Office of Religious Education - Archdiocese of Hartford www.orehartford.org www.ore-blogs.info
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Year for Priests During this Year for the Priest, we will be sharing stories of some of the priests and seminarians from the Archdiocese of Hartford. We ask that you keep all of our priests in your prayers in a special way. Year for Priests June 19, 2009 - June 19, 2010 We thank you, God our Fa- ther, for those who have re- sponded to your call to priestly ministry. Accept the sure knowledge of your love. Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit. Lead them to new depths of un- ion with your Son. Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us. Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holi- ness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will. O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son. Intercede for our priests that, offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be con- formed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. St. John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests. Father Michael Whyte I entered Saint John Seminary (Brighton, Massachusetts) in 1996 at 35 years of age and after earning a Bachelors (BA) in government and public policy and Masters in Public Affairs (MPA) in gerontology, and after eight years of working in government and public relations. I lobbied for the American Auto- motive Industry’s trade group, Traffic Safety Now, Inc., seeking safety belt use legislation in three New England States, as well as organiz- ing grassroots and direct legislative lobbying and public information campaigns for various clients ranging from Miller Brewing Company, New England Energy, Educational Alterna- tives (EAS), and PHARMA (the Pharmaceuti- cal Manufactures Association). In college, I thought that government was the way to create change in the world. I was not only wrong, but February 2010 ORE Connections Archdiocese of Hartford Office of Religious Education 467 Bloomfield Avenue Bloomfield, CT 06002 (860) 243-9465 Phone (860) 243-9690 Fax www.orehartford.org Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Motta, D.Min. Ext. 13 Director of ORE, Catholic Scouting Chaplain [email protected]Ms. Patricia Keck, M.A. Ext. 16 Assistant Director, Religious Education, Catechetical Leader Training, Catechesis, Sacramental Preparation, Catechist Formation, Generations of Faith, Resource Library [email protected]Mr. Carlos Aedo, M.A. Ext. 15 Coordinator for Catechesis for Hispanics [email protected]Mrs. Shawnee Baldwin, M.A. Ext. 20 Coordinator of Youth and Youth Adults Ministry, Confirmation (Youth), CYO Sports (Basketball) [email protected]Ms. Shannon Perzan Ext. 18 Coordinator of Catholic Scouting, Video Library, CYO Sports (Cheerleading) [email protected]Ms. Barbara Jean Daly Horell, MTS. Ext. 11 Coordinator of Catholic Biblical School [email protected]Mrs. Mary Marsan, M.Div. Ext. 14 Coordinator of R.C.I.A., Adult Confirmation, Adult Formation, Lay Ministry [email protected]Mrs. Jill Costa Ext. 19 [email protected]Mrs. Shirley Morris Ext. 12 [email protected]Specialized Youth Ministry Catholic Boy Scouting Chairperson John Meakin, Jr. (860) 688-7440 Catholic Girl Scouting Chairperson Dina Garafola (860) 742-1465 CYO Basketball Program John Egan (203) 596-9610 ([email protected]) CYO Cheerleading Program Robin Norko (203) 281-9663 ([email protected]) www.ctspirit.com I also learned what incremental change meant! As a small boy the thought of priesthood was ever-present and well supported in my family, and I regularly “celebrated” Mass in my living room (with Necco Wafers for the hosts). However, with college and an internship at the Connecticut State Capitol came different ideas and priesthood took a back seat. While working, I met a number of younger priests in the Archdiocese of Hartford— and certainly due to having, as a parochial vicar at my home parish, Father Gerard Schmitz, I finally decided to look into priesthood. My years in the seminary (1996-2003) were personally rewarding. I learned so much more about my faith and my Church; met many great men in the seminary from all walks of life, and had a strong and supportive faculty who truly helped me to discern priesthood within the realm of the real rather than in that of the potential. Parish as- signments, known as field education, were all very rewarding. From Boston prisons and healthcare facilities, to parish religious education program and working at the Metropolitan Tribunal in Boston, to two wonderful diaconate assignments, I found work in the Church very fulfilling. A common denomina- tor wherever I have been assigned is that the peo- ple of God are very good people, kind and gener- ous to be sure. Since my ordination in ’03, I have had two assignments: my first at Saint Mark the Evan- gelist, West Hartford, where Monsignor Michael Motta is the pastor, was a great first assignment. I was afforded a great deal of freedom to work in all aspects of parish ministry and learned much about the practical application of celebrating the liturgies of the Church and in working with the laity. My second and current assignment is at Saint Catherine of Siena, West Simsbury, first as temporary admin- istrator and now as pastor. I am in a wonderful place, in more ways than one. Saint Catherine is a very active parish with many young families and a large number of long-term parishioners, complete with more than 650 children in religious education; and a generous and dedicated staff. It is a great place to experience and live-out our Catholic faith. Very involved fami- lies and senior parishioners are able to practice their faith well while working and living very hectic [family] lives. And there is a great desire to learn more about the teachings and the Traditions and traditions of their faith; there is a natural and wholesome partnership of faith, reason, and action. As a pastor, I am learning much from them each and every day. My hope is that I will be able to help them to recognize how truly applicable our ancient faith is in our modern lives, so that it is easier to apply the Catholic faith to the daily activi- ties of life.
