Issue 77
October 16, 2015
From the Director's Desk

Tomorrow, the Catholic Apostolate Center celebrates its fourth anniversary!  On October 17, 2011, the Provincial Rector and Council of the Immaculate Conception Province of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines) officially approved the Center as a ministry of the Province as a new way to actualize the spirituality of St. Vincent Pallotti through reviving faith, rekindling charity, and forming apostles.  

Four years later, the Center is collaborating with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, various archdioceses and dioceses, educational institutions, and several international and national Catholic organizations.  We are developing formative programs for the work of the New Evangelization and offering opportunities for Catholic leaders to deepen their collaboration with one another.  We also serve the needs of the Union of Catholic Apostolate through designing formation materials and apostolic programs.

This ministry would not be possible without the support and encouragement of the Pallottines, the dedication and creativity of our staff and collaborators, the wisdom and effort of our board and advisors, and the collaboration of our affiliates.  On behalf of the Catholic Apostolate Center, thank you for your support as well.  Please share this ministry with others and feel free to contact us with any ideas that you may have.

May the Charity of Christ urge us on!

In God, the Infinite Love,

In This Issue
Marriage and Family Resources

The Catholic Apostolate Center Celebrates its Fourth Anniversary! 


These last four years have been a time of growth, grace and blessing. As a ministry of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, we are thankful to be able to serve the Church through evangelization. We also wish to thank all who have supported our mission, both directly and indirectly. Under the patronage of Our Lady, Queen of Apostles and St. Vincent Pallotti, we will continue to develop formation programs, assist pastoral leaders in collaboration, and provide you with resources and apostolic opportunities. Thank you for your continued support!  


Here is a summary of where we are today:
  1. Successful growth of Apostles on Mission pilot program in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Washington, and growth of Empowered Campus Ministry with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
  2. Sponsors of, among other things, the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Summit, Mid-Atlantic Congress, Campus Ministry Leadership Institute, Catholic Leadership Conference.
  3. Continued collaboration with our affiliates at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archdiocese of Washington, Catholic Volunteer Network, and St. Joseph's College Online.
  4. Eleven webinars covering topics on Marriage & Family Life,
    Evangelii Gaudium, Consecrated Life, and others presented by professionals in the fields of discussion.
  5. Over a dozen presentations were given by staff, advisors, and collaborators of the Center in the last year.
  6. Over 115,000 likes on our Facebook page, where our posts are seen by as many as a million people.
  7. Over 85,000 unique visitors to our website in the past year.
  8. Over 2,500 people receive our newsletter every two weeks.
  9. Over 1,700 followers on Twitter
  10. Over 850 followers on Instagram
Latest Webinar


Pope Francis seems to embody two attributes associated with St. Francis of Assisi: care for the poor and love of creation. The earth is our common home. We are just beginning to awaken to this truth. Will we see creation as a precious gift that has been entrusted to us or will we see it as a "resource" to be used and exploited? 

In this webinar, Dr. Don McCrabb explores Care for our Common Home and its implications for our lives as Catholic Christians living in the United States of America.

For more information on caring for our common home, please visit our Laudato Si' Resources Page here.

Upcoming Events

National Catholic Collegiate Conference 2015

November 19 - 21, 2015
Indianapolis, IN

The National Catholic Collegiate Conference (NCCC), held simultaneously with the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), is a NEW way for young adults (ages 18 to 25) to gather, to celebrate, and to pray. Center Director, Fr. Frank, S.A.C., and Center Curriculum Coordinator Sarah Jarzembowksi will be leading two workshops: Self-Care for Ministry Leaders and Spirituality for Experience Leaders

Learn more here

2016 Mid-Atlantic Congress for Catholic Leaders

February 4-6, 2016
Baltimore, MD

The Catholic Apostolate Center will be a Platinum Sponsor of the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Congress. The Mid-Atlantic Congress for Pastoral Leadership is an annual conference held in Baltimore, Maryland that seeks to bring best practices of Catholic pastoral ministry, catechesis, prayer and worship to pastoral leaders at the diocesan, parish and school levels.

We will be presenting on Co-responsible Evangelization, Leadership, the New Evangelization and Pope Francis and Youth and Young Adults as Witness in the Age of Pope Francis.
  
Click here to sign up and learn more. 

    Past Speaking Events

Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C., 
Director, Catholic Apostolate Center
Houston, Texas   
October 1-4 

The Catholic Apostolate Center participated in the 2015 Mission Congress and Center Director, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C., presented with a talk entitled: "Unity is Greater than Conflict"- Relationships, Resolution, Community and explored ways toward greater unity in diversity through collaboration, co-responsibility, and mercy. Center staff, Monica Thom Konschnik and Jonathan Sitko, also helped exhibit at the conference this year. Click here to learn more about Mission Congress.
 
If you are interested in having the advisors or staff of the Catholic Apostolate Center present, discuss, and speak on many topics with relevance to the Church and the world today, we encourage you to contact the Center to learn more about how we can collaborate with you by clicking here. 

Catholic Apostolate Center Podcasts

The Catholic Apostolate Center presents 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 all our podcasts click the button below.

From the Ad Infinitum Blog
A Good Sense of Humor According to Teresa of Avila
by Kate Flannery, Social Media Coordinator at the Catholic Apostolate Center

There is a story about Teresa of Avila that has caused me to laugh in genuine appreciation of her character. According to tradition, Teresa fell off her donkey while journeying to visit one of her convents--causing her to land in the mud and dirty her Carmelite habit. With her quick, fiery Spanish temper, Teresa looked up to heaven and said to God, "If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you don't have many." 

I love this story because it beautifully depicts St. Teresa's humanity and honest relationship with God. It is a raw, unfiltered moment of frankness that I believe is an example of both true prayer and transparency in our relationship with God.

Click here to read more of this blog post.
Support the Catholic Apostolate Center
 
Just 24% of Catholics in the U.S. say they attend Mass at least once a week - down by almost half since 1974*

We are working to answer God's call to revive faith throughout the United States and around the world. Now more than ever, our programs and partnerships that seek to energize the New Evangelization need your support. Help us answer the call today by making a financial contribution to our ministry.



Feast Day: St. Ignatius of Antioch


Feast Day: October 17

Join the Catholic Apostolate Center in commemorating the Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Antioch 

Ignatius is well known for the seven letters he wrote on the long journey from Antioch to Rome. His letters urge Christians to remain faithful to God and to obey their superiors. He warns them against heretical doctrines, providing them with the solid truths of the Christian faith. The final letter begs the Christians in Rome not to try to stop his martyrdom. 

"The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ." Ignatius bravely met the lions in the Circus Maximus. -taken from American Catholic