ActiveParishioner.com Blog

Pope’s Prayer Intention for March 2010

APWeb — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:00:03 +0000

Every month, Pope Benedict focuses on a specific prayer intention. For the month of March, the Pope’s intention is for the world economy, specifically ”that the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equity, taking account of the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest.”

Pope’s Prayer Intention for February 2010

APWeb — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Every month, Pope Benedict XVI focuses on a special prayer intention. For the month of February, the Pope’s prayer intention is “For all scholars and intellectuals, that by means of sincere search for the truth they may arrive at an understanding of the one true God.”

Schedule of Catholic Conferences for February and March, 2010

APWeb — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:38:07 +0000

The following Catholic organizations will be hosting a conference in February or March 2010:

1/30/2010 – 2/1/2010
ACCU – Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
ACCU Annual Meeting
Washington, DC
The official collective voice of Catholic higher education in the US. ACCU’s mission is to help foster a vibrant Catholic identity at member institutions and support cooperation among them for the greater good of society and the Church.

2/7/2010 – 2/10/2010
USCCB – US Conference of Catholic Bishops & CRS – Catholic Relief Services
2010 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering
Washington, DC
A gathering of parish, diocesan and national social ministry leaders who meet annually to celebrate and act on the social mission of the Catholic Church. The gathering is cosponsored by 18 leading Catholic organizations including the USCCB, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, and the Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors.

2/8/2010 – 2/11/2010
NOCERCC – National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy
37th NOCERCC National Convention
San Mateo, CA
A membership association of dioceses, religious communities and others committed to the Church’s mission to promote and support ongoing formation for priests. NOCERCC’s mission includes engaging in dialogue about contemporary pastoral needs and realities, sponsoring research on issues of presbyteral formation and offering educational opportunities.

2/11/2010 – 2/14/2010
AGPIM – Association of Graduate Programs in Ministry
AGPIM Annual Meeting
Orlando, FL
The official membership organization of Catholic schools offering graduate programs in ministry. AGPIM’s mission is to promote the quality of ministerial education in service of church and society.

3/20/2010 – 3/23/2010
NACC – National Association of Catholic Chaplains
2010 NACC National Conference – Winds of Change, Spirit of Promise
St. Paul , MN
The membership association for Catholic chaplains in the US or as a missionary in a developing country. NACC’s mission is to advocate for the profession of spiritual care and to educate, certify and support chaplains and clinical pastoral educators.

Visit the ActiveParishioner.com Calendar for more details and future events.

US Bishops Ask President Obama to Allow Haitians to Come to the US

APWeb — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:47:23 +0000

In a letter sent to president Barack Obama on Friday, January 15, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked the White House to designate the country of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

“It is clear that Haiti merits an immediate designation of TPS after suffering the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake of January 12, one of the worst in Haitian history,” Cardinal George said in the letter.

TPS permits nationals of a designated nation living in the United States to reside here legally and qualify for work authorization. TPS designation is based upon determination that armed conflict, political unrest, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions exist in a nation and that the return of that country’s nationals would further destabilize the nation and potentially bring harm to those returned.

Cardinal George said that “it is important that Haitians in the United States are allowed to receive legal status and obtain work authorization, as a designation of TPS would provide. These Haitians then would be better able to assist their families in Haiti through remittances and by working together as a community to garner other resources for their stricken homeland.”

Citing the language contained in the statute itself, Cardinal George urged the President to act on this matter.

“[B]y any measure, the conditions in Haiti meet the statutory requirements for TPS… Extending this mantle of protection to struggling Haiti is not only appropriate, but a just, compassionate, and concrete step the United States can take toward alleviating the human suffering of the Haitian people.”

Pope’s Prayer Intention for January 2010

APWeb — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:39:53 +0000

Every month, Pope Benedict XVI focuses on a special prayer intention. For the month of January, the Pope’s prayer intention is for young people and social communications media, specifically, that “young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.”

Pope’s Prayer Intention for December 2009

APWeb — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:14:42 +0000

Every month, Pope Benedict XVI prays for a specific general intention. Catholics around the world are invited to join in praying for the same intention. For December 2009, the intention is as follows:

“That children may be respected and loved and never be the victims of exploitation in its various forms.”

Schedule of Catholic Conferences in December 2009 and January 2010

APWeb — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:05:16 +0000

The following Catholic organizations are having national meetings in December and January.

12/28/2009 – 1/1/2010
NCSC – National Catholic Student Coalition
NCSC Annual Leadership Conference – Our Communities in Need
Philadelphia, PA
A membership organization that seeks to be the representative voice of Catholic collegians, providing students with the necessary resources, network, and partners to aid the formation of faith-filled Catholics.

1/15/2010 – 1/19/2010
NCOD – National Catholic Office for the Deaf
NCOD Pastoral Week 2010
Houston, TX
A membership association dedicated to the pastoral ministry with deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. The mission of NCOD is to spread God’s message through the support of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Pastoral Ministry so that we may all be one in Christ.

