Posted by admin on November 29, 2009 under 1. Media Monday | 
Just when you were in need of a great advent resource - voila - the USCCB created one! Check out http://www.usccb.org/advent/ for the resource including a bit of history, blessings, prayers, lessons and carols and more!
What a great way to share the richness of the new liturgical year and advent!
Katie Byrnes is an Assitant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on November 20, 2009 under 5. TGIF! |
Here is some great news to share! Have a wonderful weekend!
Travel Adventure!
Looking to travel to amazing international destinations with other 20- and 30-somethings? How about a great escape that’s also good for you? Or perhaps a vacation excursion with a spiritual slant? If so, Busted Halo® has created a travel adventure to satisfy both your wanderlust and your wonder lust. For thousands of years, people from all walks of life and faith traditions have set out on spiritually significant journeys. Before tourism became popular in the 19th century, religious pilgrimages were the holidays (derived from the term “holy days”) that many people took. While they usually involved a sacred destination, medieval pilgrims often used their journeys as both social and leisure opportunities as well as an occasion to draw closer to God. In an age such as ours, is it possible to reinvigorate that old model and bring a spiritual dimension to a 21st century holiday? Can a pilgrimage still be relevant to 20- and 30-somethings whose quest for faith is different from their parents and grandparents? Busted Halo® believes it can.
Different Paths but the Same Journey
Busted Halo® has designed a pilgrimage experience for people in their 20s and 30s who normally wouldn’t be caught dead on a religious pilgrimage. By combining cultural, social, spiritual and physical elements, BustedHalo’s® Spiritual Seeker Adventure is part adventure travel, part European arts and culture vacation and part spiritual retreat… but wholly unlike any other type of travel experience. It is a rare opportunity to meet other people like you in their 20s and 30s who are searching for an adventure that is enjoyable and engaging on multiple levels.
“Why are we here?” and “Where are we going?” are not only the world’s two oldest questions, they are also the central questions in the hearts and minds of the tens of thousands of men and women in their twenties and thirties who frequent Busted Halo®. Arriving at the unique answers that make sense to each of us requires a life-long journey. Bustedhalo.com® and the Paulist Fathers invite a new generation of seekers to explore these and other questions on two special journeys of discovery.
“By combining cultural, social, spiritual and physical elements, BustedHalo’s® Spiritual Seeker Adventure is part adventure travel, part European arts and culture vacation and part spiritual retreat.”
Arts & Culture — France
An exploration of the mysteries revealed through art over the centuries during a week-long visit to Paris. The focus will be on unravelling questions and answers presented by the visual arts displayed in Paris’ world-class museums. There will also be opportunities to discuss the role of the arts in response to spiritual questions among the group members and contemporary, local Parisian artists.
Outdoor Adventure — Spain
At the same time that the arts and culture group explores Paris, Larry Rice, CSP, Director of the Catholic Newman Center at Ohio State University, will lead a one week, 100-kilometer (about 60-mile) hike along one of the world’s oldest routes of pilgrimage and contemplation—the Camino de Santiago. The Camino is a pilgrimage trail in northern Spain dating back to the Middle Ages that has catapulted in popularity in recent years among seekers from around the world. (Read our recent feature story on the Camino de Santiago here.) The group will interact with locals as well as fellow hikers from around the globe, examining prior and contemporary experiences of seekers who have journeyed along this path. Participants will be encouraged to contemplate their own reactions to the physical challenges of the walk as well as their engagement with the nature that surrounds them.
You can email info@franciscanspirittours.com to request a pamphlet for more information on dates and pricing. Space is limited.
THE CALLING WINS AWARD AT RECENT FILM FESTIVAL!
We are proud to announce that The Calling was honored with a BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY award at the 7th annual Queens International Film Festival! We would to like to thank the festival jury, and all those who’ve believed in this film and supported it.
Putting flesh and blood on issues that are often viewed too piously or abstractly, The Calling explores the nature of belief, the bonds of family, and being brave enough to ask the question: Who am I? Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple declares, “This is a beautiful film, it’s a poetic spiritual meditation.” Simon Kilmurry, Exec. Dir. for the acclaimed PBS documentary series POV states, ” The Calling is worth seeing.” And the National Religious Vocation Conference in HORIZON proclaims, “This film is rich in teachings.”
To learn more about The Calling or to purchase the DVD visit our website at: www.thecallingdocumentary.com. And be sure to check us out on facebook @ The Calling Documentary.
Campus Ministry Opportunities
NCSC “Be the Voice” Conference
Malvern Retreat Center
Malvern, Pennsylvania
December 31, 2009 to January 3, 2010
Contact: www.catholicstudent.org
Pennsylvania Catholic Campus Ministry Association
2010 Conference
Sexuality and Spirituality:
Nurturing Healthy Relationships in a College Setting
February 8 & 9
The Hotel Hershey
Contact: Courtney Hull, chull@mansfield.edu
Chrysta Bolinger is CCMA’s Director of Member Services and Communications.
