May 20, 2013, Volume VII, Number 20

FEAST OF SAINT BERNARDINE OF SIENA Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Feast of Blessed Franz Jagerstatter – Monday, May 20, 2013Feast of Saint Christopher Magallanes – Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Feast of Saint Rita of Cascial – Wednesday, May 22, 2013Feasts of Saint Bede the Venerable; Saint Gregory VII;

Saint Mary Magdalene de’Pazzi – Saturday, May 25, 2013YEAR OF FAITH - Oct. 11, 2012, through Nov. 24, 2013

http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

Question of the WeekThe Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, May 26, 2013…the Spirit of Truth, he will guide you to all truth.” Who has guided you toward the truth? What has been used to guide you in your pursuit of the truth? How are a guide and a leader different and how are they the same? Do you respond differently to a guide than you do a leader? Why do you think Jesus chose to use the word “guide”?

NCCL News77th Annual Conference and Exposition BEGINS

Bishop Richard G. Lennon, presided at the Sunday evening Pentecost liturgy. It was also the 40th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Bishop Lennon spoke of how he had asked a group of Confirmandis would have happened if the apostles had stayed in their room and one young girl said that we wouldn’t be here.

The evening ended with a celebration of Vatican II, hosted by RCL Benziger and introduced by Jo Rotunno and reflections by Richard Fragomeni.

Rise and Shine – Meet with the Adult Faith Formation Committee

Monday, May 20, 2013 - 7:00 am - 8:00 am at the Annual NCCL Conference and Exposition in Cleveland. Special meeting of NCCL's Adult Faith Formation Committee in the Shucker’s Room, First Floor of the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. All are welcome to come and share their insights.

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Adult Faith Formation Committee helps NCCL promote the centrality of adult faith formation in catechetical ministry (NCCL Strategic Plan 2011-2014, Goal 1). Current initiatives include resource curation on the NCCL website, webinar on parish use of websites for adult faith formation, catechumenal model of faith formation, Conference 2014 planning, and ongoing promotion of Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States. New members are welcome.

Re-envisioning Time with the Publisher Round Robin

Last year at the NCCL meeting with the publishers, the question was asked, “Are the showcases working?  Are they bringing you the results you expect or need?” The consensus was that they should be re-imagined.  

Most people gathered felt that people liked the TED-Style model that NCCL had been using for a while. They seemed to agree that attention spans were getting shorter and time seemed to be moving faster.

People found it difficult to remember a Publisher Showcase when it was scheduled throughout the conference and so it was believed that a designated time before the exhibits opened would be best. Offering special coupons and the prize of an i-pad seemed to be a great enticer. NACMP offered to give-a-way

snacks in support of the publishers’ efforts and so this year’s plan was created. Let us know if it worked for you. Please complete your evaluation on line.

Representative Council Discerns Two New At-Large Board Members

Jose’ Amaya and Sr. Sally Russell were discerned as the two new members of the NCCL Board of Directors. Their terms begin at the end of the conference and run until the end of May, 2016.

José M. AmayaDirector of Faith Formation

Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Statement of my Vision and Skills for NCCL Board

I am the Director of Faith Formation of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. I am an officer of FCH, serving my

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second of a three year term. In conformity with the mission statement of NCCL, I have been invited to discern a position with the Rep Council. I would like “to enrich and strengthen” NCCL putting my gifts at the service of this catechetical organization.

I am a bilingual Hispanic catechetical leader promoting a greater understanding of “unity through diversity” in the Catholic Church of the United States. This vision has marked my ministry at the parish, diocesan and national levels. I would like to promote greater collaboration and networking among catechetical leaders placing a special emphasis on better awareness of the gifts leaders from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds bring to the catechetical vision of NCCL. Our gatherings could be better if we took the challenge to embrace leaders from diverse backgrounds to the decision making forums. I would like to serve as a bridge builder in the spirit of the new evangelization in this enterprise of lifelong faith formation. In addition to experience working with leaders from diverse backgrounds, I would like to contribute to a greater understanding of the needs of our colleagues working in military settings around the world.

