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Discussing Catholic Social Justice for our TimesThe Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies: Catholic research at its best Serving as a Fireman Part Two The seminary formation of a priest Part Three Serving as a campus minister |
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Here's What We're Reading!
It's in the News!
Notre Dame, Tucson Diocese form partnership to help Catholic schoolsBy Bern ZovistoskiCatholic News Service TUCSON, Ariz. (CNS) -- The University of Notre Dame and the Diocese of Tucson have agreed to designate three parish schools in Tucson as the nation's first Notre Dame Alliance for Catholic Education Academy Schools. Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas and Notre Dame Alliance for Catholic Education officials announced the plan Jan. 29 at the Bishop Moreno Pastoral Center in Tucson. "This is an exciting moment," Bishop Kicanas said. "It's a great joy to have this new partnership to enhance and foster the formation of our young people ... to strengthen our schools and community involvement." The five-year partnership with the Alliance for Catholic Education -- beginning with the 2010-11 school year -- aims to achieve comprehensive excellence in academics and school administration. It emphasizes enhancing school leadership, curriculum, instruction, professional development, financial management, marketing and Catholic identity. Above all else, the bishop said, the goal of the program is "to provide a Catholic education of the highest quality to underserved (Click title to read more) |
Vocations and Their Formation TodayAuthor: Friar Guy Lespinay, OP St. Pauls. Staten Island, NY. 2009. Pp. 175 An Excerpt from the Jacket: Formation in religious life is a very complex matter. Indeed, it has become even more so since we live in a time of doubt and uncertainty when religious houses are closing and more than a few religious communities are facing the possibility of extinction for lack of vocations. Yet, while it is neither popular, nor easy to speak positively of religious life, and much less of formation for religious life, we must find the courage to do so! The formation plan has to be clear, yet, in its clarity, it must not become too rigid. The author sets out a number of priorities and responsibilities in which the first person responsible for discernment and growth is the candidate himself. Without devoting special chapters to each group, he considers the differences between monasteries and apostolic congregations focusing a remark here and there, for example, on the difficulties met in contemplative monasteries where those in formation are few and formation can last 6 to 8 years without a change of spiritual guide. This book is extremely valuable for the way in which it draws our attention to details frequently assumed (and thus (Click title to read more) |
CARA recently introduced its own blog, called “1964" to commemorate the year of its founding as part of the Church’s emphasis on social science research as called for by Vatican Council II. The blog is edited and updated by CARA researcher Mark M. Gray. You can find it by clicking on to this link -- 1964. The blog features concise summaries of research findings that shed light on current issues of concern and interest to Catholics today. The topics that have been featured in the blog to date include the following: The nuances of accurately measuring Mass attendance Research in the media: “Many Women Targeted by Faith Leaders” Searching for Mass online Most young adult Catholics still the marrying type Catholics in Great Britain Latinos and Latin America moving toward majority status Global Catholicism: aggregate data to estimate the number of Catholics at the national level on a global scale (Click title to read more) |
Radical Surrender: Letters to SeminariansAuthor: Father Michael J. Najim The Institute for Priestly Formation. Omaha, Nebraska. 2009. Pp. 144 An Excerpt from the Introduction: How to use this book: In his book Called to Communion, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote, "The essential foundation of priestly ministry is a deep and person bond to Jesus Christ. Everything hinges on this bond, and the heart of all preparation for priesthood. . .must be an introduction to it. While writing this book, I had one simple goal: to inspire the seminarian to enter deeply into this personal bond with Jesus Christ so that Christ can interiorly transform him. Seminary formation, in order to "work," must be interiorly appropriated; in other words, formation will be fruitful only if the seminarian allows Christ to transform his heart. Considering this transformation of the heart, I would like to propose how to receive the most from this book. My desire is that this book will be an experience of prayer for you, a companion on your journey, not simply another book to read and then shelve. (Click title to read more) |