Transcript
Year for Priests
During this Year for the Priest, we will be sharing stories of some of the priests and seminarians from the Archdiocese of Hartford. We ask that you keep all of our priests in your prayers in a special way.
Year for Priests June 19, 2009 - June 19, 2010
We thank you, God our Fa-ther, for those who have re-sponded to your call to priestly ministry. Accept the sure knowledge of your love. Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the
Holy Spirit. Lead them to new depths of un-ion with your Son. Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holi-ness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son. Intercede for our priests that, offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be con-formed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
St. John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests.
Father Michael Whyte
I entered Saint John Seminary (Brighton, Massachusetts) in 1996 at 35 years of age and after earning a Bachelors (BA) in government and public policy and Masters in Public Affairs (MPA) in gerontology, and after eight years of working in government and public relations. I lobbied for the American Auto-motive Industry’s trade group, Traffic Safety Now, Inc., seeking safety belt use legislation in three New England States, as well as organiz-ing grassroots and direct legislative lobbying and public information campaigns for various clients ranging from Miller Brewing Company, New England Energy, Educational Alterna-tives (EAS), and PHARMA (the Pharmaceuti-cal Manufactures Association). In college, I thought that government was the way to create change in the world. I was not only wrong, but
February 2010 ORE Connections
Archdiocese of Hartford Office of Religious Education
I also learned what incremental change meant! As a small boy the thought of priesthood was ever-present and well supported in my family, and I regularly “celebrated” Mass in my living room (with Necco Wafers for the hosts). However, with college and an internship at the Connecticut State Capitol came different ideas and priesthood took a back seat. While working, I met a number of younger priests in the Archdiocese of Hartford—and certainly due to having, as a parochial vicar at my home parish, Father Gerard Schmitz, I finally decided to look into priesthood. My years in the seminary (1996-2003) were personally rewarding. I learned so much more about my faith and my Church; met many great men in the seminary from all walks of life, and had a strong and supportive faculty who truly helped me to discern priesthood within the realm of the real rather than in that of the potential. Parish as-signments, known as field education, were all very rewarding. From Boston prisons and healthcare facilities, to parish religious education program and working at the Metropolitan Tribunal in Boston, to two wonderful diaconate assignments, I found work in the Church very fulfilling. A common denomina-tor wherever I have been assigned is that the peo-ple of God are very good people, kind and gener-ous to be sure. Since my ordination in ’03, I have had two assignments: my first at Saint Mark the Evan-gelist, West Hartford, where Monsignor Michael Motta is the pastor, was a great first assignment. I was afforded a great deal of freedom to work in all aspects of parish ministry and learned much about the practical application of celebrating the liturgies of the Church and in working with the laity. My second and current assignment is at Saint Catherine of Siena, West Simsbury, first as temporary admin-istrator and now as pastor. I am in a wonderful place, in more ways than one. Saint Catherine is a very active parish with many young families and a large number of long-term parishioners, complete with more than 650 children in religious education; and a generous and dedicated staff. It is a great place to experience and live-out our Catholic faith. Very involved fami-lies and senior parishioners are able to practice their faith well while working and living very hectic [family] lives. And there is a great desire to learn more about the teachings and the Traditions and traditions of their faith; there is a natural and wholesome partnership of faith, reason, and action. As a pastor, I am learning much from them each and every day. My hope is that I will be able to help them to recognize how truly applicable our ancient faith is in our modern lives, so that it is easier to apply the Catholic faith to the daily activi-ties of life.
