|
Web Site Features:
 1st Up
is a
slideshare
(internet power point with
audio) webinar discussing issues related to our shared work
of Catholic Youth Ministry.
o
March
Framework for Adolescent Catechesis
o
Dec.
The 4 C's of Catechesis
o
Sept.
Refocusing Catholic Youth Ministry.
A
podcast
(visiting with youth ministry
leaders about discipleship, best moments, and pizza
preferences.
Now in the Studio:
o
Bishops
on Confirmation
o
Katrina Zeno
o
Matt Maher
o
Tom Booth
Previously:
o
Steve Angrisano
o
Tammy
Amosson
o
Ansel Augustine
o
Tony Campolo
o
Mike Carotta
o
Sr.
Anne Cassidy
o
Anne Marie Cribbin
o
Tom East
o
Robert Fedducia
o
Irene Friend
o
Edward Hahnenberg
o
Mark Hart
o
Michael Hart
o
Sarah Hart
o
Clayton Imoo
o
ValLimar Jansen
o
Brian Johnson
o
Becki Kaman
o
Jeff
Kaster
o
Bill Lage
o
Tonita
López
o
Sr. Eileen McCann
o
Bob
McCarty
o
Charlotte
McCorquodale
o
Kim
McMillan
o
Clark
Miller
o
D. Scott Miller
o
Mark Moitoza
o
Gene Monterastelli
o
Dobie Moser
o
Lee Nagel
o
Mark
Oestreicher
o
Leroy
Orie
o
Mike Patin
o
Bob Perron
o
Frank Perry
o
Bob Rice
o
Sr. Jude Ruggeri
o
Mark Pacione
o
Mike St. Pierre
o
Anna
Scally
o
Terri
Telepak
o
Georgina Vaca
o
Chris Weber
o
Kristin Witte
_ _ _ _ _ _
A
state-by-state tour of diocesan youth ministry websites checking on
the State of Youth Ministry.
_ _ _ _ _ _
TRAINING:
o
Emmistburg,
MD ~
03/28
Central Maryland Formation Day
Discipleship: The Way Forward
o
Pasadena,
MD ~
02/27 Seminar in Youth Ministry
1:
Renewing the Vision
o
Baltimore,
MD ~
02/24-26 St. Michael the
Archangel Parish Mission
o
Millersville,
MD ~
02/11 Seminar in Evangelization
Culture
o
Washington,
DC
~ 01/25 East
Coast Conference
Adolescent
Faith Formation
o
Erie,
PA ~
11/19 Gannon University
YM & Adolescent
Catechesis
o
Arlington,
VA ~
11/17 Diocesan Catechetical Conference
Confirmation: Graduation or Commencement?
o
Hickory,
MD ~ 11/05 Seminar in Youth Ministry Session 6:Youth Ministry and Catechesis
o
Baltimore,
MD ~ 10/28
NCYC Delegation
Meeting
o
Cumberland,
MD ~
10/27
Methodology of
Adolescent Catechesis
Three
and Four
o
Hickory,
MD ~
10/22 Seminar in Youth Ministry Session 4:
Youth Culture
o
Washington
DC
~
10/22
St. John College High School
Healthy
Relationships
o
Cumberland,
MD ~
10/20
Methodology of
Adolescent Catechesis
One
(and Two
o
Ellicott
City,
MD ~
08/25 Evangelization
o
Colorado
Springs, CO ~
08/04-05
Fishers
Discipleship Conference
o
More
power-points? See
TRAINING.
For reviews, see
here.
_ _ _ _ _ _
PUBLISHING:
o
I've
Got Nothing
Resources for Living and
Hope, 6/29/07
o
Extra-Ordinary
Time
Resources for Living and
Hope, 6/09/07
o
Memorial
Day
Resources for Living and
Hope, 5/17/07
o
Ever
Heard of Bub from Bethsaida?
Resources for Living and
Hope, 5/02/07
o
The
Power of Weeee
Resources for Living and
Hope, 4/19/07
o
More
of the written word at
PUBLISHING
_ _ _ _ _ _
BIO:
o
Father
of 3 great kids!
o
Coordinator
for Adolescent Faith Formation in the Archdiocese of Baltimore
o
More
at my
BIO.
