Posted by admin on March 8, 2010 under 1. Media Monday | 
Thank you for checking out the Catholic Campus Ministry Association’s blog! This officially marks our 100th entry since we began and a great reason to celebrate.
The topic of technology is one which is constantly evolving as new media emerges and we learn how to better serve with existing media.
The one wish we had for this space that has not unfolded was to have an interactive aspect to this site. (HINT HINT …) Please write below about how you use technology to reach your students in your ministry site. Do you email, tweet, have an innovative web presence? Let us know!
Kathleen Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on March 5, 2010 under 5. TGIF! |
Evangelical Catholic Offers Training Program
Jason Simon, Executive Director of Evangelical Catholic, announced that EC is accepting applications for their Two-year Evangelization Training Program. Two spots are available. The first year was a huge success and EC’s two participants are excited about the second year of the program where they’ll return to their alumni campuses in order to help build-up their home campus ministries with the skills they’ve learned in the training program. The program takes place at EC in Madison, Wisconsin,. Do you have graduating seniors who would be interested in being trained more thoroughly for the work of evangelization? If so, please contact Jason Simon at jsimon@evangelicalcatholic.org for more information and to obtain the application materials. Please forward this information to any colleagues who have students who might be interested in this opportunity.
Lenten Resources
Again this Lent the Province is offering audio reflections by Fr. Pat McGrath, SJ. Please visit our website ( www.jesuits-chgdet.org ) and click the Lent “ad” in the lower right to be directed to the Lent podcast page.
In an effort to share these reflections widely, we’ve shared the link with the other provinces throughout the country, as well as benefactors, family/friends, Jesuits, and Jesuit ministries of the Chicago and Detroit Provinces. We’re happy to report that many websites are featuring our Lent programming. Please feel free to post the link to our Lent 2010 web page, located at http://jesuits-chgdet.org/lent2010/ . For your convenience, we’ve included 2 versions of a designed “ad”/link that you can use. If you or someone you know would prefer the original Photoshop files, they can be obtained by clicking the following link and downloading the .zip folder, which includes a Read Me file: http://jesuits-chgdet.org/lent2010/Lent-2010-Banner_Button.zip. Contact Jeremy Langford for more information.
Catholic Relief Services Looking for University Programs Advisor
CRS, the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, is now accepting applicants for its University Programs Advisor position. This significant position plays a central role in the design, development and distribution of global poverty education materials and programs reaching U.S. higher education. For more information and to find a complete job description, please visit the CRS website at https://sh.webhire.com/servlet/av/jd?ai=495&ji=2430186&sn=I.
Wide Awake!
Date: April 9-10, 2010
Location: Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Ill.
Young Adult Conference
Keynote: John Allen
Special guest workshop presenters Fr. Brian Daley, S.J. and David Fagerburg both of U. of Notre Dame
Join other college students and young adults (under 35) who desire to wake up to their deeper purpose in life. We exist for more than making money and working jobs. Our academic and career successes/failures do not define our identity. This conference will include large group sessions of powerful music, young adult personal stories of faith, and compelling speaker and workshops to guide young adults in specific aspects and disciplines of living a life of faith. Registration and information at: http://www.evangelicalcatholic.org
Posted by admin on March 4, 2010 under 4. Thursday's Spiritual Smoothie |
As I write many of our students, faculty, and staff are preparing to spend the next week serving in places all over the world during our spring break. More and more I am convinced that these “alternative” breaks are actually becoming the new “standard” trip; if students aren’t headed home just to catch up with family and on their sleep, they’re choosing to actively support others through acts of solidarity and service.
Now, this could be because my data is coming from my own experience and those of other campus ministers (and we all work with extraordinary people!), but I think there’s something else behind this as well. As society has become more aware of its role in a global economy and community, I think there’s also been a raised awareness of how one individual’s actions can affect the experience of another that they may never have physically met. Technology allows for enhanced communication, contemporary theology calls us to proper stewardship of the environment, and I think we’ve all seen how financial decisions in one country can affect the global economy. Perhaps more now than at any other time we are aware of how we are all one human family.
Whenever your break comes, whether it’s in the next couple weeks, at Easter, or not until the end of the quarter or semester, here is a quick prayer. Whether you’re heading to far-off lands or to your neighbors down the road, may this experience of service be a time to embrace the ordinariness of your actions, and not seen as an extraordinary alternative. May we truly become one human family, living in solidarity and encountering Christ in one another. And for those who will be at rest or play, may you find in these moments of joy and peace a renewed sense of God’s presence in your life.
