October 8, 2012, Volume VI, Number 41

FEAST OF SAINT JOHN LEONARDIMonday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

OCTOBER – Respect Life MonthOCTOBER – Month of the Holy Rosary

Saint Denis and Companions – Tuesday, October 9, 2012Blessed John Henry Newman – Tuesday, October 9, 2012

YEAR OF FAITH - Oct. 11, 2012, through Nov. 24, 2013http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

Question of the WeekFor the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, October 14, 2012 “…he went away sad, for he had many possessions” Was the young man sad because he didn’t want to be poor? Was he sad because he liked his possessions more than he wanted to inherit eternal life? Do you ever think about what it will cost you to inherit eternal life? Do you consider yourself “rich”? Do you have enough? Do you know when you will have enough? Can you have enough and still inherit eternal life?

NCCL News

General Papal Intention for October Mission Papal Intention for October That the celebration

That the New Evangelization of World Mission may progress in the oldest Day may result in aChristian countries. renewed

commitment to evangelization.

World Mission Sunday

World Mission Sunday is set aside for Catholics to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. In 2012, World Mission Sunday is celebrated Oct. 21. Annually, World Mission Sunday is celebrated on the next-to-last Sunday in October. The Pontiff's mission intention this month focuses on World Mission Day, that it "may result in a renewed

commitment to evangelization." The Pope's message for this year's World Mission Day has the theme: “Called to radiate the Word of truth.” You can read the entire Papal message for World Mission Day at www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/missions/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20120106_world-mission-day-2012_en.html.

Pope Benedict XVI Grants Plenary Indulgence to Faithful

In a decree signed by Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Penitentiary Major and Bishop Krzysztof Nykiel, regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Holy Father has granted the faithful a Plenary Indulgence on the occasion of the Year of Faith. The indulgence will last the entire Year of Faith, from October 11th, 2012 to November 24th, 2013.

"The day of the fiftieth anniversary of the solemn opening of Vatican Council II the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI has decreed the beginning of a Year especially dedicated to the profession of the true faith and its correct interpretation, through the reading of - or better still the pious meditation upon - the Acts of the Council and the articles of the Catechism of the Catholic Church," the statement read.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "an indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."

Indicating that the primary objective of the Year of Faith is to "develop sanctity of life to the highest degree possible on this earth", the decree granted the Plenary Indulgence will be granted to the faithful who are "truly penitent, take Sacramental Confession and the Eucharist and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff."

The document states that those faithful who are unable to leave their residence due to illness or a legitimate cause can still receive a Plenary Indulgence if, during the times where the Holy Father or participating bishops words are broadcast through radio or television, they recite "the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any legitimate form, and other prayers that concord with the objectives of the Year of Faith, offering up the suffering and discomfort of their lives.” The full text of the decree can be found at http://www.zenit.org/article-35663?l=english.

NCCL Membership Drive: THANKS

Give yourselves a hand. Trial memberships continue to arrive in the office even after the campaign has officially closed. Our trial memberships have grown to 87 to bring our diocesan representation to thirty-eight (38) different (arch)dioceses.

Thanks for all your efforts to increase our membership. That leaves us with only 13 short of our goal but Carol and Monroe Nichols will be offering this deal at the Lake Barclay and new Representative Council member will be offering trial memberships at the Indiana leadership conference. Thanks again for your continued support. Our desire for new members does not have a closing date.

Pope, at Marian shrine, entrusts Year of Faith, synod to Mary

During a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, Pope Benedict XVI formally entrusted to Mary the world Synod of Bishops and the Year of Faith. "Fifty years on, having been called by divine providence to succeed that unforgettable pope to the See of Peter, I, too, have come on pilgrimage to entrust to the Mother of God two important ecclesial initiatives: the Year of Faith," which was to begin Oct. 11 and the Synod of Bishops, which was to open Oct. 7.

At the end of his homily, Pope Benedict turned to Our Lady of Loreto with several petitions. "I wish to entrust to the Most Holy

Mother of God all the difficulties affecting our world as it seeks serenity and peace," the pope said. He prayed for Mary's intercession in responding to the "problems of the many families who look anxiously to the future" and for young people just starting to build their adult lives.

The pope prayed for the poor, lonely and suffering who are "awaiting signs or decisions of solidarity and love." And, finally, he returned to the Year of Faith and the synod on new evangelization, saying, "I also wish to place in the hands of the Mother of God this special time of grace for the church, now opening up before us."

With the famous conical statue of Our Lady of Loreto near the altar, Pope Benedict's homily focused on Mary as the best possible example of following God's will and bringing Christ to the world. "She placed her entire being at the disposal of God's will, becoming the 'place' of his presence, a 'place' of dwelling for the Son of God," the pope said.