“No Greater Love” I have always had some difficulty trying to understand the Abraham, Isaac story. Did God really ask Abraham to sacrifice his son and then did God relent and spare Isaac? Is that the way that it happened? Would God ask parents to sacrifice one of their chil-dren? Certainly, offering up a child to appease one of the gods was happening in the primitive society in which Abraham lived. It was not uncommon for people to offer up their first born child. Was Abraham prepared to do what they did? Did Abraham want to show God that he was as religious as his pagan neighbors? Or was Abraham mistaken about God’s intentions? Did Abraham know what God was saying to him and misinterpret God’s words to him? Good questions. The Muslims tell the same story in the Koran. But their story involves Abraham and Ishmael. Ishmael was Abraham’s child by the slave women named Hagar. Muslims trace their ancestry back to Abraham and Hagar. Jews trace their history back to Abraham and Sarah. Both groups claim Abraham as their father in faith. And they have been fighting with each other ever since. But the bigger issue for me is this. These stories bear a striking resemblance to our own Christian story. Did God ask for the sacrifice of this only son? Did Jesus have to die for us? I wres-tled with the answer to that question for a long time. I still wrestle with it. What kind of God do we have who would ask for the life of his own child? Somehow, that mystery involves the Trinity. We believe in one God. We believe in three persons in one God.—not 3 separate entities. One God who came to earth as a human being. Our God, the only God, offered up Himself for us—He offered up His very life for us. Let me repeat that. It is not that God offered up his Son as if his Son lived apart from him. God offered up Himself as flesh and blood. That flesh and blood we call Jesus Christ. To be true followers of Jesus Christ we must do the same with our lives. I have seen it in the love that parents have for their chil-dren. So many parents sacrifice their lives for children who have disabilities. I have seen it in people who sacrifice their lives for the poor in our own country and in distant lands. I have seen it in peo-ple who lay down their lives for just causes in the world—for people who fight for peace unselfishly and lose their lives in the process. The story of Jesus Christ is the story of giving your life on earth for the love of God and neighbor. It is the story of many of our saints—for example, Mother Theresa of Calcutta of recent memory. And so these stories are not the stories of offering up someone else but they are the stories of offering to God what is most precious to us—our very own lives. We are told that we must
ADULT FORMATION/EVANGELIZATION/RCIA
RCIA Rite of Election
The Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Con-version will be held at the Cathedral of St. Joseph on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 3 pm. Registration forms were sent out by the Office of Religious Education. If you did not receive these forms please go to www.orehartford.org to download the forms or call Mary Marsan at 860-243-9465.
Save the Date - RCIA Retreat Day
RCIA Retreat Day will be on Saturday, March 20, 2010. This retreat is offered for catechumens, godparents, can-didates, sponsors and RCIA teams. We invite you to join us for prayer and reflection as we prepare for the upcoming Holy Week liturgies. To register call Mary Marsan at the Archdioce-san Office of Religious Education, 860- 243-946, e-mail her at [email protected], or return the enclosed flyer by March 8, 2010.
RCIA Workshop
Our fourth RCIA In-Service Workshop on the period of Mystagogy will be held on Saturday, March 6, 2010 from 9:00 am to 12 noon at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary. Mystagogy is the most misunderstood period of for-mation in the RCIA process. This workshop will focus on vari-ous methods for shaping the period of postbaptismal catechesis. Our presenter will be Ms. Lisa Orchen. To register call Mary Marsan at the Archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, 860- 243-946, e-mail her at [email protected], or return the enclosed flyer by February 26, 2010.
Looking Ahead - Adult Confirmation
Our next Adult Confirmation Program (in English and Spanish) will begin in April 2010. We have added a third loca-tion. Classes will now be held in West Hartford, Hamden and Waterbury. Adult Confirmation will be celebrated on May18, 2010 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph. For more details and the registration forms go to our web site, www.orehartford.org/adultconfirmation.htm
Lay Ministry
Do you know any lay people who are active in your church in various ministries, but need some training? Our next Lay Ministry classes will begin in September 2010. The Lay Ministry Program could enhance your parish life by providing training for the lay volunteer. The Lay Ministry program is an 18 month formation program that includes classes in theology, spiritual development and pastoral skills as well as a parish in-ternship. For more information check our website, www.lm.orehartford.org or call Mary Marsan at 860-243-9465 or email [email protected].
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From the Director’s desk…
lose our lives in order to gain the world. We must die to self be-fore we can truly live a life of happiness and fulfillment.
Join PNCEA for a free webinar discussion with Fr. Frank DeSiano, CSP, co-author of Awakening Faith. Par-ishes often want to reach those who are less-than-active in their faith. But they are frustrated about how. Awakening Faith is a comprehensive program with a methodology at-tuned to many inactive Catholics – those who are not mar-ginalized or angry, but mostly on the edge and discon-nected. Awakening Faith gives the tools, the preparation and the follow-up to allow a parish to reach out. To regis-ter, go to www.gotomeeting.com/register/854352291.
CATHOLIC BIBLICAL SCHOOL
We’re blogging! Sign up to subscribe to BJ’s Bible Blog—get the latest news from the Catholic Biblical School sent directly to your email. Go to: www.ore-blogs.info and click on BJ’s photo, then enter your email address in the field provided.
Celebrate the Catholic Biblical School’s Fif-teenth Anniversary in 2010!
Our fifteenth anniversary celebration will last all year long, with special events for CBS students, grads, friends, and others interested in centering their lives on God’s Word made flesh, Jesus the Christ.