Sally Russell, SSJ

Department of Evangelization

Archdiocese of Baltimore

Statement of my Vision and Skills for NCCL Board

During my more than thirty years of serving Catholic Education and the last thirteen in diocesan and presently archdiocesan position, I have come to appreciate the collaborative efforts among leaders in the local situation, on the Province Level, and through the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership. My previous experience in Catholic Education, Pastoral Ministry and as a Director of Religious Education prepared me to embrace diocesan leadership with enthusiasm, joy and a desire to seek the more for all those I serve

Serving as the NACARE Representative for the Baltimore, Washington Province afforded me the opportunity to process with others who serve Adult Faith Formation with vitality and creativity. During my NACARE service, I had the opportunity to attend the International Forum on Adult Faith Formation in Chile. The international advocates for Adult Faith Formation affirmed the RCIA as the model for all catechesis in the various countries and the unity of the understanding allowed for rich conversations and sharings. The process gathered the wisdom among the various cultures and the richness of the experience continues to further my understanding of multi- cultural concerns.

I work with a self-knowledge that believes more can happen when others are engaged with me in any endeavor. Seeing ideas and plans enlarge with the input and guidance from others excites me. Critical observation of my ministry is welcomed. Technology challenges me, but does not prohibit me from engaging with it. My attitude is to ask for all the assistance needed with the instruction, “show me how to do it

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Catechetical and Spiritual Formation Programs and retreats have been given in various states and Canada by me. NCCL has the opportunity in these challenging times to continue to be the face and heart of God for those longing for an organization that works for all. Relational leadership is paramount to the mission of NCCL. Building on strengths and acknowledging areas needed for growth will summon new understandings. Leadership will be more purposeful, more optimistically. The understanding that “God is a surprise” will allow the organization to function with greater creativity. NCCL will continue to be the voice of all disciples who care for the future of catechesis in a dynamic collaborative style.

2013 Catechetical Award Announced – Drs. Robert and Margaret McCarty

Bob and Maggie McCarty are an exemplary couple who have managed, in their various roles, to have illustrated the six tasks of catechesis, demonstrated the eight components of youth ministry, and personified the qualities of mature adult faith and discipleship; namely Living Faith, Explicit Faith and Fruitful Faith. They have embodied the command and fundamental mission of Jesus Christ on their hearts: “to proclaim his Gospel and bring people into communion with God” (NDC, p.3).

Combined, this couple has seventy five years devoted to the life Robert J. MaCarty, D.Min. and mission of the Catholic faith. Bob and Maggie epitomize the Margaret Wilson McCarty, D. Min. type of disciple, Pope Paul VI envisioned, when he wrote in Evangelii Nuntiandi, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” Individually and as a couple, they are enthusiastic proclaimers of the Gospel message.

Bob and Maggie have formed, informed and transformed youth, young adults, adults, both single and married, on the journey to discipleship. It has happened during rock-climbing, workshops, retreats, and training programs. It has occurred on this continent, in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and England. And it has ensued in their home, around the dinner table and in celebrations that can only be described as life-giving, grace-filled, and awe-inspired.

Maggie was the founding Executive Director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and Bob is its current Executive Director. Both Robert J. and Margaret McCarty hold a Doctorate in Ministry and to this day continue to serve as volunteer catechists in the Confirmation program at their home parish, St. Francis of Assisi in Fulton, MD. Currently Maggie is the Executive Director of the Office of Lasallian Education for the Christian Brothers Conference, the network uniting over 100 schools and ministries of the De La Salle Christian Brothers in the United States and Canada.

Not only has this couple touched the head, heart and hands of many, they have used their heads to teach God’s truths, their hearts to genuinely welcome anyone and their hands to do God’s work. This husband and wife, in all they do and in their very lives, give witness to a loving covenant with each other in Christ. Bob and Maggie are the authors of numerous books and articles and their latest book is Be A Champion for Youth: Standing With, By and For Young

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People, through Saint Mary’s Press. Their hobbies include rock climbing, camping, and now, grandparenting! On behalf of the catechetical community, NCCL proudly presents its 2013 Catechetical Award to Margaret Wilson McCarty, D.Min. and Robert J. McCarty, D. Min., united in marriage, in love and in service.

Pope Warns Comfortable Living Causes 'Gentrification of the Heart'

Pope Francis warned against "gentrification of the heart" as a consequence of comfortable living, and called on the faithful to "touch the flesh of Christ" by caring for the needy. "How much damage does the comfortable life, well-being, do," the pope added, looking up from his prepared text. "The gentrification of the heart paralyzes us."

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Mexico's St. Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala (1878-1963), the pope said, gave up a "comfortable life to follow the call of Jesus, taught people to love poverty, in order the more to love the poor and the sick." The Mexican saint, known as Mother Lupita, "knelt on the floor of the hospital before the sick, before the abandoned, to serve them with tenderness and compassion," and in doing so, "touched the flesh of Christ," he said.