…Without God and without faith-inspired values, he said, "man ultimately chooses selfishness over solidarity and love, material things over values, having over being. We must return to God so that man may return to being man." Pope Benedict told the crowd that with faith, "even in difficult times or moments of crisis, there is always a horizon of hope: The Incarnation tells us that we are never alone, that God has come to humanity and that he accompanies us."

Often today, he said, people think making a faith commitment means giving up their freedom, when in reality God liberates people from the selfishness and thirst for power that can consume them and harm others. Just as God wanted Mary to agree to carry his son, "God asks for mankind's 'yes.' He has created a free partner in dialogue, one from whom he requests a reply in complete liberty." You can read the complete story at http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1204169.htm.

Cardinal Wuerl: Synod Strives To Turn Back ‘ Tsunami of Secularism’

The following information was gathered by Catholic News Service (CNS). Here are some excerpts from that news story. You can read the entire story at http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1204182.htm.

Long after the bishops have expressed their diverse views, Pope Benedict XVI will have the last word in an authoritative document of reflections called a post-

synodal apostolic exhortation. In the meantime, none of the participants has a better overview of the Vatican gathering, or of the questions it will examine, than Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington.

As the synod’s relator, Cardinal Wuerl has reviewed preliminary suggestions from bishops’ conferences around the world and synthesized them in a speech he will deliver in Latin at the first working session Oct. 8. The cardinal will address the assembly again 10 days later, once more in Latin, to summarize hundreds of speeches by his fellow bishops.

…For Cardinal Wuerl, it is also an opportunity to fulfill the goal for which Blessed John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council: a faithful presentation of Catholic teachings in a way “attractive to a very rapidly changing culture.” It’s no mere coincidence, the cardinal said, that the synod overlaps with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the council, Oct. 11, which Pope Benedict has designated as the beginning of a special Year of Faith. Like Vatican II, the cardinal said, the synod will emphasize continuity with the church’s ancient traditions.

Although Vatican II was faithful to the church’s traditional doctrines, the cardinal said, implementation of the council’s teachings in the 1960s and 1970s coincided with a “current of secularism sweeping the Western world,” especially Europe. "It's almost as if a tsunami of secularism washed across Western Europe and, when it receded, it took with it all of those foundational concepts: family, marriage, right and wrong, common good, objective order," he said.

In Europe and beyond, the cardinal said, that secular wave accompanied a loosening of standards in Catholic religious education. "Somehow we were to be catechizing without content," the cardinal said, describing what he called a widespread attitude at the time. "Somehow there was supposed to be communicated some experience, some idea that God loves us, we love God, but it wasn't rooted in the creed.

"As our Holy Father has pointed out so many times," the cardinal said, "if you are not proclaiming the Christ that the church knows and lives, then you could be proclaiming a Christ that you've created." The cost of poor catechesis, Cardinal Wuerl said, was a "diminished allegiance from two generations" of Catholics.

Effective evangelization, he explained, requires that "we speak out of our own identity as members of the church, as Catholics, as people who hold dear the creed, who worship at the table of the Eucharist, and who simply know Christ is with us."

Despite the setbacks of earlier decades, he said he draws hope from the growing interest among youth in the teachings of the church. "We have a whole new group of young people coming along," the cardinal said, "and they're saying, 'this secular world isn't answering my questions.' "There is a lot of good happening," he added. "We just have to find ways of tapping into it and inviting those young people to look to Christ for an answer."

Archbishop urges Catholics to follow pope's 'road map' of faith renewal

In a wide-ranging address at the eighth annual Los Angeles Catholic Prayer Breakfast, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia spoke of the "debris of failure" that must be dealt with if the Catholic Church in America is to be truly renewed. The archbishop said the obvious problems include the clergy sex abuse crisis, a decline in priestly vocations, struggling Catholic schools and parishes, years of deficit spending and unrealistic financial management, and drastic demographic changes.

"The fact remains that roughly 10 percent of Americans describe themselves as ex-Catholics," he reported. "If they all joined together in a new 'Church of the Formerly Catholic,' they'd be the second-largest denomination in the country. "That's our reality as disciples. That's the debris of failure we need to deal with if we want to repair God's house," he told the crowd of 1,550 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels' Plaza.

In his Sept. 18 address, Archbishop Chaput stressed that Pope Benedict XVI had given the church a "road map" of renewal in his Oct. 17, 2011, apostolic letter "Porta Fidei" ("The Door of Faith"). In it, the pope announced the upcoming Year of Faith, which begins Oct. 11, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and ends Nov. 24, 2013, the solemnity of Christ the King. The special year will be highlighted with a worldwide program of worship, catechesis and evangelization.