1/30/2010 – 2/1/2010
ACCU – Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
ACCU Annual Meeting
Washington, DC
The official collective voice of Catholic higher education in the US. ACCU’s mission is to help foster a vibrant Catholic identity at member institutions and support cooperation among them for the greater good of society and the Church.

To learn more about these conferences, visit the Active Parishioner website calendar.

Pope’s Prayer Intention for November 2009

APWeb — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:12:32 +0000

Every month, Pope Benedict XVI prays for a specific general intention. Catholics around the world are invited to join in praying for the same intention. For November 2009, the intention is as follows:

“That all the men and women in the world, especially those who have responsibilities in the field of politics and economics, may never fail in their commitment to safeguard creation.”

Schedule of Catholic Conferences in November and December 2009

APWeb — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:23:48 +0000

The following Catholic organizations will be hosting a conference in November or December 2009:

10/29/2009 – 11/1/2009
La RED – National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana
La RED 2009 Annual Membership Meeting
Orlando, FL
A network of Catholic church-based organizations and pastoral ministers committed to the evangelization, holistic development, and ongoing support and formation of Hispanic jóvenes (teens and single young adults 18 to 26+). The mission of La Red is to promote the articulation of its members at the national and regional levels and to foster the creation of diocesan networks.

11/12/2009 – 11/15/2009
CNVS – Catholic Network of Volunteer Service
2009 CNVS National Conference
Durham, NC
A membership organization of domestic and international volunteer and lay mission programs. The mission of CNVS is to promote full-time national and international service opportunities by providing training and resources, networking opportunities, and national advocacy.

11/19/2009 – 11/21/2009
NFCYM – National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry
NCYC – National Catholic Youth Conference
Kansas City, MO
The professional membership organization of diocesan directors for youth ministry. The mission of NFCYM is to serve those who serve the young Catholic Church.

Visit the ActiveParishioner.com Calendar for more details and future events.

Catholic Website for Tweens – 10 to 13 year-olds

APWeb — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:18:32 +0000

Catholic resources for high school-aged youth and also for young adults abound. But there is not much out there specifically aimed at 10 to 13 year-olds, often called tweens. Given the computer-savvy nature of this population, a static website with Catholic doctrine is not going to draw much interest.

The Bishops Conference of England & Wales has sponsored a great website for tweens called Yfaith. The site is dynamic and catchy. It draws in the viewer (and not only if you are in this age group!) In many ways, the site utilizes the best features of popular secular sites — lots of interaction, surprises, videos by tweens, and many invitations to learn and discover. You just can’t predict what you will learn the next time you visit this site. Did you ever wonder how many times cheese is mentioned in the Bible? Visit Yfaith and find out!

Pope’s Prayer Intention for October 2009

APWeb — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:05:26 +0000

Every month, Pope Benedict XVI prays for a specific general intention. Catholics around the world are invited to join in praying for the same intention. For October 2009, the intention is as follows:

“That Sunday may be lived as the day on which Christians gather to celebrate the Risen Lord, participating in the Eucharist.”

Revised Language for the Catholic Mass

APWeb — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:15:02 +0000

Vatican II marked major changes in how the Mass was celebrated. Since then, however, additional minor changes have been made. Most recently, in 2000 Pope John Paul II announced a new version of the Roman Missal, the book that details the language for celebration of the Mass.

Such changes are not adopted instantly. First they must be translated into the many, many languages across the world.

For those of us in English-speaking countries, there is an organization named ICEL – the International Commission on English in the Liturgy - which takes on the task of the English translation. Eleven bishops’ conferences are represented on ICEL. Besides the US, they include Australia, Canada, England & Wales, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, The Philippines, Scotland, and South Africa.

Anyone who has traveled to other countries can begin to guess at the difficulty this entails. I remember attending an international meeting in Europe and hearing an English translation where they referred to a torch. This didn’t make sense given the context. When those of us from the US asked what they meant, we were told, “In your country, you call it a flashlight.” Such minor differences appear trivial. But when the language pertains to prayer and how we interact with God at liturgy, the language takes on another deeper level of importance.

Because of the complexities involved, it has taken nine years to work on the English translation for the new Roman Missal. The US bishops will be voting on the final version this coming November. If approved, you will soon be seeing the changes on Sundays.

The US bishops have set up a website to help parishioners become familiar with the changes. Some changes appear to be stylistic. Others more obviously present the fuller meaning of the original text. For example, currently when Mass begins and the presider says, “The Lord be with you.” We respond, “And also with you.” The new Roman Missal changes our response to, “And with your spirit.” If you have participated in a Mass in Spanish, you will recognize that these are the exact words that are already used in the Spanish Mass.

Other changes are not as clear. For example, in the Nicene Creed at Mass we currently say, “… Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.” The revision proposes changing the last part to, “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.” Although theologically correct, the word “consubstantial” is not one that will have instant meaning for most Catholics.

If you would like more of a preview, visit the USCCB site and learn about the changes that are coming.