March 4, 2013, Volume VII, Number 9

FEAST OF SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL Monday of the Third Week of Lent

Saints Perpetua & Felicity – Thursday, March 7, 2013Saint John of the Cross – Friday, March 8, 2013

Saint Frances of Rome – Saturday, March 9, 2013YEAR OF FAITH - Oct. 11, 2012, through Nov. 24, 2013

http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en.html

Question of the WeekFor the Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 10, 2013 (Laetare Sunday)“He became angry,” What upsets you? What angers you so much that you refuse “to enter the house”? Have you ever hoped for someone “who was lost” to be found and when they came back, you were resentful of how accepting everyone was and you didn’t feel it was fair? How do you treat “the lost”? Who do you put into the category of “the lost”? How do you celebrate and rejoice when the “lost have been found”? What is your cause for celebration and rejoicing on this Laetare Sunday?

NCCL News

What is Laetare Sunday?

http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/f/Laetare_Sunday.htm

Hotel Reservations Are Available

There is no need to wait. A limited block of rooms have been reserved for our NCCL participants from May 18 through May 23, 2013 and for 3 days prior to and after the conference dates. Please be sure to reference NCCL to be assured of the proper room price. Rooms must be reserved prior to April 17, 2013. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel: 800-Hotels-1 or 800-468-3571 or online at

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/clebr-renaissance-cleveland-hotel/?toDate=5/24/13&groupCode=nccncca&fromDate=5/17/13&app=resvlink. Check in is at 4:00 PM and Check out is at 12:00 PM. Make your hotel reservations for the 77th annual NCCL Conference and Exposition NOW.

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Apostleship of Prayer – March Intentions

GENERAL: Respect for Nature. That respect for nature may grow with the awareness that all creation is God's work entrusted to human responsibility.

MISSION: Clergy. That bishops, priests, and deacons may be tireless messengers of the Gospel to the ends of the earth

MARCH: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and Brain Injury Awareness Month

In an NPCD national survey on The State of Ministry for those with Autism and their Families, the biggest need that the nearly 500 responding parishes identified was for parish awareness of disability! Don’t underestimate the impact your efforts for awareness can have. It can be one of the simplest yet most impacting things you do in your ministry. For more information and ideas, go to http://www.ncpd.org/node/1288.

Welcoming People with Disabilities So All May Encounter Christ

The Diocese of Harrisburg is pleased to announce the publication of a guide for parishes, “Welcoming People with Disabilities So All May Encounter Christ”. The guide provides practical information to assist parishes in welcoming and inclusion of persons with disabilities and was written by persons with disabilities and their family members. The guide is available at www.hbgdiocese.org/disabilitiesguide and www.hbgdiocese.org/disabilitiesguide-spanish.

Father Greg Boyle on the Calling of Delight: Gangs, Service, Kinship

This week’s program On Being with Krista Tippett features an interview with a Jesuit priest famous for his gang intervention programs in Los Angeles. Fr. Greg Boyle makes winsome connections between service and delight, and compassion and awe. He heads Homeboy Industries, which employs former gang members in a

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constellation of businesses. This is not work of helping, he says, but of finding kinship. The point of Christian service, as he lives it, is about “our common calling to delight in one another.”

Listen to the program at

http://www.onbeing.org/. You can purchase Father Boyle’s book, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.

Trent Gilliss, senior editor of On Being, wrote these comments on his blog.

A priest well-known in certain circles for his gang intervention programs in Los Angeles, Fr. Boyle talks about things like kinship and service in the fullest sense — that we are all brothers and sisters who teach and learn from each other. As a Christian, he says the point of service is about finding kinship and “our common calling to delight in one another.” Doug Neill's sketchnotes pick up on this idea in our podcast of "The Calling of Delight": "The day will never come when I am as holy as the people I serve."

Sit down with these sketchnotes while listening to this show. See what you hear differently as you peruse these visual notes.

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Registration Brochure is NOW AVAILABLE On-Line

Download it, share it with your friends and colleagues, and register if you haven’t done so. If you already have “Saved Me a Place”, then complete you registration by returning page 5 of the registration brochure to the NCCL Office.

It’s an exciting schedule. Please go to www.NCCL.us and Download the 2013 Conference Brochure. Give one to a friend. Post it on your FaceBook page. COMING SOON: Watch for a special announcement this week, you will be able to register for the 77th Annual NCCL Conference and Exposition on-line. No more emailing or faxing your registration.