"Morally, we live in chaotic times," Archbishop Chaput said. "In such a climate, it's very easy for people to develop habits that undermine virtue, character and moral judgment. It's hard to reach a moral consensus when a culture can't agree on even the most basic standards of right and wrong. As a result, for individuals, today's conditions of daily life are often isolating and even frightening."

Basically, during this period of new evangelization, the pope is asking Catholics to receive a blessing, he said. He's asking members of his flock to examine their hearts and life habits without excuses or alibis. "If you think that sounds easy or pious," he said, "try it for a week."

Then he warned, "If our hearts are cold, if our minds are closed, if our spirits are fat and acquisitive, curled up on a pile of our possessions -- possessions that can kill us -- then the church in this country will die.

"It's happened before in our times and places, and it can happen here. We can't change the world by ourselves. And we can't reinvent the church. But we can help God change us. We can live our faith with zeal and conviction -- and then God will take care of the rest." The archbishop said Pope Benedict had some "concrete suggestions" for parishes and church groups in the Year of Faith. First: to study in detail the Apostles' Creed and the catechism. Second: to intensify their witness of charity. And third: to study the history of their faith and, in particular, see how "holiness and sin" are so often woven together.

"The clergy scandal of the past decade has wounded victims and their families, damaged the faith of our laypeople, hurt many good priests and found too many American bishops guilty of failures in leadership that resulted in bitter suffering for innocent persons," he pointed out. "As a bishop, I repent and apologize for that failure -- and I commit myself as zealously as I can to do the work a good bishop must do, which is shepherding and protecting his people."

The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith

The following are the opening paragraphs in John Allen’s weekly column.

The 25th Synod of Bishops began Sunday, this one dedicated to "The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith." New evangelization is the apple of Pope Benedict XVI's eye, so the synod, held every year since 1967, is being touted by the Vatican, along with the Year of Faith that opens Oct. 11, as the biggest happening of the fall.

…the synod is worth tracking, …. Here are three good reasons why:

Particularly in places where Catholicism traditionally has been strong, evangelization is a real challenge. In Latin America, the church has sustained massive losses to Pentecostal and evangelical Christianity, estimated at 8,000 defections per day during the 1990s; in the United States, Catholicism has a higher retention rate than other Christian denominations, but a lower recruitment rate, and would be losing ground without Hispanic immigration.

Synods are always a valuable sounding board for the realities of the church in various parts of the world -- sort of a graduate seminar in being part of a global family of faith.

Synods are also a bit like the Iowa caucuses of Catholicism, a chance for up-and-coming leaders to break out of the crowd, often with one eye on the next papal election.

This synod will run Oct. 7-28. John Allen offers a basic primer on synods in general and this synod in particular. If interested, you can read his column at http://ncronline.org/node/36196.

Archbishop Aymond Offers ‘ 10 Ways Vatican II Shapes The Church Today’

The Catholic Church marks the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council by Blessed Pope John XXIII on October 11. The Council ran from 1962-1965, producing 16 documents over the course of four sessions. Over 2,000 bishops from around the world participated. The Council introduced major reforms and stands among the most significant religious events of the 20th Century.

To honor this anniversary, as well as the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI called for a Year of Faith, beginning October 11 and ending November 24, 2013, to strengthen the faith of Catholics and draw the world to faith by their example. Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, offers “10 Ways Vatican II Shapes the Church Today” to help Catholics appreciate the Council and how it relates to the Year of Faith:

1. Vatican II presented a renewed vision of what it means to be the Church . The Council document Lumen Gentium on the nature of the Church called the Church a light for the world and the source of salvation. The document Gaudium et Spes on the Church in the modern world said the Church shares the joys and sufferings of the world. Both documents refer to the Church as the People of God, reflecting a new appreciation of lay people that surfaced repeatedly at the Council. 2. It called the Eucharist the source and summit of the faith. The Council’s document on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, describes Holy Communion as the main source of God’s grace for Catholics. In the Eucharist, Catholics encounter the person of Christ. In this way, it is truly the foundation of the Church. 3. It reformed the liturgy. The changes to the Mass, perhaps the most well-known conciliar reform, promoted “full and active participation,” which led to the Mass being translated into the vernacular, or local language, and celebrated as a dialogue between the celebrant and the congregation. 4. It said every Catholic is called to holiness and to be a missionary. The document on missionary activity, Ad Gentes, expanded the view of how the Church evangelizes. Missionaries were no longer sent just to remote areas of the world to spread the Good News; now all Catholics play a role in evangelizing through their lives. 5. It emphasized the importance of the family. According to Lumen Gentium, the family is the “Domestic Church.” While the faith of the Church flourishes in parishes, dioceses and nations around the world, before all else is the family. It is the family that provides a strong foundation for each believer. 6. It reshaped the Church’s relationship with other Christians and other religions . At Vatican II, the Church adopted a spirit of respect and dialogue toward other faith traditions. Ensuing dialogues have built bridges of understanding and strengthened relationships with Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims, Protestants and others.