Pope Francis said the Mexican founder of the Handmaids of St. Margaret Mary and of the Poor sets an example for everyone "not to retreat into oneself, into one's own problems, into one's own ideas, into one's own interests in this little world that has done us so much damage," but to share God's love with the needy "through gestures of delicacy and sincere affection and love."

The pope also praised St. Laura Montoya (1874-1949), the "first saint born in the beautiful land of Colombia," as a "spiritual mother of the indigenous peoples, in whom she infused hope" and taught about God in a way that "respected their culture and was not opposed to it."

"Mother Laura" founded the Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate and St. Catherine of Siena, who today "live and bring the Gospel to the most remote and needy places, as a kind of vanguard of the church," he said. "She teaches us to see the face of Jesus reflected in the other," the pope said, "to overcome indifference and individualism, welcoming everyone without prejudice or constraints, with love, giving the best of ourselves and above all, sharing with them the most valuable thing we have, which is not our works or our organizations" but "Christ and his Gospel."

Pope Francis also paid tribute to the approximately 800 people in Otranto, southern Italy, who in 1480 were decapitated by invading Ottoman forces for refusing to convert to Islam. "Where did they find the strength to remain faithful?" the pope asked. "Precisely in faith, which allows us to see beyond the limits of our human eyes, beyond the boundaries of earthly life, to contemplate the 'heavens opened,' as St. Stephen said."

The pope then prayed for "those many Christians who, in these times and in many parts of the world, right now, still suffer violence," and asked God to "give them the courage and fidelity to respond to evil with good."

All the day's news saints "pose questions to our Christian life," the pope said at the conclusion of his homily, which he delivered in a mix of Spanish and Italian. "How am I faithful to Christ? Am I able to show my faith with respect, but also with courage? Am I attentive to others? Do I recognize when someone is in need? Do I see in everyone brothers and sisters to love?"

Balancing Family Life and Work

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To prepare for the 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014, several pro-family organizations have organized a meeting at the European Parliament on May 15th entitled “Balancing Family Life and Work” in order to raise awareness of the anniversary in the European Union.

“The 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family offers an opportunity to refocus on the role of families, take stock of recent trends and share good practices in the field of family policies, review challenges faced by families worldwide and recommend solutions,“ the organizers of the event said. “The event will focus on work-family balance that is one of the three main themes of the 20th Anniversary; besides confronting family poverty and social exclusion, and advancing intergenerational solidarity.”

The first panel on the ‘Rush hour of life and the life cycle approach’ will explore practices that proved to be effective in promoting a better work-life balance for families. With reference to these good practices, the speakers of the second panel will provide their expert opinion on how the different stakeholders (employers, employees, civil society) can work together to enhance these practices.

The conference shall also provide an opportunity to explore the possibility of creating a European family-friendly label as an initiative of the European civil society. The language of the conference will be English. For more information on the meeting, go to www.family2014.org

FREE Professional Development Webinar – Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Ave Maria Press, in partnership with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, the National Association for Lay Ministry, and National Federation of Priests' Councils presents a series of free, online workshops on professional development for parish ministers. This webinar 13

Ways to Become a Better Religious Educator During Summer Break is offered on Tuesday, June 4 at 3:00 pm EDT. You can register at PDW - 06-04-2013 (http://tiny.cc/voupww). For a complete listing of professional development webinars in this series, please visit

www.avemariapress.com/webinars .

13 Ways to Become a Better Religious Educator During Summer Break

Tuesday, June 4, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

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School's out, but that doesn't mean teachers and catechists can't use the summer to become the best teachers and leaders they can be next year!

Jared Dees, author of the new book 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator, will share thirteen exercises and scriptural reflections for religious educators to increase their effectiveness as master-teachers. Participants will renew their sense of mission as they reflect on this past school year and look ahead to the next school year.

All registered participants will get a handout with exercises to share with their colleagues over the summer.

You can purchase 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator.

Invitation to the 2013 Bernardin Award and Murnion Lecture

The 2013 Bernardin Award and Murnion Lecture, “Shaping Parish Life: Ongoing Influences of Vatican II and the Catholic Common Ground Initiative” will be held on June 7th at 6:00 PM. The evening will feature the presentation of the annual Cardinal

Bernardin Award to Dr. Zeni Fox, Professor of Pastoral Theology at Seton Hall University. The award presentation will be followed by the annual Philip Murnion Lecture given by Sr. Katarina Schuh, O.S.F., of St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minn. A brochure can be downloaded at http://tiny.cc/1pq4ww.

