May 14, 2012, Volume VI, Number 20

FEAST OF SAINT MATTHIASMonday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Tuesday, May 15 – Feast of Saint Dympha

May 15th is the feast of St Dymphna. In the 7th Century, St Dymphna’s father, a Celtic king, became deeply depressed over the death of his wife. Tragically, he came to see his daughter as the re-incarnation of his wife and tried to force her to marry him. St Dympna fled to

Belgium and the king followed her to Geel, flew into a rage and murdered her. There she was buried in a crypt beneath the local Church. Six Centuries later workmen uncovered the crypt and found a tomb made of a shining white stone that is only found hundreds of miles away from Geel. The town’s people considered it a miracle that God had provided for her in this way and soon reports of healings spread across the area, in particular healings of people with

mental illness.

The site became a pilgrimage center. In the 13th Century, a new church was built, the Church of St Dymphna and a makeshift hospital was located at the Church. People were coming from all over to find comfort and care for their loved ones with mental illness. The church soon was overwhelmed with patients and the parish priest began to ask people to take patients into their homes. In the way of life of the middle ages, this meant that the person accepted into the home was involved in the cooking, cleaning, farming and total way of life. For those who were too sick to work, there was a hospital that the townspeople supported but most were cared for in the homes of the villagers. Thus what we know today as “foster care” began in 13th Century Geel.

Question of the WeekFor the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, May 20, 2012

"Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature…” When is the last time you proclaimed the gospel in your home? Or with friends? Or relatives? Or co-workers? How has the gospel been proclaimed to you by any of these people? What ways other than words

have been used to proclaim the gospel? What message has been proclaimed the loudest? What is your favorite message from the gospel to proclaim?

NCCL News

NEW Officers for 2012-2015

Congratulations to:President Bill MillerVice President Enedina SaucedoSecretary Linda StrykerTreasurer Joanie McKeown

This slate of officers was elected at the 76th annual NCCL Conference and Exposition in San Diego, California. Thank you to both slates for their willingness to offer themselves in service to the organization and to all who participated in the election process by voting.

Reflections from the Associate Director Gina Garroway

I just arrived home after attending my first NCCL conference, it's late. I think? Exhausted physically and mentally; but not spiritually. Experiencing feelings of exhilaration and peace at the same time. Before I go to sleep I wanted to express the pure joy I feel and a reflection seemed appropriate As the Associate Director of NCCL, I came away from the 76th annual Conference in San Diego with a feeling hope for the future of this outstanding organization and its members. A very heartfelt thank you

to everyone for your support and encouragement in my attempt to fill some very big shoes!

The election of 4 new officers to the board only added to excitement of an already informative, and engaging week as we worked hard making new friends connecting on a personal level that tends to get lost in the emails, phone calls and text messages. We were united and dedicated individuals sharing a common passion for advancements in all areas of Catechesis and Evangelization. I am invigorated and inspired; more importantly looking forward to reconnecting in Cleveland OH May 19-23, 2013!

PowerPoint announcements from the conference are posted at www.nccl.us

Some of the PowerPoint presentations from the keynote and TED presenters are also available online. Others will be posted in the coming weeks, so check back at www.nccl.us.

More information on the conference will be featured in the May 21st edition of CL Weekly.

Fr. Pierre Babin – Born to Eternal Life on Wednesday, May 9th

Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski, MHSH, D.Min. was a colleague and personal friend of Fr. Pierre Babin. She informed us that “Fr. Pierre Babin, OMI passed away on May 9, 2012. A recipient of the NCCL Life Time Achievement Award, he was an international pioneer and leader in catechesis in the 20th century.

National Day of Prayer & Remembrance For Mariners & People Of The Sea

The National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea will be celebrated May 22. The day is observed in conjunction with National Maritime Day in the United States of America, which has been celebrated since 1933 to honor those who serve as merchant mariners and to recognize the benefits of the maritime industry.