7. It promoted collaboration. The document Christus Dominus encouraged “collegiality,” or collaboration within the Church. Bishops, priests, religious and lay people all work together in a way that didn’t in the past. Bishops collaborate through episcopal conferences like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and state-level Catholic Conferences. The Council also encouraged “subsidiarity,” by which authority is divided up and decisions are made at the appropriate level. 8. It updated the Church… John XXIII saw Vatican II as a chance for renewal in the face of the “signs of the times” and said he called the Council to open a window and let in fresh air. This resulted in reforms that made the Church more accessible to the modern world, such as Mass in the vernacular and dialogue with other believers, and the openness of the Council was reflected in the presence men and women religious, lay people and even non-Catholics among its official observers. 9. …but it also returned the Church to its roots. Vatican II also reformed the Church through a back-to-basics approach. This meant renewed appreciation for Scripture, the Church Fathers and the restoration of ancient traditions such as the permanent diaconate and the multi-step process for adults joining the Church. 10. Then-Father Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) played a significant behind-the-scenes role. The bishops at Vatican II were assisted by brilliant theologians. These assistants, or periti, included Joseph Ratzinger, who assisted Cardinal Josef Frings of Cologne, Germany. Father Ratzinger was involved in drafting speeches, shaping documents and defining the overall trajectory of the Council. More information on the Year of Faith is available online: www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/index.cfm.

On the Ecclesial Nature of Liturgical Prayer

The Holy Father continued his new series of catecheses on prayer in the Sacred Liturgy by reflecting upon the ecclesial nature of liturgical prayer. You can read his points by going to . However, at the end of his remarks, he addressed the English speaking groups with the following words.

Today, I would like to highlight the ecclesial nature of liturgical prayer. The liturgy is a “participation in Christ’s own prayer addressed to the Father in the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1073). The Church, as Christ’s Mystical Body and united with him, offers worship to the Father. By identifying ourselves with Christ in his prayer to the Father, we rediscover our deepest identity as Christians, as children of “Our Father who art in heaven”. The liturgy is also an encounter of the whole Christ, that is, with Christ and his body the Church. Thus, the liturgy is a sharing in the prayer of the living, universal community of believers in Christ. Prayer becomes the habitual realization

of the presence of God, as we make the words of the Church our own, and learn to speak in her and through her. The Church is most truly itself in the liturgy, as it is the place where God comes to us and enters our lives. Let us remember that the liturgy is

celebrated for God, not for us; it is his work; he is its subject. For our part, in the liturgy we must leave ourselves open to be guided by him and by his Body, the Church.

Encourage Participation in the 2013 Multi-Media Youth Contest

Calling all religious educators! Materials are now available for the 2013 Multi-Media Youth Contest, sponsored by the USCCB Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) with support from RCL Benziger. This year's theme is "Be a Disciple! Put Two Feet of Love in Action." Educators lead participants through 5 easy steps to learn about U.S. poverty, the Church’s response, and the Two Feet of Love in Action. Youth then create multi-media work of any type (e.g. painting, video, poetry, dance, etc.) and work to educate their peers before submitting their work to the contest. The contest can be facilitated by any diocesan office – for example, the Religious Education, Catholic Schools, Youth Ministry, Social Concerns, or Hispanic Ministry office. The annual national contest deadline is March 31. Visit the contest materials now in English and Spanish

NCCL 2011 Audit Available On-Line

The NCCL Audit is now available on-line. Simply go to the NCCL website (www.NCCL.org) and under News and Events, you will find the 2011 Audit along with the audits of the organization from 2008 to date under the Audits tag.

Benedict XVI to Reflect on Social Networks for Communications Day Message

The Vatican's communications council announced that Pope Benedict XVI's annual message for World Communications Day will consider the phenomenon of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, reflecting on them as new spaces for evangelization. "One of the most important challenges facing the task of evangelization today is that which is emerging from the digital environment," a communique from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications noted.

The 47th World Day will have the theme: Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization. "The theme suggests a series of important points for reflection. During a time in which

technology has emerged as part of the fabric of connectivity of human experiences, such as relationships and knowledge, we need to ask: can it help men and women meet Christ in faith? It is not enough to find an adequate language, but rather, it is necessary to learn how to present the Gospel as the answer to that basic human yearning for meaning and faith, which has already found expression online," the English-language communique stated.

"Such an approach, which will serve to create a more dynamic and humane digital world, requires a new way of thinking. It is not simply a question of how to use the internet as a means of evangelization, but instead of how to evangelize in a context where the lives of people find expression also in the digital arena.