Pondering Roman collars, the Latin Mass and 'holy ignorance'By John L Allen JrThe National Catholic Reporter In The Future Church I identify “evangelical Catholicism” as a key trend, defined as a strong reassertion of traditional Catholic identity coupled with an impulse to express that identity in the public realm. At a purely descriptive level that claim is a no-brainer, because the evidence is crystal clear – from revival of the old Latin Mass, to new demands that pro-choice Catholic politicians be brought to heel. The $64,000 question isn’t whether the trend exists, but what to make of it. In that regard, a recent book from the famed French sociologist Olivier Roy, widely considered one of Europe’s leading experts on Islam, offers two perspectives worth pondering. One’s empirical in nature and the other analytical – which is to say, one’s essentially a fact of life, the other a debatable line of interpretation. The book is titled La Sainte ignorance: Le temps de la religion sans culture, published by Editions du Seuil in 2008. An English translation is scheduled for May 2010 from Columbia University Press, under the title Holy Ignorance: When Religion (Click title to read more) |
Today’s Catholics Different From Earlier Generations, But No Less ReligiousTaken from the CARA ReportCenter for Applied Research in the Apostolate Georgetown University Washington, D.C. 20057-1203 We often hear derogatory remarks about today’s American Catholics: they are less religious, less faithful, less committed and less church going. Professor Jerome Baggett of the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley demonstrates: we need to rethink the categories we use in studying today’s Catholics and to avoid using categories of the past solely in judging them. In other words, we shouldn’t look at the way mom and dad’s practiced religion in the past and use that same set of eyes in viewing how Catholics practice religion presently. . . .Baggett’s book begins by introducing the dramatic changes in American Catholicism that have occurred within the past century as well as the book’s rationale and research methods. He then explains what it means to view people’s religious lives through the lens of cultural analysis, which he employs through the topic of the religious self and points to various “conversational shards” indicative of Catholics’ negotiation with their tradition on the basis of what feels authentic (Click title to read more) |
Open Our Hearts: A small-group guide for an active Lent: Cycle CAuthors: Donna L. Ciangio, O.P. and Thomas B. Iwanowski Ave Maria Press. Notre Dame, IN. 2010. Pp. 81 An Excerpt from the Introduction: Welcome to Open Our Hearts! This booklet was created with you in mind — Catholics who will gather in small groups this Lent to learn from and encourage one another. It is designed to help you open your heart and mind to the Good News. The purpose of Lent and of this faith sharing program is not simply to listen, pray, and learn about our faith but to put that faith into action. The purpose of Lent and of your time with your small group is to help change the way you live each day so that your life will more closely reveal to the world the Kingdom of God. An Excerpt from the Book: Gospel Reading: Luke 4:1 - 13 Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not (Click title to read more) |
Paul's Social Network: Timothy Paul's Closest AssociateAuthor: Bruce J. Malina Liturgical Press, St. Cloud, MN. 2008. Pp. 156 An Excerpt from the Jacket: While most Christians might accurately identify Timothy as an associate of the apostle Paul, they probably conjure up images of Timothy and his relationship with Paul in twenty-first-century terms. In Timothy: Paul’s Closest Associate, Bruce J. Malina ventures off the path of modern biography, with its interests in psychological development and introspection, toward a more likely description of Timothy. Malina draws us out of our individualistic worldview and into the first-century Mediterranean world, where introspection was unheard of and collectivism prevailed. Here alone, within a network of friends and associates, can we discover the real Timothy. Moreover, Malina’s fascinating explanation of social-scientific group development over generations, while perhaps challenging readers to rethink traditional biblical interpretation, provides readers with fresh and plausible insights about Timothy. These insights lead to a greater appreciation not only for Timothy but, more important, for the Gospel of God that Paul enjoined on him to proclaim: the God of Israel raised Jesus from the dead, making him Lord and Messiah. (Click title to read more) |
A Letter from