Christian Leaders Urge Protection of Poor People As Sequestration Begins

Nearly 100 national Christian leaders released a letter February 25, to President Obama and the leaders of Congress "affirming the government's responsibility concerning poor people." The letter further stated "Assuring government's obligation to advance the common good, ensure fairness, and defend the most vulnerable is good religion and good politics." The letter was sent on behalf of the ecumenical "Circle of Protection" coalition. "We appreciate that President Obama has kept his promise to the Circle of Protection to protect the poor, and that Republicans and Democrats agreed to shield many core programs benefiting people living in or near poverty from the sequestration cuts," wrote the leaders. "The focus of our nation's budget negotiations should not be about which politicians win or lose, but about whether our budget decisions reflect our values. We will ask our churches to pray as you continue to work together on the budget." Signers of the letter included representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), National Association of Evangelicals, Bread for the World, the United Church of Christ, the Christian Reformed Church in North America, the Reformed Church, the Wesleyan Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church and several Orthodox Churches. More information is available online: www.circleofprotection.us.

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Benedict XVI to be Known as Emeritus in Retirement

Pope Benedict XVI will keep the name Benedict XVI and become the Roman pontiff emeritus or pope emeritus, the Vatican announced on Tuesday, putting an end to days of speculation on how the pope will be addressed once he ceases to be the leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics on Thursday.

Benedict, the first pope to resign voluntarily in six centuries, will dress in a simple white cassock, forgoing the mozzetta, the elbow-length cape worn by some Catholic clergymen, the Vatican

spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, told reporters at a news briefing. And he will no longer wear the red shoes typically worn by popes, symbolizing the blood of the martyrs, Father Lombardi said, opting instead for a more quotidian brown. “Mexicans will be happy to know that the pope very much appreciated the shoes” he received as a gift last year in León, Mexico, he added. “He finds them very comfortable.”

Father Lombardi said the pope had decided on his couture in consultation with other Vatican officials. Benedict will also stop using the so-called fisherman’s ring to seal documents. It will be destroyed by the cardinal camerlengo, the acting head of state of Vatican City during the “sede vacante,” the canon law term used when the papacy is vacant.

U.S. Catholics: Key Data from Pew Research

In the coming weeks, approximately 115 cardinals, including 11 from the United States, will gather to elect a successor to Pope

Benedict XVI. How do U.S. Catholics view the church, and what do they want from the next pope? Here are some of the Pew Research Center’s key findings about the U.S. Catholic population on these and other questions. Go to http://www.pewresearch.org/2013/02/25/u-s-catholics-key-data-from-pew-research/.

March for Marriage

These are excerpts from a letter from Bishop Kevin Rhoades and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone to all bishops in support of the March for Marriage in Washington, DC on March 26. Information about the march has appeared in a previous issue of CL Weekly. With the direction of your bishop and diocesan offices, your promotion and encouragement for events that build a culture of marriage and the family is most appreciated.

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As you may be aware, several organizations have come together to sponsor a March for Marriage which is scheduled to be held on March 26, 2013 in Washington, D.C. This event is being planned strategically for the first day when the U. S. Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments on the cases that could determine the future of marriage, as the union of one man and one woman, in our nation.

We are grateful for this opportunity to express support for the Marriage March and to encourage participation in this event. We realize that the march will occur during the solemn days of Holy Week, but we ask that you consider promoting this event in your diocese and parishes and encourage participation where possible.

The march will be a significant opportunity to promote and defend marriage and the good of our nation, to pray for our Supreme Court justices, and to stand in solidarity with people of good will. It also complements well the bishops’ Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty that was approved last November (www.usccb.org/life-marriage-liberty). This is a decisive time for marriage in our country. We are deeply grateful for any support you can offer for this march.

The websites promoting this event are available at http://www.marriagemarch.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/MarchForMarriage. As we understand, more detailed information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks, and updates will be posted on the websites. The Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth will be promoting this event through the website and social media.

Catholic Relief Services Collection Helps ‘Jesus in Disguise

The Catholic Relief Services Collection will take place the weekend of March 9-10. This year's collection theme: "Jesus in Disguise: How will you help?" invites Catholics to influence the lives of more than 100 million people at home and abroad, particularly families affected by

persecution, war and natural disasters.