Bishop J. Kevin Boland, bishop emeritus of Savannah, Georgia and Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) promoter, encouraged dioceses to mark the national day by remembering the men and women of the sea in homilies and by including special petitions during Mass. When Mass is celebrated on May 22, the text for the Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea, is encouraged. “In a special way, let us remember those who have lost their lives at sea and those in dangerous situations,” Bishop Boland said.

Last year, in his Angelus message on Sea Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI remembered the people of the sea and the hardships they and their families face. “I address a special thought to the chaplains and volunteers who are doing their utmost for the pastoral care of seafarers, including fishers and their families,” the pope said. “I also assure the seafarers, who are unfortunately held hostage through acts of piracy, of my prayers. I hope they will be treated with respect and humanity, and I pray for their relatives, that they may be strong in faith and not to lose the hope of being reunited with their loved ones soon.”

Ninety percent of the world’s goods are transported by sea and the waterways. There are approximately 1.2 million seafarers worldwide in 10,000 commercial ships and maritime vessels. AOS is a worldwide Catholic maritime ministry for the spiritual and practical assistance to seafarers, fishermen, their families and all those who work and travel by sea and the waterways. In the USA, AOS chaplains, associates and volunteers carry on this ministry in 58 maritime ports encompassing 48 dioceses.

There are a great number of people who participate in and benefit from this ministry. On the occasion of the National Day of Remembrance, individuals and chaplaincies have shared

personal accounts of the impact and reach of this ministry through the USCCB- AOS site: http://www.usccb.org/aos. The stories are available at: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/pastoral-care-of-migrants-refugees-and-travelers/apostleship-of-the-sea/aos-news-and-events.cfm.

Pope advances causes of two possible US saints

During a meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Benedict XVI authorized decrees of “heroic virtue” for a 19th century bishop, the Servants of God Frederic Baraga, the first Bishop of Marquette, and a 20th century religious sister, Miriam Teresa Demjanovich of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth.

Both will now bear the title “Venerable,” in the place of “Servant of God.” Catholics now have formal approval to pray directly to Bishop Baraga and Sister Miriam Teresa as intercessors before God. Thursday's meeting was also notable for the Pope's action in regard to St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 12-century Benedictine nun and author who has long been venerated as a saint. On Thursday, the Pope formally added her to the Church's roster of saints, extending her liturgical feast throughout the world.

Bishop Alexander K. Sample of Marquette announced on May 10 that he was “thrilled beyond words” by the “significant step” toward the beatification and canonization of his predecessor, Venerable Frederic Baraga. Canonization will require two documented and verified miracles through his intercession. Born in Slovenia during 1797, Baraga came to the U.S. as a missionary to Native Americans in Michigan during 1830. Nicknamed the “snowshoe priest” for his preaching journeys in the Upper Great Lakes, he served as the area's first bishop from 1853 until his death in 1868.

Venerable Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, the daughter of Eastern Catholic immigrants from Slovakia, was born in 1901 and lived only 26 years. After graduating with high honors as a literature major, she taught and later joined the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey.

Hildegard of Bingen

The following are excerpts from an article that appeared in the Washington Post. If you are interested the full article is available at http://tiny.cc/8pnfew.

On Thursday (May 10), Benedict ordered Hildegard, who died in 1179, to be inscribed “in the catalogue of saints,” thus extending her cult “to the universal church.” Despite having been considered a

saint for centuries, the visionary abbess’s sainthood had never been officially recognized. It befell to Benedict, who is rumored to have plans to make her a “Doctor of the church,” to set things straight.

It would be hard to overstate Hildegard’s influence on the German-born pope, who has repeatedly turned to her writings and prophecies to explain his vision in the most difficult moments of his pontificate.

In December 2010, he quoted a long passage from one of Hildegard’s visions to assess the damage done to the church by the sex abuse scandal, and to invite the Vatican hierarchy to accept this “humiliation” as an “an exhortation to truth and a call to renewal. In the vision of St. Hildegard, the face of the church is stained with dust. ... Her garment is torn — by the sins of priests. The way she saw and expressed it is the way we have experienced it this year,” he said.

