Faithful Citizenship

Each election year the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops publishes a very useful resource entitled Faithful Citizenship which explores political responsibility and conscience formation. The link below will take you to EXCELLENT resources from the USCCB for every group in your local community from children to adults! Why not give it a look see.

http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/

Publisher Offers St. Paul Resources

RCL-BENZIGER has an excellent website that will assist with basic information concerning St. Paul that would be beneficial for any member of your local faith community. You can find the site by clicking on the link below and then click on the St. Paul logo....

http://www.rclbenziger.com/

What is Evangelization?

What is Evangelization?

Saturday, October 18• 9:00 AM– 2:30 PM
Registration & hospitality from 8:30 AM

All Saints Parish Center, Stuart

The mission of the Church is Evangelization.

This day long workshop with Bishop Pates will break open the
meaning of evangelization for us as the Catholic Community in Southwest Iowa.

Priests, Deacons, members of parish staffs, pastoral councils, councils for catechesis, boards of education, adult faith formation committees, RCIA teams, principals of Catholic schools, Catholic school faculty members, and the faithful of every parish community are encouraged to attend.

Come prepared to share in the dialogue; to be evangelized as we
evangelize others!

Registration fee is $15.00 per person...lunch is included.
Deadline for registration is October 10, 2008

For more information contact Cheryl Fournier at 515/237-5006
cfournier@dmdiocese.org

Catholic Update for the Year of Paul

Catholic Updates are affordable resources made available by St. Anthony Messenger Press located in Cincinnati, Ohio. In July they released an excellent update about St. Paul. This short, 4-page essay would work well in any setting as as introduction to Paul and his role in forming and framing our Church. The Update is: Introducing St. Paul the Apostle
His Life and His Mission
By Ronald D. Witherup, S.S.

You can find it on-line at www.americancatholic.org and then clicking on "Catholic Updates" or by following this link directly: http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0708.asp

Looking for Something DYNAMIC for Young Adults?

Not too long ago I stumbled upon a website that I think is quite good. It is produced by a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago with the blessings of Cardinal Francis George. The website is entitled Word On Fire. Fr. Robert Barron offers on this website weekly homilies based on the Sunday readings, which are available as mp3 files and podcasts. Additionally there is a link to faith clips featuring Fr. Barron on YouTube. I have found this site inviting, attractive, and stimulating. Perhaps this is something you would like to check out for your communities...

http://www.wordonfire.org/

Bishop Pates to Speak October 18 in Stuart!

The fall workshop is fast approaching and we are pleased to announce that Bishop Pates will be the presenter. The workshop will be held in Stuart on Saturday, October 18, beginning at 9:00 and concluding by 2:30. The day will touch on the importance of evangelization in our local communities. More information will be coming soon. You will not want to miss this opportunity!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW!

More Web Resources for the Year of Paul

From RCL:
http://faithfirst.com/html/paulineyear/prayer.html

From Sadlier:
http://www.webelieveweb.com/catechist_development.cfm

From St. Mary’s Press:
http://www.smp.org/ResourcePage.cfm?Article=541

From Our Sunday Visitor:
http://www.osv.com/YearofStPaulNav/YearofStPaul/tabid/6133/Default.aspx

From Loyola Press:
http://yearofsaintpaul.com/

A Blog:
http://jubileeyearofsaintpaul.blogspot.com/

Jubilee Website: St. Paul Outside the Walls:
http://www.annopaolino.org/index.asp?lang=eng

From American Catholic (St. Anthony Press):
http://www.americancatholic.org/News/YearofStPaul/default.asp

From the Catholic News Agency:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/paulineyear/

Catholic Network for Adult Faith Formation

The link to the Catholic Network for Adult Faith Formation below has a host of resources available to support your ministry efforts in this year of Paul. I encourage you all to look at the list and take advantage of the materials being made available. The list is a combined project of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL, Adult Faith Formation Committee) and the National Advisory Committee on Adult Religious Education (NACARE).

http://www.cnaff.org/index.htm

Pauline Year Resources Available!

As you know, Pope Benedict XVI has declared this year (June 28, 2008-June 29, 2009) a year of Jubilee in honor of St. Paul. I am happy to be able to forward to you some resources that may assist you in planning for this special time in the life of our Church. From time to time throughout the year I will be forwarding to you resources and web links that may assist you in developing events and programs that highlight the life and ministry of Paul.

Below you will find an excellent resource available from LOYOLA PRESS….their site provides background information on St. Paul and offers a list of resources for the Pauline Year. The web address is:
http://www.yearofsaintpaul.com/

Additionally you will find some information including the declaration of the Pauline year on the Bishops Conference Website…the link is included here:

http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/stpaul/index.shtml

CNS STORY: Pope announces special year dedicated to St. Paul

CNS STORY: Pope announces special year dedicated to St. Paul

Its Not Too Late!

