed dorms and beer pong, such students are almost expected to stray. Just as surely, the standard thinking goes, their adult lives of marriage and parenthood will bring them back to observance.

Things didn’t work out quite that way for Ms. Leya. In her four years at Yale, which culminate in commencement this weekend, she never missed a Sunday Mass and joined in weekly discussions of scripture. As a typical underachieving Yalie, she also drew cartoons for the student newspaper, captained the club tennis team, participated in a Polish cultural society and, oh by the way, earned her way into Northwestern’s medical school with a 3.78 grade point average as a biology major.

For all that, perhaps because of all that, Ms. Leya has also become part of a nationwide pilot program designed to keep actively Catholic college students just as actively Catholic after the last mortarboard has tumbled to earth. The program, Esteem, has operated from the contrarian premise that a college graduate who is suddenly reduced to being the young stranger in a new parish may well grow distant or even alienated from Catholicism.

“I can’t imagine shirking my faith,” Ms. Leya said in an interview this week at St. Thomas More, the Catholic chapel and center at Yale, “but how do you keep it important around all the chaos of med school? How do I become a meaningful member of a new parish? How do I allow the kind of experiences I’ve had here to continue?”

For Ms. Leya, like about 70 other students on six campuses, Esteem has provided intensive education in the Catholic practice, especially the role of laity, and a handpicked mentor who combines professional success with religious devotion. In Ms. Leya’s case, he is Dr. Leo M. Cooney Jr., a professor of geriatric medicine in Yale’s medical school, and, as important, a veteran of his own spiritual walkabout.

“We wanted people who were living out a life of faith that might have struggles,” said Kathleen A. Byrnes, a chaplain at St. Thomas More who is on Esteem’s executive team. “Not someone with all the answers.”

Esteem began, in fact, with a question. Every fall, the chaplains at St. Thomas More would welcome back alumni for the religious ritual known as the Harvard-Yale game. Invariably, those recent graduates delivered similar reports of Catholic life after Yale: stultifying parishes, aging congregations, irrelevant homilies, all resulting in a drift away. So what could be done?

A series of meetings by three people in 2004 — Geoffrey T. Boisi, a Wall Street executive active in philanthropy; Kerry Robinson, the development director at St. Thomas More; and the Rev. Robert L. Beloin, the church’s pastor — led to the initial notion of Esteem. A $25,000 grant from the church paid for a planning conference and development of a business plan.

Then, with a donation of $102,000 from an unidentified corporation, Esteem set up its pilot program for the 2010-11 academic year. Under the aegis of a national organization of Catholic executives, the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management, Esteem recruited students and mentors on campuses that included elite private schools (Stanford, Yale), public universities (Michigan State, Ohio State, U.C.L.A.) and one Catholic institution (Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn.).

Yet what all the planning comes down to, in a certain sense, is the hour each week when Ms. Leya and Dr. Cooney get together, and the chemistry that Esteem’s founders hope will emerge between them.

Dr. Cooney’s own trajectory, decades before Esteem was devised, ratifies its viewpoint. The third of 11 children in an Irish-American family, the product of Catholic education from kindergarten through college, he had many assumptions jolted when he started medical school at Yale.

To be immersed in biological science was, for him, to be confronted with an alternative system for the world than divine creation and oversight. His ultimate specialty, working with elderly patients nearing death, shook his belief in an afterlife. And such doubt seemed to him the disqualifier of faith.

Only in the last dozen years, since being introduced to St. Thomas More by a student, has he resumed regular observance, becoming more deeply involved than ever. What drew him back more than anything, he said, was Father Beloin’s message “that doubting is encouraged, that it’s part of the journey.”

Still, when Ms. Byrnes approached him about being a mentor to Ms. Leya, he asked, “What can I do?” Teaching medical students how to conduct muscle exams? That he could do. Modeling faith in action? That was getting into sin-of-pride territory.

Still, in his self-effacing way, Dr. Cooney shared what he could with Ms. Leya. He told her about the rough transition from college, with its built-in community, to the medical education’s regimen of long hours, less socializing, maybe a different hospital in a different city for your residency, then internship, then fellowship.

They talked, in a pragmatic way, about the parishes near Northwestern’s medical campus in Chicago, and the university’s Catholic center. More philosophically, Dr. Cooney reminded his protégée to find time amid the pressure to stop and reflect, to keep looking for a base, to see Catholicism as a means to an end: connection to a community.