A few months earlier, he had referred to Hildegard to address calls for reform inside the church, sparked by the “abuses of the clergy.” Benedict recalled how the saint had “harshly reprimanded” those who in her lifetime wanted “radical reform,” reminding them that “true renewal” comes from “repentance” and “conversion, rather than with a change of structures.”

In both cases, Benedict seemed to draw on Hildegard to get across a key message of his pontificate. In 2006, Benedict himself drew on Hildegard to expound his thinking on women’s role in the church: not as priests but as bearers of a “spiritual power” that enables them to, yes, even “criticize the bishops.”

FREE Professional Development Webinar – THIS TUESDAY, May 15

Ave Maria Press, in partnership with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and the National Association for Lay Ministry presents a series of free, online workshops on professional development for parish ministers. For a

complete listing of professional development webinars in this series please visit www.avemariapress.com/webinars

Free Webinar – This TUESDAY, May 15, 2012

To register, go to Parish Leaders (http://tiny.cc/s04aew). European Congress on Catechesis Focuses on the Youth

The search for new and creative means of helping young people grow in knowledge of the Catholic faith is driven by the call to be part of the New Evangelization. The objective of the European Congress on Catechesis is to reflect upon the evangelization of young people from the ages of 7-16 within the context of the upcoming Year of Faith.

The Congress began with an address delivered by Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster and

president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) Commission for Catechesis, Schools and Universities. Taking into consideration the Congress' theme, the Archbishop explained, the Church is aware that She is being summoned to engage in a new evangelization. It is new both "because there is a need for fresh vigor and imagination," and because there are so many who have never head the invitation of the Gospel."

Europe is in particular need of this renewed evangelization. This is because "Europe is, in a particular sense, the focus of so much tension between the summons of the Gospel and the call of a way of life which is seen, understood, developed and lived without any reference to the reality of God whatsoever." It is in this context, Archbishop Nichols said, that "young people meet in so many circumstances, sometimes within their life at home. It is the air they breathe."

"Many young people," said the archbishop, "are filled with an instinctive generosity, an intuitive sense of hope and a desire to know and discover the underlying patterns and purpose of their existence and their experiences. These aspirations," he continued, "are a source of great hope to us all. They are evidence, if we need it, that the truths about our humanity expressed in the gift of our teaching are indeed valid and enduring."

It is significant that the congress takes place just a few months before the Year of Faith begins. One of the objectives of this year is to explore new initiatives for helping "people to deepen their knowledge of the faith in the Church." This knowledge is important, the archbishop went on to say, as "it recalls that our faith is essentially a revealed religion, a gift for us to receive, explore, understand, and come to enter ever more deeply."

Churches and Persons with Disabilities According to a recent program on Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, “Nick Vujicic is a rock star. He’s packed them in in churches around the globe. This is his second visit to the Northland megachurch in Orlando—a preacher with no arms and no legs who wants no sympathy.” “The disabled,” says religion writer Mark Pinsky, author of Amazing Gifts: Stories of Faith, Disability, and Inclusion, “are not just people who need help, but people who can help.” As more and more congregations learn how to value people with disabilities, we visit Northland, a megachurch in Orlando that welcomes and accommodates people with special needs.

You can read/watch the 8 ½ minute program at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/may-11-2012/churches-and-the-disabled/10968/. If you are interested, you can order Amazing Gifts: Stories of Faith, Disability, and Inclusion.

Catholic bishops continue to delve into concerns about Girl Scouts

The sometimes tense relationship between the Catholic Church and the Girl Scouts appears to be moving toward a resolution, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked scout leaders to clarify programs and material that some religious conservatives think promote contraception and abortion. In a letter dated March 28, the head of the bishops’ committee that has been looking into concerns about the Girl Scouts said he wanted to identify and address all remaining questions. The letter was written by Kevin C.

