COREnotes Issue 06

COREnotes

Q U A R T E R LY J O U R N A L O F T H E O F F I C E F O R C A T E C H E S I S F E A S T O F S T. K A T H E R I N E D R E X E L I S S U E 6 - M A R C H , 2 0 11

Mission We believe that through our ministry we continue the mission of Jesus Christ by enabling the people of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois to develop the gifts given them by the Spirit. In carrying out this mission, we strive to provide resources, service and leadership to all who are part of the educational mission of the Church: religious education, early childhood, elementary and secondary schools, and adult education.

We do this in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Staff Jonathan Sullivan Director for Catechetical Ministries jsullivan@dio.org Chris Malmevik Associate Director of Catechesis cmalmevik@dio.org Cynthia Callan Executive Secretary ccallan@dio.org Jean Johnson Superintendent of Catholic Schools jjohnson@dio.org Marilyn Missel Associate Superintendent of Catholic Schools mmissel@dio.org Barbara Burris Associate Director of School Planning bburris@dio.org Kyle Holtgrave Associate Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries kholtgrave@dio.org Beth Schmidt Secretary for School Personnel, Youth and Young Adult Ministries bschmidt@dio.org

Last month, while cleaning out some files, Cindy came across a 1931 report from the National Catholic Welfare Conference (predecessor to the USCCB) on “Programs Conducted in Many Dioceses for the Instruction of Catholic Children Not in Catholic Schools.” It includes short reports from various dioceses.

The report from our diocese was written by one Very Rev. Msgr. Edward J. Cahill, the diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools. Some highlights: • [On establishing parish catechetical programs] “At first pastors were dubious, many had territory fifteen more and less miles square; sometimes parts of three or four rural school districts were contained in one rural parish. Pastors thought children had to work in vacation, had no means of getting to the church, or would not come in. But many of them tried the plan and were surprised at success; results, more children attending Mass; taught to sing and had High Mass where it was impossible before; attendat Sacraments increased.”

• “Most pastors prefer Sisters. We pay them $5.00 each week and all expenses. Sisters like it. Many places now have Sisters coming to the parish from a nearby school for Saturday and Sunday. This idea is growing. One pastor hired a Catholic public school teacher, paid her $50.00 a month and had classes all day for July and August. He was lukewarm at first but almost a fanatic for the work after he tried it.

• [On utilizing public school facilities] “The K.K.K. came out in autos and tried intimidation after the School Board refused to listen to them. We are not easily intimidated ‘out our way.’ We even got a Catholic woman teaching in this public school. We used public schools in several places; we rented houses, halls, barns, and in one place we paid to teach the children in the corner of an open corn crib.”

• “Here is another point that may be of interest: In two country districts of this diocese the Lutherans, all farmers, have schools on their church property. When the public schools are closed, they send their children to these church schools for the remainder of the summer. If Lutherans can do that, why can’t Catholics? They will, as we found from experience, if the pastor is an energetic man, with faith in this work, with patience to begin humbly and build up year to year.”

• “Most priests need to keep themselves better informed. They need more faith in the ability of the mustard seed to grow and become useful. This is practical work; it can be done and is being done successfully... Of course, all this means hard work, optimism, and using one’s head.”

That last part at the end, I submit, is still good advice for all of us involved in the catechetical ministry of the Church.

The Christian Family and Evangelization page 2

Revising the Translation

Operation Rice Bowl

page 6

page 10

The Christian Family and the Evangelization of

Children

Capuchin Franciscan Father Thomas G. Weinandy Executive Director Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices, USCCB

The Holy Family and Our Families

A number of years ago I was visiting a medieval monastery in France. In that monastery, there is a large statue carved from an ancient tree trunk. The statue depicts Joseph sitting, and on his lap is the young boy Jesus, who is about eight years old. With his muscular arms outstretched around Jesus, Joseph is holding an unfurled scroll in front of them. Together, with mouths very wide open, they are singing the psalms. It is a very moving portrayal of Jesus and the paternal care and love of his foster father, Joseph. What struck me was that this depiction illustrates one of the ways that the young boy Jesus came to know that he was truly God’s Son. By singing the psalms with his earthly father, Jesus came to know the love of his heavenly Father and thus came to realize, in a human manner, that he was the eternal Son of the Father.

