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Bulletin #21: News and Notices
AUSCP 2ND ANNUAL ASSEMBLY Seattle, Washington, June 24-27, will focus those gathered on Lumen Gentium: God's Pilgrim People featuring major presentations by theologian Catherine E. Clifford, canon lawyer Fr. James A. Coriden (Gary), Evangelization and Parish Renewal director Fr. Pat Brennan (Chicago) and journalists Robert Blair Kaiser ( Time in the 1960s) and Robert Mickens ( The Tablet, now). Bishop Donald Trautman, Bishop Emeritus of Erie will preside at the Wednesday Eucharist. Registrations currently at 112 representing 42 dioceses and 10 orders. Max capacity is 380. Register now.
AUSCP to engage an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
applications closed on April 30 with several qualified candidates applying. The Board's intention is to have an Executive Director on board by or before the June 24-26 Annual Assembly in Washington.
MEMBERSHIP GROWTH AUSCP now counts 956 Members. The organization has gained 50 new members since January and lost 4 to death. All members are reminded to pay their dues for 2013 if they have not already done so.
WHY JOIN AUSCP NOW? The election of Pope Francis has breathed fresh air into the church. As 89-year old Bishop Emeritus Bettazi of Ivrea, Italy who was one of the youngest bishops at Vatican II put it in a recent Commonweal interview (1/25/13), "The Spirit is still on the Job.' A question is, are we? What's needed is sympathetic resonance from the base to what is going on at the top. That includes priests of the Church. AUSCP's mission includes serving as a 'collegial voice' of U.S. Catholic priests. All are invited and encouraged to make their tone a part of that collegial choir. Encourage others to join now ... and come to Seattle!
SAVE THE DATE -- AUSCP 3RD ANNUAL ASSEMBLY St. Louis, June 23-26, 2014. The focus of that Assembly will be Revelation (
Dei Verbum), the 3rd of Vatican II's four Constitutions. Members who know of and perhaps have heard good presenters on that topic are asked to send their suggestions to AUSCP Board Chair
Dave Cooper.
NFPC THIS WEEK A resource for finding a miscellany of information of potential interest to priests is the "of note this week" section of the NFPC's THIS Week bulletin. In the 4/7-4/13 issue, for instance, they referenced two columns on Pope Francis and Reform by Fr. Roger Landry, a pastor in the Diocese of Fall River. For "Pope Francis and the Reform of the Priesthood", click here. For "Pope Francis and the Reform of the Laity", click here.
Fr. Tom Reese, S.J., formerly of America is doing an NCR blog series on "The Mind of Francis," focusing on specific current topics and his actions and writings about them when he was Cardinal Bergoglio.
AUSCP BOARD OPENINGS Three seats on the AUSCP Board are open for election at the June 24-26 Assembly in Seattle. All AUSCP members are invited to nominate themselves or another (with the other's permission) for a three year term of service on the Board which formally will begin July 1, 2013. Presence at the June Assembly is required. The name, contact information, resume and and statement of why the individual chooses to stand for election and the gifts he brings to service on the Board are required. Send to Board Chair Dave Cooper by June 4. A photo is also welcome. All members are encouraged to ponder this opportunity and to pray for discernment of good nominees by the membership.
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