"The Catholic Relief Services Collection enacts Jesus' message of caring for the least of our brothers and sisters through providing humanitarian aid and ongoing resources. This collection provides an opportunity for Catholics in the United States to help suffering families around the world," said Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr of Cincinnati, chairman of the Committee on National Collections of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

In addition to CRS, the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Relief Services Collection funds five other Catholic agencies: USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services, which helps resettle refugees in the United States; USCCB's Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, which provides outreach and pastoral care to ethnic and cultural groups; USCCB's Department of Justice, Peace, and Human

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Development, which advocates for poor and vulnerable people and for international justice and peace; Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC); and the Holy Father's Relief Fund, which provides assistance to victims of natural disasters and other emergencies around the world.

More information on the Catholic Relief Services Collection and the projects it funds can be found online: www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/catholic-relief-services-collection/\

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly for March 1

This week’s episode contains a series of programs that might be of your interest. Here are the topics addressed this week.

Selecting a New Pope: U.S. Catholic Voices - In an excerpt from a panel discussion held at Catholic University, four lay Catholics, including Miguel Diaz, the most recent U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, describe the single most important quality they want to see in the next pope. (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/march-1-2013-selecting-a-new-pope-u-s-catholic-voices/14923/).

New Archbishop of Canterbury on New Pope - Archbishop Justin Welby, who will be enthroned as the new Archbishop of Canterbury later this month, says Anglicans and Catholics have major differences, but they also share “a common basis around the need to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ” (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/march-1-2013/new-archbishop-of-canterbury-on-new-pope/14880/).

None of the Above: The Rise of the Religiously Unaffiliated. Who Are They? - “Religion is important. Being spiritual is important. What’s not as important is to join and to go every week,” says Kellen McClure, one of the fast-rising number of Americans who describe their religion as “nothing in particular” or “none of the above” when surveyed by opinion researchers. Watch the first of our three-part series on the rise of the religiously unaffiliated and who they are

(http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/october-12-2012/none-of-the-above-who-are-they/13386/). Originally broadcast October 12, 2012. Watch an extended interview about the "nones" with Greg Smith, senior researcher at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/by-date/october-12-2012-greg-smith-extended-interview/13445/) .

Hurricane Sandy and Houses of Worship - Should houses of worship damaged by wind and water receive money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rebuild? Rabbi Majorie Slome calls West End Temple in the Rockaways section of Queens “a community institution” as well as a house of worship, and she doesn’t think insurance money will be enough

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to cover the cost of repairing it. Also, watch more of our interview with Rabbi Slome on the destruction Hurricane Sandy left in its wake, from ruined pews and prayer books to broken stained glass windows, bricks and mortar (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/march-1-2013-hurricane-sandy-relief-news-pkg/14903/).

Young Hispanics Leaving Catholic Church for Protestant Faith

According to a new Gallup poll (http://www.gallup.com/poll/160691/catholic-hispanic-population-less-religious-shrinking.aspx), young Latinos are shedding the Catholic faith of their parents and some are turning to Protestant alternatives with fervor. Most Hispanics are still Catholic, the poll found, but they are significantly less religious

than their Protestant peers. And Hispanic Protestants are not only more religious, they're far more religious than American Protestants in general. The same does not hold true for Catholics.

Predictably, younger Hispanics in both groups are less religious than older generations. But even at the 18-29 age level, the youngest cohort in Gallup's poll, more than half of Hispanic Protestants consider themselves very religious, compared with just one third of Hispanic Catholics the same age. The Catholic Church has struggled to bring in young members in the United States. Less than half of U.S. Hispanics between 18 and 29 identify as Catholic, compared with the 60+ percent of Hispanics older than 50.

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Young Latinos are joining Protestant, especially evangelical, churches for a variety of reasons. According to an NPR report (http://www.npr.org/2011/10/19/141275979/u-s-hispanics-choose-churches-outside-catholicism), young Protestant Latinos prefer the more boisterous, musical services and less structured environment to more rigid Catholic masses. One young man told NPR he wanted a personal relationship with God instead of having to rely on a priest as an intermediary.

Protestant churches have also done a good job of reaching out to Latino youth, particularly from poverty- and gang-ridden neighborhoods. They offer youth groups, bilingual services in English and Spanish, social activities and a place to hang out. One line of the NPR report is telling. It says of one young man, "[H]e made friends first, and then got religion." Many Protestant churches have accepted that path, but some young Latinos don't see that as an option in the Catholic church.