Beginning in January and for the entire CBS fifteenth-anniversary year (2010), the Catholic Biblical School will be accepting entries for our Fifteenth Anniversary Pub-lishing Contest
Open to anyone in the Archdiocese of Hartford, we are looking for brief (one to three paragraph) writings that invite readers to reflect on a biblical text or theme. Winning entries will show how the contestant’s faith and way of living have been influenced by their reading of Scripture or their understanding of the biblical theme.
For more information, log on to http://bjdhorehartford.blogspot.com/ and click on the announce-ment on November 18, 2009, “CBS Announces Publishing Contest.” Or call BJ Daly Horell at the Office of Religious Education.
Celebration of Sacred Scripture
Enrich your Lenten journey with our annual Cele-bration of Sacred Scripture on March 21, 2010 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Sr. Mary Boys, professor at Union Theological Seminary, will walk us through some important but often misunderstood or misused passages in the gospels on the Passion and Death of Jesus. This event is open to the public and is free of charge.
This event is a good way to get to know the Arch-diocesan Biblical School, if you have ever thought about enrolling. Registration required.
A big CBS Reunion celebration is being planned for October, 2010. Details to follow. Registration required.
On November 20, Leif Kehrwald and the Center for Min-istry Development will present a program on Families and the Bi-ble. Registration required.
CBS Students and Grads—Put That Homework to Good Use!
If you have a homework reflection that connects a Bible passage with your faith, why not submit it to the Fifteenth Anniversary Publishing Contest? Winners will be published on our Bible Blog and can remain anonymous, if they choose. Upcoming Biblical School Events for Graduates: Mark Your Calendar: March 6, 2010—Sr. Barbara Bozak, Called to Be a Priestly Peo-ple March 21, 2010—Sr. Mary Boys, The Passion and Death of Jesus April 24, 2010—Sr. Jewel Renna, Prayer and the Bible November 20, 2010—Leif Kehrwald, Families and the Bible
The Complete Catholic Biblical School Calendar is now ONLINE!
For instructions on how to access the online cal-endar, type this URL (http://calendar.orehartford.org) into your browser and in the white menu bar scroll down from “ORE Hartford” to “Catholic Biblical School.” For more information contact Ms. Jill Costa in the Office of Religious Education (860-243-9465, ext. 10).
CATHOLIC SCOUTING
Technology & Catholic Scouting and Camp Fire
In trying to keep up with today’s young people, busy Catholic Scout and Camp Fire Leaders as well as parents, we have finally found another way to bring Catholic Scouting and Camp Fire to your house...in your computer. Not only are we in the process of updating our Catholic Scouting handbook on our website but we are also blogging and Facebooking! They are great ways to get connected to other scouts and scout leaders as well as keep up to date on the latest and greatest in Catholic Scouting and Camp Fire. Check it out! Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Scouting Website: http://orehartford.org/catholicscouts.htm National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Website: www.nccgscf.org National Catholic Committee on Scouting: http://www.nccsbsa.org/ Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Scouting & Camp Fire Blog: http://catholicscoutsandcampfire.blogspot.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=128360974678&ref=ts
Monsignor Sherman was invited to speak by the Office for Divine Worship. Information is available from Lucy Zocco at (860) 761-7442 or [email protected].
Religious Education Congress
Save the date: Saturday, November 6, 2010 at St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol.
Catechetical Leader Retreat
Save the Date!!! Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at Enders Island in Mystic.
NCCL 2010 Annual Conference
Save the date! The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership annual conference is scheduled for April 18-22, 2010 at Bally’s Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. Stay tuned for more details regarding speakers, workshops, etc.
NPCD 2010 Convocation
The annual National Association of Parish Catechetical Directors convocation is scheduled for April 6-8, 2010 at the Min-neapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, MN. Workshops for Religious Education include: “Worship, Sacraments and Cateche-sis”; “Connecting Parents and the Catechetical Program”; “Lifelong Catechesis – Junior High Specific”; “Using Technology for Catechesis”; “Making Scripture Come Alive”: “Spiritual Life: A Priority for Teachers and Catechists”; “Evangelizing and Cate-chizing Young Adults”: “Of One Heart: Integrating USCCB Doc-trinal Elements with Pedagogical Design” and many more. For more information or to register, go to www.ncea.org.
Celebration of Sacred Scripture
Open to everyone! Workshop on March 21, 2010 – see description under CATHOLIC BIBLICAL SCHOOL section of this newsletter. The brochure will be mailed shortly.
