Empowered: Reflections for Catholic Ministry in Higher Education
Brought to you by the Catholic Campus Ministry Association
Posted by admin on May 24, 2010 under 1. Media Monday | 
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Thank you for visiting the Catholic Campus Ministry Association blog!
The authors of the blog are taking a break for the summer and will return at the end of August.
Looking for a summer challenge? Busted Halo is asking folks to take their busted halos with them on the road and send back pictures! Check out their website at www.bustedhalo.com for info on how to submit and print your own busted halo!
Posted by admin on May 21, 2010 under 5. TGIF! | Be the First to Comment
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):
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 May 18, 2010 under 2. Fat Tuesday | Be the First to Comment
Between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday are nine days of prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit–the first “novena.” Today we are on day 5, the midpoint of the novena. I’ve been praying the novena by using prayers posted on the blog of a pastor of a parish in Concord, MA. If you haven’t been praying the novena–or if you are from one of those provinces that celebrated the Ascension on Sunday, you can find days 1-5 of the novena here. Fr. Austin’s blog is an excellent resource of pastoral materials and insights–I highly recommend it. Plus, he is a fellow Domer!
Pentecost this year falls on commencement weekend here at Yale. What a great celebration to send forth graduates! Our prayer is that they will continue to develop the gifts of the Spirit and offer them in service to the Common Good as they live out their vocation.
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles has such vibrant imagery of the descent of the Spirit, which overturns the babble of Babel and allows the disciples to speak the gospel message with one voice. A few weeks ago, I came across the YouTube video “Lux Arumque,” in which voices all over the world are joined together into a “virtual choir” by Eric Whitacre. The video offers us a parable of sorts on the power of the Spirit.
I think Katie anticipated me with her video last week!
Fr. Peter Walsh, CSC is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More, the Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on May 17, 2010 under 1. Media Monday | Be the First to Comment
Welcome to Media Monday!
Today we have (another) super cool gadget from Google featured recently in The Chronicle of Higher Education - Google Voice. When you sign up for the service, you will be able to get your voice mail sent to your email, send free text messages, and read voicemail transcriptions, rather than listening to messages (especially handy while in meetings)! Currently the service is only available (for free!) to students and those with a .edu email! To sign up, submit your email address and a Google Voice invite will arrive in your inbox within 24 hours.You can even check out their video on the service at youtube.com/googlevoice.
According to the Google blog, this new feature “is currently only available by invite, a lot of students are still listening to voicemail and sending text messages the old-fashioned way. As a recent college graduate, I can’t think of anything more painful! So starting today, we’ll be giving priority Google Voice invites to students. To get an invite, just visit google.com/voice/students and enter an email address that that ends in .edu.
Those without can try here where I heard they can also be secured https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ !
Kathleen A. Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on May 14, 2010 under 5. TGIF! | Be the First to Comment
Sisters of Charity Seeking Applicants for Charity in the City Program
The Sisters of Charity of New York are offering the third year of their Charity in the City service program. This two-week volunteer option offers young lay women 18-30 years of age a chance to live and work with the Sisters and their associates in their ministries to the poor - especially to women and children, new immigrants and the homeless. (Think of it as a short-term Peace Corps.) There will be chances to visit NYC’s tourist sites, too. This year’s program runs June 1 - 13 in New York City and environs. No experience needed, just a desire to help and a willingness to live simply. Apply by May 17 - or as soon after that date as possible. Details and application are available online at www.scny.org For more information, contact the program’s administrator: Sr. Mary Katherine Hamm, SC; 718.549.9200, Ext. 264 or mkhamm@scny.org.
4th Planned Giving Summer Boot Camp to be held on Friday, June 11 at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas
Join the AFP Greater Austin Chapter and the Planned Giving Council of Central Texas (PPP-formerly NCPG) at this intensive, one-day planned giving seminar. Whether planned giving is something new or you have years of experience, this seminar will have something for all. This event will have two tracks: Basic and Beginner for those who need some initial training, and Intermediate and Advanced for experienced professionals. The cost is $75 for AFP and PPP members, $95 for non members. Parking is included. Space is limited. To register, or for more information, please visit: http://www.afpaustin.org/site/PageServer.
Wide Awake! Evangelical Catholic Training Camps
Evangelical Catholic is offering Evangelization Training Camps this spring! Evangelization training camps lay the spiritual and ministerial foundations for students and staff to unify around a common vision of ministry outreach and formation. They envision integrating existing programs with new programs to accomplish their outreach and formation goals. Students learn practical ministry skills to help them truly become co-laborers with staff. Staffs gain practical frameworks to bring focus to their widespread and consuming ministry responsibilities. Visit www.evangelicalcatholic.org to register and for more information.
