June 18, 2012, Volume VI, Number 25
FEAST OF SAINT VERNA HOLYHEAD
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga – June 21, 2012
Patron Saint of Catholic Youth, Teenagers, and Youth
Saint Thomas More – June 22, 2012
Patron Saint of Attorneys, Civil servants, Court clerks, Lawyers, Politicians, and Public Servants
Question of the Week
For the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
The child grew and became strong in spirit…” What does it mean to ‘become strong in spirit”?
What are the characteristics you associate with someone who is “strong in spirit”? How are you
“strong in spirit”? How do you foster growth “in the Spirit” in another person? in your parish? in
yourself?
NCCL News
The theme for 2012 Catechetical Sunday is "Catechists and Teachers as Agents of the New
Evangelization." The Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis has prepared a variety of
materials to assist catechists and Catholic school teachers to better understand and embrace Pope
Benedict XVI's invitation to be evangelists. The resources will assist parishes in celebrating
Catechetical Sunday, not only in September, but also throughout the 2012-2013 year. These
materials are provided free of charge. These resources can be found at Catechetical Sunday
2012 Resources (http://tiny.cc/m10nfw).
“Before Catholics can go out and evangelize, they must be evangelized,” said Bishop David
Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin, chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis
of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “We celebrate catechists because, since
they instruct our people, they have a crucial role in the New Evangelization.”
The New Evangelization, the effort to rekindle the faith in Catholics, whether practicing or not,
is a major focus of the Year of Faith, an effort announced by Pope Benedict XVI beginning on
October 11 and running through November 24, 2013.
We are featuring a Catechist In-Service this week entitled Catechists and Teachers as Agents of
the New Evangelization by Rosa Monique Peña, OP, National Catechetical Consultant for
William H. Sadlier, Inc. Download a PDF at (http://tiny.cc/ll4sfw). Along with a Commissioning
Service (http://tiny.cc/lm4sfw)
As in past years, NCCL will sell printed copies of prayer cards, family commitment cards,
posters, and certificates in English and Spanish. Watch you email and next week’s CL Weekly for
more information on ordering your Catechetical Sunday materials. Help your organization and
order your materials from NCCL. In the meantime, check out the free resources which include
 Theological Reflection
 Catechist-in-service
 Teaching Aids
 Parish Resources (excellent parish bulletin inserts)
NCCL 2012 Conference Survey Available for Completion – Three Days Left
If you attended our 76th annual NCCL conference and exposition in San Diego,
please respond to the survey link that was sent to you earlier this week. You
have now had time to reflect on your experience and we are asking that you
complete the evaluation survey by June 20, 2012. This will allow an initial
summary to be prepared for the Board meeting in Washington DC during the
last week of June. For the 91 who have already responded, THANK YOU.
The survey has a total of 57 questions and is divided into the following nine categories:
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General Information
Conference Materials
General Sessions
Prayer Feedback
Business meeting Feedback
Forum Meetings
Learning Session Feedback
Special offerings
Additional Information
7 Questions ( 1 - 7)
7 Questions ( 8 -14)
5 Questions (15-19)
3 Questions (20-22)
4 Questions (23-26)
6 Questions (27-32)
5 Questions (33-37)
10 Questions (38-47)
10 Questions (48-57)
Please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012NCCLConfEval and complete your
survey by Wednesday, June 20, 2012.
Fortnight for Freedom
The fourteen days from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St.
John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day,
are dedicated to this “fortnight for freedom”—a great hymn of
prayer for our country. Our liturgical calendar celebrates a series
of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution
by political power—St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, St.
John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the
Church of Rome. Culminating on Independence Day, this special
period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action will emphasize both our Christian and
American heritage of liberty. Dioceses and parishes around the country have scheduled
special events that support a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious
liberty.
Two videos on religious liberty can be found at
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/fortnight-forfreedom/index.cfm. One is by Archbishop William Lori and deals with
religious liberty as an inherent right, endowed by
the Creator and based in our dignity as human
persons, created in God’s image. The other is by
Bishop Ricardo Ramirez, OSB and he addresses
persecution or harassment of a person based on religion is not a relic of
the past. We must all work together to guarantee religious freedom: "a
cornerstone of the structure of human rights."