Pope Benedict XVI Dear Brothers and Sisters, The theme of this year's World Communications Day - The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word - is meant to coincide with the Church's celebration of the Year for Priests. It focuses attention on the important and sensitive pastoral area of digital communications, in which priests can discover new possibilities for carrying out their ministry to and for the Word of God. Church communities have always used the modern media for fostering communication, engagement with society, and, increasingly, for encouraging dialogue at a wider level. Yet the recent, explosive growth and greater social impact of these media make them all the more important for a fruitful priestly ministry. All priests have as their primary duty the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, and the communication of his saving grace in the sacraments. Gathered and called by the Word, the Church is the sign and instrument of the communion that God creates with all people, and every priest is called to build up (Click title to read more) |
What is Happening to Christianity in the Middle East?By John AllenThe National Catholic Reporter In 2007, the World Council of Churches estimated that the Christian population of the Middle East has plummeted from 12 million to 2 million in just the last 10 years. A century ago, Christians constituted twenty percent of the population of the Middle East, while today the most generous estimates put it at five percent, and some say it's lower still, around two percent. Daniel Pipes, writing in the Middle East Quarterly in winter 2001, predicted that within a relatively brief arc of time, Christians "will effectively disappear from the region as a cultural and political force." A reminder of how perilous things can be came on Jan. 6, when Islamic fundamentalists opened fire outside a Coptic church in the village of Hagaza in Egypt, killing seven Christians on their way to Christmas services. (Following the Gregorian calendar, Christmas in the East is celebrated on Jan. 6). Bishop Joannes Zakaria, a Coptic Catholic, wrote recently in Oasis, a journal dedicated to Christianity in the Middle East and sponsored by Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice: "Sadly, our Coptic community is continually struck and wounded ... I must acknowledge that there's a terrorist strategy, in an Islamic matrix, which aims to transform our Christian feasts into days of mourning and sadness." (Click title to read more) |
A theologian-pope sidelines theologyBy John L Allen JrNational Catholic Reporter If it's true that only a soldier can fully grasp the horrors of war, perhaps it likewise takes a theologian to appreciate the limits of theology. That may help explain a striking paradox about the papacy of Benedict XVI: He's a true theologian-pope, yet a core element of his legacy will be to sideline theology as the focus of Catholicism's engagement with other religions. Another chapter was added to that legacy this week with the pontiff's Jan. 17 visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome, the first time a pope made the trip since John Paul II's groundbreaking visit in 1986. Pope Benedict XVI shakes hands with Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, the chief rabbi of Rome, at the main synagogue in Rome Jan. 17. (CNS/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters)Understandably, media attention was concentrated on debates over Pope Pius XII, the wartime pontiff whose alleged "silence" on the Holocaust is among the most polarizing issues in Catholic-Jewish relations. In late December, the Vatican announced that Benedict XVI had signed a decree of heroic virtue for Pius, moving him a step closer to sainthood. On that score, the visit seemed to mark the birth of a new star in the Jewish world: Riccardo Pacifici, President of the Jewish Community in Rome, who had the rare opportunity (Click title to read more) |
Haiti and the Theodicy QuestionRon RolheiserWhere is God in the countless tragedies that happen in our world? Where is God when bad things happen to good people? Where was God during the Holocaust? These are timeless questions and, taken together, constitute what is often called the theodicy question, the question of God and human suffering. Every so often this question hits us with a particular poignancy, as it did last week with the earthquake in Haiti. Somewhere between a quarter of a million and half a million people are dead, thousands are injured, hundreds of thousands are homeless, thousands more now face the possibility of disease from lack of proper water, food, housing, and hygiene, its capital city has been almost completely destroyed, and virtually everyone in the country has lost loved ones. And all of this happened to one of the poorest nations in the world - and to a people who have a deep faith in God. Where is God in all this? How does one find a faith perspective within which to understand this? Not easily. When we search scripture for answers, we find that neither the Jewish scriptures nor Jesus try to tackle the question philosophically, namely, in the type of way that Christian and Jewish apologetic writers have tried to answer it. Scripture and (Click title to read more) |