As for Ms. Leya, she expects to attend her last Mass as a Yalie on Sunday. The chaplains have already asked that she lead the worshipers in a reading from Peter. In it, the apostle asks of the believers what Esteem has asked of her, to “let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/21/us/21religion.html?_r=1

Happy Feast of the Visitation!

2011-05-31T12:05:00.002-04:00

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,

“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with her about three months

and then returned to her home.

- Lk 1:39-56

http://www.usccb.org/nab/053111.shtml

Community Activity for Memorial Day

2011-05-26T15:42:00.000-04:00

Need a fun activity to do with your volunteer community over the long Memorial Day weekend? How about a community scavenger hunt?

On the first day:
Select one or two members from your volunteer group to create a list of memorable items that can be obtained from local stores, parks, neighbors, etc. For example, if your community of volunteers has become good friends with a local priest, place getting Fr. ____'s signature on the scavenger hunt list. Other examples include: food or menus from a favorite restaurant, pictures of close friends, a flower from a popular park, receipt from a local grocery store, etc. Once the list of items is written, make sure you have enough copies for each person in your volunteer group.

Contact appropriate people (neighbors, store owners, etc.), as necessary, to inform them that this activity will be taking place.

Have a large bag or container for each volunteer team to place these memorable items in.

Have all rules written out for volunteer members to read regarding time limits as well as proper ways to obtain the items.

On the second day:
Gather volunteers to begin the scavenger hunt. Distribute the list of items, bag/container, and list of rules.

Divide the volunteers into small teams.

Have fun!

Additional activities:
Assign point values to each item on the memorable items list. For the items that are most difficult to get, assign a higher point value.

Have a photo scavenger hunt where each team must take pictures of things or people around the local community. Then develop film and make copies for each volunteer to have as part of a scrapbook.

Invite friends, family, and members of the community to participate in the scavenger hunt. Then after the scavenger hunt is over, have a barbecue to say thank you to all the members of the local community.

Find more volunteer community activities on our website!

Lay Mission-Helpers is Hiring!

2011-05-24T10:25:00.001-04:00

Lay Mission-Helpers Association seeks an Executive Director to lead the oldest lay mission sending organization in the United States into the future.

Immediate opening

The Executive Director works in partnership with the board and the staff to provide leadership and direction toward the achievement of the Lay Mission-Helper organization’s mission, vision and strategic plan. The Executive Director implements policies approved by the board, manages the organization’s programs and operations, and represents the organization in the community—to ensure growth, financial stability and respect as a Catholic lay mission organization. Reports to: LMH Board of Directors

Major Functions:

1. Board administration and support. Supports operations and administration of Board by advising and informing, interfacing between Board and staff, and with the President, develops board/executive committee agendas.

2. Program and Service Delivery. Oversees design, modifications, marketing, promotion, delivery and quality of programs and services.

3. Financial, Tax, Risk and Facilities Management. Conducts financial analysis, analyzing trends and engaging the Board in strategic financial planning. Develops yearly budget with staff, and recommends it for Board approval. Prudently manages organization’s resources according to current laws and regulations.

4. Human Resource Management. Effectively manages the LMH staff, including the ongoing revision of personnel policies approved by the Board and manages the staff performance reviews.

5. Community and Public Relations. Assures that the LMH mission, programs and services are consistently presented in strong positive image to relevant stakeholders. Builds positive relationships with partner organizations, Catholic church leaders, LMH veterans, media and others.

6. Fundraising. Leads fundraising efforts, including supporting the Board’s involvement in fundraising, personally cultivating and soliciting donors, supervising development staff and implementation of fundraising plans and policies approved by the Board.

Qualifications:
• Master’s degree preferred. Preferred areas of study are theology, missiology.
• 10+ years experience in administration of non-profit organization
• The ideal candidate will have had cross-cultural experiences; have strong leadership and collaborative ability, good administrative experience, strong verbal and written skills, a proven track record of successful fund development, evidence of experience with team building, and knowledge and appreciation of the Catholic Church’s teachings, structure and organization.

Salary Range: $80,000 to $100,000/ year with benefits

Inquiry and resume by e-mail only to: LayMissionHelpers@gmail.com

Reconciliation in Community

2011-05-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

A reflection on how to end or renew your community experience by addressing lingering issues from the new edition of Shared Visions:

"As you approach the end of your time of service, or if you simply want to reenergize your community as you move into another year of volunteering, it is important to address lingering issues that may be clouding your living situation. It is easy to push problems aside and just try to remain civil to a community member you may be struggling with, but it is only through challenge and adversity that you are able to grow and learn about yourself during your time of service. Especially if you will not be living with the same people after this year, it is important to reconcile yourself with your community in order to walk away from this experience with a positive outlook and to be able to appreciate the gifts you received from your community members.

