Issue 71
June 12, 2015
Catholic Apostolate Center Offers Significant Support to USCCB Lay Ecclesial Ministry Summit 

The Catholic Apostolate Center was
 pleased to provide significant support to the United States 
Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth's Lay Ecclesial Ministry Summit in St. Louis, MO on June 7-8. This event was co-sponsored by the USCCB Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church and the Subcommittee on Certification for Ecclesial Ministry and Service, with the support of the Committee on Doctrine. The summit was a gathering of diocesan bishops and invited pastoral leaders from across the United States to mark the 10th anniversary of the bishops' statement "Co-workers in the Vineyard of the Lord", and to discuss the role of lay ecclesial ministry since then and moving forward.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston presented a keynote lecture to open the summit. The Cardinal noted the importance of supporting lay ecclesial ministers, saying, "We need to build up a church of missionary disciples and need them to be a laboratory and leaven for everyone, so people pick up the boldness of proclamation." Click here for full coverage of the Cardinal's opening address to summit participants. 

Bishop Richard Malone, Chair, Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, recently released his report on the Summit, commending the work that occurred during the Summit between bishops, lay ministry experts, and representatives of national ministry organizations. He also mentioned the good work that will continue from the Summit, and to mark it as a beginning of conversation and development of lay ecclesial ministry for the next several years. 

Center Director Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. was an integral part of the planning for the summit and gave a presentation entitled, "Co-Responsibility for the New Evangelization," a key theme that resonated throughout the two day event. To find out more about the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Summit, please click here for more information.
In This Issue
Catholic Apostolate Center Podcasts

The Catholic Apostolate Center is pleased to present our latest offering of faith-based resources. This series of podcasts  is hosted by Center Collaborator, George Jin. In each of these 3 minute audio clips, our Director, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C., offers insights on a variety of topics such as Catholic social teaching, marriage and family, vocational discernment, the new evangelization and much more! 

Short enough to listen to while you're on the go, these podcasts are a great resource to share with family, friends and even colleagues. To access the podcast simply click the link below. 

The Catholic Apostolate Center extends a special thanks to Jonathan Kirby and fellow musicians from The Catholic University of America's Benjamin T. Rome School of Music for composing and recording "Guardian of Truth," the music heard at the start of each podcast!
Center Director Participates in Meeting of Pontifical Council for Promotion of the New Evangelization 

In his role as a Consultant to the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, Center Director, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C., participated in the recent meeting of the Pontifical Council for Promotion of the New Evangelization. Discussions at this meeting revolved around the topics of the relationship between evangelization and catechesis, catechesis of youth and adults, and the formation of catechists. For more information about the fruits of these discussions, visit Bishop Christopher Coyne's Facebook page where he details key take-aways from each of these vital discussion topics. 

Upcoming Webinar:

Transforming Heartache into Hope: 

Walking With Couples Experiencing Infertility

 

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

 

According to the CDC, 1 in 8 couples experience infertility, and for many of them the pain is a biological, social and spiritual test. How is a Catholic couple to respond to the challenge of infertility; and what support can be offered by pastors and parish communities?
 

This webinar will address the spiritual, moral and relational challenges associated with infertility. It will uncover the opportunities for individuals' and couples' spiritual growth, and ways the Church (pastors, religious, and the parish community) can walk with the couple experiencing infertility. Childless couples can become powerful evangelizers of Christ's life-giving suffering and bring forth love and hope in the Church and the world.
 
Registration will open soon for this free webinar. Keep an eye on our social media pages and upcoming newsletters for more information!
Campus Ministry Leadership Institute

The Campus Ministry Leadership Institute is a gathering of campus ministers and student leaders from colleges and universities  around the country who participate in an intensive five-day training and working institute. It is grounded in the US Bishops' Pastoral Letter, Empowered by the Spirit, and is designed to produce effective leaders who are collaborative and able to develop and implement Catholic faith formation and service programs on their campuses.

The Catholic Apostolate Center is pleased to continue sponsorship of the institute this year.  CMLI will be held at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM from June 16-21. Center Advisor and USCCB Assistant Director for Higher Education, Barbara McCrabb and Program Manager Jonathan Sitko will be present and engage with campus ministry and student leaders in their endeavors at the institute.

The Center has also partnered with the USCCB on the website Empowered Campus Ministry. The website provides resources, blog posts, webinars, and other online services to campus ministers across the country. It serves as a place for campus ministers outside the institute to learn and share their experiences. To find out more about Empowered Campus Ministry, please click the link below.
From Practicing Catholics to Apostles on Mission

The Catholic Apostolate Center in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Washington's Office of Young Adult Ministry, has created the initiative From Practicing Catholics to Apostles on Mission to give young adult Catholics the tools and experience needed to be evangelizers to their families, parishes and communities.
 
Beginning in Fall 2015, young adults are invited to participate in a series of online or onsite sessions in Formation for the New Evangelization. An optional second semester Evangelization Start-Up provides an exciting and supportive way for young adults to put their faith and talents into action. 
 
Be sure to check out upcoming issues of our newsletter and our social media pages for Fall 2015 registration information!  
   
The Catholic Apostolate Center is pleased to present its newly released E-book, Ad Infinitum: Reflections from the Bloggers of the Catholic Apostolate Center. A project many years in the making, this E-book is a selection from the hundreds of posts that have appeared on the Catholic Apostolate Center's Ad Infinitum blog since its inception. 

The E-book is divided into five sections, each group offering a different perspective on the faith. You will find suggestions on how to live a life akin to the Apostles, receive lessons from the saints, and much more! We encourage you to download this E-book and share it with your family, friends and colleagues. 
From the Ad Infinitum Blog

Sacred Heart of Jesus
by Jennifer Beckman
Published on June 11, 2015
 
[Today], June 12th, is the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. There are many pious devotions to the Sacred Heart which are worthy of practice. Since it is impossible to do justice to them all in just five hundred words, just three of the 33 invocations from the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (which St. Pope John Paul II described as "beautiful") will be the focus here. Don't limit yourself to the brief snippets here! If you pray the Litany in its entirety, you might find an invocation which best speaks to your own prayer life.

Please read the rest of the blog post in our Ad Infinitum blog.
New Evangelization Resource Page
  
 What is the New Evangelization? How can I evangelize others in my parish, family and community? What does the Church teach about the New Evangelization? Many questions frequently come to mind when the phrase "New Evangelization" is mentioned, even among those who are engaged in the work of evangelization on a daily basis. To assist those who wish to learn more about the New Evangelization (or want reputable resources to share with others), the Catholic Apostolate Center has a developed an extensive digital collection of information regarding the New Evangelization.
  
We encourage you to click here and access this complete listing of evangelization resources. These resources range from Papal encyclicals to webinars led by various Church ministry professionals, and come in a variety of different formats.
  
Be sure to check out our New Evangelization resource webpage and let us know if you have any suggestions for additional resources you have found helpful! We welcome your suggestions!

Catholic Apostolate Center
A Ministry of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines)

Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.