The biggest Vatican stories of the decadeBy John L Allen JrNational Catholic Reporter 'Tis the season for end-of-decade countdowns, like “best baseball comebacks” and “worst fashion blunders.” In that spirit, this column is dedicated to the biggest Vatican stories of the first decade of the 21st century. Usually these lists reflect somebody’s opinion, and they’re designed more to entertain than to edify. You rarely learn anything you didn’t already know, but the debates they trigger can be loads of fun, and I considered going that route. For example: “Biggest Vatican stories that never happened,” including the resignation of John Paul II or a sweeping reform of the Roman Curia under Benedict XVI. Another would be “most under-appreciated Vatican stories,” such as the fact that despite the (Click title to read more) |
Of Elders, Character, Christ’s Passion, and Blessingby Ron RolheiserAt a workshop several years ago, a woman shared this story: She was the mother of four children and, while they were all still young, at home, in school, her father, already a widower, suffered a stroke that left him severely debilitated. He has unable to take care of himself and needed assistance. Being the dutiful daughter, she had him move in with her own family, at great inconvenience to her husband and children. So many of their family routines had to be adjusted and re-arranged to accommodate her dad’s presence. Their life changed radically. At a point, her father’s condition deteriorated to the point where she had to take him to a hospice where he could receive full-time care. But, even then, she still (Click title to read more) |
Camden community confronts ‘dark side of the American dream’by Tom RobertsNational Catholic Reporter [NCR] CAMDEN, N.J. -- Chris Haw, in describing his religious upbringing, speaks of himself as “a mutt.” He was raised Catholic for a time as a youngster and then went with his family to Willow Creek Community Church, the famous and highly influential nondenominational mega-congregation just outside of Chicago. While at Eastern University, a school near Philadelphia with Baptist roots, he went with friends to services at Episcopal and Mennonite churches. He also traveled to Belize to take part in a theology and ecology study program and returned intent on refashioning his life and finding work that would “connect faith with creation care.” (Click title to read more) |
Living in the Face of Mortalityby Ron RolheiserA number of years ago, one of my cousins died in an industrial accident. He had been helping load some railway cars at a grain terminal when a cable pulling the cars away snapped, sprung back with thousands of pounds of tension, and literally cut him in half. He died enroute to the hospital. He was young, in the prime of his life, and a talented athlete who enjoyed playing sports on a number of local teams. Tragic and sad as was his death, his family and loved ones had some consolations: His last days had been good, his last touches had been warm. He had dropped in for lunch with his mother just a few days prior to his death, enjoyed a great visit, and, on leaving, had kissed her a warm goodbye, assuring her of his affection. Several weeks earlier, he had taken his youngest brother, who idolized him, on a short vacation to watch baseball games. He had, as far as anyone knew, parted on peaceful terms with everyone and, he had died doing his job. Loading grain cars was his job and when that cable snapped and killed him, he was standing where he was supposed to be standing at that moment. Indeed, had he not been there, someone else would have been and that person would have suffered his fate. He died at his post, doing his job, working honestly, earning a living, a victim of contingency, standing where he (Click title to read more) |
Ecological reforms, new practices save energy, cash at Oregon schoolBy Ed LangloisCatholic News Service PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) -- An Oregon Catholic school is turning its century-old campus into a lean, green sustainability machine. At Holy Redeemer on Portland's north side, students joined volunteers and teachers in a project to dig up 2,500 square feet of old playground pavement. That exhausting effort will allow rainwater to soak into the ground and nourish newly planted native vegetation, as opposed to washing blacktop-borne pollutants into streams and the nearby Columbia River. Another newly uncovered area will be a 7,500-square-foot community garden. Pavement-busting is just one of dozens of efforts at ecological reform at the 100-year-old school, which serves a racially diverse neighborhood. "We're doing what we can to bring the school into the 21st century," said John Baggenstos, facilities manager at Holy Redeemer for the past two years. "Of course, there isn't much money. You're either rich or creative, I guess." Baggenstos and a committee of teachers and parents are continuing a drive for ecological advances that began with construction of a new classroom building in 2005. Pope John Paul II Hall, which includes a library and science lab, was the first K-8 (Click title to read more) |