Posted by admin on November 19, 2009 under 4. Thursday's Spiritual Smoothie |
Our Church is about to begin a new liturgical year on November 29th, the First Sunday of Advent. This Sunday we will celebrate our final feast of the liturgical year, the Feast of Christ the King. We end our liturgical year with the celebration of Christ as Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Aware that we live in the “in-between” times, we remind ourselves in a special way that Christ will come again.
The already-not-yet description of the Kingdom of God can be both comforting and confusing (and mostly confusing when we attempt to explain it to our students or an RCIA class!). We live in the assurance that Christ is with us, and yet are also (sometimes painfully) aware that all is not right with the world, the Church, our communities, our families.
As we celebrate the final days of our liturgical year, perhaps we can contemplate how Christ is truly present right now, and also how we can bring Christ to others. Looking back over this past year’s celebrations of communal prayer, where has Christ been present to you? How have you been the hands and feet of Christ in the world?
Sarah Heiman is Campus Minister for Education and Spiritual Life at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Posted by admin on November 18, 2009 under 3. Program Swap! Wednesday |
It’s Wednesday; time for another Program Swap! You are encouraged to share your great program ideas by posting them in the comment box. Let us know what programs you have been developing in your various campus ministry sites!
Here is a great idea for campus ministers, especially as year-end approaches, along with the holidays. Please adapt the “Kit for Everyday Living” to fit your life and work style.
Kit for Everyday Living
This “kit” idea is attributed to Christine Eberle, Director of Campus Ministry at Gwynedd-Mercy College, Gwynedd Valley, PA. The last item in the kit reflects the Mercy heritage and spirituality of her college.
o A Toothpick to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others.
o A Rubber Band to remind you to be flexible. Things might not work out the way you want, but God is always at work!
o A Band-Aid to remind you to heal hurt feelings
o A Pencil to remind you to list your blessings every day; there might be more than you think!
o An Eraser to remind you that it’s okay to make mistakes…everybody does!
o Chewing Gum to remind you that you can accomplish almost anything if you stick with it.
o A Mint to remind you that you’re worth a mint!
o A Hershey’s Hug to remind you that everyone needs some affection every day.
o A Tea Bag to remind you to relax daily and reflect on all the positive things in your life (And to remind you of Catherine McAuley, of course!)
Chrysta Bolinger is CCMA’s Director of Member Services and Communications.
Posted by admin on November 17, 2009 under 2. Fat Tuesday |
With this Sunday’s feast of Christ the King, we bring an end to the Year of Grace, 2009 (at least in the liturgical calendar). The kingship of Christ is articulated both in his interrogation by Pilate, where Jesus literally “speaks truth to power,” and in the vision of Daniel of the “one like a son of man” receiving “kingship” as well as the obedience of all nations. The kingdom of Christ is one built on truth and the power that truth engenders. That’s in stark contrast to the kingdoms of this world, represented by Pilate who is remembered in history for his abuse of power and is recorded in the Gospel of John with the infamous retort “what is truth?” In which kingdom have we been living this past year? What keeps us from hearing the truth Christ speaks to us, truth that sets us free and empowers us as disciples?
On a totally unrelated note, but one that looks to our preparation for the Sunday liturgy in the long term, the US Bishops are in their fall meeting this week. One of the big issues that the bishops are discussing is the proposed new translations of the Roman Missal. If the bishops approve the final two sections of the translations, the whole text goes to Rome for confirmation. If that is forthcoming (and of course it will be), we might have new English translations for the Mass in a little over a year.
There has been much debate about these new translations over the past decade. Bishop Trautman spoke recently about what he sees as grammatical and linguistic flaws in the texts. During this bishops meeting he has made returning the translations to committee (ICEL) a goal. Whether that happens or the translations move forward, such a revision of the liturgical prayer of the Church happens very rarely. For all of our students and for the majority of campus ministers, the current translation is the only Mass known. We have so well committed large portions of the Mass to memory that they are now a reflex. We all know the joke about the broken microphone and the congregation’s reflexive response “and also with you.” Yet that emblematic response will change in the new translation. I don’t think it is too early for us to start planning how we will help our communities through this transition. To help us begin thinking about this considerable effort, the bishops have added a new section to their website at www.usccb.org/romanmissal
Fr. Peter Walsh, CSC is an assistant chaplain at Saint Thomas More, the Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on November 15, 2009 under 1. Media Monday |
Last Wednesday, the European Catholic bishops met with media experts to address challenge of cyberspace. Seeking to develop new ways of communicating the message of Christ to a new generation they met with representatives from Google, YouTube, Wikipedia and of course Facebook.
The EECM said in a statement that “translating the Christian message into the present interactive culture” will be among the issues debated.
According to the Telegraph article, (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/catholic-bishops-to-address-challenge-of-cyberspace-1818428.html) they also met with a young hacker and an Interpol expert on cybercrime. The Pontifical Council for Social Communications organized the gathering.
Pretty impressive!
