Issue 84
February 10, 2016
Lent 2016


Today is the first day of the Lenten Season! 

The Catholic Apostolate Center is pleased to offer free Lenten Resources to help prepare you, your parish or your ministry for your Lenten journey. 

These resources include:
  • Catholic Volunteer Network Lent Reflection Guide
  • A how-to guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation
  • 10 Things to Remember during Lent
  • Lent 2016 Calendar
  • Liturgical resources for Lent and Easter
  • Videos on the Stations of the Cross
  • Information on fasting, abstinence and almsgiving
  • Lenten prayers
  • and much more! 
Click here to visit our Lenten Resources page. 

In This Issue
Social Media Crash Course - Our Latest Resource! 
Ready to learn more about how social media can be an asset to your ministry?

We're here to help! 

Social media can be an incredibly valuable asset to your parish or ministry. The Catholic Apostolate Center is excited to announce our latest resource page: SocialMediaCrashCourse.com!  Our Social Media Crash Course includes tips, statistics and insights on four of the top social media sites today: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Our crash course will help you at whatever stage you find yourself in your social media endeavors - from the most basic levels onto those that are more advanced. Click the link below to see how our latest resource can help you and your ministry! 


Social Media Crash Course was developed as an initiative of Apostles on Mission participants in collaboration with the Catholic Apostolate Center and Paulist Evangelization Ministries.

Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy 

In his Lenten Message, Pope Francis said, "For all of us, then, the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year is a favourable time to overcome our existential alienation by listening to God's word and by practising the works of mercy. In the corporal works of mercy we touch the flesh of Christ in our brothers and sisters...in the spiritual works of mercy...we touch more directly our own sinfulness.

Our latest resource on our Jubilee of Mercy portal is our Works of Mercy page, which includes the corporal and spiritual works of mercy--as well as a short description on how to live them out during this Jubilee Year. 

                

Click here to learn more about the Works of Mercy. 
Mid-Atlantic Congress 2016

The Catholic Apostolate Center was pleased to be a Platinum Sponsor of the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Congress from February 4-6. 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.

Center staff, collaborators, and advisors gave three different presentations at the Mid-Atlantic Congress in collaboration with our partners at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archdiocese of Washington, and United States Catholic Mission  Association. 


Event Highlights
  • Mega-workshop: "Youth and Young Adults as Witness in the Age of Pope Francis" 
  • Collaborative Connections networking session.
  • "Leadership, the New Evangelization and Pope Francis"
  • "Co-responsible Evangelization" 
  • Year of Mercy Photo Booth 
Our presentations will be made available online. Stay tuned!

To see photos from the conference, please click here. 

Upcoming Webinar
Why Would a Loving God Allow Evil, Pain, and Suffering? 







 

 



By Steven Hemler, author of The Reality of God: The Layman's Guide to Scientific Evidence for the Creator

This webinar will look at how the greatest Christian thinkers throughout the ages have dealt with the problem of evil and the mystery suffering in a world made and pronounced "good" by God. It will explore questions such as, "why does a good God allow terrorism, disease, and natural disasters?" This webinar will further help participants understand the Spiritual Works of Mercy in this Jubilee of Mercy and how to implement them in our lives, especially our call to "comfort the afflicted."

Time: February 21st at 6:00pm.

Click here to sign up.

Past Webinar 


Each Lent, and especially on Ash Wednesday, an increasing number of inactive Catholics return to church, but only for a short time. There is truly something special about the Lenten season for those men and women who reconnect at this time of year. This webinar will explore that phenomenon and, even more importantly, what we can do to respond in an evangelistic and merciful way.


Check out our latest webinar with Paul Jarzembowski, Coordinator for Youth & Young Adult Ministries & Assistant Director to the Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Ad Infinitum Blog
Learning Forgiveness on Ash Wednesday 

                 by Dana Edwards
 
"Acknowledging our sinfulness through guilt and accepting God's mercy and forgiveness helps us to move on in striving to fix our wrongdoings. God will always accept us. We do not need to wait to "cleanse" ourselves for him. He will help us to choose right from wrong. If God, our flawless creator, can forgive us, who are we to deny it to others or ourselves?" -Dana Edwards 

Click here to read more.

Support for the Catholic Apostolate Center

Join the Catholic Apostolate Center this year in resolving to be true evangelizers of our shared faith. Your financial support enables us to continue our important mission of reviving faith, rekindling charity, and forming apostles in the United States and around the world. 
  • A gift of $5 will help us reach more Catholics around the world through social media.
  • A gift of $15 will enable us to create new resources to empower you to evangelize.
  • A gift of $25 will support our work as we collaborate with others to form apostles.
Whatever your level of support, know of our sincere thanks!


Ash Wednesday
February 10, 2016

Ash Wednesday Facts:
  • Ash Wednesday is always the first Wednesday of the Lenten season and marks the beginning of Lent. 
  • Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season of prayer, reflection and preparation for Easter
  • Upon receiving ashes, a person typically hears, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel" (adapted from Mark 1:15) or "
    Remember, man, you are dust and to dust you will return" (adapted from Genesis 3:19). 
  • The ashes are made of the palm remaining from the previous year's Palm Sunday. 

Click here to learn more about the Lenten season.

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