Rhoades, bishop of Fort Wayne.

The Associated Press reported on the letter Thursday, referring to it as an “official inquiry.” The letter said that “important questions still remain and need to be examined.” But areas of concern were not specified, and church officials declined to be more specific. They characterized the letter as simply asking for further clarification.“There had been some complaints about the Scouts, and the bishops couldn’t turn a deaf ear,” said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the bishops. “So they want to know, what’s the story?”

The Girl Scouts organization said it expects the questions to be answered to the bishops’ satisfaction. “We’ve had a strong relationship with the Catholic Church for 98 years,” said Girl Scouts spokeswoman Michelle Tompkins. “We don’t expect it to change.” The Girl Scouts have made modifications, said Robert McCarty, executive director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, which has a Web page devoted to debunking rumors about the Girl Scouts.

Blessing of a Child in the Womb — NEW!!!

The new "Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb" was crafted to support parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for -- and recognition of -- the precious gift of the child in the womb, and to foster respect for human life within society. It may be offered within the context of the Mass as well as outside of Mass. The blessing can be downloaded at http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/prayers/pro-life-blessings.cfm and is available in both English

and Spanish. Coming Soon: Order your 43-page bi-lingual booklet/s through USCCB Publishing (Item #7-316).

Other blessings available are: Blessing of a Monument to the Unborn (http://tiny.cc/98lfew) Order for the Blessing of Parents Before Childbirth (http://tiny.cc/ecmfew) Order of Blessing for Pro-Life Pilgrims (http://tiny.cc/tfmfew)

Papal Address to US Bishops

"Providing young people with a sound education in the faith represents the most urgent internal challenge facing the Catholic community in your country." Here are excerpts of the address Benedict XVI gave Saturday to a group of US bishops in Rome for their "ad limina" visit.* * * Dear Brother Bishops,I greet all of you with affection in the Lord and I offer you my prayerful good wishes for a grace-filled pilgrimage ad limina Apostolorum. In the course of our meetings I have been reflecting with you and your Brother Bishops on the intellectual and cultural challenges of the new evangelization in the context of contemporary American society. In the present talk, I wish to address the question of religious education and the faith formation of the next generation of Catholics in your country.

Before all else, I would acknowledge the great progress that has been made in recent years in improving catechesis, reviewing texts and bringing them into conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Important efforts are also being made to preserve the great patrimony of America’s Catholic elementary and high schools, which have been deeply affected by changing demographics and increased costs, while at the same time ensuring that the education they provide remains within the reach of all families, whatever their financial status.

…. It is no exaggeration to say that providing young people with a sound education in the faith represents the most urgent internal challenge facing the Catholic community in your country. The deposit of faith is a priceless treasure which each generation must pass on to the next by winning hearts to Jesus Christ and shaping minds in the knowledge, understanding and love of his Church. It is gratifying to realize that, in our day too, the Christian vision, presented in its breadth and integrity, proves immensely appealing to the imagination, idealism and aspirations of the young, who have a right to encounter the faith in all its beauty, its intellectual richness and its radical demands.

Here I would simply propose several points which I trust will prove helpful for your discernment in meeting this challenge.

First, as we know, the essential task of authentic education at every level is not simply that of passing on knowledge, essential as this is, but also of shaping hearts. There is a constant need to balance intellectual rigor in communicating effectively, attractively and integrally, the richness

of the Church’s faith with forming the young in the love of God, the praxis of the Christian moral and sacramental life and, not least, the cultivation of personal and liturgical prayer.

It follows that the question of Catholic identity, not least at the university level, entails much more than the teaching of religion or the mere presence of a chaplaincy on campus. All too often, it seems, Catholic schools and colleges have failed to challenge students to reappropriate their faith as part of the exciting intellectual discoveries which mark the experience of higher education. The fact that so many new students find themselves dissociated from the family, school and community support systems that previously facilitated the transmission of the faith should continually spur Catholic institutions of learning to create new and effective networks of support. In every aspect of their education, students need to be encouraged to articulate a vision of the harmony of faith and reason capable of guiding a life-long pursuit of knowledge and virtue.