New Resource from Pflaum
New for 2010-2011! Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Faith For-mation Program - up-to-date faith formation handbook plus 32 weekly lessons in five age-appropriate editions. Works along with the traditional gospel weeklies. There is a student booklet and a teaching guide for each of the age groups – What the Church Be-lieves and Teaches - based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Subcommittee on the Catechism, United Sates Con-ference of Catholic Bishops, has found this catechetical series, copyright 2010, to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In addition to the catechetical experiences found in the weekly lessons, each child receives What the Church Believes and Teaches. Each lesson is a separate booklet. The complete Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Faith Formation Program costs under $9 per child. For more information, contact Christopher Adams at 1-866-532-2608 or [email protected]
RCL Benziger
Effective January 1, 2010, Jane Person will be our new sales representative, replacing Maureen Provencher, who will be taking over the Eastern New England territory. Many of you will remember Jane from her over 25 years with the former Silver Bur-dett Ginn Religion. Jane can be reached at: 1-508-797-9027 or [email protected]. Also, RCL Benziger is pleased to an-nounce the appointment of Peter Esposito as President, following the resignation of Maryann Nead as President
Upcoming Events
January 13, 2010: 7:00 p.m.: Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Meeting at the Office of Religious Education, Bloomfield. February 4, 2010: 7:30 p.m.: Next Catholic Boy Scout Committee Meeting: Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield. March 15, 2010: All applications and fees due from activity books from all Catholic Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Ventur-ers. All applications due from activity books from Catholic Girl Scouts and Camp Fire. April 12-17, 2010: NCCS Biennial Conference, Richmond, VA April 25, 2010: 3:00 pm.: Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Recognition Sun-day: Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary. May 16, 2010: 2:00 p.m.: Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Boy Scout Recognition Sunday: Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford. September 12, 2010: Catholic Youth Spectacular, Archdi-ocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield September 18, 2010: 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Boy Scout Counselors Training October 8-10, 2010: Catholic Boy Scout Retreat & Chap-lain Aide Training at Camp Strang, Goshen. October 22-24, 2010: NCCS Region I Conference, Bridge-port. November 2010: Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Retreat & Counselors Training. Exact date and location to be determined. November 7, 2010: Save the date for the Adult Boy Scout Banquet!! Location is to be determined. Please post these events in parish bulletins, websites and email. Contact Shannon Perzan for more information.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Catechesis for the 21st Century
Reminder: We are blogging. Subscribe to the blog in order to get up-to-date information. It’s free and easy. We get information about various workshops and pub-lisher information that is often too late for the newslet-ter. Go to www.ore-blogs.info and click on Pat’s pic-ture. Enter your email address to subscribe. Every time there is a new entry, you will receive an email. That’s all it takes.
Save the Date: Revised Roman Missal Discus-sion Slated
Monsignor Anthony F. Sherman, Executive Direc-tor, USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship, will discuss the forthcoming third edition of the Roman Missal on March 20th at St. James Church hall in Rocky Hill. Monsignor’s presentation will be of interest to anyone who is considering catechesis for the revised translation or is otherwise involved with Liturgy.
“Making Lent Simple, but Not Easy: Ideas for Practicing Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving” – Tuesday, February 9, 7:15-8:00 pm (CST). Facilitator: Joe Paprocki, DMIn. Brought to you by Loyola Press, A Jesuit Ministry. We sometimes make Lent too complicated when, in reality, it calls us to do only three things: pay, fast, and give alms. Simply put, Lent is a time to renew our baptis-mal commitment to be a disciple of Jesus. This commitment is nur-tured by the practice of these three disciplines. In this Webinar, Joe Paprocki will help catechists revisit the Lenten disciples of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to help them and those they teach to better understand how to approach the Lenten season is a way that will lead to renewal of our baptismal commitment. To register or for more information, contact Carrie Freyer at [email protected].
Passport to Success – Part 4
The Diocese of Springfield is hosting one of the part 4 Passport to Success Workshops – Scripture in the Catholic Tradi-tion. The program is presented by the New England Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education and is based on the NCCL/Loyola Press “The Effective DRE” series on theological top-ics. It will take place on February 23, from 9:30-2:15 and the Bishop Marshall Center in downtown Springfield. The price is $15. For more information, contact Pat Keck.
New High School Resource
Ave Maria Press has announced a new high school text-book, Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World. This book, and two additional titles that will soon follow it, constitute an exciting and challenging new approach to the catechesis of Catholic teens. The book has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and is based on the new USCCB Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age. Check out www.avemariapress.com for more information about high school resources and check out http://www.usccb.org/catechism/document/Currentlist.pdf for other approved resources.
Workshop on Autism
Mark your calendar for an informative workshop on Au-tism. The Office for People with Disabilities is sponsoring a work-shop on April 20 at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon. The speaker will be Nicole Caron, the Program Direc-tor of Jericho, the Ministry for Persons with Disabilities in the Dio-cese of Springfield, MA. Ms. Caron has an ongoing program that addresses the needs of children who have autism. Her presentation could be helpful as you plan your religious education program at your parish. Make plans to attend now. Call the Office for People with Disabilities with any questions: 860-761-7444.
