Marianist Lay Network of North America
Building a Community of Communities
                                       Part of the Marianist Family       
        Marianist Lay Network of North America
May 2010 

Quicklinks
MLNNA Website
Hawaii Continental Assembly Registration Form -> print & mail

E-News (this document) and Saying Yes Archive


Start Your Day with a Daily Gospel Meditation from
Father Bert Buby SM
Bible
   
 
 Link to the blog for  his Scripture Reflections. 
http://scripmed.blogspot.com



 THANK-YOU
to those who contributed to MLNNA in April
  • John Burke
  • John Eise
  • Magnificat Group (Winnipeg, Canada)
  • Andrew & Jama Badinghaus
  • Michael Gillespie
  • Mary Pat Sjostrom
  • Bob & Mary Ann Valentine

 Help Grow




ONLINE SHOPPINGgood search
Every time you shop online at your favorite stores you could be saving money and earning a donation for MLNNA.

Each time you search the web, about a penny is donated to us!
Here's a link to the new toolbar for more information:  http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/
If you ENTER a business' website through the GOOD SHOP link - a percentage of each sale to our organization. There's no extra cost to you. More than 1,300 top stores including Avon, Amazon, Ebay, Best Buy, Gap, & Staples.


 MAP of Marianist Lay Community locations
here is the link




"Light from the Dark Continent"

"To realize that our world is a world where, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, the people walk in darkness, a world where men and women live in the shadows, one has only to pay attention to the daily reality of many countries and their people. However,
should not our faith in the one who died and rose again transform our gaze so that we may discern the light, feeble as it may be, which continues to shine despite all the winds of the world which could extinguish it?"

These are the words of Sister Liliane Sweko, SNDdeN, a member of the Congregational Leadership Team of th
Africa Women
e Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Sister Liliane spoke this past week (May 8, 2010) to the International Union of Superiors General, a gathering of some 800 women religious from all around the world. Her address is worth noting.

It is an address, linked here,  that reaffirms the commitment of her sisters to prophesy but it applies to each of us as well. It will take a few minutes to read the twelve pages, but within these pages Sister Liliane packs a message inspired by the Spirit that can light a whole world. It is also a message that can light the flame within.

 
peace and love,

aj
                                                                     

Isabella Moyer Family Spirit in Ireland
By Isabella Moyer

I belong to a 'cyber' Marianist Lay Community called Our Lady of the Round Table. The original members met online in May 2005, during the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS) online course on Marianist Community, facilitated by Carol Ramey. We felt a strong bond of community through our online discussions and wanted to build on the experience.

I had been sharing my daily lectio prayer and reflection by email with a dear Benedictine friend, Sr. Grace Kowolski, OSB. We used the daily liturgical readings. The format was simple. We posted a line from the readings that would be our inspiration for the day. We shared briefly why these words spoke to us - what was God trying to say to ME? And we shared the prayer that was the result of our meditation. This worked very well for Grace and me. We wondered if this format would work for our new community. Well, almost five years later, we can say that it's working rather well!

What do you call the first " in person" gathering of a community that has been meeting daily online for five years? Is it a reunion? But, technically, don't we have to meet first to have a reunion? We  already know each other face's from photos, voices from phone calls, and spirits from the daily sharing of our prayers and life. But this was our first 'in the flesh' visit....an incarnational moment. And what a moment it was! Maybe one day I'll be able to put this moment into words, but all I can do right now is savor it.

Here's the link to Isabella's blog with more about this first face to face meeting.

Also see pictures set to beautiful Irish music posted on YouTube.



Sign up for On-Line Course

NACMS, in partnership with UD-VLCFF, is currently offering two 5-week Marianist Studies courses.

Registration is open until May 26.
Go register go to: vlc.udayton.edu/register
Cost: $40.00.
Here is a link to the Virtual Learning Center courses
offered in June 2010

NACMS

A thought for the month of Mary from Blessed William Joseph
Mary sculp 
"The secret of success in any work, whether it be for one's own perfection or for the support of religion and the propagation of the faith, is to interest the Blessed Virgin in it, to refer all the glory of it to her accordance with the views and sentiments of our Lord Jesus Christ."
 
--  Our Knowledge of Mary
 W. Joseph Chaminade

8th Marianist Continental Assembly July 22-25, 2010

All Lay Marianist are invited to our Assembly.
A brief schedule for the July 22-25th meeting in Honolulu Hawaii on the campus of Chaminade University follows:

Thursday, July 22
Check in 4-5PM in front of Mystical Rose Oratory and dinner at 5:30pm.  We know folks coming to Hawaii will be tired and a bit jet lagged so Thursday is simply a day to get settled, have dinner together and get a good night's sleep.

