Tuesday AUSCP board meetings

Tuesday AUSCP board meetings on the phone and computers are where many things come together. We don't always agree on how best to hold the tension between the pastoral needs of our foundling fellowship and the prophetic edge which we aspire to, but we know that we need to get to first base with you at this assembly so that you can make the choices necessary to fulfill our mission as AUSCP.

Did you all get the questionaire that we sent out for your initial feedback on our Assembly Proposals? We pray that you have been going to the AUSCP website [www.uscatholicpriests.org ] to study the proposals that have come forward so far to enable us to fulfill our mission. (Please see the box below about how to log on to the blog for more info.) Some of the proposals are initiated by the board and some (more and more we hope) by our membership at large. To peek at them: can retired bishops become full members? Can we get a new rite for spiritual formation at Baptism? Can we slim down the formal annulment process? Can we get some objective feedback on the New Roman Missal? Shouldn't AUSCP Board members be reimbursed for travel expenses? Can we build a bridge to include dialogue with the laity?

Committee reports have been exciting. Working with our membership in ever-new amazing ways, Bernard Survil reports that we have 107 diocese and 26 religious orders participating in our over 630 members. Bernie has kept up a correspondence with our brother groups in Austria, Ireland, Australia, and Latin America. We are in different places in our developments but we recognize so many issues that keep us learning from one another. We are delighted to have these groups sending representatives to our first assembly as well.

Frank Eckart discovered a parliamentarian brother priest after an arduous search (Alleluia!). He is pushing the Constitution & By-Laws with his lawyer buddy as we acquire 501c3 status and has great possibilities for our future assemblies around the country. He tried to get exhibitors to sell their goods to us at the assembly but met with minimal response.

Jay Davidson has found a qualified media manager who will help us with the press at the assembly. He has developed some talking points for our interaction with the media and kept us focused at the meetings. His buddy, also from the Evansville Diocese, Jim Sauer, has done the lion's share of the paperwork for us as secretary of the board, but also as the go-to man working with the assembly details. He continues to coordinate with Fr. Tony Kissel's staff at St. Leo's, and has put together all our paperwork for the gathering. [Thank you, Jim!]

Dan Divis has kept us chuckling with his wit and focused with his Initiatives and Issues Committee. His group discerns and dissects proposals and formalizes them. Our chairman, Dave Cooper, cranks out the agenda for our Tuesday afternoon confabs and makes the connections to keep us flowing and glowing. Len Dubi anchors the Finance Committee with Frank Eckart. They need help with more savvy finance people and we may eventually have to hire a bookkeeper. Len keeps the vision of Vatican II alive in our conversations, constantly calling us back to collegiality, accountability, and transparency.

Although I work with Jay on PR issues, my main concern is putting together this Newsletter and getting it out to you. We recently decided to put the minutes of our weekly board meetings on-line via the website where you can now find them.

Logging on to the blog

Some of our members are having trouble logging onto the blog.  We're trying to resolve this technical issue.  If you can't log in, let us know by emailing info4@uscatholicpriests.us and tell us when it happened.  Computers tell us that it's always human error and not their infallible innards at fault. Do not believe them; we are still in charge.

Blogging on the AUSCP website

Here's how it works:

1) Go to www.uscatholicpriests.org

2) Click the button on the upper strip "Member login"

3) Type in the ID and password. Click "Login." 

5)  Click the "Blog" button on the upper strip.

6) On entering the blog, note the Blog Index of all the themes posted on the right.  (just under the Blog Rules) Choose what you are interested in, e.g. "The Laity's role with AUSCP," then post your comment to any and all.  Please give your real name.  This will help the "Editor for the Day" weed out those non-members who manage to get to the blog.  It also will help us to get to know each other to continue our discussion face to face at the St Leo's Assembly.

If your burning issue isn't among the choices, write it up and email it to "The Editor for the Day," who could be any of the Board members or mail your issue to info4@uscatholicpriests.us. This is good start to get your issue/resolution to the full membership for consideration at The Assembly.