_ _ _ _ _ _
e-MAIL me
@
scott@dscottmiller.com
_ _ _ _ _ _
BLOG by calendar:
2008
ª March
ª February
ª January
2007
ª December
ª
November
ª
October
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August
ª
July
ª
June
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ª
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ª
June
ª
May
ª
April
ª
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ª
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ª
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Previous Years:
ª 2006
ª 2005
ª 2004
_ _ _ _ _ _
|
|
www.catholicYMblog.com
WELCOME TO THE
CATHOLIC YOUTH MINISTRY BLOG
Really, it is
a simple little BLOG
from my corner of the Catholic Youth Ministry
field.
Your intrepid blogger, podcast studio host, and slideshare
trainer
is D. Scott Miller.
In
April
we looked at the Youth Ministry Next (3/31 - 4/10),
got onto the On Ramp for the Papal Visit (4/9-15), and
live-blogged the Papal Visit (4/15-21) The entry
on 4/21 has a slew of hyperlinks connecting to the whole series.
>
Inside the Youth Ministers Studio featured Matt Maher
(4/02), Katrina Zeno (4/09), our inaugural "inside a Crowded
Phone Booth" with three bishops discussing the sacrament of
Confirmation (4/16), and John Campbell (4/23); and Don Boucher
(4/30) as well as a non-studio podcast of the Book of
Jonah (4/22)
>
YouTube included a tribute to John Paul II (4/02),
Benedict's personal message to the US (4/09), an encouragement to
walk away/ "kill" what's not working (4/10), and a holy bobblehead's
ride on the DC Metro (4/11), heard from the lost generation (4/13)
welcomed His Holiness to US soil (4/15), and learned Heroes Happen
Here in ArchBalt (4/20), and Colbert on the Papal Visit (4/23), a
visit to Narnia (4/25)amd a look at Grace of Mother Teresa (4/29)
> >
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
 DON BOUCHER IS INSIDE THE YOUTH MINISTERS' STUDIO
(Enter the studio
here.) Should old
acquaintance be forgot, and
never brought to mind ? Happy
New Year! I know, I know. . .
what's up with the popping
champaign bottles and midnight
kisses? Well, it all started
January 1, 2007 where I made
a deeper commitment to this
web-site and to podcasting.
Now, sixteen months later, I'm
posting up my 52nd podcast, a
year's worth if they were done
weekly. (which proved to be a
little more complicated that one
originally imagined.)
Of course, none of this has anything to do with Don
Boucher who I've known for just
under thirty years. . . which
makes Don a good bookend
interview to first interviewees
Irene Friend and Bob McCarty.
Don is one of the good guys in
youth ministry, toiling in the
fields of Iowa before returning
to the land of his alma mater.
In the
podcast
itself, Don describes how so
many of us feel about our
vocation of Catholic youth
ministry: "I cannot not
do this just like I cannot
not breathe." Give it a
listen as Don talks discipleship
and change.
For a little auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll
take a cup o’ kindness yet, for
auld lang syne.
> > Monday, April 28, 2008
YOUNG, DEVOUT
The pope was welcomed to chants
of "Viva Papa!" at the Saturday
rally, but American youth don't
always embrace their faith so
easily. Which direction the
younger generation goes will
have a major effect on the
future of American Catholicism.
Only 14 percent of Catholics
between 20 and 40 attend Mass at
least weekly, according to a
study by the Center for Applied
Research in the Apostolate at
Georgetown University. Other
polls find Americans are
switching religions more than
ever or leaving faith
altogether, with the Catholic
church feeling those trends
acutely. Yet evidence also
suggests a blooming of youth
Catholic orthodoxy. . . These
young, devout Catholics share an
appreciation for orthodox
theology, self-sacrifice and
fidelity to church teaching.
Read more
here
OLDER, FLYING
I'm not a man who constantly
thinks up jokes. But I think
it's very important to be able
to see the funny side of life
and its joyful dimension and not
to take everything too
tragically. I'd also say it's
necessary for my ministry. A
writer once said that angels can
fly because they don't take
themselves too seriously. Maybe
we could also fly a bit if we
didn't think we were so
important. Who was
quoted???? On
Aug. 5, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI
STATES OF YOUTH MINISTRY
Looking ahead at the
calendar, if this site is going
to repeat last year's national
tour of catholic diocesan web
sites again, we better start
now. Will sites have
advanced, grown, etc.? It
will be interesting to find out.
In addition, I hope to daily
feature a parish youth
ministry's web page as well . .
., but I could stand some help.
