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Issue 42
February 26, 2014

From the Director's Desk 

 

 

Fr. Frank

Once again this year, the Catholic Apostolate Center is significantly involved in the Mid-Atlantic Congress for Pastoral Leadership.  Over 1200 participants are expected.  We look forward to meeting many of them in our exhibit booth (210) or at one of three sessions where we are presenting, or in our unique contribution to MAC, the Collaborative Conversations.  Why do we participate in, sponsor, and now work on the Steering Committee of MAC?  We believe that MAC offers an important opportunity not only for pastoral leaders in the Mid-Atlantic region, but across the country, to have important access to resources that aid in greater collaboration among them.  This year, the focus for MAC is on the work of the New Evangelization and the intrinsic link between faith, worship, and witness. 

 

One of the presentations that I will be participating in is a "boot camp" on the Implementation of the New Evangelization Toolkit.  The Toolkit, a project of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has been developed in collaboration with the Catholic Apostolate Center. While the word, "boot camp", for a morning seminar might seem a bit extreme, the use of the term is simply a call to the participants to be ready to engage in a lively exchange of ideas.  This exchange and good co-responsible and collaborative planning by all will aid in growing a "new ardor" among baptized "missionary disciples" which develops "new methods" and "new expressions" as Blessed John Paul II hoped the New Evangelization would do.  The Synod on the New Evangelization which was held by Pope Benedict XVI and the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium by Pope Francis have indicated that our work as baptized, as Church, calls for moving from maintenance to mission,

 

"Pastoral ministry in a missionary key seeks to abandon the complacent attitude that says: "We have always done it this way". I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelization in their respective communities" (Evangelii Gaudium, n. 33).

 

Whether we attend MAC or not, all of us are challenged by the leadership of the Church to work toward "changing business as usual" through good collaboration in the work of the New Evangelization.

 

May the Charity of Christ urge us on!

 

In God, the Infinite Love,

 

Fr. Frank

In This Issue

Here's where you can find us at the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Congress!
  • Collaborative Conversations (pre-registration required) - Used as an informal networking opportunity, this is a great chance to connect with other leaders at the parish, diocesan or school levels. We encourage you to join us on Thursday evening from 9-10pm for just a chance to unwind and meet other conference attendees. On Friday, join us from Noon-1:30pm for lunch and the opportunity to discuss the successes and challenges faced in your ministry. 
  • Arriving Early? Come to our special Bootcamp, Implementation of the New Evangelization Toolkit on Thursday from 9am - Noon (pre-registration is required). Catholic Apostolate Center, Director, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. will be joined by Dr. Peter Murphy, Matthew Kilmurry, and Jeannine Marino from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to provide more information about the New Evangelization Toolkit.
  • Later on Thursday from 2:15-3:30pm join Fr. Frank and Catholic Apostolate Center Advisor, Barbara McCrabb for their presentation Changing Business as Usual: The New Evangelization Through Collaboration 
  • On Friday from 3:00-3:45pm join Fr. Frank and Barbara for a roundtable discussion in the exhibit hall on "Practical Implications of Changing Business as Usual: The New Evangelization through Collaboration" 
  • Saturday morning from 10:00-11:30am join Fr. Frank and other Church leaders at an "Intensive Session for Parish Leaders" sponsored by the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management 
  • Stop by our booth in the exhibit hall at space 210! Our staff looks forward to meeting you!

 
Direction and Companionship
By Amy Winkler 

It is once again that time of year for pastoral leaders to be making their way to the Mid-Atlantic Congress (MAC) in Baltimore. Registration fees have been paid, rooms have been booked, and deals on parking spaces have been found. The preparations are well under way for another Congress, and where does my money go? To the Council of Elrond in Rivendell. That's right, I am about to compare a gathering of pastoral leaders to The Lord of the Rings. Although the MAC at first glance may not appear to be as epic as Tolkien's depiction of the Council of Elrond, upon further examination the MAC holds many epic features to it most notably that of companionship. 

Collaboration in Ministry Resources 

One key pillar in the Catholic Apostolate Center's mission is to help bring Church ministries together and encourage active collaboration. On our website, we have compiled a list of digital resources for collaboration in ministry to help aid pastoral leaders at all levels. We encourage you to visit our resources, some of which are listed below:
Click the "Read more" link below to see a complete listing of Collaboration in Ministry resources.

Read more
Pallotti App

New Evangelization Resources
  
The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized. Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God's saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love.      
-Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 120 
 
What is the New Evangelization? What does it look like? How can we work to implement the New Evangelization in our own lives and share it with others? The Catholic Apostolate Center has gathered together over 50 different resources from 3 Popes and many other Church leaders and organizations, all related to the New Evangelization. All of these can be found on the New Evangelization webpage on our website. Be sure to take a look at all of the many resources by clicking the link below.
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