"We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song"....Let us try to keep singing Alleluia until Pentecost.
I had the privelege of spending Easter week at the seashore in Maine...at a house owned by the Sisters of Mercy (part of the hundredfold). As I soaked in the beauty of spring and the sound of the surf I gave thanks for the gift of life, for the gift of faith and for my vocation in Mercy. It was an Alleluia week for sure as I recommited myself to the motto inscribed in my profession ring.."Living for God in Christ Jesus".Rm.6:11.
May you also carve some special time during this Easter season to celebrate your life in the Resurrected Christ.
The faith formation year is quickly winding down. Many of you are engaged in First Communions and Confirmations....celebrations of intitiaon for our young church members and oppportunities for the parish faithful to renew their baprismal commitment. Good luck with all of that. May they go well. Faith Formation classes have or will soon end for all of you. It is a time to celebrate all the good that has been, evaluate what can be done better next year and give yourself some breathing space before planning for 2011-2012.
On Wednesday, June 1, we invite all of you to a few hours of celebration and appreciation...our annual get together will be at Sacred Heart Retreat Center from 3:30PM to 7:30PM. Notice the time change. We are trying to accommodate more of you that have commitments earlier in the day. Denise Morency Gannon will give a presentation on liturgy, we will share a nice meal preceded by our usual social, and we will conclude with the celebration of the Vigil of Ascension Thursday Eucharist presided by Fr. Stan. Please plan to join us for this end of the year gathering. If you cannot get there until 4 or 5 come anyway...we would love to see you. The flyer will be sent to you this week.
Since my last posting twenty one of us gathered at LaSalette Retreat Center for a Lenten Day of Reflection with Dorothy Levesque. Rain kept us indoors but the flow of the day was very engaging and inspiration with time for reflection, sharing, prayer, reconnecting.
A longer retreat is planned for 2012...put it on your calendar now and plan to join us at Miramar Retreat Center in Duxbury from Tues., May 29, 10Am to to Thursday, May 31 , 11 AM (6 meals-private room with bath-wonderful grounds- $150). Retreat Leader: Sister Dorothy Welch, SCJ. Times of silent reflection but no silence at meals.
WEBINARS
Please note a couple of webinars that you may find helpful for your ministry.:
Practice Makes Catholic” - Wednesday, May 11 at 8:00-9:00pm (EDT)
In this Webinar, Joe Paprocki, DMin, will draw from his new book, Practice Makes Catholic: Moving from a Learned Faith to a Lived Faith to unpack these unique characteristics of Catholic identity and will show how catechists and religion teachers can integrate practical ideas in their classes to make them more "Catholic."
Joe Paprocki, is an author, a speaker, and a fourth-grade catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry. Joe, national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press, is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling The Catechist's Toolbox: How to Thrive As a Religion Education Teacher and Well-Built Faith: A Catholic's Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe. He is also the host of the blog Catechist's Journey. Click to Register
Please note that Joe Paprocki will be giving a workshop at St. Joseph's, Fairhaven on Wednesday, June 8th, from 10AM to 1:30PM . No Cost and lunch is included. Margie Copeland is inviting all Parish catechetical leaders to attend this session. Another session for catechists is being planned for the evening. More details coming. Our staff will be at a New England meeting of diocesan directors and unfortunately will not be able to attend but I highly recommend those who are able to attend.
Another free webinar that will have some interesting statistics on parishes today is:
FREE Professional Development Webinar – Tuesday, May 17
According to the first major comprehensive study of Catholic parish life in nearly 30 years, changes are occurring that are impacting the shape of pastoral leadership, ministry, and sacramental life. The research, conducted by CARA, is part of the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project with funding from the Lilly Endowment. The webinar will describe the nature of the research and present the data most likely to affect pastoral leaders as they seek to remain relevant and effective in their respective roles. The presentation will draw on the first phase of research including survey responses from 850 randomly selected parishes in the
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