Pope explains how to let God work wonders
Pope Benedict XVI says that the life of St. Paul shows that God
can work wonders through those who grow ever closer to him in
prayer. “As our union with the Lord grows and our prayer becomes
more intense, we too come to focus on the essential and to
understand that it is not the power of our own means that creates
the Kingdom of God, but God who works miracles through our
very weakness,” the Pope said as he continued his exploration of
the lessons taught by the prayer life of St. Paul.
He noted that in “defending the legitimacy of his apostolate, Paul appeals above all to his
profound closeness to the Lord in prayer, marked by moments of ecstasy, visions and
revelations,” and yet, at the same time, he also “willingly boasts of his weakness, in order that
the power of Christ might dwell in him.” St. Paul uses this approach because he is eager for his
readers to understand how “all the difficulties we meet in following Christ,” including
“suffering, difficulty and persecution,” can be overcome “by opening ourselves trustingly to the
action of the Lord,” the Pope said.
The example of his life and trials should remind all Christians that it is “at the moment we feel
our own weakness that the power of God becomes manifest.” Thus, “in a world in which we risk
relying only on the power of human means,” St. Paul calls us to “rediscover and bear witness to
the power of prayer, through which we grow day by day as our lives are conformed to that of
Christ.”
Pope Benedict recalled that the Protestant theologian and 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Albert
Schweitzer described St. Paul as “a mystic and nothing more than a mystic,” since the Apostle
was a man so “truly enamored of Christ and so united to him as to be able to say: Christ lives in
me.” The lesson for our own lives, suggested the Pope, is to follow his example and “remain
constant and faithful in our relationship with God, especially in moments of aridity, difficulty
and suffering.” Only then will we be able to face difficulties as St. Paul did, “in the conviction
that we can do all things through him who gives us strength.”
The Pope added that by giving more room to prayer “we will see our lives transformed and
animated by the real power of God's love.” He observed that this was the experience of Blessed
Mother Teresa of Calcutta who in her contemplation of Jesus “discovered the ultimate reason
and incredible strength to recognize him in the poor and abandoned, despite her fragile figure.”
This is because, contrary to the suggestion of some, contemplation of Jesus Christ in prayer
“does not distance us from reality” but “makes us ever more involved in human affairs” because
the Lord draws us to himself in prayer, enabling us “to remain close to all our brothers and
sisters in his love.”
Bishops Plan Materials, Events, Social Media Outreach For Year Of Faith
The U.S. bishops’ promotion of the Year of Faith will include homily
helps, a gathering of theology professors and even Facebook posts about
the lives of the saints, according to a presentation to the bishops at their
Spring General Assembly in Atlanta, June 13. The bishops’ efforts are a
response to recommendations made by the Vatican’s Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith on how bishops’ conferences can help dioceses
in their observances of the Year of Faith.
“The central image of the Year of Faith is the ‘door of faith’ based on
Acts of the Apostles,” said Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay,
Wisconsin, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and
Catechesis, in his presentation to the bishops. “The ‘door of faith’ is
opened at one’s baptism, but during this year we are called to open it
again, walk though it and rediscover and renew our relationship with
Christ and his Church.”
The Year of Faith is a celebration by the entire Catholic Church, running from October 11—the
fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the
publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church— to November 14, 2013, the feast of Christ
the King. Pope Benedict XVI announced the Year of Faith to confront secularism and other
challenges and to encourage Catholics to rediscover the faith and the “joy and enthusiasm of the
encounter with Christ.” The Year of Faith focuses on the New Evangelization. This effort to
rekindle the faith of Catholics, whether practicing or not, was a central theme of Pope John Paul
II that has been continued and expanded under Pope Benedict.
The Vatican recommends that dioceses make the catechism and the
documents of Vatican II available to all Catholics during the Year of
Faith. Bishop Ricken said USCCB is launching an online version of the
catechism and the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. The new
online texts will include interactive features and will be supported by a
variety of web-based platforms, including tablets and smart phones.
Other online resources for the Year of Faith include the expansion of
Facebook posts about the lives of saints, an online catechism quiz and a
USCCB webpage at: www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-weteach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/.
Bishop Ricken highlighted the document “Disciples Called to Witness:
The New Evangelization,” (http://tiny.cc/1tgvfw) a 2012 document by the USCCB Committee
on Evangelization and Catechesis on welcoming returning Catholics, as a helpful resource for
rekindling the faith of Catholics. USCCB will also produce catechetical pamphlets on different
aspects of the New Evangelization, homily resources and prayer cards.