Sarah Heiman is Campus Minister for Education and Spiritual Life at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Posted by admin on under 3. Program Swap! Wednesday |
Liturgical Resources
St. Louis University has a great website that contains a great deal of helpful information for planning and preparing for Sunday liturgy. There’s everything from exegesis of the scriptural texts to pronunciation guides to homiletical resources. The website also includes suggested petitions for the prayers of the faithful. To find these great resources, please visit http://liturgy.slu.edu.
Post your favorite liturgical websites or ideas for liturgy!
Posted by admin on March 2, 2010 under 2. Fat Tuesday |
This Sunday, our chapel uses the readings from the Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle A because of the scrutiny that will take place during the liturgy. Rather than offer comments on the readings this week and forcing the choice between A and C, I thought I’d offer some thoughts on preaching the first reading.
Among the many liturgical initiatives that came from the Second Vatican Council, the call for a fuller reading of the Bible at Mass–especially incorporating readings from the Old Testament–realizes a cultural shift as important as the use of the vernacular. Not only did the expansion of the lectionary give Catholics a greater appreciation of the Word of God, but along with Nostra aetate it signaled a renewed respect for our “elder brothers in the faith,” the Jewish people.
The rubric used by the drafting committee for choosing readings from the Old Testament give priority to the gospel reading. The first reading is chosen for how it connects to the gospel. Preachers tend to follow this rubric and focus on the gospel text and use the first reading as a gloss. But the GIRM clarifies that the homily can be based on any of the three readings, in addition to the feast celebrated or on any text of the Mass. What happens when the first reading becomes the focal point of the homily?
In my experience, what happens is that rather than using the first reading to explicate the gospel, the first reading becomes a necessary context for understanding the gospel reading. The gospel passage is returned to the Jewish theological and cultural milieu of which it is an integral part. When the theology of the first reading is given its due, the paradigm shifts a bit but the result is a richer appreciation of the gospel. By preaching on the first reading, we gain a healthy modeling of the relationship between Old Testament and New Testament as well as between Jews and Christians that is consistent with the goals of the council as expressed in Sacrosanctum concilium and Nostra aetate. It is always a challenge as a Christian to preach the first reading, by giving the theology of the Old Testament full credit, but I often hear much appreciation for both the explication and the vibrancy it adds to the homily.
Fr. Peter Walsh, CSC is assistant chaplain at Saint Thomas More, the Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on March 1, 2010 under 1. Media Monday |
The Catholic Church is mourning the death of the first woman to hold an official post of authority in the Roman Curia. The extraordinary life and achievements of Rosemary Goldie include being an auditor to the Second Vatican Council, and perhaps most notably, a member of the Permanent Committee for International Congresses of the Lay Apostolate set up in Rome by Pius XII in 1952. In 1959 she became Executive Secretary of the Committee. This body was the nucleus of the Council for the Laity, created by Paul VI as a result of Vatican II.
But wait … there’s more! She was also a founder of the International Catholic Movement of Students and she worked with Pax Romana!
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Phillip Wilson said Goldie had made a tremendous contribution to the life of the church.
“At a time when lay people and particularly lay women might have struggled to find a voice in Church affairs, Rosemary Goldie was making history by being the first woman appointed as a Vatican curial official,” he said.
“Her commitment to the lay apostolate was a life-long passion and her achievements helped pave the way for current generations.” You go girl!
Kathleen Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on February 26, 2010 under 5. TGIF! |
Student Leadership Survey
Rosie Chinea of the Aquinas Newman Center at University of New Mexico is searching for campus ministers to complete the following survey regarding student leadership teams. Please click on the link below and participate in the survey. Rosie will be sharing the results of her survey in the coming months. For more information, please contact Rosie at aquinasnewmancenter@gmail.com.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.surveymonkey.com%2Fs%2FSL9DJZZ&h=1481b4ff2429809930c60e39b551cd06
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), University Programs Advisor
CRS, the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, is now accepting applicants for its University Programs Advisor position. This significant position plays a central role in the design, development and distribution of global poverty education materials and programs reaching U.S. higher education. For more information and to find a complete job description, please visit the CRS website at https://sh.webhire.com/servlet/av/jd?ai=495&ji=2430186&sn=I
Renew Your Membership Today!
Annual membership invoices have been mailed. Send in your renewal form today and be sure to update all your ministry information. Deadline for renewal is June 1 to be included in the 2010-2011 Catholic Campus Ministry Directory! Membership rates stay the same at: $125 for Individual members, $105 for Team and Diocesan members, $55 for Associate members, and $150 and $250 for Corporate non-profit and for-profit members. Contact Michelle Gundrum at gundrum@ccmanet.org for more information and to join or renew your CCMA membership!