"In particular, we need to be attentive to the emergence and enormous popularity of social networks, which privilege dialogical and interactive forms of communication and relationships." World Communications Day is celebrated in most countries on the Sunday before Pentecost (May 12 in 2013). The Holy Father’s message for World Communications Day is traditionally published in conjunction with the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers (January 24).

Echo the Promise Campaign – Additional Monies Added to the Total

Thanks to Jerry Baumbach the total funds raised for the Echo the Promise campaign are now only $45 short of our $5000 goal. In case someone wants to still contribute to this campaign,

we will leave it up on the website. With just $45, we can reach our target goal of $5000.

FREE Professional Development Webinar – THIS Tuesday, October 9

Ave Maria Press, in partnership with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, the National Association for Lay Ministry, and National Federation of Priests' Councils presents a series of free, online

workshops on professional development for parish ministers. This webinar, Supporting Motherhood: Facing the Challenges from a Parish Perspective is offered on Tuessday, October 9 at 3:00 pm EDT. You can register at PDW-10.9.2012 (http://tiny.cc/xg47kw). For a complete listing of professional development webinars in this series please visit www.avemariapress.com/webinars

Supporting Motherhood: Facing the Challenges  from a Parish PerspectivePresented by: Sarah Reinhard

In a parish environment, there is an increasing need for volunteers in various ministries and yet there is also an audience that needs ministry attention: mothers. It's a group that serves others in many invisible ways and yet is often ignored and overtapped. Sarah Reinhard, author of A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy: Walking with Mary from Conception to Baptism

(Catholicmom.Com Books) , will consider how we minister to mothers within our parish communities.  

How can we support the mothers in our parishes throughout their mothering journey? What tools can we use to minister, encourage, and relate with them and foster the growth of our parish communities? How do we tap into

the social nature women naturally have with the overbooked and overworked nature of the life many of them actually have?  

This webinar will reflect on ways to approach the mothers of our parishes, and especially those who have to juggle children's schedules, working responsibilities, and the need for more spiritual support from their parish family.

Year of Faith postings on the NCCL Website – Check it out! NEW Postings  It’s up on the NCCL website and there are NEW postings every week. You can find the information under Resources on the Home page or by simply clicking YEAR of FAITH Resources. There is a wide variety of ideas from which you can choose.

NCCL will be posting Year of Faith plans from parishes and dioceses on the NCCL website.  If your committee or Forum has discussed the Year of Faith from an NCCL perspective, or if someone on your committee has plans for the Year of Faith, please email the information to NCCL Board member Joanie McKeown at jmckNCCL@email.com. We'll post links to websites, outlines of plans, introductory articles, worksheets, etc., along with a byline crediting you (or your parish, diocese, committee, etc.) for the materials you are sharing. By allowing others to see your plans you'll be helping other parish and diocesan catechetical leaders as they develop their local plans so that across the country, in parishes large and small, we'll have vibrant celebrations of the Year of Faith.

Ritual Science

The following article was written by Stephani Sutherland in the September-October, 2012 issue of Spirituality & Health. She writes “I am not, nor have I ever been, a Christian.” However, she recently

attended an ordination and saw immense similarities between what she was experiencing there and her own practice of yoga. She writes:

The sounds of shuffling feet and soft murmurs echoed softly off the stone floors and pillars, swirling around the domed ceiling. The potent odor of incense seemed to have an impact deeper than "smell." A mosaic of Jesus behind the pulpit glowed blue and gold with a light that appeared to come from within the tiles. As we rose and sat, rose and sat, I felt my body start to relax into this ritualized movement. The sounds of our voices and the feeling of the hymns resonating in my own chest connected me to the hundreds of other souls in the church.

I deepened my breath and let myself be drawn into the experience, much as I would do in my yoga practice. As the rite continued, I realized that this ceremony was not so different from any other aimed at deepening a spiritual connection. And a growing field of science is finding that, at their core, spiritual rituals consist of similar sensory experiences that influence our nervous system ― and our consciousness ― in profound ways.A field of research called "contemplative neuroscience" has blossomed in the last ten years…. Scientists are now using ancient rituals to unlock the mysteries of the human brain. The growing field of neuroplasticity is finding that our brains are not wired in a fixed circuitry, but are constantly changing and reshaping their connections and activities in response to our experiences. With repetition, the brain learns to associate ritual sensory experiences ― the sounds, smells, and feelings of ceremony ― with the spiritual practice. Once those links are formed, sensory cues can bring us back very powerfully and quickly. Thus, the soft, high voices of a choir, the burning incense, the murmur of parishioners all become signals that trigger our feeling of openness to God.