Catholics have an established and successful tradition of helping the poor and caring for the sick and elderly, but some young people also view the faith as anti-gay and intolerant. Younger Hispanics, like other demographics, are more likely to be liberal than older generations and are more likely to chafe at the Catholic Church's conservative stances on issues like abortion and gay marriage.

Walking the Country as a Spiritual Quest

This is an interesting piece that offers another insight into those who speak about being spiritual but not necessarily religious. Here are the opening paragraphs of this article. If you find them interesting, you can read the full article at

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/03/sunday-review/walking-the-land-as-a-spiritual-quest.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130303.

Ken Iglunas, who is 29 years old, arrived at the Gulf Coast town of Port Arthur, Tex., last month after hiking 1,700 miles from Alberta, Canada, crossing through the American heartland. On his arrival, he met a big-hearted Texan who knew of him from reading his blog and generously offered him dinner at his home and a place to stay for the night. “To walk across this country is to fall in love with mankind,” Mr. Ilgunas said.

He’s one of a growing number of pilgrims who are lacing up boots and sneakers to walk across America. While their treks may not have the religious underpinnings of pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, Mecca, Jerusalem or the current Kumbh Mela gathering in India, which ends on March 10, they are nevertheless acts of faith and quests for existential meaning.

Nominate a Young Adult Catholic Age 18-35 for Leadership Award 

The nomination process is now open for the 2013 Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award. This award honors a Catholic young adult (age 18-35) engaged in efforts to end the root causes of poverty in the United States. The winner receives $1,000 and is honored at an annual reception attended by dozens of bishops. Watch a video about the 2012 winner. (Injustice Calls Christians to Act). Help us celebrate young adult involvement in the mission of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to fight poverty in the United States. For more information, please go to http://www.usccb.org/about/catholic-campaign-for-human-development/cardinal-bernardin-new-leadership-award.cfm.

Nominate Young Adults To Be Conference Participants

Fostering new professionals into the catechetical ministry is a priority around the nation. The National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) seeks to encourage young people to consider this ministry through its Young Adult Initiative and its Young Adult Professional Catechetical Minister Scholarship.

The purpose of this Young Adult Initiative is to:

- raise awareness about professional catechetical ministry among young adults who might be discerning ecclesial professional roles

- foster arch/diocesan involvement in bringing forth strong candidates for professional catechetical ministry among young adults

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- create an awareness in young adults of the benefits of gathering with NCCL, the professional organization for catechetical leaders which includes parish and diocesan leaders, academic members, and publishers

The purpose of the Young Adult Professional Catechetical Minister Scholarship is to:

- raise awareness about a career as a professional catechetical ministry among young adults who are currently employed in an ecclesial professional catechetical role

- foster arch/diocesan involvement in affirming professional catechetical ministry among young adults employed in the catechetical field

- create an awareness in young adults of the benefits of gathering with NCCL, the professional organization for catechetical leaders which includes parish and diocesan leaders, academic members, and publishers

To nominate candidates, the person’s immediate supervisor should e-mail Mark Buckley (mbuckley@stbedechurch.com) or Michelle Tomshack (mtomshack@dwc.org), NCCL Membership Committee co-chairs. NCCL’s Membership Committee will determine the awardees and notify them via e-mail no later than March 15, 2013. For specific requirements and application procures, please go to NCCL website (www.NCCL.org) under the News and Events tab.

Annual Collection Supports Holy Sites and Communities Living in the Region

In a letter sent to Bishops around the world, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, made an appeal for the Good Friday Collection in support of the Holy Land. The people of the Holy Land, along with their pastors he said, “ live the mystery of Christ, Crucified and Risen for the salvation of mankind.”

“On account of its ecclesial dimension, this ancient duty is an ever gratifying opportunity. As Easter approaches, it is all the more appropriate as an expression of the faith that the Church, under the guidance of Pope Benedict XVI, is intensely living, on the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.”

Cardinal Sandri stated that Vatican II opened the Church to the world, while maintaining the tradition that comes from the Christian origins. The Holy Land, he said, “ is the silent witness and living custodian, thanks to the Latin communities of the Patriarchal Diocese of Jerusalem

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and the Franciscan Custody, as also to the Melkite, Maronite, Syrian, Armenian, Copt and Chaldean faithful active there”.