Do you have a parish page that
you'd like to recommend?
Please let
me know.
Alabama is the first alphabetic
stop on the tour - -
starts next Sunday!
> > Friday, April 25. 2008
> > Tuesday, April 22, 2008
JONA - A BIBLICAL AT-RISK KID
About ten days back,
Kristin
Witte and I
co-presented a workshop for
folks who doing ministry in
prisons. Our starting
point was to tell the tale of
Jonah. The story was offered
from the
perspective that (s)he
was an "at-risk" young person -
not accepting responsibility,
attitudinal, alcohol (and other
drug)
usage, running away,
suicidal, angry. . .
 and that was just for starters.
(recording lasts under 10
minutes)
FACE OF THE YOUNG CHURCH
(Click to enlarge.)
Angela
Fortunato of St. Paul’s Cathedral Parish in Pittsburgh raises her
arm and yells as a live image of Pope Benedict XVI is projected on a
giant electronic screen during a rally for seminarians and young
people at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY, April 19 (CNS photo
/ Gregory A. Shemitz)
LIFE OF A BELIEVER
"The true life of a believer is
one of a hazardous uphill
pilgrimage where you uncover
slowly the illumination for your
next step." - Bono
YOUTH MINISTRY NEXT
In every age, the church carries the responsibility of
reading the signs of the times and of interpreting them
in the light of the Gospel, if it is to carry out its
task. (Gaudium et Spes, 4) Here are some
signs indicating that Youth Ministry is changing:
> >
Ghosts of Christians Future:
a cautionary tale from Britain.
> >
Play Ball: an old
movie suggests a new game
> >
Youth Ministry 3.0:
a view from the cusp of change
> >
The Direction is Set:
John Paul II points the way
> >
Affinity: Our next
prioritized task
> >
Tipping Point: The
evidence in Catholic Youth Ministry builds
> >
Participation:
post-modern discipleship
> >
Catholic:
identity, belonging, commitment
> >
Obama:
a generation audacious enough to hope
> >
Killer Instinct:
ready to make change
> >
Communion and Mission:
YM 3.0 defined.
> >
Ready for the Future
It could get a little
Jesus-y
We
need to be discussing this stuff, folks!
Our
hope is found in vision. Without prophecy the people
become demoralized. (Proverbs
29: 18) |
YOUTH MINISTRY AND
THE PAPAL VISIT
As Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States, almost
everywhere he spoke, he had young people in his slight
lines for his vision for a "new Pentecost."
> > One
last word from
Yankee Stadium
> > America
responds.
> > From the must view Youth Rally,
young disciples:
please pray, seek silence, celebrate liturgy!
> > Saint Patrick, an invitation to enter into
the mystery of the
Church.
> > At UN,
every generation
must order human affairs.
> > With educators, a call to "liberate
the young."
> > At Nationals Park,
more remains to be done
in forming the hearts and minds of the young
> > Pope to US Bishops: "engaging, imaginative, . . .
new
ways of thinking"
> > The US Bishops address the
demands of discipleship
> > At he White House, a clarification of
his
mission.
> > On the plane ride out, a
note of pastoral concern
which is repeated throughout the trip
> > Before he arrives,
a video message. |
> > Monday, April 21. 2008
SYNOPSIS CITY
The month of April has involved
some active blogging - - first
with a view to Youth
Ministry Next
and, soon after that, a
review of Pope Benedict's visit
to the United States from the
perspective of a youth minister.
See the hyperlinks at the right.
All this while maintaining a
daily blog, including podcasts
with
Matt Maher,
three
bishops,
and
Katrina
Zeno,
DOWNLOAD THIS
If you right click on
this link,
congratulations - you can now
save a copy of Saturday's youth
rally. Watch it.
Share it.
The commentators
are Carol Lehan; Rev.
Rick Hilgartner: USCCB Office of
Worship and ArchBalt priest, and
Bob McCarty, NFCYM.
Meanwhile, it might be
worth checking out
Amy
Welborn's and
Colleen
Carroll Campbell's
take on the event.
READY FOR THE FUTURE?
Marko wraps up his series book/
preview
here.
He defines communion as small,
slow, simple, fluid, present,
and Jesus-y.