RCIA Workshop Concerning the Period of the Catechumenate to be held this JULY!
The DM diocese is hosting the 2-day institute with North American Forum on the Catechumenate.“Focus on Initiation—Catechumenate” begins Friday morning, July 18 and concludes 4:00 PM Saturday, July 19.All institute sessions will be held at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 6th and Grand, DM.Focus of the institute is the period of the Catechumenate itself—its intent and activities, the formation the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults calls for,the skills which coordinators and team members need.It is an excellent opportunity to discover the full meaning of “the baptismal catechumenate as the model for all faith formation.”Presenters will be
Mary Birmingham, author of Year Round Catechumenate and Word and Worship Workbook, Year A, B, C; and
Rev. Steve Lanza, pastor in the Chicago archdiocese, author for Catechumen’s Lectionary and the Foundations in Faith series.
Registration fee until May 16: $200/person ($190/person if 2 or more from the parish register together).FULL AND PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE TO PARISHES AND RCIA TEAMS. THE APPLICATION MATERIALS ARE ATTACHED TO THIS EMAIL. SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY MAY 16.A 1-page flyer about the institute is attached.The flyer and a 4-page brochure about the “Catechumenate” institute are posted on our diocesan web page: www.dmdiocese.org

Bishop Pates Installed

On May 29th over 2000 faithful gathered in Hyvee Hall in downtown Des Moines to celebrate the installation of the diocese's ninth bishop, Richard Edmond Pates. At the side you will find some of the photos from this historic event in the life of the church in Southwest Iowa!

On-Line Formation in Faith through the University of Dayton

Many of you are aware that the Diocese of Des Moines partners with the University of Dayton to provide quality on-going formation in faith. Below you will find the schedule for cycles 5, 6 and 7. If you would like more information, please contact Cheryl Fournier at 515-237-5006 or by e-mail at cfournier@dmdiocese.org.

Feel free to look at the University of Dayton's Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation web site at http://vlc.udayton.edu.

Cycle 5: Jul 13 - Aug 16

(Registration: May 20 - Jul 9)

· Basic Ecclesiology

· Catholic Beliefs

· Catholic Social Teaching 2

· Church History 2

· Evangelization and Discipleship

· General Introduction to Syro-Malabar Qurbana

· History of Catholic Social Action

· Introduction to Catechesis

· Jesus

· Marianist Studies: Prayer

· Marianist Studies: Social Justice

· Media, Faith, and Values

· National Directory for Catechesis

· Our Hearts Were Burning (Seminar)

· Overview of the GDC & NDC (Seminar)

· Sacraments

· Scripture: Introduction

· Scripture: New Testament

· Scripture: Old Testament

Cycle 6: Aug 31 - Oct 4

(Registration: Jul 15 - Aug 27)

· Advanced Ecclesiology 1

· Catholic Beliefs

· Church and Communication

· Church History 1

· Conscience

· Designing a Parish Catechetical Plan

· Digital Catechesis

· Introduction to Catechesis

· Introduction to Prayer

· Islam

· Marianist Studies: Community

· Marianist Studies: Leadership

· National Directory for Catechesis

· On Bended Knee (Seminar)

· Overview of the GDC & NDC (Seminar)

· Parish and Social Action

· Pastoral and Evangelizing Communication

· Sacraments

· Scripture: Introduction

· Scripture: New Testament

· Scripture: Old Testament

· Survey of Catholic Doctrine

Cycle 7: Oct 19 - Nov 22

(Registration: Sep 2 - Oct 15)

· Advanced Ecclesiology 2

· Basic Ecclesiology

· Catholic Beliefs

· Church History 2

· Ecumenism

· Introduction to Catechesis

· Introduction to Christian Morality

· Jesus

· Marianist Studies: Charism

· Marianist Studies: Founders

· Marianist Studies: Prayer

· Mary in Scripture and Tradition

· Media, Faith, and Values

· National Directory for Catechesis

· Our Hearts Were Burning (Seminar)

· Overview of the GDC & NDC (Seminar)

· Poverty in the U.S. and Around the World

· Praying With Children

· Sacraments

· Scripture: Introduction

· Scripture: New Testament

· Scripture: Old Testament

RCIA Workshop Concerning the Period of the Catechumenate to be held this JULY!

The DM diocese is hosting the 2-day institute with North American Forum on the Catechumenate.
“Focus on Initiation—Catechumenate” begins Friday morning, July 18 and concludes 4:00 PM Saturday, July 19.All institute sessions will be held at the Catholic Pastoral Center, 6th and Grand, DM.


Focus of the institute is the period of the Catechumenate itself—
its intent and activities, the formation the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults calls for,
the skills which coordinators and team members need.
It is an excellent opportunity to discover the full meaning of “the baptismal catechumenate as the model for all faith formation.”
Presenters will be

• Mary Birmingham, author of Year Round Catechumenate and Word and Worship Workbook, Year A, B, C; and
• Rev. Steve Lanza, pastor in the Chicago archdiocese, author for Catechumen’s Lectionary and the Foundations in Faith series.
  