Posted by admin on February 25, 2010 under 4. Thursday's Spiritual Smoothie |
Two important feasts are celebrated by our Muslim and Jewish sisters and brothers this week: the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday, and the feast of Purim. As a campus minister on a Catholic campus our primary outreach is to our Catholic community, but our mission is to support all members of our University community in deepening their relationship with God. This, of course, translates into helping our non-Catholic students attend services in their local tradition, supporting Hillel and our Muslim student group, and other small ways of living out our Catholic identity in a spirit of hospitality, welcome, and openness to the multiplicity of ways that God becomes known in the lives of others.
Today I invite you to pray “For Unity Among Peoples of Different Faiths,” a prayer written by Rabbi Joseph Ehrenkranz who served as the Executive Director of The Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding here at Sacred Heart. It’s a good reminder that it is we are at our best when we celebrate the dignity and worth of every person.
Almighty God,
grant us the wisdom and humility to acknowledge you as
the Creator and supreme power of the Universe.
You have fashioned us in your image.
You have breathed life into us and into all living things.
Give us the strength to be a source of goodness and kindness
for all that you have brought into existence.
It is your will that we should be many peoples and cultures.
Unite all your children in the desire to do your will.
May each one of us contribute to the best of our ability
to making this a better world for all humanity.
May peace of mind, peace of spirit
and world peace reign soon.
Amen.
Sarah Heiman is Campus Minister for Education and Spiritual Life at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Posted by admin on February 23, 2010 under 2. Fat Tuesday |
For this Sunday’s gospel, we are given a transfigured Christ and a transfiguring message: “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” The Church places the Transfiguration narrative on the Second Sunday of Lent more because this is a turning point in the ministry of Jesus. Up to this point, he has been experiencing great success in his Galilean ministry. The signs of the kingdom have accompanied his preaching. After this experience during the day of prayer on the mountain, Jesus sets his face to Jerusalem and “his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.”
Though it is only the Second Sunday of Lent, we are heading soon to Holy Week and to our celebration of Christ’s Exodus, our own Passover. Many of our campuses have Lent interrupted by Spring Break. The opportunities of Lent are fleeting.
Amid the hubub of Peter’s activity on the mountain, the command is clear: “listen to him.” This Sunday is a good opportunity to encourage students to stop and listen during Lent. Suggest an “unplugged day,” much like a meatless Friday, to give oneself a chance to listen to Christ. As T.S. Eliot wrote in “Ash Wednesday” only in stillness can the Word be heard:
Where shall the word be found, where will the word
Resound? Not here, there is not enough silence
Not on the sea or on the islands, not
On the mainland, in the desert or the rain land,
For those who walk in darkness
Both in the day time and in the night time
The right time and the right place are not here
No place of grace for those who avoid the face
No time to rejoice for those who walk among noise and deny
the voice.
We need his prayer to become ours this Lent:
Teach us to sit still
Even among these rocks,
Our peace in His will
Posted by admin on February 21, 2010 under 1. Media Monday |
We have entered once again in the Lenten wilderness and if you are like me you are looking for some meaningful way to mark the season. Last year my husband and I gave up disposable packaging for Lent. Aside from toting a mug around to all my favorite coffee shops, it also challenged us to eat in more, buy in bulk bins for items like cereal and to forgo the unnecessary packaging many of our favorite items come in. In short, it was a long Lent, but a meaningful Lent. (We also gave up caffeine one year but we have both agreed not to speak of that again!)
Lent is a powerful season made more so by the way in which we choose to mark it. Once again this year our friends at Busted Halo have given us some great food for thought with their Lenten calendar.
From the site … “But instead of chocolate, alcohol or tobacco, what if people thought of fasting, prayer and almsgiving in a broader context? What if those disciplines involved practices like reducing your dependence on electronic devices for 24 hours (fast); contemplating the 1.6 billion people in the world who have no access to electricity for a few moments (pray); and spending the extra time you’ve saved on personal interaction with someone important to you (give)? Or what if people reduced their carbon footprint for a day by using less energy (fast); then reflected for two minutes on the magnificent gift our natural environment is (pray); and finally placed $1 in a bowl they’ve set aside to collect money to be given away to a favorite charity — perhaps one that plants trees — at the end of Lent (give).”
Check out the site at http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/fast-pray-give-2010/ and chime in below with a comment about how you are marking Lent this year!
Kathleen A. Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