“Together with institutes of men and women religious, the funds collected provide immediate relief to the catastrophic consequences of war and other emergencies,” he said. “Through a qualified network of pastoral, educational and health care specialists, these resources come to the aid of families, often saving lives that have been rejected: the old, the sick, and the disabled. In addition, aid is provided to those without work and to youth in search of a brighter future. In every case, the collection seeks to build up human rights, especially the right to religious liberty.”

The prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches also applauded the ecumenical and inter-religious efforts in the region to aid in promoting peace and unity among people of all faiths in the Holy Land. Concluding his letter, Cardinal Sandri thanked all the faithful for the support they have offered to the Holy Land with the annual collection. “These have earned the gratitude of the Supreme Pastor of the Church and ours, too, for by their faithful witness in the midst of suffering, they remind the world of the consoling promise of the Risen One,” he said. You can read the complete letter at http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/cardinal-sandri-s-letter-to-catholic-pastors-regarding-good-friday-collection?utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch.

FREE Professional Development Webinar– Thursday, March 21, 2013

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 Rebuilt: Introducing Positive Change into Your Parish, is offered on Thursday, March 21 at 3:00 pm EDT. You can register at PDW-03.19.2013 (http://tinyurl.com/a9gdrb5). For a complete listing of professional development webinars in this series, please visit www.avemariapress.com/webinars .

Thursday, March 21, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

Many parishes are struggling to maintain membership, regain relevance, and grow momentum. Numbers are declining and the influence the Church has on the people in the pews is declining as well. In this webinar, Father Michael White and Tom Corcoran, pastor and pastoral

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associate of the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland and authors of the new book,

Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter, share their experience of frustration with the decline of the Church’s influence in their parish and what they did to change consumer Catholics into contributing ones.

In this webinar, you will learn three simple steps you can take to help transform your parish from a church with a consumer focus to one that reaches out to the community and grows disciples within.

Steps to Take:

1. Change your focus to who is not in the pews. 2. Define the “Lost” Person in your area 3. Challenge "Church People" to make the Church accessible to the lost.

The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Symposium-Report Five (5)

This is the fifth week that I am going to address the special report entitled The Role and Reality ofParish Business Managers and Parish Finance Council Members. Recommendations for parish Business Managers included the following two items:

Certification of parish business managers, similar to the certification of parochial school principals, should be enacted in each diocese. This will include requirements for continuing education.

Dioceses should afford parish business mangers the opportunity for spiritual formation (e.g., retreats) and networking with other parish business managers.

Recommendations for Parish Finance Councils included: Accessible and flexible programs, using distance learning platforms, should be developed

to educate finance council members on the basic functional areas over which they will offer consultation and provide oversight. These need to be tailored to meet the time constraints of busy professionals

Dioceses need to provide training on diocesan-specific policies, again in an accessible and flexible format that respects the time constraints faced by many finance council members

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Opportunities for spiritual renewal and formation should be made available to finance council members on a regular basis.

Finally, the issue of parish accountability and transparency will take on greater importance in the parish of the future. To meet these challenges, the following are recommended

Parishioners should be provided the opportunity to view and comment on the parish budget while it is still in its draft form and before it is finalized, with the understanding that the final say belongs to the pastor

Routine parish financial statements, such as a comparison between budgeted and actual expenditures and revenues, should be made available to all parishioners on a regular, preferably quarterly, basis.

You can read the full 70 page report at The Role and Reality of Parish Business Managers and Parish Finance Council Members (http://tiny.cc/pfvdtw)

Write a White Paper for the Annual Conference and Exposition- 3-15 Deadline

This is the fourth year that NCCL invites members to consider developing a white paper around a topic of interest. White papers are an opportunity for writers and thinkers to put their thoughts and ideas into a scholarly work that is used to educate members, to help people understand an aspect of how theory might be translated into practical ideas or even how to make decisions regarding changes they may wish to

undertake or even solve a problem or shed light on a dilemma. This year’s topic stems from the USCCB document Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization (http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/disciples-called-to-witness/index.cfm).

Anne Comeaux, a NCCL Past-President and former Director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis in Galveston-Houston is serving as chair. All submissions and any questions can be directed to her at acomeaux@pdq.net. Further information on this year’s topic and the requirements can be found at https://nccl.wildapricot.org/resource/papers. If you look further down on the page you will find some of the White Papers that were accepted for 2011 and 2012.