Passport to Success – Summer Institute and Retreat
Save the date – June 25-27, 2010 at Immaculate Conception Spiri-tual Renewal Center in Putnam, CT. This four-part journey for training and enrichment will be presented in a retreat-like format. Sessions will include Part I (Preparing for the Journey), Part II (Embarking on the Journey), Part III (Ports of Call) and Part IV (Extending your Journey). Stay tuned for more information next month.
YOUTH MINISTRY
Catholic Youth Spectacular Sept 12, 2010
VISIT www.youthspectacular.net and avail your-self of the posters and other publicity for the CYS 2010. Of special note is the INTENT TO PARTICIPATE FORM. Send this in ASAP especially if you have youth (or other adults) who want to be on the Diocesan Youth Council (DYC). First planning meeting for the DYC is Feb 20th 10:00-2:00 at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Tho-mas Seminary, Bloomfield. Next meeting for the Manage-ment committee is Jan 13th at 1:30 at the ORE office. The CYS 2010 promotional video can be viewed on the web-site. Share it with your youth!
Liturgical Taste of Hartford
Feb. 14th Black History Month Mass at St. Joseph Cathe-dral (140 Farmington Ave.) 2:00 p.m. Feb. 21st Black History Month Mass at St. Michael, Hart-ford (7 Clark St) 9:00 a.m. Feb. 28th Black History Month Mass at St. Martin de Por-res, New Haven(136 Dixwell Ave) 10:00 a.m.
Catechetical Resources for the Roman Missal
The following Catechetical Resources, are just a few of the resources available in English on the USCCB website – www.usccb.org/romanmissal. The site notes that “the catechetical materials on the forthcoming changes in the Roman Missal are not as urgent in Spanish as in Eng-lish. Since Spanish is a Romance language derived from Latin, the present Mass texts in Spanish more easily fol-low the Latin typical edition with a literal translation and a closer grammatical structure.” Two examples are provided on the USCCB website. Topics include: Questions on the revised translation of the Order of Mass Changes in the Parts of the Priest in the revised Order of Mass Changes in the Parts of the People in the revised Order of Mass Re-sources on the Eucharistic Prayer.
Faith Formation 2020 – Focus Group
If you were unable to attend the focus group meeting with John Roberto on December 2, copies of his handouts and powerpoint presentation are available. To receive a copy, contact Pat Keck.
Lenten Morning of Reflection
A Lenten morning of reflection is scheduled for Monday, March 22, 10:00-Noon, followed by lunch at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hart-ford. Brandon Nappi, a member of the retreat team there, will be the presenter. The event is open to all catechetical leaders (DREs/CREs, Youth Ministers, Lay Ministers, RCIA Coordinators, Pastoral Associates, deacons, and Catholic Biblical School graduates and students.) For more information, contact Pat Keck.
Prepare and serve a meal for 100 men at the Immaculate Shelter in Hartford- Corner of Park and Hungerford Street. OPEN DATES: Feb 14, 21, 28. April 4, 18. May 8, 9.
Pantry Project
Come to the Helen Cooper Food Pantry at St. Michael’s Church in Hartford any Saturday (8:00-10:15) - except for after Christmas and Thanksgiving - to help sort and distribute food to the people in the neighborhood. Call Shawnee to register your group.
Hunger 101
Hunger 101 is a role-play and discussion activity de-signed to increase awareness and understanding of hunger and its many causes in our community. The program simulates the chal-lenges of feeding a family on a limited budget. It's an interactive approach to learning about hunger in our towns. Book a Hunger 101 session to prepare youth for the Disciple or Pantry projects. If you would like to become a facilitator of this program, please contact John Phillips-Sandy at [email protected] or call (860) 286-9999 x101.
Standing as One Human Family
“Training of Trainers” opportunity on Friday, February 26th or Saturday, February 27th 10:00-4:00 at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary. Learn how to do this retreat at your parish or school. Registration begins at 9:30. Cost is only $20.00 per person - includes lunch and all materials. See ORE website for flyer.
Solidarity Saturday
A Social Justice day on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the Archdiocesan Center at St Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield. Regis-tration begins at 9:30. Cost is $15.00 pp - includes lunch and a light snack. Discounted registration by February 29th. Registra-tion flyer on ORE website.