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives us the Beatitudes on which to reflect. He offers beautiful words that inspire us to do better in our lives. These words may have even been your inspiration for doing a year or more of service. Following his teaching on the Beatitudes, Jesus reflects on anger, adultery, divorce, retaliation and loving your enemies. In each of these teachings, Jesus tells us that not only do we need to have a relationship with God through prayer and action, but also, and just as important, we need to be in relationship with our brothers and sisters.

Specifically, in Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus tells us that in order to be able to serve the Lord, you need to make right with your neighbors. You cannot be free unless you reconcile with those who you have done wrong, and forgive those whom have done wrong against you.

Jesus says: “Go and be reconciled, then come and offer your gift.” How true these words are for us in our daily lives. If you can’t be at peace in relationships with friends, family, community members, clients, co-workers, a person you sit near on the bus, or a complete stranger half way around the world, how can you, then, offer yourself in service to others?

What good are you really doing at your job or in your community if you approach situations with disdain, anger, or indifference?

How do you find that inner peace to be able to give yourself to your work, clients, friends and family back home, and roommates?

You can find that inner peace through God and prayer, but also through letting go of the hurt and brokenness that pervades your life and heart, and asking for forgiveness for what you did against your neighbor. Once you make right with your brothers and sisters, you are able to help and serve others and yourself.

It is crucial to take the step of reconciliation in your community life. You need to address remaining problems in order to be able to move on from this experience or continue to grow with those you are living with during your time of service. Once you take the time to confront issues, you can be at peace with that problem and move on from your entire volunteer experience or continue on in your community life with a sense of freedom from that issue. Once you reconcile yourself to your brothers and sisters, then you can go and offer your gift to the world."

Peace Corps Volunteers Speak Out on Rape

2011-05-17T14:29:00.002-04:00

From the New York Times:
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: May 10, 2011

WASHINGTON — Jess Smochek arrived in Bangladesh in 2004 as a 23-year-old Peace Corps volunteer with dreams of teaching English and “helping the world.” She left six weeks later a rape victim after being brutalized in an alley by a knife-wielding gang.

When she returned to the United States, the reception she received from Peace Corps officials was as devastating, she said, as the rape itself. In Bangladesh, she had been given scant medical care; in Washington, a counselor implied that she was to blame for the attack. For years she kept quiet, feeling “ashamed and embarrassed and guilty.”

Today, Ms. Smochek is among a growing group of former Peace Corps volunteers who are speaking out about their sexual assaults, prompting scrutiny from Congress and a pledge from the agency for reform. In going public, they are exposing an ugly sliver of life in the Peace Corps: the dangers that volunteers face in far-flung corners of the world and the inconsistent — and, some say, callous — treatment they receive when they become crime victims.

“These women are alone in many cases, and they’re in rough parts of the world,” said Representative Ted Poe, Republican of Texas, who says the Peace Corps’ promises do not go far enough and is sponsoring legislation to force changes in the way it treats victims of sexual assault. “We want the United States to rush in and treat them as a victim of crime like they would be treated here at home.”

Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps has 8,655 volunteers and trainees, as young as 21 and as old as 86, serving in 77 countries. For most, service is, as the agency’s Web site boasts, “a life-defining leadership experience.”

But from 2000 to 2009, on average, 22 Peace Corps women each year reported being the victims of rape or attempted rape, the agency says. During that time, more than 1,000 Peace Corps volunteers reported sexual assaults, including 221 rapes or attempted rapes. Because sexual crimes often go unreported, experts say the incidence is likely to be higher, though they and the Peace Corps add that it is difficult to assess whether the volunteers face any greater risk overseas than women in the United States do.

On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will convene a hearing to examine what its chairwoman, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican of Florida, called “serious crimes” committed against Peace Corps volunteers, including murder; in announcing the hearing, her office cited reports of “gross mismanagement of sexual assault complaints.”

Lois Puzey, whose daughter Kate was murdered in 2009 while posted in Benin, will testify. So will Ms. Smochek, now a board member of First Response Action, a fledgling advocacy group founded by another former volunteer, Casey Frazee. Ms. Frazee was sexually assaulted in South Africa in 2009 and came home, she said, determined to not “let the Peace Corps toss me off like I was an isolated incident.”

In an interview Monday, the director of the Peace Corps, Aaron S. Williams, said he was committed to revamping the agency’s practices to create a more “victim-centered approach.”

He insisted that it was safe for women to serve in the Peace Corps. “We do not place Peace Corps volunteers in unsafe environments,” he said.