May 16 - 21
ETC New England regional in Massachusetts
Betania II Retreat Center, Medway
Co-sponsored by Archdiocese of Boston Office of Campus Ministry
Chrysta Bolinger is CCMA’s Director of Member Serivces and Communications.
Posted by admin on May 13, 2010 under 4. Thursday's Spiritual Smoothie | Be the First to Comment
Today is the traditional observation of the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, 40 days after Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning. When I think of the significance of this feast, I often relate to it more as a reminder of my baptismal call than of a particular moment in the life of Christ. With the semester winding down on many of our campuses and already ended at some, there is also an interesting connection this year of thinking about how we continue to live out Jesus’ message and our ministry even when the students and faculty may be gone. (Although it’s probably fair to say that they haven’t exactly ascended to heaven…!)
This Feast of the Ascension, at the end of a long academic year for most of us, let us give thanks for the ministry of the past year, and look ahead to how we may better proclaim the Gospel and serve as witnesses to our faith community in the months and years to come. Taking Jesus as our example, may we sometimes step aside to let others exercise their ministry and discipleship, may we reach out to the poor and marginalized and give of ourselves in service to others, and may we welcome all to celebrate with us the mystery of our God who is radically immanent and transcendent.
Sarah Heiman is Campus Minister for Education and Spiritual Life at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Posted by admin on May 10, 2010 under 1. Media Monday | Read the First Comment
Media Monday today is a shot in the arm for the end of a long semester. Enjoy!
Katie Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on May 7, 2010 under 5. TGIF! | Be the First to Comment
Summer Opportunities
Wide Awake! Evangelical Catholic Training Camps
Evangelical Catholic is offering Evangelization Training Camps this spring! Evangelization training camps lay the spiritual and ministerial foundations for students and staff to unify around a common vision of ministry outreach and formation. They envision integrating existing programs with new programs to accomplish their outreach and formation goals. Students learn practical ministry skills to help them truly become co-laborers with staff. Staffs gain practical frameworks to bring focus to their widespread and consuming ministry responsibilities. Visit www.evangelicalcatholic.org to register and for more information.
May 9-14
ETC Southern regional in North Carolina
Fort Caswell Coastal Conference Center
May 16 – 21
ETC New England regional in Massachusetts
Betania II Retreat Center, Medway
Co-sponsored by Archdiocese of Boston Office of Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry Symposium
Chrysta Bolinger is CCMA’s Director of Member Services and Communications.
As the school year comes to a close, so too does the opportunity to join Campus, Young Adult, and Vocation Ministers from across North America. Don’t Miss Out! Registration will be closing Monday morning May 10 for our Symposium 2010 – Stewards of the Treasure of our Faith.
Register today to hear great speakers like Fr. Donald Senior, C.P., Fr. J. Glenn Murray, S. J., Mary Johnson, SND, Christian Smith and many more. Don’t miss out on over 30 outstanding seminars! Registration is only $200.00 for the week and includes everything but travel. Just click here and register today! http://campusministry.nd.edu/national-conferences/nd-symposium/
Looking forward to welcoming you to our campus,
Darrell
Posted by admin on May 6, 2010 under 4. Thursday's Spiritual Smoothie | Be the First to Comment
While familiar to anyone who is ordained or a member of a religious community, I think the Liturgy of the Hours is often the most overlooked and under-appreciated prayer within the Church. Since Vatican II its profile has been raised, but it is still not as familiar to most Roman Catholics as the celebration of the Eucharist, Novena prayers, or any of the other ways we pray individually or communally.
In the midst of the craziness of the end of the semester, the rhythm of stopping at various points in the day to pray the words of Scripture, uniting in the continuous universal prayer of the Church, is a welcome reminder that we need balance in our lives. And, hopefully, that our prayer to and praise of God is without ceasing. Psalm 57, said this morning, proclaims the powerful statement: “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.”
Is our heart ready for all that will come, all that will be, all that has already taken place? How do we embrace God in our daily life? Can we and do we proclaim with confidence our trust in God, our openness to the workings of the Spirit, and our belief in the Risen Christ? How do we communicate this readiness of heart to our students and those to whom we minister each day? Perhaps today we can make sure our heart is open and ready to encounter God in all we meet.
Sarah Heiman is Campus Minister for Education and Spiritual Life at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Posted by admin on May 2, 2010 under 1. Media Monday | Be the First to Comment
Welcome to Media Monday! A few weeks ago I wrote about a documentary film we hosted a screening of and got a bunch of emails so I thought I would send you some more music resources.
Though Lady Gaga (raised Catholic!) did not make the list when the winners of the 2010 DOVE Awards were announced last week, there were some great artists. The website features clips of the nominees performing, video clips for a few of the performances and a list of winners (current and past)! Check out www.doveawards.com.
This was the 41 year of awarding the genre of Christian Gospel Music and it featured some great music - go to the site and see for yourself!
Kathleen Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.