Free Catechist Webinar

Joe Paprocki, DMin, national consultant for Loyola Press and a catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry, will facilitate a free webinar - Getting Started as a Catechist: Part Two - Welcome to the Catechist's Toolbox - on Thursday, September 2, 2010, 8:00-9:00 pm. (EST)

Becoming a catechist is exciting and, let's face it, somewhat intimidating! New catechists are eager to learn some basic teaching skills to help them gain confidence as they begin their service in this vocation. This webinar will provide catechists, both those who are new and those who'd like to refresh their skills, with an introduction to the basic tools needed to effectively engage young people in faith formation.

Some of the topics covered in this webinar include:

• Skills for leading prayer



• The role of discipline



• Polishing your technique



• 10 things you can do right now

To register, go to http://www.loyolapress.com/ or if you have questions, contact Carrie Freyer at freyer@loyolapress.com.

Catholic Speakers Online

The Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association is hosting an online workshop - Moving From Evangelizing to Immanuelizing - on Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 3:00 pm ET. The speaker, Frank Mercadante, will help us understand how we can take a second, deeper step, in the mission of evangelizing by becoming a committed presence of Christ both for teens and for all people whom we encounter. What does it take to allow the Spirit to shine through us? How do we open ourselves to be vehicles of God's grace for others?

Save with Early Bird Registration: $9.00 per person through August 31st.

For more information or to register, go to http://www.pncea.org/.

Online Learning - New Cycle

The University of Dayton's Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation will hold Cycle 7 from October 24th through November 27th.

Registration opens September 1st and closes October 14th.

Don't miss this opportunity for online formation. Some of the courses included in Cycle 7 are: Introduction to Prayer, Sacraments, Introduction to Scripture, New Testament, Old Testament, Survey of Catholic Doctrine, National Directory for Catechesis, Praying with Children, Overview of the GDC & NDC, Introduction to Catechesis, Faith and Human Development, Conscience, Introduction to Liturgy, Introduction to Practical Morality, Mary in Scripture and Tradition, and more!

Sign up now - just go to http://vlc.udayton.edu/.

Roman Missal Approved

Cardinal George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has announced the Vatican approval of the new Roman Missal English-language translation. The full text of the Roman Missal, Third Edition has been issued for the dioceses of the United States of America. The firt use of the new text will be on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011.

This date of implementation was chosen to allow publishers time to prepare texts and parishes and dioceses to educate parishioners.

In the Archdiocese of Hartford, a committe has been formed to provide information and education on the changes. Father David Baranowski, Director of the Office for Divine Worship, chairs the committee.

For more information on the new texts, check out the USCCB website at www.usccb.org/romanmissal/

Religious Education Congress - 2010

The annual Religious Education Congress will take place on Saturday, November 6, at St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol.

The event is a wonderful chance for catechetical leaders and catechists to further their own formation and to share the important ministry of catechesis with others from across the Archdiocese. Open to all people involved in the field of religious education.

The theme for this year is Forming Disciples, Cultivating Faith/Formando Discípulos, Cultivando la Fe.

The day begins with keynoter Joe Paprocki, D.Min., National Consultant with Loyola Press, who will speak on Do I Look Fat in This? Putting on Christ - A Perfect Fit!.

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell will then celebrate Mass with us.

After lunch, treat yourselves to two rounds of workshops. Topics include: Skills for Leading Prayer, Online Adult Faith Formation and Catechist Certification, Bullying, Teaching and Praying with the Scriptures, Faith Starts in the Family, Does What We Say at Mass Really Matter?, Is It Right or Wrong?, Tapping Teens for Peer Ministry, HELP! I Can't Do This Alone..., God Glitter and Glue!, El Discipulado Cristiano: Relevancia y Compromisos, La Misión Evangelizadora de Los Padres, La Nueva Confirmación Pastoral Juvenil y Confirmación, La Praxis (Práctica) Bautismal, Cursos de Formación en la Fe Online: Una Alternative de Formación Para Nuestros Tiempos, and Qué Tiene Que Ver mi Fe con Facebook y el Cine?.

For the schedule, details, and registration form, click here.

Free Webinar!

The Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association is offering a free webinar on August 19, 3:00-4:00 pm EST. Fr. Frank DeSiano will speak about PNCEA's newest program, Seeking Christ. This program aims to solve the problem parishes face when people inquire about the Catholic Church, but the parish has no way to begin receiving them. it includes eight sessions that can be used in a variety of ways to welcome and engage people who are inquiring about becoming Catholics. For more information about the program, click here. To register, click here.

July ORE Newsletter is Here

The July newsletter is now on our website: www.orehartford.org/newsletter/10-07.pdf.

A Workshop for Parish Leaders

The Office of Religious Education and the Center for Ministry Development are hosting a workshop for parish leaders - Connecting Catholic Families with the Bible. This 2010 National Workshop Series will explore effective strategies and practices for involving families in the religious education process.

The most important element in the success of any parish or school formation program is what happens in the home.

The workshop is scheduled for Saturday, November 20, 2010, 8:30 am-3:00 pm at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary.

Leif Kehrwald will be the presenter. He is the Project coordinator for Family and Intergenerational Services at the Center for Ministry Development, now located in Gig Harbor, Washington (formerly in Naugatuck, CT).

The intended audience includes parish leaders who work with families: pastors, priests, deacons, DREs, Pastoral Associates, Youth Ministers, RCIA and Sacramental Prep Coordinators, Coordinators and team members of Generation of Faith parishes and coordinators of Whole Community Catechesis.

The registration fee for the Archdiocese of Hartford leaders, employees, parishioners is $10 each. For guests from outside the Archdiocese, the fee is $25 each. The fee includes workshop materials, lunch and refreshments.

To register, go to http://www.orehartford.org/.

June Newsletter

The June newsletter is here... www.orehartford.org/newsletter/10-06.pdf.

Passport to Success

The New England Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education (NECDDRE) invites you to the Summer Institute and Retreat - Passport to Success - to be held June 25-27, 2010 at the Immaculate Conception Spiritual Renewal Center in Putnam, CT.

Passport to Success is a four-part journey for training and enrichment of parish catechetical leaders.

Part I - Preparing for the Journey - is designed for new or nearly new parish catechetical leaders. It allows participants to identify their gifts and leadership qualities and clarify the nature and scope of their parish responsibilities plus an opportunity to increase skill and knowledge in the areas of management/administration, communication/relationships, curriculum implementation and recruiting/training catechists.

Part II - Embarking on the Journey - has as its focus building on the foundation of Part I or its equivalent. Topics incluce Call to Discipleship, Role of the Catechetical Leader in Prayer and Worship, and Role of the Catechetical Leader in Evangelization.

Part III - Ports of Call - is open to anyone involved in parish ministry. The focus is based on the topics in The Effective DRE: A Skill Series from NCCL/Loyola Press. The topics offered in June include Understanding Catechesis, Catechizing for a Just World, Building Community and Maintaining Professional Balance.

Part IV - Extending your Journey - is open to parish ministers or persons who seek to enrich their faith. Part IV is based on Catholic Basics: A Pastoral Ministry Series. Topics covered at the June session include Mary and the Saints, Ecumenism, Sacramental Theology and Ecclesiology.

There are also evening events open to all participants.

For more details or to register, go to http://www.necddre.org/ or contact Pat Keck or Olive Greene at ogreene2@optonline.net.