It was in the home of Mary and Joseph that Jesus learned to read the Sacred Scriptures and to ponder with them their deepest meaning—the meaning that he himself would ultimately fulfill.

Together with them, he would gather to celebrate the weekly Sabbath with their kinfolk and neighbors and make the yearly joyful pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover. In such settings, familial and communal, Mary and Joseph fostered, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the devout life of Jesus as a Jewish man. Through his obedience to Joseph and Mary, “Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man” (Lk 2:52).

The same dynamic that existed within the Holy Family is intended to exist within our own families even now. Fathers and mothers are to teach their children to live after the manner of the Gospel and so come to know the salvation of Jesus, the love of the Father, and the new life in the Holy Spirit.

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How are Christian parents to do this? They are to follow the example of Joseph and Mary.

The Catholic Family as a Domestic Church

The Holy Family foreshadowed and anticipated what the Second Vatican Council calls “the domestic church” (Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church [Lumen Gentium], in Vatican Council II: Volume 1: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents [new rev. ed.], ed. Austin Flannery [Northport, NY: Costello Publishing, 1996], no.

11). Each Christian family, exemplified in the Holy Family, is to be a microcosm of the larger Church. As the larger Church is a communion of persons, so the family is a small communion of persons. The family receives its life from the larger Body of Christ, the Church, and so comes to mirror the life of this larger Church.

Pope John Paul II stated in his apostolic exhortation On the Family (Familiaris Consortio), “The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason . . . it can and should be called ‘the domestic Church’” (no.

21 [Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1982]). The Church is a communion of faith, hope, and love. The Christian family, as the domestic Church, is

equally to be a communion of faith, hope, and love. Through faith, hope, and love, Jesus abides within the family, and through the Holy Spirit he pours out the love of the Father within the family. It is within this context of the family as the domestic Church that fathers and mothers, after the manner of Joseph and Mary, have a particular obligation to nurture the Christian life within their own families.

Gentium, no. 11). Thus, as the Church is to evangelize all nations, so Christian parents, in fostering the domestic Church within their own families, are to evangelize their children.

They do this in a number of ways, always in keeping with the age of their children.

As Joseph and Mary were the first to proclaim to Jesus the living faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so Christian fathers and mothers are the first to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their children. They not only present their child for Baptism, but they also promise within the Rite of Baptism to raise their child in accordance with the Gospel and the teachings of the Church. The Second Vatican Council states that parents, “By their word and example . . . are the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children” (Lumen

Evangelization can simply begin with teaching young children the Sign of the Cross, because all of what they will learn later centers on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. For example, parents can teach their children that God the Father is the maker of all things—trees, animals, and the stars. In learning this, children not only become secure in the love of their parents, but they also become secure in someone (the Father) whom their parents profess is even greater, more powerful, and more loving than they

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Teaching the Faith

Fathers and mothers have the primary responsibility for teaching their children the Catholic faith, even from their earliest years. Although others, such as priests and catechists, may contribute to this education, God has commissioned parents, precisely because they are fathers and mothers, to be principally accountable for the faith of the children whom they have begotten in love.

are. Moreover, parents can teach their children about the mighty works of God in the Old Testament, especially the story of the Exodus. Similarly, fathers can tell their sons the stories of the great boys and men in the Old Testament— Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, and Tobias. Mothers can tell their daughters of the faithful and heroic girls and women of the Old Testament—Deborah, Ruth, Esther, Judith, and the valiant mother and her seven sons in the Second Book of Maccabees who were martyred for their faith. In all these stories, children learn who God is and how they are to live virtuous and noble lives.

Young children should also learn who Jesus is—that he is the eternal Son of the Father who became man. The Gospels are replete with stories from Jesus’ life, from his birth to his Ascension, that will touch the hearts and catch the imagination of children—his healings and miracles, his love for sinners and the poor, his care

for children. Children can be led to faith in Jesus as the one who forgives their wrongs, watches over them with care, and promises them fullness of happiness and joy in heaven.

As they mature, children can advance in an understanding of Jesus’ Crucifixion and death, the importance of his Resurrection, and the hope of his coming in glory at the end of time.

Children can also learn of all the works of the Holy Spirit—that he transforms them into the likeness of Jesus and so makes them children of the Father. He is the one who makes them holy and good, because he dwells within them, making them temples of the Holy Spirit. Older children can learn that the Holy Spirit is the source of all virtue. Cooperating together, with the help of the Holy Spirit, mothers and fathers foster virtue within each of their children—charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Gal 5:22-23).