Assembly Scholarships

There are generous brothers who want to pay the way for others to enjoy the gathering at St. Leo's University. Several of our "Founding Fathers" last summer at Mundelein would not have come had it not been for the generosity of others who paid their registration. If you would like to come and are strapped for cash, please call us and ask for a scholarship.

We would like to express thanks to Len Duesman, Paul Chateau and others who have made considerable gifts for scholarships. These gifts are intended to assist younger priests, retired brothers living on a limited income, as well as economically hard-pressed brothers to enable them to attend. Checks may be made out to "AUSCP" with the note: "Assembly scholarship,"  and sent to:

AUSCP

PO Box 263

Calumet City,  IL   60409-0263

To obtain a tax-deduction with your gift call Frank Eckart [419-764-7244] for details.

Photos at the Assembly

We ask our members to bring their digital cameras to help us make sure we end up with a photo of every one there, with a head and shoulders photo. Also, if members prefer to send in a digital photo that has been appropriately hair-brushed to make them look look like St. John Vianney, we could use that for our members gallery as well. Bob Cushing will be collecting them on his new computer via frbobcushing@hotmail.com .  

For those who came in late:
Vatican II Resources

Several people have asked "What are you reading on Vatican II to prepare for the 50th Anniversary celebration?" Below is a very biased introductory list of the editor's own recent perusals. You are invited to send in your own suggestions so that we can "stoke the fire" of the Spirit and inspire one another [at frbobcushing@hotmail.com] .

Gaillardetz, Richard R. & Clifford, Catherine E. Keys to the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of Vatican II. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2012, 198 pages. They identify 20 key conciliar passages, central texts that help us appreciate the vision of the council fathers.

Gaillardetz, Richard R. Conversation Starters: Dialogue and deliberation during Vatican II, America Magazine: (Vol. 206 No. 4.) Feb 13, 2012, pp.14-18. Can real dialogue continue in the spirit of Vatican II? What would that look like?

Huff, Peter A. Vatican II: Its Impact on You. Liguori, MO: Liguori Publications, 2011, 80 pages, a quick introduction to the most important Catholic event of the twentieth century.

O'Malley, John W. What Happened at Vatican II. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2008, 380 pages. This is one of the best and most readable accounts of the council from beginning to end.

Sullivan, Maureen. 101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II. New York: Paulist Press, 2002, 133 pages. She answers the basic question: "Just what was Vatican II?"

Thank God for Blessed Pope John XXIII

Shortly after becoming Pope John XXIII in 1958, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli announced that he would call for a second Vatican Council. Immediate reactions were mixed. Leaders in the Roman Curia were negative. Even Cardinal Giovanni Montini (later Pope Paul VI) remarked:"This holy old boy doesn't realize what a hornet's nest he's stirring up."   John XXIII realized exactly what he was doing...

The Finance Committee Needs a Few Good Men

National Assemblies of the Future

At this time we plan to have the 2013 Assembly in June at St. Leo's near Tampa again. The major focus will be on the second major document of Vatican II, Lumen Gentium.  Since it is important to line up good speakers well in advance, we welcome any suggestions you have especially in the area of Ecclesiology. We have not determined the date the 2014 Assembly, but are growing confident that it will be in Seattle, Washington.  We need to plan on having at least 400 attendees.  If you have a suggestion about a place or time let us know.  The focus in 2014 will be on Verbum Dei.  We are asking for your suggestions for speakers. Contact info4@uscatholicpriests.us.

Feedback, please!

Dear members, we need your help. On April 11th we sent a cheerful green postcard [4"x6"], advertizing the AUSCP to all 22,000 U.S. Diocesan priests.  Would you let us know if you received it by sending us an email at info4@uscatholicpriests.us with the content only written in the SUBJECT LINE: such as either: "Yes, 31015"  (because I got it and this is my zip code),  or "No, xxxxx" (x's are where you supply your zip code). There is no need for any further message in the text box. We are trying to figure out how many of these really got through the postal system. Thanks!

Jay Davidson

The Newsletter needs you!

Closing Prayer