Katie Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on November 12, 2009 under 5. TGIF! |
Campus Ministry Events, Programs and Opportunities
CCMA Development Institute
Date: June 15-18, 2010
Location: Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio
Campus Ministry Leadership Institute
Date: June 5-11, 2010
Location: Saint Joseph’s University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Contact: www.sju.edu/CMLI
Frank J. Lewis Institute
Date: June 6-11, 2010
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
Contact: http://campusministry.nd.edu/national-conferences/fjl
Director’s Institute for Visionary Catholic Ministry in Higher Education
Date: June 28-30, 2010
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
Programs Needed for The Vine!
Got something you are proud of? The Technology Subcommittee is putting together a best practices website, The Vine: Choice Fruits for Your Ministry, to be launched on CCMA’s website this fall. We are looking for individuals and teams who would be willing to submit content that could be shared with other members. Please sort through your materials and send us the cream of the crop! We encourage you to send us what you use. All submissions will be categorized and placed in a special section of the website. It will be available for all to use.
Categories include (but are not limited to):
-Retreats (content, busy persons, outlines and locations)
-Alternative Spring Breaks (sites, reflection materials and prayers)
-Prayers (death, celebrations, graduation, service, tragedy and candlelight vigil services, blessings)
-Vocations (discernment)
-Catechetics/Sacramental Prep (RCIA, marriage prep, confirmation, bible study and religious education for children)
-Faith Sharing (small Church communities and bible study)
-Liturgy (prayers of the faithful, minister training, seasonal offerings)
-Development (grants, case statements, thank you letters and appeal letters)
-Professional Training Tools (CARA reports, salary scale and advocating with bishops)
-Programming (morals and ethics, bioethics, human rights, sexuality, marriage and social justice)
-Social Justice (educational, reflection)
-Recognition (graduation, outstanding student and program)
Please email submissions in PDF or Word format to Chrysta Bolinger at Bolinger@ccmanet.org. Please call 888.714.6631, Ext. 16, with any questions and for more information.
Posted by admin on under 4. Thursday's Spiritual Smoothie |
This is a hasidic tale I once heard, and I offer it today as a reflection about how we relate to those we encounter. As part of one human family, we are all united eternally in the love of God. In the midst of the counseling we provide and the spiritual knowledge we hope approaches wisdom, we can lose touch with the reason why we have been called to minister in such a way. Perhaps we can pray today for the time when all will embrace one another as brothers and sisters, and in so doing lessen the pain, suffering and violence that can seem so prevalent in our world today.
An old Rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and the day had begun.
“Could it be,” asked one of the students, “when you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it’s a sheep or a dog?”
“No,” answered the Rabbi.
Another asked, “Is it when you can look at a tree in the distance and tell whether it’s a fig tree or a peach tree?”
“No,” answered the Rabbi.
“Then what is it?” the pupils demanded.
“It is when you can look on the face of any man or woman and see that it is your sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night.”
May we all move out of darkness and into the light of true love and freedom.
Sarah Heiman is Campus Minister for Education and Spiritual Life at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Posted by admin on November 11, 2009 under 3. Program Swap! Wednesday |
Bill Vaughan, campus minister at Buffalo State University, created an excellent program for his ministry called, “What Would Jesus Brew”. It falls into the Forming the Christian Conscience aspect of campus ministry and provides a place for students to gather and share their faith.
The premise of the activity:
Where do our students spend much of their time forming relationships, texting, listening to their iPods, and studying? In the campus coffee house! How can we avail ourselves of this unique setting to help them take on the mind of Christ when confronted with the myriad of ethical and moral dilemmas and decisions they face throughout their day? This coffee house discussion series focuses on the moral and ethical issues that affect our lives, our actions, and our community.
How to: Invite students to local coffeehouse and provide discussion topics, questions and reflections.
For more information about this program, please email Bill at vaughawa@buffalostate.edu.
Thank you to Bill for sharing this program with other campus ministers!
Posted by admin on November 10, 2009 under 2. Fat Tuesday |
As the liturgical year comes to an end and as the northern hemisphere slowly loses daylight, our readings turn to the end of time. Both the reading from the Book of Daniel and Sunday’s Gospel passage from Mark contain apocalyptic images that can be startling to us but resonate with the liturgical calendar and fall season. Scripture scholars remind us that, for all its language of celestial cataclysm, apocalyptic writing is an expression of the human suffering that accompany times of persecution or stress. As the Jewish people confronted the challenges of Hellenistic culture and the stronger armies of their pagan neighbors, they looked to the spiritual battle being waged on their behalf. As the Markan community faced persecution, they saw ultimate vindication in the future when the Son of Man returns in glory to gather his faithful people. Reading the signs of the times, we try to see glimpses of hope even in the most difficult of circumstances.
In his poem “Autumn,” Rainer Maria Rilke looks at the images of autumn as an expression of our own feelings about mortality. But while the poem has a heavy memento mori quality to it, the final line offers an expression of faith:
The leaves are falling, falling as from way off,
as though far gardens withered in the skies;
they are falling with denying gestures.
And in the nights the heave earth is falling
from all the stars down into loneliness.
We all are falling. This hand falls.
And look at others: it is in them all.
And yet there is one who holds this falling
endlessly gently in his hands.