>
> Sunday, April 20, 2008
AND THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND
It’s been quite a ride for
Christopher Strackbein, the
former youth and young adult
minister at St. Mary, Annapolis,
who never dreamed he’d make it
into the filmmaking winner’s
circle. The 29-year-old Navy
veteran and
Villa
Julie College video and film
student is the grand prize
winner of a
Microsoft
student film competition, themed
Heroes Happen Here, that
earned him $30,000 and $5,000
for the parish which played the
key role in his four-minute
video, titled “And the world
goes ‘round.” Read more
here
LOVING MY CAREER
No other ministry like it! In
forty hours, a papal mass
alongside 500 youth, adult faith
formation with an anglo
senior citizen crowd in
Frostburg of Mountain Maryland,
and a theology on tap with a
african-american young adult
crowd in urban Baltimore. And, a
very active period of blogging
the events of the Church for
you.
Awesome. What a life!!!!!
YANKEE STADIUM
(4:00 pm)
Pope Benedict XVI:
Yesterday, not far from here, I
was moved by the joy, the hope
and the generous love of Christ
which I saw on the faces of the
many young people assembled in
Dunwoodie. They are the Church's
future, and they deserve all the
prayer and support that you can
give them. And so I wish to
close by adding a special word
of encouragement to them. My
dear young friends, like the
seven men (in today's Gospel),
"filled with the Spirit and
wisdom" whom the Apostles
charged with care for the young
Church, may you step forward and
take up the responsibility which
your faith in Christ sets before
you! May you find the courage to
proclaim Christ, "the same,
yesterday, and today and for
ever" and the unchanging truths
which have their foundation in
him
These are the truths that set us free! They are the
truths which alone can guarantee
respect for the inalienable
dignity and rights of each man,
woman and child in our world -
including the most defenseless
of all human beings, the unborn
child in the mother's womb. In a
world where, as Pope John Paul
II, speaking in this very place,
reminded us, Lazarus continues
to stand at our door , let your
faith and love bear rich fruit
in outreach to the poor, the
needy and those without a voice.
Young men and women of America,
I urge you: open your hearts to
the Lord's call to follow him in
the priesthood and the religious
life. Can there be any greater
mark of love than this: to
follow in the footsteps of
Christ, who was willing to lay
down his life for his friends?
Read it all
here.
EMBRACING THE HOLY
FATHER
(9:00
am)
The
New York
Post headline
reflects the excitement of this
visit. Peggy Noonan, in the same
newspaper, voices the basic read
of the trip:
What a hit, what a trip, what a
triumph. And it was something
else, too. In the past week, in
a wholly new way, Pope Benedict
XVI became the leader of the
Catholics of America. He broke
through as his own man, put
forward his own meaning, put his
stamp on this moment in time.
Americans know him now, and seem
to have judged him to be what a
worldly journalist said in the
cathedral as he gazed at the
crowd. His eyes went to Benedict
on the altar, and he gestured
toward him. "He's a good guy,"
he said, softly. Read it all
here
as
she describes Benedict's
charisma of sincerity.
> >
Saturday, April 19, 2008
THIS IS THE DAY
We have been awaiting and fore-telling of this day
for quite a while. Pope
Benedict XVI will meet with Seminarians and Young People today at
Saint Joseph's Seminary. A live
webcast will be available
around 4:30 pm (eastern) then archived for viewing later on in the
day and for several weeks after the Pope’s visit.
Bob McCarty, executive director
of NFCYM will be providing the color commentary. What will the
message be???
YOUTH
AND SEMINARIAN RALLY
(7:30 pm)
Pope Benedict XVI:
This evening I wish to share with you some thoughts about being
disciples of Jesus Christ - walking in the Lord’s footsteps, our own
lives become a journey of hope. . . Let us thank God that
today many people of your generation are able to enjoy the liberties
which have arisen through the extension of democracy and respect for
human rights. . . The power to destroy does, however, remain. To
pretend otherwise would be to fool ourselves. Yet, it never
triumphs; it is defeated. This is the essence of the hope that
defines us as Christians; and the Church recalls this most
dramatically during the Easter Triduum and celebrates it with great
joy in the season of Easter! . . .
Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a
set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the
One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by
belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is
why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in;
nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be
drawn into Christ’s very being for others . .
Let your imaginations soar freely along the limitless expanse of the
horizons of Christian discipleship. Sometimes we are looked upon as
people who speak only of prohibitions. Nothing could be further from
the truth! Authentic Christian discipleship is marked by a sense of
wonder. We stand before the God we know and love as a friend, the
vastness of his creation, and the beauty of our Christian faith . .