Sum of Their Parts

NCPD Board Chair Emeritus, Stephen Mikochik pens a criticism of the drafted organ donation policy and the procedure by which it came about. Read this article in the new forum by Human Life International, Truth and Charity. Click here for the article. http://www.truthandcharityforum.org/the-sum-of-their-parts/

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What TV kids watch can be as important as how much

Those of you who attended the 2006 NCCL Conference in Chicago may well remember the presentation by Dr. David Walsh on the effects of television on children’s behavior. We watched a film clip of pre-school students and their behavior after watching Ninja Turtles and after watching Barney. This article affirms what we saw. Here are some of the opening lines.

In one of the largest studies yet to examine how TV affects children's development, researchers report that six months after families reduced 3- to 5-year-olds' exposure to aggressive or violent shows and increased enriching and educational TV, kids demonstrated significantly improved behavior compared with those whose media diet was unchanged.

Improvements (less aggression, more empathy and helpfulness) persisted at 12 months, says the study of 565 families, in today's Pediatrics.

You can read the complete column at http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/LIFE/usaedition/2013-02-18-Modifying-what-kids-watch-on-TV-can-improve-behavior_ST_U.htm. A full text of the Pediatrics article can be downloaded at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/3/431.full.pdf+html. The National Institute on Media and the Family, founded by Dr. Walsh, closed down at the end of 2009. All of NIMF’s award-winning programs, including Say Yes to No, Switch, through-U, and MediaWise.org are available through Search Institute, where they will live on and continue helping families make positive, values-based decisions about technology and media (http://www.search-institute.org/nimf).

Be Not Afraid (BNA) North Carolina Program Director   Tracy Winsor

The following piece was found in the March issue of the NCPD E-News. Here is a link for a great

article published this month in the Diocese of Raleigh magazine. Featuring two Be Not Afraid (BNA) families, this article provides insight on the experience of parents carrying to term following a prenatal diagnosis as well as the scope of support offered by peer services like BNA.  The story begins on page 16. Feature stories such as this one can play an important role both in

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recruiting potential peer ministers and in generating parent referrals. 

The Kindness of Beasts

This is an interesting article on morality and one that animal lovers will relish. It is published in Aeon, a new digital magazine of ideas and culture, publishing an original essay every weekday. The 3700 word article by Mark Rowlands suggests that “humans have no monopoly on moral behaviour.” You can read the article at

http://www.aeonmagazine.com/being-human/mark-rowlands-animal-morality/. Here are his opening paragraphs:

When I became a father for the first time, at the ripe old age of 44, various historical contingencies saw to it that my nascent son would be sharing his home with two senescent canines. There was Nina, an endearing though occasionally ferocious German shepherd/Malamute cross. And there was Tess, a wolf-dog mix who, though gentle, had some rather highly developed predatory instincts. So, I was a little concerned about how the co-sharing arrangements were going to work. As things turned out, I needn’t have worried.

During the year or so that their old lives overlapped with that of my son, I was alternately touched, shocked, amazed, and dumbfounded by the kindness and patience they exhibited towards him. They would follow him from room to room, everywhere he went in the house, and lie down next to him while he slept. Crawled on, dribbled on, kicked, elbowed and kneed: these occurrences were all treated with a resigned fatalism. The fingers in the eye they received on a daily basis would be shrugged off with an almost Zen-like calm. In many respects, they were better parents than me. If my son so much as squeaked during the night, I would instantly feel two cold noses pressed in my face: get up, you negligent father — your son needs you.

Kindness and patience seem to have a clear moral dimension. They are forms of what we might call ‘concern’ — emotional states that have as their focus the wellbeing of another — and concern for the welfare of others lies at the heart of morality. If Nina and Tess were concerned for the welfare of my son then, perhaps, they were acting morally: their behaviour had, at least in part, a moral motivation. And so, in those foggy, sleepless nights of early fatherhood, a puzzle was born inside of me, one that has been gnawing away at me ever since. If there is one thing on which most philosophers and scientists have always been in agreement it is the subject of human moral exceptionalism: humans, and humans alone, are capable of acting morally.

Quick Fire 2013: Rapid Resources – Still accepting applications!

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Mary Fran Needs Your Help! While the response has been positive, this is a great opportunity for you to share something that has worked for you and that you believe others might appreciate knowing about. This is Networking at record speeds. It’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss. Don’t hesitate. Do it today.

Interested in presenting a Rapid Resources session?

Have you developed an effective program, resource, or other information for your diocese or parish? Have a book or a piece of research you would like to share with your peers? Have an innovative response to a catechetical need?