Catholics look at how to welcome their own back to the foldBy Katie BahrCatholic News Service ARLINGTON, Va. (CNS) -- Two women who have returned to their Catholic faith after years away have written a book, "When They Come Home," as a guide for parishes on how to minister to returning Catholics. The women, Anna LaNave and Melanie Rigney, parishioners of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington, say parishes need to reach out to inactive members by tailoring parish programs to meet their needs. "The church really needs to come up with a strategy for how to bring these Catholics back," LaNave said. "Otherwise, we're going to have a very strong marginally Catholic group now, but in the next generation, it won't be marginal. It will be none." At St. Charles Borromeo, LaNave is facilitator for a program called Landings that is designed to welcome back those returning to the faith. The book she co-authored sets guidelines for how Catholics can set up and run programs such as Landings at their own parishes. It also provides tips on how to make a parish more welcoming to returning Catholics, how to market a program on the Internet and how to run meetings in a way that eases "inactives" back into the church instead of intimidating them or scaring them away. (Click title to read more) |
Good Books That Found Me This YearBy Ron RolheiserAn old adage says that the book you need to read finds you. I believe that, though obviously the book likes a little help from its reader who needs to be combing bookstores, listening to friends, and watching reviews. Then the right series of accidents can conspire to place that book in your hands. What books found me this year? Here are the ones that touched me most: Among novels • Jhumpa Lahiri's three novels, Unaccustomed Earth, The Namesakes, and Interpreter of Maladies, exhibit great emotional intelligence and help lay bare the anatomy of the heart, marriage, and family life. • Anne Michaels', The Winter Vault, is dark story, but the best writing I've encountered this year. (Click title to read more) |
Be Holy: A Catholic’s Guide to the Spiritual LifeAuthor: Father Thomas G. MorrowSt. Anthony Messenger Press. Cincinnati, OH. 2009. Pp. 180 An Excerpt from the Jacket: If you’re hoping to get to heaven, you’ll need a plan to reach your goal. Do you pray? Give any thought to the virtues? Do works of mercy? And what about the sacraments? Been to confession lately? Are you doing any spiritual reading? This handy manual not only presents all the elements of a successful life, it also helps you incorporate those elements into everyday practice. Be Holy is the guide you need to achieve holiness now and heaven later. An Excerpt from the Book: Dryness in Prayer How often people say to me that they don’t think they are praying as effectively as they ought. (Click title to read more) |
A row of bottles on my shelfCaused me to analyze myself. One yellow pill I have to pop Goes to my heart so it won't stop. A little white one that I take Goes to my hands so they won't shake. The blue ones that I use a lot Tell me I'm happy when I'm not. The purple pill goes to my brain And tells me that I have no pain. The capsules tell me not to wheeze Or cough or choke or even sneeze.. The red ones, smallest of them all Go to my blood so I won't fall.. The orange ones, very big and bright Prevent my leg cramps in the night. Such an array of brilliant pills Helping to cure all kinds of ills. But what I'd really like to know... Is what tells each one where to go! (Click title to read more) |
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Our inspiration for the National Institute for the Renewal of the Priesthood stems from a longstanding friendship with Father John Klein, a priest of the Our work is made possible in part by grants from the Catholic Church Extension Society, the Paluch Family Foundation and Our Sunday Visitor. We are also grateful for the prayers of the Madonna House. In addition, The Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation has generously provided us with a grant in honor of Monsignor Ken Velo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago who has been an inspiration to so many for so many years. If there is any way that I can be of service to you, I hope you will take advantage of the link below to send me an email. I would enjoy hearing from you with any comments or questions you may have. Father Gene Hemrick
The National Institute for the Renewal of the Priesthood Washington Theological Union 6896 Laurel Street, Northwest Washington, D.C. Dedicated to energizing the spiritual and intellectual life of the priesthood
through an ongoing dialogue via the Internet. This Web page was created and is maintained by the National Institute for the Renewal of the Priesthood.
Please send comments to Father Hemrick by clicking on his name.  .Last updated February 6, 2010 |