Liguori Publications Announces New Publisher and New President

The board of directors of Liguori Publications has unanimously selected a multi-media journalist as publisher (CEO) and a businessman and priest as president. The new publisher is Virgil Tipton of Richmond Heights, Mo., and the new president is the Rev. Donald Willard, C.Ss.R., now serving in a

parish in California. The two succeed the Rev. Mathew Kessler, C.Ss.R., who has served as both president and publisher for six years. The change is effective July 1, 2013.

"Fr. Mat has served with great distinction and has positioned Liguori Publications well to adapt to the future of publishing," said the Rev. Matt Allman, C.Ss.R., chairman of the board of directors. "We have confidence that Virgil and Fr. Don will expand on that legacy."

Tipton, a native of Springfield, Ill., began his career as a reporter and editor at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He was the founding editor of the

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newspaper's Web site, and led the effort to encourage reporters and editors to participate in the site. He went on to become deputy editor of the newspaper, overseeing digital publishing, the news research library and computer-assisted reporting. He also worked for NewsEngin Inc., a company that builds software for news organizations.

Willard was professed as a Redemptorist on Aug. 14, 2004, and ordained on June 8, 2008. He was raised on a farm near Pittsfield, Ill. After attending Illinois State University, he gained management experience in many different businesses before becoming an investment banker and an interior decorator.

Although he was successful in business, he felt unfulfilled and answered the call of God to be a priest. He graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy while engaging in missionary experiences in Mexico, Jamaica, Thailand, and China. After making his vows with the Redemptorists, he received his master’s degree in divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Since his ordination, Rev. Willard has been the Associate Pastor at St. Mary of

the Assumption in Whittier, Calif. While he has been very busy at a large parish with a grade school, he has also preached missions, offered retreats, and provided formation classes to members of a religious congregation. He also serves as a member of the investment council for the Denver Province of the Redemptorists.

Beep Baseball: Baseball for the Blind & Visually Impaired

The Long Island Bombers are a dedicated group of baseball enthusiasts from the Long Island and tri-state area with a very unique perspective on game...they are blind and visually impaired. But that doesn't stop them from hitting the diamond! This is a great reminder that anything is possible and we all need to work to be inclusive of students and adults with special needs. Watch this video at http://tiny.cc/8dt2ww.

Douglas, the Boy Who Knew God

This story is about prayer. It is a great reminder that the children can teach us if we are open and willing to listen and learn. This book along with five others is part of Pray Me a Story – Series 2 published by Loyola Press. You can purchase Douglas, The Boy Who Knew God.

Knowing Jesus and His Message – Conociendo a Jesus y su Mensaje

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This is an excellent resource. Immediately following the Learning Session on this resource at the NCCL Conference and Exposition in San Diego, the NCCL Bookstore sold over twenty (20) copies of the book in English and Spanish.

Based on the protocol used to evaluate elementary religion series, the book used fifteen standards for Pre-K and K

through Grades 7 & 8. Included with the binder is a CD with all the materials available for duplication. This is an ideal help for any elementary catechist regardless of the series you might be using. Check out the following and use the Order Form.

PREFACE - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/nysql) EXPLANATION - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/xuvw8) Standards - Explained (http://tiny.cc/65wmc) Normas y Fundamentos (http://tiny.cc/zfrg2) ORDER FORM - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/9j0mb)

Looking For A Good Book?

Stop by the NCCL Bookstore. Purchasing books, CDs, DVDs, and other products on Amazon through the NCCL Bookstore (http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20) helps support this valuable online ministry.

If you are an on-line shopper and you frequent Amazon.com, please enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore as the organization benefits from every purchase you make. It’s an ideal way to support our ministry. Just go to our Home page (www.NCCL.org) and click on the Store tab or click on http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20 and it will take you directly to our bookstore. It doesn’t matter what you buy, as long as you enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore, we get a percentage of your purchases.

We are just building our bookstore and adding titles every day, so if you have any suggestions for books you believe should be available through our bookstore, please drop NCCL a note. All books mentioned in CL Weekly are available at the NCCL Bookstore.

Please “LIKE” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NCCLonline – we have over 330 LIKES

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“FOLLOW” us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NCCLonline – What’s going on in your catechetical environment?

Feedback/Comments should be addressed to: lnagel@nccl.org

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