Teaching Children to Pray Although teaching children the faith of the Church is essential, faith is not complete without prayer, because it is through prayer that children form a personal relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As little children learn to pray to the Father, even learning the Our Father, they experience the Father’s love for them. LikeP.4

wise, as children grow and mature, they are called to make their own personal act of faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. However, they can only do so if their relationship with Jesus has been nurtured in prayer during the course of their youth. Moreover, children are to learn to pray to the Holy Spirit for wisdom, guidance, holiness, and knowledge and for the power to overcome evil and to do what it right, good, and just.

It is likewise within the context of prayer that children can learn to call upon Mary and all the angels and saints for help and protection. Children can foster special devotion to certain saints, such as their own patron saint or men and women saints to whom they are particularly attracted.

Of course, this implies that parents teach them the lives of the saints and point out their specific saintly qualities. The angels can also be invoked, especially their guardian angel.

What is equally important as teaching children to pray is for parents to pray with their children. It is in praying together the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, the Rosary, the Memorare, the Act of Contrition, and other prayers that children realize that their own prayer is not simply something that children do, but that it is also a “grown-up” thing to do. It is particularly important that boys and girls witness and participate not

only in the prayer of their mother but also in the prayer of their father.

The Family and the Eucharist

Catholic fathers and mothers should ensure that they and their children are immersed in the life of the Church—particularly their parish. In so doing, parents will be instrumental in teaching their children to love the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. Parents can help their young children examine their consciences and, especially during Advent and Lent, go as a family to their parish to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Above all, because it is Christ’s presence within the family that truly makes it a domestic Church, their participation in the Eucharist, especially the Sunday Eucharist, is particularly important. In the Eucharist, parents and children join themselves to the one sacrifice of Jesus offered to the Father. Moreover, in receiving Jesus in Communion, the members of the family are most fully united to him and to one another.

Parents teach their children to live out the Eucharist by fostering a love and care for those around them—to sacrifice themselves for the good of others. In so doing, parents, following the example of Joseph and Mary, are teaching their children to lay down their lives out of love for their heavenly Father and for the salvation of all.

Copyright © 2010, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.

Permission is hereby granted to duplicate this work without adaptation for non-commercial use.

Scripture texts used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, copyright © 1991, 1986, and 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC 20017 and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents edited by Austin Flannery, OP, copyright © 1975, Costello Publishing Company, Inc., Northport, NY, are used with permission of the publisher, all rights reserved. No part of these excerpts may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without express written permission of Costello Publishing Company.

Excerpts from Pope John Paul II, On the Family (Familiaris Consortio), copyright © 1982, LibreriaEditrice Vaticana (LEV). Used with permission.

All rights reserved.

The diocese is on Twitter . . . are you?

The diocese is on Twitter (@dioSpringfield) – are you? If so, check out these great Catholic catechists!

• Danielle Bean (@DanielleBean) – Catholic mom and author • Marc Cardaronella (@MCardaronella) – DRE, Holy Cross Parish (Champaign, IL) • Jeff Cavins (@JeffCavins) – author, The Great Adventure Bible Study Series • Sr. Caroline Cerveny, SSJ-TOSF (@ccerveny) – founder, Interactive Connections • Jared Dees (@JaredDees) - digital publishing specialist, Ave Maria Press • Joyce Donahue (@jdonliturgy) – catechetical associate, Diocese of Joliet • Margaret Felice (@MargaretFelice) – religion teacher and opera singer • Barb Gilman (@BarbInNebraska) – Catholic school teacher • National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (@NCCLonline) • William O’Leary (@woleary3) – DRE, Church of the Ascension (Overland Park, KS) • Mike Patin (@MikePatin) – Catholic youth speaker • Roy Petitfils (@RoyPetitfils) – Catholic speaker and author • John Rinaldo (@JohnRinaldo) – director of youth and young adult ministry, Diocese of San Jose • Nick Senger (@nsenger) – 8th grade teacher and vice-principal • Dorian Speed (@DorianSpeed) – Catholic homeschooling mom and parish catechist • Greg Willits (@GregWillits) – Host, The Catholics Next Door radio show P.5

Revising the Translation, Renewing the Mass – Part II Fr. Paul Turner [In the last issue of COREnotes we included the first half of Fr. Turner’s closing address from the 2010 Diocesan Adult Enrichment Conference. We include here the second half of his address in which he outlined twelve objections to the revised translation of the Roman Missal, and his thoughts on each.]