Friday July 23
"Ke Aloha",  aloha stands for love and getting to know and respect one another. 8AM check in for those who still need to check in; breakfast. Opening Prayer at 8:30AM followed by several speakers and workshops;
  • Mentoring; Lay Community:  Mission, Identity, Assessment Stages, Planning
  • Characteristics of Lay Marianists:  Discerning the Document
  • Lay Marianist Identity: A Coat of Many colors  
There is time in the afternoon for optional cultural activities (eg., lei making)
The end of the day will be a celebration honoring the 40th anniversary of the L.I.F.E. program

Saturday July 24
"Ka Pono". The word "pono" stands for justice and fairness. The day will feature speakers and workshop including some facilitated by MSJC (Marianist Social Justice Collaborative). In the evening, an authentic luau dinner with lots of entertainment. 

Sunday July 25
  "Ka `Ohana" the word "ohana" means family or community. We will have several activities and end our formal assembly with a noon mass.

The assembly registration fee is only $250 per person and includes three night's housing, all meals and conference expenses. Go to the MLNNA website to find a registration form (download it and mail to Marie Wyman)  Payment can be made on-line via the Network for Good link.

NOTE:the rooms available on the University campus are almost gone so if you plan to register and want to stay on campus - don't delay any longer!!
SUPPORT
You can support your Network of Lay Marianists either through the on-line secure link to
Network for Good or via mail.  Your contributions support projects:
Donate Jar
  * to assist lay community development (MLFI),

  * social justice through Marianist Social Justice Collaborative (MSJC) 

  * our administrative office support which allowed us to print and distribute the new brochures on Characteristics of Lay Marianists.  This infrastructure also allowed us to quickly collect and distribute funds to our brothers and sisters in Haiti following the earthquake.


Link to  Network for Good
or
If you prefer to donate using the US Mail, please send
checks made payable to MLNNA. 
Mailing address is:
Marianist Lay Network of North America
1341 N Delaware Ave, # 406
Philadelphia, PA 19125             
Summer Retreat Opportunities

The Society of Mary and Daughter of Mary Immaculate have once again invited Lay Marianists to join them in their Summer Retreats with the understanding that the retreats are focused toward vowed religious life. This year's Annual Retreats for the Marianist Province of the United States will offer timely topics in spirituality:

Religious Spirituality and Religious Life in Today's Church
Retreat Guide:Father Kenan Osborne, OFM
July 11 - 17, 2010      
Vallombrosa Center       Menlo Park, Calif.

Spirituality of Aging with Grace
Retreat Guide: Brother Cornelius Hubbuch, CFX
July 18 - 24, 2010     Marianist Retreat & Conference Center     Eureka, Missouri

Spirituality and Reconciliation
Retreat Guide: Brother Donald Bisson, FMS
July 26 - Aug. 1, 2010    Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center    North Palm Beach, Fla.

Each retreat will cost $500. The retreats begin on Sunday at 5:00 P.M. and end the following Saturday at noon.  If you have any questions, please direct them to Donna Tucker at dtucker@sm-usa.org or 314.533.1207.

The Lay Marianist Daily Reflection

Our new Facebook page, Lay Marianist, has attracted some followers. Everyday there is a one or two sentence reflection posted on Lay Marianist but if you are not a Facebook fan, you can join our daily reflections by e-mailing aj@marianistfamily.org
Here's a taste of last week's postings:
  • If they can't make it look like I'm smiling, avoid the lie - close the casket and sing "Alleluia!" 5/3/10
  • You know that painting in the Sistine Chapel where God reaches out to Adam? Yeah, it's like that when we touch. 5/4/10
  • "Can God be found in a birthday cake?" he asked. "God's goodness sure can!" his mom replied. "Even if its devil's food?" 5/5/10
  • He prayed for everyone he loved. He even prayed for God. 5/6/10
  • He grew up wearing used clothes. Now he is well off and misses the comfort of being poor. 5/7/10
  • In the doctor's waiting room God's face is sad. 5/8/10
  • Jesus' Mother's Day miracles: 1) Turn paper into a card; 2) Make her face glow with joy; and 3) Create a hug. Happy Mother's Day Mary and all those women who love us and teach us to love. 5/9/10

Every week we also ask on the page for whom we should pray. These are the prayers requested for this month:

For the family of William Hawley. May he rest in peace.
For the men and women working to stop the oil spill and those working to clean it up.
For the healing of Archbishop Ray Roussin.
For our parents.
For Graduates.
For the people hit by flooding.
For vocations.
For the Marianist community in Ireland.
For the areas affected by the oil spill.
For those planning to be married.
For inner city parishes struggling to stay alive.
For relationships suffering from power struggles, self-centeredness, anger, lack patience, lack of empathy and forgiveness. May the prayer of St. Francis be an inspiration to them and our prayers help them to heal themselves and their families.
For Brother Bob Weithorn's stepsister who is battling cancer.
For the Ehrbar family, whose daughter was killed in a car accident and whose son was  injured.

Please join us for a daily reflection.
Phlox_flowersNEXT MONTH'S E-NEWS

What's happening with your community?  Send me a summary of what you are doing that might be educational or inspirational for another community.
 
Keep copy short and describe who, what, why, when and how.  Deadline for the next E-news is  June 7.  If possible provide a digital picture (JPEG format 100 - 900K) with your news story.  Send to Jacqui Griswold, MLNNA editor

Thanks for reading to the end.