But he said the agency must modernize its procedures to “make sure that we provide compassionate care” to crime victims. Already, Mr. Williams has made some changes, including hiring a “victim’s advocate” who began work on Monday and signing an agreement with a nationally known rape crisis group to re-examine his organization’s training and policies.

The changes reflect the work of Ms. Frazee, who has spent the last 18 months tracking down Peace Corps sexual assault survivors by reaching out through social networking sites and her blog. Last year, her work attracted the attention of the ABC News program “20/20,” which ran a segment on the women in January. In recent months, Ms. Frazee, 28, has collected more than two dozen affidavits from other women, who have shared stories that Mr. Williams called “tragic.”

In interviews and documents, they paint a picture of what many call a “blame the victim” culture at the Peace Corps.

Jessica Gregg, who was drugged and sexually assaulted in 2007 in Mozambique, said a Peace Corps medical officer “made me write in my testimony that I was intoxicated” and suggested that “I willingly had sex with this guy.” She and a number of other women complained that a training video the Peace Corps uses places too much emphasis on the role of alcohol in sexual assaults; in response, Mr. Williams said the video would be replaced.

Many, like Kate Finn, who was raped in Costa Rica and now works in the district attorney’s office in Denver as a victim’s advocate, complain that they are not advised on how to prosecute their attackers; a 2010 survey of Peace Corps volunteers revealed that nearly 40 percent of those raped and 50 percent of those sexually assaulted did not report their attacks. Ms. Finn said that her attacker’s family was on the police force and that she “did not feel safe” reporting what had happened.

Still others say they are given inadequate information about counseling. Karestan Koenen, who sought therapy on her own and is now a psychologist who teaches at Columbia and Harvard, said she was shocked to discover that women today were confronting the same difficulties as she did when she was raped in 1991 in Niger.

“My own experience,” she said, “was that the treatment by the Peace Corps was worse than the rape.”

The women say Mr. Williams’s efforts, while promising, are not enough. They want Congress to pass legislation requiring, among other things, that the Peace Corps develop “sexual assault response teams” to collect forensic evidence and provide emergency health care and advocacy for victims after attacks. Mr. Williams said he was open to such legislation but has not committed to supporting it.

But whether such a bill would pass Congress is unclear. Representative Niki Tsongas, Democrat of Massachusetts, is co-sponsoring Mr. Poe’s bill, but other Democrats are skittish about it. They worry that the legislation, and Wednesday’s hearing, might be used to undermine the Peace Corps — the legacy of a Democratic president — and cut its funding.

The women of First Response Action insist that was never their intention; they say they want to improve the Peace Corps, not destroy it. Ms. Smochek, now 30 and a graduate student, said her primary goal was to alert future volunteers, and in the process perhaps bring some solace to other sexual assault survivors “to let them know they are not alone.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/us/11corps.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=peace%20corps%20volunteers%20speak%20out%20on%20rape&st=cse&scp=1

Good Help Summer Service Program

2011-05-12T11:55:00.000-04:00

SISTERS OF BON SECOURS PROJECT:

GOOD HELP SUMMER SERVICE PROGRAM

SPONSOR: Sisters of Bon Secours

DATES: July 21-26, 2011

ARRIVAL: Thursday, 5:00 pm (Check in from 5-6:00 pm, Supper at 6 pm)

DEPARTURE: Tuesday, 9:00 am (after breakfast)

DESCRIPTION: We invite single, Catholic women, ages 18 – 35, with a willingness to serve those in need, to join us for this exciting week of volunteering and faith sharing with the Sisters of Bon Secours in Baltimore.

For More Info: http://www.bonsecoursvocations.org/project-good-help

PLACE: Bon Secours Provincial House, 1525 Marriottsville Road, Marriottsville, Maryland 21104. (Baltimore area )

CHARGE: NONE (You will be responsible for your transportation to and from Marriottsville. All travel, accommodations and meals during your stay are provided by the Sisters)

REGISTRATION: Deadline: June 15, but space is limited, so send your application right away!

CONTACT: Sr. Fran Gorsuch, CBS. To register or for more information, call
201-791-3593 or for more details, visit: http://bonsecoursvocations.org/project-good-help

Let There Be Peace For All

2011-05-10T10:08:00.001-04:00

On the 17th Anniversary of Nelson Mandela's Inauguration as President of South Africa, we remember his words of peace and equality:

"We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom.

We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success.

We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world.

Let there be justice for all.

Let there be peace for all.

Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.

Let freedom reign!

The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!"