Food Fast
The season of Lent is a great time for youth groups to participate in the Food Fast program to experience the issue of hunger and food insecurity around the globe. E-mail [email protected] to register your group and get GREAT resources or e-mail Shawnee for 3 informational flyers. You can also invite a Global Fellow to speak to your youth or church community by calling Mikaele Sansone at 410-951-7336 or [email protected]
Summer Liturgical Leadership Conference
One Bread, One Cup. For High School youth, Campus and Youth Ministers - Word, Sacrament, Mission rooted in the Benedictine tradition to nurture and deepen Catholic Faith. Ses-sions for 2010: June 14-18, June 25-29, July 6-10. Sessions for 2011: June 13-17, June 27-July 1, July 6-10. Held at Saint Mein-rad School of Theology 200 Hill Drive. St. Meinrad, Indiana, 47577. Call 800-634-6723 or oboc.saintmeinrad.edu or Fr. God-frey Mullen, OSB Provost-Vice Rector at St Meinrad School of Theology 800-334-6821 or [email protected]
Christian Leadership Retreat
Select some youth to attend this weekend to learn leadership skills in a Christ-like manner with other like minded peers from across Connecticut. $175.00 per person. Contact Holy Family for a flyer and register by May 26th - 860-521-0440 ext 112. www.holyfamilyretreat.org or [email protected]
Adoration
Adoration at St. Bartholomew, Manchester every third Friday at 7:15. Contact Vicky Rispoli at 860-646-1613 for more information
Youth Ministry Awards
Yes, it is time to think of youth and adults who are deserving of recognition for their contributions to youth min-istry. Packets with application forms will be mailed or e-mailed out in February and will be due in early April. The Discipleship Award is given in recognition of a parish/school recommendation to confer upon Catholic youth who have exercised their baptismal call, served as role models in terms of Mass attendance and Catholic Social teachings, and self-lessly served their peers with unwavering commitment and dedication. To be considered, the candidate must have been involved in Comprehensive Youth Ministry for four years of high school and made a significant contribution to the spiri-tual welfare of their peers and Youth ministry. The Light of the World Award is given in recognition of a parish/school recommendation to confer upon Catholic adults (21 and over) who have faithfully lived out their baptismal call through dedication and service to Youth and Comprehen-sive Youth Ministry. To be considered for this award the can-didate must: strive to be an exemplary role model in terms of Mass attendance and Catholic Social Teaching; have given FIVE full years of service to youth through Comprehensive Youth Ministry; have made a significant contribution to the spiritual welfare of youth and/or their families and have a letter of recommendation written by a youth (s) impacted by the ministry of the candidate.
YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
CREDO: Web site www.geocities.com/credocath Get a newsletter by writing to P.O. Box 1236, Glastonbury, CT 06033. St. Patrick, Enfield: Saturdays 7:00-8:30. Contact: John Miller (413) 786-3023 St. Rose, New Haven (Spanish): Sundays at 6:00 p.m. Contact: German Hernandez: 203-865-6149 St. Mary, New Haven: Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Contact: John Alvaro 203-562-6193 [email protected] Rock Group Holy Hour: Fridays: 7:15 pm: 1st Friday: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Waterbury; 2nd Friday: Holy Spirit, Newington; 3rd Friday: St. Bartholomew, Manchester. 4th Friday: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Meriden; www.therockgroup.org Bustedhalo.com A website to surprise, challenge & support you in making meaningful faith connections.
Catholic Underground: Saturdays 7:30pm - 10:30pm. St.
An Evening for Prayer, Reflection and Sharing (on “The Shack” by William Young), February 9, 7:00-9:00 pm; The Art and Craft of Forgiving, February 23 (daytime, 9:00-1:00 or eve-ning 7:00-9:00) with The Reverend Eileen Epperson; Pysanky Workshop (egg decorating) on March 3, 6:30-9:30 pm; Come Follow Me: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus, on March 11 (daytime 9:00-1:00 or evening, 7:00-9:00) with Shawnee Baldwin. Go to www.ourladyofcalvary.com for the program guide for De-cember, 2009 – February, 2010.
Caritas Christi Center
Check out the workshops offered for January-March, 2010 on their website: www.caritaschristicenter.org. Upcoming events: Ongoing Centering Prayer – 1:30-3:00 pm; Prayerful Meditation & Movement with the Prayer of St. Francis – seven Wednesdays from February 3 – March 24, 10:30 am–noon or 6:30-8:00 pm; Spiritual Book Club: The Saints’ Guide to Happiness: Practical Lessons in the Life of the Sprit, seven Wednesdays from February 3 to March 24, 10:00-11:30 am; Preparing for Lent with the Beatitudes – February 8, 7:00-8:30 pm; Film Fest: Second-hand Lions – February 10, 6:30-9:00 pm.; DVD Series by Fr. Robert Barron on Seven Great Spiritual Blocks, four Mondays from February 22 – March 15, 7:00-8:30 pm; Lenten Evening of Reflection, February 24, 6:00-9:00 pm; Lenten Reflection on Be-ing Lost and Getting Found, March 3, 7:00-8:30 pm; Introduction to Centering Prayer as an “11th Step” Practice, March 6, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.
Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center
Check out their website: www.holyfamilyretreat.org. Upcoming events: Valentine’s Day Eucharist & Gourmet Wine Tasting Party, Saturday, February 13, 6:00 pm, Finding God Again: A Lenten Exploration, with Fr. David Cinque-grani, CP, on February 17 (daytime 10:00-2:00, evening 6:00-9:00 pm); A Shawl Knitting Retreat Day – March 20, 10:00 am-5:00 pm with Sr. Cathy Murtha, D.W. Note: Fairly traded Organic coffee is now available from the Passionists.
Parish Social Ministry
The Parish Social Ministry Program of the Office for Catholic Social Justice Ministry (formerly the Office of Ur-ban Affairs) is sponsoring “Biblical Justice: The Roots and Wings of Social Ministry” – a day of prayer, fellowship and renewal. The event will take place on Saturday, March 13 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at St. James Parish in Rocky Hill. Refreshments and lunch provided. ($30 Registration fee – financial assistance is available). The speaker is Tricia Hoyt, the director of the Office of Parish and Community Engage-ment at Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Phoenix, Ari-zona. For more information or to register – go to www.catholicsocialjustice.org or email at [email protected].
Workshop on Centering Prayer
St. Mary Church in Windsor Locks is sponsoring a workshop – “An Introduction to Centering Prayer” on Satur-day, March 14, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. The speaker is Rev. William Sheehan, OMI. Suggested donation is $20 (family discounts available). Included are six follow-up ses-sions on Sunday evenings. Bring your own “brown bag” lunch, beverages and breakfast pastries provided. For infor-mation and reservations, call Larry or Mary at 860-623-9132.
Women of Hope Ministry
St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in Hartford extends a special invitation to participate in their ongoing series Vibrant Voices in the Church Today at the Franciscan Center for Ur-ban Ministry. On Tuesday, February 23 at 6:30 pm, Sr. Miriam Therese Winter from Hartford Seminary will present Rediscovering Eucharist with a small “e”. “MT”, as she is affectionately called, is the founder and director of the Women’s Leadership Institute at Hartford Seminary. She is a professor of liturgy, worship, spirituality, and Feminist Stud-ies. For more information, contact Pat Curtis at 860-756-4034.
Free Slide Shows – Catholic Art
The National Museum of Catholic Art and History contains a wealth of fabulous images, exhibits and slide shows. Although the content comes from an American col-lection, it is accessible to everyone, with Cubist Angels sculpted by Dali, documents from Columbus’s Santa Mara and a Traveling Sisterhood exhibition. Check it out at www.nmcah.org and click on the Art and Artist Slide Show.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Visit our website at http://orehartford.org/employment.htm
2009 Calendar
Reminder: Go to www.orehartford.org and click on calendar. All of our events for Religious Education, Youth and
Young Adult Ministry, RCIA, Adult Confirmation, Biblical School, Catholic Scouting, Lay Ministry, and CYO Sports are included. You can list the events by date, print the calendar,
click on an event/workshop to get all of the information regarding times and locations or you can search for an event.
If you have any questions, contact Pat Keck. Remember to check often.
New events will be added and others updated.
James Church, 896 Main Street, Manchester. See www.catholicundergroundct.com for more information.
Catholic Dinner Club (for ages 18+)
Prayer 6:00. Dinner 6:45. Speaker 8:00. Members pay $20.00 pp. Non-members pay $25.00 pp Make reservations by the first Friday of the month. Come @7:30 for the speaker only ( $10.00pp). Questions? Contact Keith 860-747-3513 or [email protected]
Theology on Tap, New Haven 2009-10 season
Held on Mondays in the back room of Bar, 254 Crown Street, New Haven. Check out www.theologyontapnh.com for more information.
Archdiocese of Hartford Office of Religious Education 467 Bloomfield Avenue Bloomfield, CT 06002
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #4 BLOOMFIELD CT
For our brothers and sisters in Haiti af-fected by the Earthquake
God of all creation, as we weep with our family in Haiti, con-sole us. In this time of crisis, open our eyes to look beyond the disaster to see Christ in our brothers and sisters in Haiti, as Christ sees us. Be with us as we stand in solidarity with those living and working in Haiti. Be with us in our mourning and guide our efforts to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, comfort the grieving and stand for justice. With your mercy, sustain us at this time as we continue to work for peace and justice. Amen
How to Help: Donate via phone:1-877-HELP-CRS Donate online:www.crs.org Write a check: Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090 Memo portion of Check: Haiti Earthquake