…. The Christian commitment to learning, which gave birth to the medieval universities, was based upon this conviction that the one God, as the source of all truth and goodness, is likewise the source of the intellect’s passionate desire to know and the will’s yearning for fulfilment in love. …. During my Pastoral Visit to the United States, I spoke of the need for the Church in America to cultivate "a mindset, an intellectual culture which is genuinely Catholic" (cf. Homily at Nationals Stadium, Washington, 17 April 2008). Taking up this task certainly involves a renewal of apologetics and an emphasis on Catholic distinctiveness; ultimately however it must be aimed at proclaiming the liberating truth of Christ and stimulating greater dialogue and cooperation in building a society ever more solidly grounded in an authentic humanism inspired by the Gospel and faithful to the highest values of America’s civic and cultural heritage.

St. Francis Pledge at Three Years

Coalition staff and partners are encouraged by the momentum building in support of the Catholic Climate Covenant and St. Francis Pledge at this three year mark. Sign-ups in the past two-months are greater than any other such period since the April 2009 launch: 523 in March and 516 in April. In total, over seven thousand individuals, families, schools, parishes, dioceses and other organizations have now officially registered their St. Francis Pledge.

The Coalition suspects that at least double this number have taken the St. Francis Pledge but have not registered that Pledge on the website. www.catholicclimatecovenant.org. If you know someone like that, NCCL encourages you to remind them to post their Pledge! Don’t forget to friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

In the introduction to The Environment by Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, notes how His Holiness calls for a balanced vision of the environment that is neither taboo

(beyond human touch) nor should … be subjected to abuse. The Cardinal describes how Pope Benedict goes on to develop ‘the links between natural ecology, or respect for nature, and human ecology.’ You can purchase The Environment.

I AM

What a great book. I AM teaches kids a simple but profound message: God is not far off in the distance, or even merely beside us. In other words, we are not separate from God. There is wisdom in the Letter to Parents and Teachers in the beginning and The Meaning of I AM at the end also contains good thoughts.

You can purchase this book I AM: Why Two Little Words Mean So Much

Friendship with Jesus

Amy Welborn and illustrator Ann Kissane Engelhart have created a children's book using the Pope's own words as he spoke with a group of children in Rome who had recently made their First Communion. "Friendship With Jesus" is a large-size, 25-page book, with a simple question and answer on each page, accompanied by Kissane Engelhart's watercolor drawings.

You can order the book at Friendship with Jesus: Pope Benedict XVI Talks to Children on Their First Holy Communion.

A Belated Thought for Mother’s Day

This Mother's Day, expand your notion of "mother." In this real-life model of forest resilience and regeneration, Professor Suzanne Simard shows that all trees in a forest ecosystem are interconnected, with the largest, oldest, "mother trees" serving as hubs. The underground exchange of nutrients increases the survival of younger trees linked into the network of old trees. Amazingly, we

find that in a forest, 1+1 equals more than 2. Check out the five (5) minute video at http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=2764

Reflections at the Mass of Resurrection for Ann Nagel

My mother Ann Nagel passed away on Sunday morning, May 6. Her Mass of Christian Burial commenced at 10:30 am at Corpus Christi church in Bismarck, ND. I could feel the power of prayer from the conference participants. I was overwhelmed by the power and presence of the joy of resurrection. I began by reflecting with those, like our family, who were founding members of this parish. Originally we built a school and had Sunday Mass in the

gym; five very thin windows at the top of the wall. When we built our first church, there were not many clear windows and the wall behind the altar had black carpet so we could “pin” environment on it. We began a remodeling project and discovered that the structure was not strong enough and so a new church was built with lots of clear glass.