Events of the Year of Faith include the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization in Rome,
October 7-28, with Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington serving as relator, and a second
“Intellectual Tasks of the New Evangelization” conference for new theologians, tentatively
scheduled for September 2013, in Washington.
Vatican set to control new 'catholic' Internet domain
Vatican is in line to control the new Internet address extension ".catholic" and decide who is
allowed to use it. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit
corporation that coordinates the assignment of Internet domain names and addresses around the
world, is overseeing a huge expansion in the number of Internet extensions beyond the standard
.com, .org., .edu and .gov. The extensions formally are known as generic top-level domains. The
assignment of country-code top-level domains, like the Vatican's own .va, will not be affected by
the change.
Msgr. Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social
Communications, told Catholic News Service that the Vatican's
application to control the top-level domain .catholic "is a recognition
of how important the digital space is for the church." Controlling the
top-level domain "will be a way to authenticate the Catholic presence
online," Msgr. Tighe said. The Vatican plans to allow "institutions
and communities that have canonical recognition" to use the
extension, "so people online -- Catholics and non-Catholics -- will
know a site is authentically Catholic."
The Vatican does not plan to allow individual bloggers or private
Catholics to use ".catholic," Msgr. Tighe said. Use of the domain
would be limited to those with a formal canonical recognition:
dioceses, parishes and other territorial church jurisdictions; religious
orders and other canonically recognized communities; and Catholic
institutions such as universities, schools and hospitals.
Msgr. Tighe (CNS/Bob
Roller)
The Vatican filed four separate applications for new domain names, seeking to control
".catholic" and its equivalent in other languages using Latin letters, as well as the equivalent of
the word "Catholic" in the Cyrillic, Arabic and Chinese alphabets. The fee for each application
was $185,000, which Msgr. Tighe said "is a lot of money, but if you think of the money you
have to spend to maintain a church structure," and then consider how important the structure of
the Catholic presence on the Internet is, it was a good investment. Controlling the domain name
will promote "a more cohesive and organized presence" of the church online, "so the recognized
structure of the church can be mirrored in the digital space."
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has set up a process for resolving
conflicting claims to the same or very similar names, although an auction of some extensions is
possible. It said that of the 1,930 applications received, "there are 231 exact matches" with two
or more applicants competing for the domain name. The Vatican was the only applicant asking
for .catholic.
When the corporation discussed the idea of
expanding the number of generic top-level
domains in 2009, the Vatican representative to the
corporation's governmental advisory committee,
Msgr. Carlo Maria Polvani, expressed concern
about "the possible perils" connected with
religious domain names, including the risk of
"competing claims" and "bitter disputes" between
individuals or institutions claiming to represent,
for example, Catholics or Muslims or Buddhists.
Once the corporation decided to move forward with the expansion, he said, "we decided we were
best suited to apply for 'catholic.'" The applications for Latin alphabet domain names revealed
June 13 included one request for ".christmas," but no requests for ".christian." Two applicants
asked for ".church," but no one asked for ".orthodox," ".lutheran" or ".anglican." Seven
applicants asked for ".love," one requested ".islam," but no one requested ".jewish."
The vetting process is ongoing and even entities that appear to have a right to the name and the
ability to run the new domain are unlikely to have anything online before spring 2013, said Kurt
Pritz, vice president. He also said the corporation is asking comments from the public for 60
days. In addition, he said, for the next seven months it will be accepting "formal objections"
based on specific criteria such as possible brand or trademark infringement. But formal
objections also can be submitted to demonstrate opposition to the applicant from a significant
number of people who feel they are represented by the domain name.
The annual fee for the new generic top-level domains is $25,000, the corporation said. When the
Internet corporation began accepting applications in January for new Internet extensions, there
were about two dozen approved generic top-level domains, including .info, which was added in
2000, and .travel, which was added in 2004. The current expansion of top domains will be the
largest in Internet history.
Dorothy Day: A Catholic Life of Action – FREE – You Pay S & H.
Dorothy Day lived her life helping the hungry and the homeless and
sticking to her pacifist principles, even during World War II. You will
learn about Day's life--from her efforts to further peace and equality as
a young woman to her work helping the hungry and homeless with
food, shelter, and unconditional love--and her belief that we all have
the power to make the world a better place. Shaw notes that Day was
considered a saint for her good works, though she was still quite
human--a woman who sometimes lost her temper and had little use for
volunteers who didn't work. What emerges most clearly is the way
Day's common-sense Christianity translated into better lives for untold
numbers of people.