Registration fee until May 16: $200/person ($190/person if 2 or more from the parish register together).
FULL AND PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE TO PARISHES AND RCIA TEAMS.
THE APPLICATION MATERIALS ARE ATTACHED TO THIS EMAIL. SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY MAY 16.

A 1-page flyer about the institute is attached.
The flyer and a 4-page brochure about the “Catechumenate” institute are posted on our diocesan web page: www.dmdiocese.org

BISHOP RICHARD PATES APPOINTED 9th BISHOP OF DES MOINES

Installation is scheduled for Thursday, May 29th at 2:00 p.m. All are invited to attend!

Lenten Resources

If you are looking for some great Lenten resources, consider looking at the US Bishops website. They have some great resources for all ages including examinations of conscience .... The resources will focus on justice and stewardship...I think you will find them helpful...additionally there is a link for an on-line radio retreat that is downloadable...check the archives for pieces you may have missed....

www.usccb.org/lent/morality.shtml#practices

INTERACTIVE ADVENT CALENDAR

I cam upon this link and thought this might be something you would appreciate knowing about...it would be a great resource for you to introduce families and catehists to...I find it full of information and cleverly designed....

This interactive Advent Calendar can open some doors for all ages to grow into the mystery that is coming to birth!

http://www.beliefnet.com/advent/

Faithful Citizenship

In Iowa we surely know that the Presidential Election is right around the corner. The candidates have been among us for months already and we keep bumping into them as the Caucuses draw nearer.

As faithful citizens in this country of ours, we owe it to ourselves and those around us to be informed as the election season continues. Last week at the annual November meeting of the Catholic Bishops, the Bishops approved this election year's version of Faithful Citizenship. The document can be found on line at www.usccb.org; follow the link for the November Bishop's Meeting on the home page. You can also order bulletin insert cards that offer a thumb-nail sketch of the document from the USCCB.

Other websites of interest to you may include the Iowa Catholic Conference at iowacatholicconference.org; the state legislature site at www.legis.state.ia.us; and Iowa Social Action at www.iowasocialaction.org

Did You Know that the Paulist's Have an ON-LINE EVANGELIZATION TRAINING PROCESS?

The Paulist's, known for their work in Evangelization ministry for a great many years has a training process available on line. Below you will find the information concerning the coursese they have available at this time.

For more information, please visit their website, www.pncea.org


• Instructor: Rev. Anthony F. Krisak, STD, PNCEA director of training and online services

• Text (required): From Maintenance to Mission: Evangelization and the Revitalization of the Parish by Rev. Robert S. Rivers, CSP. (Item 0310, It will take about one week for the book to be delivered.)

• Dates: September 10-December 2, 2007 (Sessions will open on the Monday of each week and remain open 24/7 until the end of the course.)

• Registration: $240.00 plus text.

Each week participants read a chapter of the text (must be purchased separately), view instructor input, post responses to online questions, read and respond to the input of the other participants. Plan to devote two to three hours per week (all at once or broken up into smaller time segments) to complete the reading and participate in session activities. Participants who contribute to each week’s discussion will receive a certificate at the end of the course.

Item 8151 The Paulist Evangelization Training Institute (PETI) will offer its online course Go and Make Disciples from September 10-October 21, 2007. The six-week Go and Make Disciples (GMD)Study/Discussion course is recommended for pastoral staff members and volunteer leaders (pastoral councils, evangelization committees) who are looking for a way to get started in advancing the mission of evangelization in their parish. In the first part of the course, participants will gain a basic understanding of the foundational documents of Catholic evangelization (see required texts below). In the second part, participants will examine evangelization in their own parish in light of the three goals of GMD and draft a plan of action for their own parish. Participants are encouraged to do the planning activities in the second half of the course with representative staff and interested parishioners. Each of these will also need a copy of the Planning Worksheets (see below). In the future, you will also be able to use the content and process of this course in your parish with those who will be implementing the goals of GMD with you. Registrations accepted until 5:00 pm EDT, September 6, 2007.

• Instructor: Sr. Susan Wolf, SND, PNCEA Executive Director and creator of Planning Worksheets for Goals I, II and III of Go and Make Disciples.

o Item 0452 Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the Tenth Anniversary Edition;

o Item 0400 On Evangelization in the Modern World; and

o Item 0205 Planning Worksheets for Goals I, II and III of Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the U.S

• Dates: September 10-October 21, 2007. Weekly lessons will open on the Monday of each week and remain open 24/7 until the end of the course.

• Registration: $150 plus texts.

Would you like a Daily Meditation from Henri Nouwen in your E-mail box?

The Henri Nouwen Society provides a free daily meditation for anyone who would like to receive it. The meditations are short but thought provoking. The meditations are based on the works of noted author and spiritual guide Henri Nouwen.

Follow the link below if you are interested!


http://www.henrinouwen.org/