I shared with those present what a gift the architecture of this Church was on this occasion. The church was alive with light and while you might still shed a few tears, it was impossible to stay sad in this space. Yes, “here in this space, new light was streaming…” It was wonderful and I could feel the resurrection. I was reminded of America’s First Cathedral in Baltimore and the vision of Bishop John Carroll who guided and instructed the architect that this was to be an American church, one that was open and free. Needless to say, I was surprised that there were no stained glass windows but rather clear glass that allowed the light to enter this holy place. While I had been in Corpus Christi before, this sense of an American Church, one that embraced the light of Christ and the freedom of our forefathers, along with a real sense of “Christ be our light, shine in our hearts…” flooded my being.

On behalf of my brother and his family and especially his daughter Kyri who came in late last evening and our sister Colleen, who is back in Corsica, France dong what a mother does, taking care of her daughter who is in her eighth month and has been confined to bed rest for the last three weeks and her first grandchild, Ange-Francois and her family as well as myself, I want to thank you for your Christian witness. Your presence gives us a glimpse of what mom must be experiencing in the communion of saints. Thank you for the witness you have been in our lives to the truth of living a life in service for

others.

When someone is born to eternal life, a much better phrase than when someone dies or passes away as well as a better expression of our beliefs as Catholic Christians, you have a lot of time to think and reflect. In between the tears, you have moments that give you a glimpse into the real meaning of the words we pray on a daily basis that might have moved from ritual to routine. One of those moments happened to me, the day mom died.

One of the people I called was my aunt Sr. Evelyn. She is mom’s sister and a Benedictine woman religious in Pierre. Her friend and colleague, Sr. Mona answered the phone and

after identifying myself, she queried, “Is this bad news?” and without thinking, I quickly answered in the affirmative. She responded that she would walk the phone down to Sr. Evelyn so I had some time to ponder, simmer, if you wish, with what I had just blurted out.

As I thought, a realization came over me. I was speaking like an unbeliever. The response of a Christian is different. It would have been more accurate to say, “From a human perspective, yes, it is sad news, but from a spiritual perspective, it is the best news I could bring, for mom has joined the communion of saints and tars are turned into dancing and then I could have gone into my rendition of, There’s One More Angel in Heaven from Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

There’s one more angel in heaven, there’s one more star in the sky. Mother we’ll never forget you. And we will never forget that you have been born to eternal life and have joined the communion of saints and that you are with the One who loved you even before you were born.

Even in her dying mom was a constant reminder to care for your neighbor. She always asked how you were and if you were okay. She was always concerned where I would sleep when I visited and wasn’t bothered if she didn’t remember something. Everything was new, even if she just read it. She felt compassion for anyone who suffered and she loved little children. She prayed, for her children, for her friends and for those in need.

Mom loved to travel. This was her last trip. As Henri Nouwen said, “This is what life is about. It is being sent on a trip by a loving God, who is waiting at home for our return and is eager to watch the slides we took and hear about the friends we made. When we travel with the eyes and ears of the God who sent us, we will see wonderful sights, hear wonderful sounds, meet wonderful people ... and be happy to return home.”

Henri Nouwen expressed some thoughts about mothers that seem so appropriate to our celebration this coming Sunday. I believe these are the words that mom and many of you here have lived by. They support the plaque on mom’s wall that proclaimed “Mother is another word for love.”

“Hope and faith will both come to an end when we die. But love will remain. Love is eternal. Love comes from God and returns to God. When we die, we will lose everything that life gave us except love. The love with which we lived our lives is the life of God within us. It is the divine, indestructible core of our being. This love not only will remain but will also bear fruit from generation to generation.

When we approach our deaths let us say to those we leave behind, "Don't let your heart be troubled. The love of God that dwells in my heart will come to you and offer you consolation and comfort."

This is our faith. This is what we are proud to believe.

Blessed be God forever. -Lee Nagel, May 11, 2012

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

This is an excellent resource. Immediately following the Learning Session on this resources at the NCCL Conference and Exposition in Atlanta, 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.

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