Originally $12.95, this is an excellent opportunity. Order copies for your students, your
catechists, your families. Quantities are limited. Over 2000 already have been sent. Only a few
hundred left. Call/Fax the office with your request. Filled on a first come basis.
From the Inside Flap
If You Answer "Yes" to Any of These Questions, You Have Something in Common with
Dorothy Day
Do you ever see people who don't have enough food to eat or a place to live?
Does it bother you when things are not fair, or when people don't respect each other and
seem to ignore that they can help poor people?
Are you one of the more outspoken kids in your class at school?
Do you think it's important to be kind to everyone?
This book is for you!
2012 “Excellence in Publishing Awards”
The 2012 Excellence in Publishing Awards
were recently given out by the Association of
Catholic Publishers at the 2012 Religious
Booksellers Trade Exhibit (RBTE) in St.
Charles, IL. The goal of these awards is to
recognize the best in Catholic publishing.
In the special category for the new Roman Missal, Third
Edition, first place went to both Magnificat and World Library
Publications with the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops receiving third place. Roman Missals were judged on
their artwork, general layout, and music engraving.
Awards were given for books falling into six categories:
General Interest, Inspirational, Prayer and Spirituality,
Scripture, Theology, and Resources for Ministry. The “Book of the Year” All Is
Grace, a biography of Dorothy Day by Jim Forest was named from among the first-place
finishers of the first six categories. A complete list of the winners by category follows. All can be
order from the NCCL Amazon Bookstore by clicking on the title.
General Interest
1.
All Is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day by Jim Forest (Orbis Books)
2.
Wisdom for Living the Final Season by Kathy Kalina (Pauline Books &
Media)
3.
Why Stay Catholic?: Unexpected Answers to a Life-Changing Question
By Michael Leach (Loyola Press)
Inspirational
1.
The Other Side of Chaos: Breaking Through When Life Is Breaking
Down by Margaret Silf (Loyola Press)
2.
A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart,
Mind, Body, and Soul by Lisa Hendey (Ave Maria Press)
3.
Forgiveness: A Catholic Approach by R. Scott Hurd (Pauline Books and Media)
Prayer & Spirituality
1.
Lectio Divina Bible Study: Learning to Pray in Scripture (Lectio Divina
Bible Studies) by Stephen Binz (Our Sunday Visitor)
2.
God in the Dark: Suffering and Desire in the Spiritual Life by Susan R.
Pitchford (Liturgical Press)
3.
The Road to Eternal Life: Reflections on the Prologue of Benedict's Rule by Michael
Casey (Liturgical Press)
3.
The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily
Life by Kevin O'Brien (Loyola Press)
Scripture
1.
The Bible and Science: Longing for God in a Science-dominated World
by Vincent Smiles (Liturgical Press)
2.
Building Our House on Rock: The Sermon on the Mount as Jesus Vision
for Our Lives as Told by Matthew and Luke by Dennis Hamm, SJ (The Word
Among Us Press)
3.
Numbers: Book 1 by Irene Nowell, OSB (Liturgical Press)
Theology
1.
Being About Borders: A Christian Anthropology of Difference by
Michele Saracino (Liturgical Press)
2.
Efficacious Engagement: Sacramental Participation in the Trinitarian
Mystery by Kimberly Hope Belcher (Liturgical Press)
3.
Become What You Receive: A Systematic Study of the Eucharist by John
H. McKenna (Liturgy Training Publications)
Resources for Ministry
1. I Will Remember You: What to Do When Someone You Love Dies - A
Guidebook Through Grief for Teens by Kimberly B. Schuler (Pauline Books &
Media)
2.
Adaptive First Eucharist by David Rizzo, Mercedes McBride Rizzo,
Brendan Rizzo (Loyola Press)
3.
Practice Makes Catholic: Moving from a Learned Faith to a Lived Faith by Joseph
Paprocki (Loyola Press)
3.
Living the Word, Year B: Scripture Reflections and Commentaries for Sundays and
Holy Days: November 27, 2011 Through November 25, 2012 by Dianne Bergant, CSA and
Rev. James A. Wallace, CSsR (World Library Publications)
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.
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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