. What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship
with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer. God by his very
nature speaks, hears, and replies. . . There is another aspect of
prayer which we need to remember: silent contemplation. Saint John,
for example, tells us that to embrace God’s revelation we must first
listen, then respond by proclaiming what we have heard and seen.
Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave
space to hear God’s whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Your
personal prayer, your times of silent contemplation, and your
participation in the Church’s liturgy, bring you closer to God and
also prepare you to serve others. . .
Contemplating Jesus on the Cross we see love in
its most radical form. We can begin to imagine the path of love
along which we must move. The opportunities to make this journey are
abundant. Look about you with Christ’s eyes, listen with his ears,
feel and think with his heart and mind. . . Religious Sisters,
Brothers and Priests contribute greatly to the mission of the
Church. Their prophetic witness is marked by a profound conviction
of the primacy with which the Gospel shapes Christian life and
transforms society. . .
Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are
you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never
disappoints is Jesus Christ. . . Nourished by personal prayer,
prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy you will
discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with
joy. You are Christ’s disciples today. Shine his light upon this
great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that
resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you
free.
Read it all
here
SAINT PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL
(10:45 am)
Pope Benedict at a Mass with priests,
deacons and members of religious orders:
Perhaps we have
lost sight of this: in a society where the Church seems legalistic
and “institutional” to many people, our most urgent challenge is to
communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love.
. . This is no easy task in a world which can tend to look at the
Church, like those stained glass windows, “from the outside”: a
world which deeply senses a need for spirituality, yet finds it
difficult to “enter into” the mystery of the Church. Even for those
of us within, the light of faith can be dimmed by routine, and the
splendor of the Church obscured by the sins and weaknesses of her
members. . . Does this not bring to mind our need to see all
things with the eyes of faith, and thus to grasp them in their
truest perspective, in the unity of God’s eternal plan? This
requires, as we know, constant conversion, and a commitment to
acquiring “a fresh, spiritual way of thinking.” Read more
here
 > >
Friday, April 18, 2008
GREETINGS FROM FROSTBURG
Yesterday was truly a beautiful day. The Church gathered.
We cheered, we sang, we heard a
message of affirmation and hope.
Our office staff was fortunate
enough to share the day with 500
youth and young adults from the
Archdiocese of Baltimore. I
finished up the day with a long
ride out to Frostburg, MD for an
adult faith formation "Food and
Faith" session where it seems
the Pope and I were on the same
page about the communal aspects
of transmitting faith.
Click
here
for pictures of ArchBalt young
participants of the Mass.
AT THE UNITED NATIONS
(12:00 noon) Pope Benedict
XVI:
In
my recent Encyclical, Spe Salvi,
I indicated that "every
generation has the task of
engaging anew in the arduous
search for the right way to
order human affairs." For
Christians, this task is
motivated by the hope drawn from
the saving work of Jesus Christ.
That is why the Church is happy
to be associated with the
activity of this distinguished
Organization, charged with the
responsibility of promoting
peace and good will throughout
the earth.
 > > Thursday, April 17, 2008
THE WORLD NEEDS HEROES
In
coming weeks, the New York
archdiocese will send its
schools posters that announce,
“The World Needs Heroes,”
including one of black-suited
priests crossing an intersection
— looking like “Going My Way”
meets “Reservoir Dogs.”
See the slide show of the
posters
here
WITH EDUCATORS
(7 pm) Pope Benedict XVI:
God's desire to make himself
known, and the innate desire of
all human beings to know the
truth, provide the context for
human inquiry into the meaning
of life. This unique encounter
is sustained within our
Christian community: the one who
seeks the truth becomes the one
who lives by faith (cf. Fides et
Ratio, 31). It can be described
as a move from "I" to "we",
leading the individual to be
numbered among God's people. . .
Subsequently we observe, with distress, the notion of freedom
being distorted. Freedom is not
an opting out. It is an opting
in . . . Hence authentic freedom
can never be attained by turning
away from God. Such a choice
would ultimately disregard the
very truth we need in order to
understand ourselves. A
particular responsibility
therefore for each of you, and
your colleagues, is to evoke
among the young the desire for
the act of faith, encouraging
them to commit themselves to the
ecclesial life that follows from
this belief. It is here that
freedom reaches the certainty of
truth. In choosing to live by
that truth, we embrace the
fullness of the life of faith
which is given to us in the
Church. . .