7. “We are losing common Christian texts.” Yes, we are, and this is also a concern of mine. Forty years ago, different English-speaking Christian Churches worked together to provide common translations of texts we all use for Sunday worship, such as the Gloria, the Creed, the Sanctus, and even a dialogue such as “The Lord be with you.” The International Consultation on English Texts was formed to achieve this goal, and that is why if you go to another Christian church some Sunday, you may find words identical to those you say or sing in your Catholic Church.

Over the past 40 years, almost every Church that signed on to those translations has made some changes, but no one has made as many as the Roman Catholic Church is now poised to do.

In ecumenical circles, this has caused dismay, disappointment, and downright anger. Forty years ago, the Catholic Church consulted other Christian Churches before establishing our final translations, but this time we did not. We have gone our own way. We will have to do something else to demonstrate our belief in the one baptism that Christians share.

The loss of common texts is serious, but we are gaining more common texts across language groups within our religion. So, the revised translations of the Confiteor and the Creed, for example, will have more uniformity between Catholic English and Spanish speakers than they do right now. This does not eliminate the ecumenical concerns, but it does express another value that the revised translation holds.

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8. “Catholic prayers use a gender-exclusive vocabulary.” Many, many improvements have happened for those burdened with this concern. The first English translation raised our consciousness of this matter. Translators at work on the revised text have addressed this concern time and again, case by case. The results are good, but not completely satisfying. There will still be some places where a word will sound gender-exclusive, but from my experience in witnessing the conversation among the bishops on the commission, they handled each case with care. If a gender-exclusive word remained, it was because of some other value, because no other solution resolved the issues needing to be addressed in a particular text.

I’ll give you two examples of how the revised translation has addressed gender-exclusive language. The first is the way that we call upon God. It is common now to hear prayers addressed to “Father” or “Lord” – both titles for God that carry masculine imagery. In Latin, the words Pater and Domine do appear, but not nearly as often as a different word, Deus, which is more properly rendered “God”. In the revised translation, the more gender-neutral form of address, “God”, will replace the gender specific form of address in hundreds of cases. Not to sugarcoat this, the masculine pronoun will still be used in reference to God, but the form of address is changing.

A second example is not a retranslation of a specific word, but a retranslation of a phrase in which a gender-exclusive term exists. At the

conclusion of the preface dialogue, the people presently say, “It is right to give him thanks and praise.” It’s common to hear some people say, “It is right to give God thanks and praise,” or “It is right to give our thanks and praise.” In this case, though, the word “him” is not there in Latin at all. All it says is Dignum et iustum est. This will now be translated as, “It is right and just.” Here, when you just translate what is there, the inclusive language issue evaporates.

I cannot tell you how often this has happened throughout the missal not just in reference to God, but in reference to people as well. Many words that sound gender-exclusive were never there in the original, and a closer adherence to the Latin resolves the problem. You will still hear some words that many people find offensive, but many improvements have been made.

9. “We’re losing our musical repertoire.” Yes, in some cases, the acclamations and mass settings that you have come to know and sing so well will no longer be printed in hymnals and participation aids. Your favorite settings of the Gloria and the memorial acclamations, for example, will all have to be changed. This means losing some repertoire. Some of it, to be honest, probably should have been lost a while ago. But some of it has been quite lovely and we will experience some loss. Perhaps we will find some other use for the memorial acclamations – as refrains for other songs, for example. On the upside, the revised translations are opening a door to a new generation of composers. Our composers have had 40 years of experience now, learning what does

and does not work with congregations. We can anticipate an explosion of new musical settings, presenting a challenge to discern which settings will work the best with our people today.

10. “The Church has abandoned the principle of subsidiarity.” “Abandoned” is too strong a word, but the process for this translation has raised concerns about the collegiality that marked the period of the Second Vatican Council. With the publication of Liturgiam authenticam in the year 2001, the Vatican not only changed its theory of translation, it also changed its theory of authority. At the time of the Council, the responsibility for vernacular texts was handed to the conferences of bishops. So, for example, the Council gave a group such as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops the authority to translate the mass into English and put it into use with a simple approval from Rome.