Perhaps this explains some of the current appetite for the rituals that were not so much abandoned as left on the shelf or put back in the drawer. The treasure chest of Catholic practices is rich and deep. This article may help to understand what in the human mind hungers for some of these practices. You can read the whole article at http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/articles/ritual-science.

Elmo Enlisted To Help Children Cope With Grief

The big story is not that Elmo has become a grief counsellor to young Australian children or that Elmo talks about the death of his Uncle Jack with other Sesame Street characters and American TV host Katie Couric. What got my attention were the insights offered by Mrs McKissock, who was awarded an Order of Australia medal for her work with grieving children. I don’t know the

statistics in the United States but she said that in Australia “As many as 6 per cent of children will have a parent die by the age of 16.” Here are some of her suggestions.

Because children's biggest fear was that they would forget the one who died, children at the centre often made memory quilts with messages to the person who died. ''Almost everything we

do is to honour the person who has died and the second thing is to retrieve and fatten memories,'' Mrs McKissock said. ''We want to bring memory into foreground, so the feeling is stronger and the kid feels they can hang on to it.''

Mrs McKissock said parents should not wait for a bereavement to talk to children about death. ''Ideally parents should start talking to their children about death when they begin talking to them about anything and build the subject into conversations about life,'' she said.Parents of very young children could start by pointing out dead and live trees in a garden. ''When families are grieving, and parents are feeling vulnerable, it is often difficult for them to begin talking about something painful,'' Mrs McKissock said

USCCB: ‘Catholic Church By The Numbers’ For Use By Media, Public

How many Catholics are there in the United States? What was the total enrollment of Catholic elementary and high schools in the United States last year? How many people are served by Catholic hospitals annually? The answers to these questions (77.7 million, 2 million and 88.5 million, respectively) and many other facts and statistics about the life of the Catholic Church in the United States are compiled in a new guide, "The Catholic Church by the Numbers," issued by the Office of Media Relations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

"Many media inquiries are simply requests for statistics on the Catholic Church, such as number of priests or the growth of the Hispanic population. This guide gathers it all in one helpful location," said Mercy Sister Mary Ann Walsh, USCCB director of Media Relations. "This information is useful not only to media, but to teachers, scholars and anyone seeking a better understanding of the Catholic Church and the services Catholics provide."

"The Catholic Church by the Numbers" includes sections on bishops and dioceses, clergy and religious, laity and parishes, Catholic education, Catholic health care and social services, Catholic lay organizations and Church finances. The data was gathered from sources including The Official Catholic Directory, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), and organizations involved in various aspects of the Church's work, such as Catholic Charities USA and the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). All of the information is available online at: www.usccb.org/about/media-relations/statistics/

UPCOMING FREE Professional Development Webinar – Tuesday, October 16

Ave Maria Press, in partnership with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, the National Association for Lay Ministry, and National Federation of Priests' Councils presents a series of free, online

workshops on professional development for

parish ministers. This webinar, I’m Called to be an Agent of What?! Catechists and Teachers and the New Evangelization is offered on Tuessday, October 16 at 3:00 pm EDT. You can register at PDW-10.16.2012 (http://tiny.cc/c0vklw). For a complete listing of professional development webinars in this series please visit www.avemariapress.com/webinars

I'm called be an agent of what?! Catechists and Teachers and the New Evangelization

Presented by Lori Dahlhoff, Executive Director of the NCEA Department of Religious Education  

This year the Catechetical Sunday theme was, "Catechists and Teachers as Agents of the New Evangelization."

In this webinar, Lori Dahlhoff, Executive Director of the NCEA Department of Religious Education, will explore what the church means by the “new evangelization” and how it is part of fostering discipleship through religious education.

She will also share practical ways catechists and teachers are both agents of evangelization and witnesses to ongoing conversion in Christ.

Keep Up on the Newsat www.Synod2012.org

Keep up with Fr. Frank DeSiano's regular reflections while he is in Rome during the October Synod on the New Evangelization at our Synod 2012 Blog.  Read his pre-synod reflections during the next few weeks before he boards for the flight to Rome.

 Subscribe to the blog feeds now

and stay on top of what's happening. Have you read Perspectives on the Synod for the New Evangelization: A View from the United States?  Download it now.

Restless Heart: Saint Augustine

Filmed in Europe, RESTLESS HEART is the first full-length feature movie on St. Augustine. Born in North Africa, Augustine studied in Carthage, becoming an accomplished but dissolute orator. After converting to Manichaeism, a guilt-free religion, he was called to the imperial court in Milan to serve as an opponent to the Christian Bishop Ambrose. But when the Empress Justina sent imperial guards to clear out a basilica where Augustine's mother, Monica, was worshipping, her constant prayers and the witness of Ambrose won him over to Christianity. Serving in Hippo in 430 AD, Bishop Augustine urged the Roman garrison to negotiate with the Vandal King Genseric, but they proudly refused. He passed up a chance to escape on a ship sent to rescue him by the Pope, and stayed by the side of his people. To bring

this film to a theatre near you or to watch a preview, please go to http://www.restlessheartfilm.com/index.php.