Far from being just a communication of factual
data - "informative" - the
loving truth of the Gospel is
creative and life-changing - "performative."
With confidence, Christian
educators can liberate the young
from the limits of positivism
and awaken receptivity to the
truth, to God and his goodness.
In this way you will also help
to form their conscience which,
enriched by faith, opens a sure
path to inner peace and to
respect for others. Read more.
Read more
here.
MASS AT NATIONALS PARK
(12:00 noon) Pope Benedict
XVI: "The
fidelity and courage with which
the Church in this country will
respond to the challenges raised
by an increasingly secular and
materialistic culture will
depend in large part upon your
own fidelity in handing on the
treasure of our Catholic faith.
Young people need to be helped
to discern the path that leads
to true freedom: the path of a
sincere and generous imitation
of Christ, the path of
commitment to justice and peace.
Much progress has been made in
developing solid programs of
catechesis, yet so much more
remains to be done in forming
the hearts and minds of the
young in knowledge and love of
the Lord. The challenges
confronting us require a
comprehensive and sound
instruction in the truths of the
faith. But they also call for
cultivating a mindset, an
intellectual "culture", which is
genuinely Catholic, confident in
the profound harmony of faith
and reason, and prepared to
bring the richness of faith's
vision to bear on the urgent
issues which affect the future
of American society." Read
more
here
> > Wednesday, April 16, 2008
 THREE BISHOPS ARE INSIDE A CROWDED PHONE BOOTH
TALKING ABOUT CONFIRMATION
 (Enter
the studio
here.) We
unveiled this concept last month
- - expanding the usual
one-on-one studio podcast to a
conversation with others.
Today, we invited three folks
who share in the stake that
youth ministers have regarding
the sacrament of Confirmation.
Baltimore's three auxiliary
bishops sit down for a brief
chat regarding their love for
young people, the Sacrament, and
their hope for the Church. All
of this serves as a follow-up to
last year's
Bishops'
Summit on the Sacrament of
Confirmation.
This is a
podcast
you might want to share with
your confirmandi!
TO THE BISHOPS
(8:00 pm) Pope Benedict
XVI: "I
believe that the Church in
America, at this point in her
history, is faced with the
challenge of recapturing the
Catholic vision of reality and
presenting it, in an engaging
and imaginative way, to a
society which markets any number
of recipes for human
fulfillment. I think in
particular of our need to speak
to the hearts of young people,
who, despite their constant
exposure to messages contrary to
the Gospel, continue to thirst
for authenticity, goodness and
truth. Much remains to be done,
particularly on the level of
preaching and catechesis in
parishes and schools, if the new
evangelization is to bear fruit
for the renewal of ecclesial
life in America." . . .
The fields are still ripe for harvesting; God continues to
give the growth. We can and must
believe, with the late Pope John
Paul II, that God is preparing a
new springtime for Christianity.
What is needed above all, at
this time in the history of the
Church in America, is a renewal
of that apostolic zeal which
inspires her shepherds actively
to seek out the lost, to bind up
those who have been wounded, and
to bring strength to those who
are languishing. And this, as I
have said, calls for new ways of
thinking based on a sound
diagnosis of today’s challenges
and a commitment to unity in the
service of the Church’s mission
to the present generation.
Read more
here.
WITH THE BISHOPS
(6:30 pm)
Cardinal George to the Pope: The
church here rejoices in her
cultural diversity but is
troubled by ideological
differences that weaken not only
our witness but the faith
itself. How to include and love
all the faithful while being
clear about the demands of
discipleship . . . is a constant
pastoral challenge to the
bishops and other pastors. Read
more
here
THE WHITE HOUSE
(10:00 am) "My
visit coincides with an
important moment in the life of
the Catholic community in
America: the celebration of the
two-hundredth anniversary of the
elevation of the country’s first
Diocese – Baltimore – to a
metropolitan Archdiocese . .
.Yet I am happy to be here as a
guest of all Americans. I come
as a friend, a preacher of the
Gospel and one with great
respect for this vast
pluralistic society. America’s
Catholics have made, and
continue to make, an excellent
contribution to the life of
their country. . . I am
confident that concern for
the greater human family will
continue to find expression in
support for the patient efforts
of international diplomacy to
resolve conflicts and promote
progress. In this |