Now, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has appropriated more responsibility for itself. It still relies on the work of the conferences in general and ICEL in particular to produce the English translation. But the Congregation now has its own group of advisers, Vox Clara, and together these bodies make the final changes to the text.

Even though the Congregation in Rome assumed this authority in 2001, most observers have been surprised at the aggressive way in which the Congregation has exercised that authority. In recent weeks the blogosphere has been erupting with alarms that the difference between the text the conferences of bishops apP.7

proved and the ones they are receiving is significant; it is said that 10,000 changes have been made, and that many of these have introduced inconsistencies, mistakes in grammar, infelicitous expressions, and doctrinal errors. These texts have not been made public, but this week an internal critique of the work did become public, and the charges are serious. This will remain controversial, for it is said that the Congregation in Rome has made some improvements, but that it has also sacrificed some of its own translation principles.

tion progressed, and a project that could have been enriched by better communication and trust stands to be diminished. However, please remember a couple of points. First, the unpublished parts of the translation that are receiving the sharpest criticism right now do make up 97% of the missal, but within any given mass, they represent only about 2 or 3 minutes of prayer. Second, I still think the translation we are receiving will mark an improvement over the one we have. Yet, because we don’t know what the final texts are, I could be wrong.

I hope not, and I trust not.

On the left, the very people who five years ago were denouncing the new translation rules of 11. “The new books will be expensive.” Yes, Liturgiam authenticam and ICEL’s they will. Start budgeting now. application of them, now are “The liturgy is the summit championing the wisdom of Think about how many copies toward which the activity Liturgiam authenticam and the of the Sacramentary you have of the church is directed; proficiency of ICEL’s work; on hand in the church, the ofit is also the source from they are upset that lesser-skilled, fice, or the school. Then think which all its power flows. anonymous, and well-positioned about replacing the participaFor the goal of apostolic laborers have overlooked the tion aids in the pews, and the endeavor is that all who are beautiful quality of the translacatechetical texts for children made children of God tion they received and lessened in religious education. It will be by faith and Baptism should an expensive change. I do some its value. come together to praise God prison ministry at home, and for in the midst of his church, to us to get new materials into the On the right, the people who take part in the sacrifice and prison can take months – many were happy that the present to eat the Lord’s Supper” translation would soon be set months. The Catholic volunteers aside are now unhappy about are already alerting the system the impending results. Those who that statewide we will have to purlabored hard on the translation find that many chase new materials in all our institutions. words and phrases are being altered, and they will wonder how much the authorities in Rome 12. Finally, “Aren’t there more important mattruly value the expertise they brought to the ters than this?” Here you can plug in your favorproject over many years, offering the sacrifice of ite cause: the slaughter of Syrian Catholics attheir considerable gifts and faith. tending mass in Baghdad, the devastating floods in Pakistan that have stretched the reserves of I want to believe that everyone has the best the Church, the abuse of children by clergy in interests of the Church at heart, but the process Ireland where the Church is not ready to talk did not allow good communication among the about punctuation, the pro-life movement, jusvarious bodies. For example, no one on ICEL tice for immigrants, the end of the death penattends the meetings of Vox Clara, and no one alty, alleviating poverty in America, alleviating on Vox Clara attends the meetings of ICEL. poverty outside America, and so on.

Some of the best minds of the Church were not speaking to each other in person as the transla-

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All these causes are important, and we must continue our fight for them. But, what do you expect a liturgist to say? Celebrating the eucharist is the single most important thing that Catholics do. If you make time for other issues, but do not make time for the Sunday eucharist, then you have carved the heart out of any apostolic activity you embrace. I back up this belief with this famous quote from the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: “The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the church is directed; it is also the source from which all its power flows. For the goal of apostolic endeavor is that all who are made children of God by faith and Baptism should come together to praise God in the midst of his church, to take part in the sacrifice and to eat the Lord’s Supper” (10).

If we can enhance our celebration of the mass, it will have a positive effect on every other cause we pursue. Nothing is more important than the eucharist we share.

The coming of the revised translation has raised many concerns; there are surely more than these twelve. Some concerns are legitimate. Some are not. Some people are misinformed about what to expect. I’ve heard people say that we are going back to communion on the tongue, communion under one species, kneeling for communion, the extensive use of Latin, and an overturning of every liturgical gift bestowed on us from the Second Vatican Council. It’s just not true. This is primarily about words, words that are rich in meaning, and that invite us beyond them to meet the God who came to us as Word made flesh. As we prepare to receive this translation, we will call upon our great reserve of charity and trust. When we gather together at the eucharist, we will find there our source of strength to meet all the challenges we face until we gather again one day with all those we love, and many of those we mistrust at the table of the Lord in heaven.