Little Red Wagon

I remember the event. I didn’t remember his name – Zach Bonner. Zach was born in Searcy, Arkansas on November 17, 1997 but now calls Tampa, Florida his home. He is home schooled under the Florida Virtual School program and is in the 9th grade. Zachary started doing community service in 2004 after Hurricane Charlie hit Florida. In 2005 he formed the Little Red Wagon Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to help underprivileged kids with a focus on homeless youth. Zach believes we all have the ability to make a change in this world if

we just try.

LITTLE RED WAGON is based on the inspirational true story of eight-year-old Zach Bonner on his quest to change the world with nothing more than his beat-up red wagon and a blazing spirit of philanthropy. When Zach sets out to help homeless children in America

in the wake of Hurricane Charley, by walking from his house in Tampa, Florida to the White House, he must overcome bureaucrats and blisters and capture the hearts of his fractured family and the entire nation. To read more about this movie and to watch the trailer, please go to http://www.littleredwagonthemovie.com/.

Darius Goes West

Three years ago, CL Weekly shared this moving story of Darius Weems, who set out on a cross-country road trip with eleven of his best friends to raise money to find a cure for his muscular dystrophy. This week, Darius celebrated his 23rd birthday. To surprise him, Darius's fans and supporters catapulted his new song, "Thank You For 23" to #36 in the iTunes Hip Hop Charts,

making him a rap star overnight.Darius's song, "Thank You For 23" is available on iTunes.Click through this photo essay on Facebook to follow the story and see Darius's reactionAnd watch "Darius Goes West" for free on SpiritClips.com"Despite his disease, Darius continues to remind us how much we can do no matter what our challenges may be. In the words of Edward Everett Hale, "I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do."

TEN: How the Commandments Can Change our Life

This book caught me by surprise. I wasn’t ready for a fresh approach to the commandments, especially one that I really liked. This is a fresh approach and one that suggests habits associated with living the big ten. She develops them well, offers a role model for each ne as well as some very

practical suggestions. I would encourage you to share this book with any catechist who will be addressing the Ten Commandments with adults, youth or even children. I think it will be a great help in expanding their understanding and maybe even helping them to follow the ten more clearly. You can order Ten: How the Commandments Can Change Your Life.

Here are the meaningful ideas she suggests are associated with each of the commandments.

I – Creating PriorityII – Seeking IntimacyIII – Spending Time

IV – Giving respectV – Recognizing DignityVI – Maintaining integrityVII – Living GratitudeVIII – Upholding HonestyIX – Promising FidelityX – Bestowing Generosity

St Kateri: Lily of the Mohawks

You can order St Kateri: Lily of the Mohawks so you can use it along with her actual canonization on October 21, 2012. This is a brand new book as another option to those that were previously sited in this electronic newsletter. As

one priest said, “What a wonderful book on the Life of a great American Indian Saint! In the midst of a violent community, she maintains her innocence and her goodness and openness to the Gospel spread by the 'blackrobes' and, when she finally escapes from that situation, she spends the rest of her life in constant prayer and penance. So far the one and only Native American Saint. What an example!”

Praying for Our Adult Sons and Daughters: Placing Them in the Heart of God

John and Therese Boucher received one of our first New Wineskins awards for their evangelization effort using Christmas carols. Now they write a book that may be helpful to many parents with adult children. This book can be a source of hope for them. “Each chapter ends with a series of questions for reflection and introduces a "prayer skill" that will enable parents to persist in prayer and try new

ways of praying for their adult sons and daughters.” You can order Praying for Our Adult Sons and Daughters: Placing Them in the Heart of God. Their other books include When You Notice the Empty Pews, Making Friends With the Saints , and Evangelizing Unchurched Children: A Pocketbook for Catechists.

Pondering in Your Heart

The Year of Faith will emphasize the discipleship shown by the Virgin Mary, recognizing her as “Faith Personified.” Dr. Barbara Kay Bowie says, “Reading the headline, Contemplate Scripture as Never Before, I thought how can this story of Mary’s Visitation and John leaping in his mother’s womb be something I never contemplated during meditation in the past 51 years. What a surprise as the words and phrases of the brief paragraph stood out for me so much that I began to reflect upon and to reread the Luke’s Scripture. You can order the book at http://www.vdpublishing.net/.  