Then NCCL wants you to present a Rapid Resource session at our 2013 Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.

Quick Fire 2013 is a great way for conference participants to learn new ideas and network with peers. This Rapid Resource gathering consists of four 10 minute sessions. Presenters will give a fast 7 minute presentation to a small group (up to ten people) followed by 3 minutes for discussion. At the end of the ten minutes, presenters will give the group a one-page handout that includes their contact information. People will then move to another Rapid Resource session.

NCCL Committees will also present Rapid Resource sessions so that participants can learn about NCCL's activities and how they can become involved.

To nominate yourself as a Rapid Resource presenter, please complete the Rapid Resource nomination form available on the Home Page of the NCCL website (www.NCCL.org) or you can download and complete the APPLICATION FORM. The Conference Committee will review your submission based on the following criteria:

clarity of description of the content and presentation methods relevance/audience interest, importance, focus presenter's experience, qualifications and expertise

(The review process does not apply to sessions by NCCL committees.)

The Bible Series is HERE - 3.3.13!

The American Bible Society has entered the promotion for The Bible and has suggested a host of actions you might take. Start by watching it yourself. The epic miniseries The Bible premieres 8-10 pm March 3, 2013 on History Channel, and continues for 2 hours on each Sunday

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night in March. Producers Roma Downey (star of Touched By An Angel) and Mark Burnett (producer of The Voice, The Apprentice and Survivor) make the Scriptures come alive for a whole new generation. Breathtaking in scope and scale, and endorsed by major faith leaders, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectacular life into the dramatic tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. Visit www.BibleSeriesResources.com for free Bible images, movie clips, and resources. 

April: Autism Awareness Month in Parishes & Dioceses

This link catholicswithautism.org leads to many resources for pastoral and catechetical staffs. Most resources can also be used to support those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We are grateful to NCPD and their March E-News for sharing this information.

Students Stand Up for Mental Health

Adolescence is hard enough without the extra challenges of depression and anxiety. Often a simple act of reaching out to show you understand can give someone hope. This amazing short film shows the powerful effects that can occur when students, parents and administration step up and stand up for those who need an extra boost. Check it out at

http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=3535.

An Astounding Act of High School Sportsmanship

A special needs student from a Texas high school, Mitchell Marcus, scored a basket in the final game of the season after a player from the opposing team gave up the ball. Mitchell is the team manager for the Coronado Thunderbirds and an avid basketball fan. So with 90 seconds left in the last game of the season, Coach Peter Morales put Marcus into the game. "Mitchell's a great shot," his mother Amy said. "He took his first shot and missed. It hit the rim. You just hear the whole crowd

sighing. It went out of bounds and Franklin got it. We all knew that he wasn't going to have his chance." Then, Jonathon Montanez, a senior at rival Franklin High School and a member of the opposing team, down by 10 points, tossed Marcus the ball. Read the full story and watch the video at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/26/mitchell-marcus-special-needs-teen-basketball-game_n_2766354.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news.

Bullying: To This Day Project - Shane Koyczan

Shane Koyczan "To This Day" http://www.tothisdayproject.com. Help this message have a far reaching and long

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lasting effect in confronting bullying. Please share generously. Shane sends out one new poem each month via email. You might like to join. http://www.shanekoyczan.com.What Would You Do? Helping the Homeless

An actor is staged as a homeless man who is given twenty dollars to purchase lunch at a local restaurant. The bartender (also an actor) is instructed to be unkind to the homeless man to try to gain a reaction from innocent customers. Segment after segment, I

think you will be amazed by the ways people react to this dialogue between the homeless man and the bartender. Certainly look closely at the last example in the video clip. This man will inspire you and make you think, based on his own actions toward the homeless man. Check it out at http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/video/helping-homeless-17241998.

Beyond the Catechist’s Toolbox

Anyone who has been a catechist will appreciate this book. If you are a person who wonders how to use the outline of a Mass as the outline for a transformative religion class, this is worth the read. Those of you, who love the liturgy and believe that it often works despite us, will find the opportunities this book presents to resonate with your beliefs. You can order Beyond the Catechist's Toolbox: Catechesis That Not Only Informs, but Transforms.

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)

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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.

Please “LIKE” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NCCLonline – we have over 330 LIKES

“FOLLOW” us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NCCLonline – What’s going on in your catechetical environment?

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

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