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Operation Rice Bowl:

Saving Lives One at a Time Vicki Compton Director, Office for the Missions Have you ever saved a life? Maybe you did and you don’t even know it. Thomas Awiapo credits CRS supporters, like you, with saving his life. Thomas was born in Northern Ghana to parents already crippled by poverty. His parents died when he was only ten leaving behind four hungry sons. Thomas’ youngest baby brother died in his arms with the next youngest dying soon after. After his older brother wandered away, Thomas was left to fend for himself.

One day, Thomas was lured to a village by the scent of cooking food. It was coming from St. Francis Xavier School a recipient of a school food program sponsored by Catholic Relief Services. When Thomas asked for something to eat, he was told he must attend classes to share in the lunch. So, although he had no interest in school, Thomas began attending daily so he could receive a small snack and a hot lunch. “And I was caught…joyfully caught. And I’m glad that they did catch me,” says Thomas.

Today Thomas holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and is a senior staff member for CRS Ghana. He is married and has four children. He gives all the credit to Catholic Relief Services.

Each year during Lent Thomas travels to the US to speak at parishes, thanking supporters for the gift of a hot lunch and an education. This Lent you have an opportunity to help other children like Thomas Awiapo have a chance at life and health through the gift of a hot lunch. Operation Rice Bowls remind us that what we place in the cardboard bowl is turned into food that helps feed hungry people all over the world.

Hunger has a face. It is Thomas’s face and the face of so many. Collect your rice bowl and Lenten calendar at your parish or visit orb.crs.org.

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Confirmation of Catechized Adult Catholics

B

ishop Paprocki invites Catholics who are catechized but not confirmed (i.e., who have received catechetical formation and the sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist) to complete the Sacraments of Initiation by celebrating Confirmation at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield on Pentecost Sunday (June 12) at 10a.

The registration form for Confirmation of Catechized Catholics may be downloaded from the February 2011 Monthly Mailing.

Catechesis for adult confirmandi is to be done at the local parish. For those confirmandi who are already practicing the faith, little should be required in the way of preparation. The Office for Catechesis has prepared an optional 4-5 hour session that may be used one-on-one or in small groups. The session utilizes Together in the Spirit by Bishop Robert F. Morneau and Mike Grzeca and has been designed for flexibility. Feel free to adjust the schedule, sequence, or content of the session based on the number and needs of your confirmandi, or to use other resources in your parish.

You can download the catechetical session materials in the March 2011 Monthly Mailing.

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Ordering New Books for This Fall?

If you are looking for new religion texts for 2011-2012, please make sure that your choice will reflect the upcoming changes to the language of the Mass. Some companies will be updating their materials right away, while others will be waiting until they sell through their existing copies. Don’t be caught with out-of-date information in your new books!

Upcoming Events March 21-22

CORE Retreat (Villa Maria)

April 2-9

Why Catholic? Beatitudes Retreat

April 26-28

National Catholic Educational Association Convention

May 19

CORE Meeting/Picnic

May 23-26

National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

June 12

Confirmation of Catholic Adults at the Cathedral (Pentecost)

Reflection The dynamic between personal encounter, knowledge and Christian witness is integral to the diakonia of truth which the Church exercises in the midst of humanity. God’s revelation offers every generation the opportunity to discover the ultimate truth about its own life and the goal of history. This task is never easy; it involves the entire Christian community and motivates each generation of Christian educators to ensure that the power of God’s truth permeates every dimension of the institutions they serve. In this way, Christ’s Good News is set to work, guiding both teacher and student towards the objective truth which, in transcending the particular and the subjective, points to the universal and absolute that enables us to proclaim with confidence the hope which does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5).

- Pope Benedict XVI Address to American Catholic Educators April 17, 2008 This work is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

COREnotes MARCH, 2011 - ISSUE 6

F E A S T O F S T. K A T H E R I N E D R E X E L

Office for Catechesis 1615 W. Washington • P.O. Box 3187• Springfield, IL 62708-3187 217.698.8500 ph • 217.698.8620 fax • dio.org/catechesis