 

A Schoolbag Full Of Love Makes A Difference

This is a “heart warming” story that was shared by a parent. Once again it affirms the importance of how a parent can assist his/her child in resolving issues they are facing. I hope you find it as inspiring s I did.

My daughter, Emma (in 7th grade), started back to school last week. There is a young boy in her class (call him Jake) who is quite overweight. As you might expect he is the butt of many jokes and is treated very badly by other kids (and even by the teachers). Jake gives the impression that he's not a nice guy, mostly because of the fact that he's constantly picked on.

For several nights this week Emma came home from school upset about the fact that Jake gets picked on so much. She also mentioned that he had no school supplies as his family could not afford them. He was constantly asking to borrow paper, which just gives kids even more reason to pick on him.

One night Emma was extremely upset about this situation, not only because Jake was picked on but that he also had no supplies. We sat together that evening and discussed the situation in great detail. We devised a plan for Emma to engage Jake in a conversation and for her to ask Jake what he needed for supplies.

The next day Emma spent some time with Jake and really came to realize that this young man had a heart of gold, but rarely was able to show it because he was always on the defensive. Emma asked Jake if he needed supplies and if he could make a list for her for she would bring in extra supplies that she had at home for him. He put together a small list, 3 ring binders, paper, pens, pencils and a pencil sharpener. Emma told him she would help and he was most appreciative.

That evening Emma and I made a pilgrimage to the store where we bought everything on his list and then some! Emma mentioned that he needed a new pencil box for the one he had got destroyed when one of his pens exploded - so we added that

to the list. When we got home, we put all the supplies into a brand new grey back pack - because Jake did not have a back pack either.

The next day, I brought the bag to the school principal and explained the situation. I asked the principal to give the bag to Jake discreetly so that he did not have to feel embarrassed.

Later that day I picked Emma after school and she was all smiles. The principal had called Jake down to his office and gave him the bag. Jake read the little note that Emma had put inside hoping that he had everything that he needed and to enjoy the supplies. As Jake walked into the classroom - he winked at Emma and later thanked her very much for all the stuff. He loved it all!

Emma said that it was so cute to see him take out his new pencil box and to start arranging his pencils and pens. He seemed very happy.

This was a great experience for my daughter but I can't tell you the joy it brought to me to see a young kid acting upon something that was truly bothersome to her. Blossoming kindness and the willingness to take action are wonderful things to see.

I encourage all the youth of this world to keep your hearts open and never be afraid to show random acts of kindness to those in need. No matter what your friends say. Act upon what's in your heart, you never know it may create a ripple effect for others to do the same!

As for Jake ... I saw him walking home yesterday with his new back pack. It was a good feeling to know we had made a difference in his life!

Anchor Called Fat…Apology Follows

October is Anti-Bullying Month and this is an example of taking a bad situation and turning it around. It’s a powerful story and it’s a good story to initiate a great family conversation. It is also a reminder of how we contribute to bullying by the comments we make. If interested you can read the whole story and watch the video at http://thegrio.com/2012/10/05/anchor-called-fat-kenneth-

krause-apologizes-to-jennifer-livingston-for-fat-shaming-her-says-he-was-obese-child/.

Knowing Jesus and His Message – Conociendo a Jesus y su Mensaje

This is an excellent resource. Immediately following the Learning Session on this resource at the NCCL Conference and Exposition in San Diego, the NCCL Bookstore sold over twenty (20) copies of the book in English and Spanish.

Based on the protocol used to evaluate elementary religion series, the book used fifteen standards for Pre-K and K

through Grades 7 & 8. Included with the binder is a CD with all the materials available for duplication. This is an ideal help for any elementary catechist regardless of the series you might be using. Check out the following and use the Order Form.

PREFACE - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/nysql) EXPLANATION - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/xuvw8) Standards - Explained (http://tiny.cc/65wmc) Normas y Fundamentos (http://tiny.cc/zfrg2) ORDER FORM - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/9j0mb)

Looking For A Good Book?

Stop by the NCCL Bookstore. Purchasing books, CDs, DVDs, and other products on Amazon through the NCCL Bookstore (http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20) helps support this valuable online ministry.

If you are an on-line shopper and you frequent Amazon.com, please enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore as the organization benefits from every purchase you make. It’s an ideal way to support our ministry. Just go to our Home page (www.NCCL.org) and click on the Store tab or click on http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20 and it will take you directly to our bookstore. It doesn’t matter what you buy, as long as you enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore, we get a percentage of your purchases.

We are just building our bookstore and adding titles every day, so if you have any suggestions for books you believe should be available through our bookstore, please drop NCCL a note. All books mentioned in CL Weekly are available at the NCCL Bookstore.

Feedback/Comments should be addressed to: lnagel@nccl.org