New Cycle for VLCFF

Cycle 1 for the University of Dayton's on-line VLCFF (Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation) is scheduled for January 23rd - February 26th, 2011. Register now!!!

Excellent courses - all online - and inexpensive. The Archdiocese of Hartford has partnered with the University of Dayton, reducing the cost from $90 to $40 per course (+ books). The courses are designed for parish catechetical leaders, youth ministers, volunteer catechists, RCIA coordinators and all adults who wish to learn more about their faith. There are 35 courses scheduled for Cycle 1. Included are courses in Church History, Ecclesiology, Catechesis, Liturgy, Morality, Scripture, Prayer, Sacraments, Spirituality, Catholic Social Teaching, Faith and Human Development, and many, many more.

For more information or to register: http://vlc.udayton.edu/.

3rd Edition of the Roman Missal

The Education Committee continues planning for the reception of the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal.

The new translation will take effect the first Sunday of Advent, 2011 - now less than a year away.

For updates on workshops and resources - go to http://www.archdioceseofhartford.org/.

Teaching Religion - Online Course

Boston College's School of Theology and Ministry is offering an online course on Teaching Religion (Elementary) from October 25 - November 19.

Are you a catechist or Catholic school teacher who wants to feel more confident about teaching religion? Has your parish DRE invited you to become a part of the religious education program and you are considering it? This course will help you approach your teaching with enthusiasm. You will explore ways to connect your student with both religious knowledge and Christian practices such as prayer. You will consider different learning styles that will help you engage each participant in your class.

To register, go to www.bc.edu/c21online.

Free Webinar on High School Curriculum for Parishes

The National Association for Lay Ministry, The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and Ave Maria Press are hosting a free webinar. The topic is "Applying the Bishops' High School Curriculum to Parish Programs."

Incorporating catechesis in a successful parish religious education or youth ministry program for high school teens is at once a challenging and exciting endeavor. The challenge is to present essential content. The excitement is the ability to do so in a way that is flexible and diverse while incorporating elements like sacramental catechesis, spirituality, retreats, prayer and works of charity. The USCCB's Adaptation of a Curriculum Framework offers an outline of catechetical topics. This session explores ways to incorporate those topics into parish programs based on a trimester model that allows for comprehensive and flexible coverage to serve the varied and demanding schedules of both teens and adults.

Michael Amodei, Executive Editor of Adolescent Catechesis at Ave Maria Press, will be the presenter.

To register, go to: http://www.avemariapress.com/ and click on Professional Development Webinar Series.

Free Early Childhood Webinar

Our Sunday Visitor is offering a free webinar - Help! Behavior in the Early Childhood Classroom - on September 16, 2010, 7:30-8:30 pm EST.

Dr. Joseph White will lead a presentation and discussion on behavior and the preschool child. Dr. White's ministry both as a Catholic child psychologist and author of Our Sunday Visitor's new early childhood program, Allelu! Growing and Celebrating with Jesus, helps him bring a wealth of knowledge to this important webinar. Bring your questions and enthusiasm!

To register, go to www.allelu.com/webinars.

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.

LifelongFaith Associates

The Spring 2010 issue of Lifelong Faith on "The New Digital Media & Faith Formation" has received very positive responses from their subscribers.

Consider subscribing to LifelongFaith. Just go to http://www.lifelongfaith.com/. There are some free articles to view if you would like to check it out before you subscribe.

The Faith Formation 2020 book will be published in Fall 2010. And a brand new website just for Faith Formation 2020 will also be launched in the Fall.

John Roberto has published some wonderful articles - do yourself a favor and check them out. There are articles on every aspect of life long faith, including quite a few on Adolescent Catechesis, Moving Online: Faith Formation in a Digital Age, and Emerging Adulthood & Faith Formation.

Check out the website for information on upcoming workshops.

Adult Faith Formation Symposium

The New England Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education invites you to join us for the biennieal New Englad Adult Faith Formation Syposium 2010, scheduled for August 11-12 at the Doubletree Hotel in Westborough, Massachusetts.

The theme of the Symposium is "New Technologies, New Relationships: Connecting with Young Adults. We Will discuss what is important to young adults, how technology can bea useful resource in your parish and how we can use technology effectively in lifelong faith formation.

The speakers include Mike Hayes, co-founder of Bustedhalo.com and the author of Googling God: The Religious Landscape of People in their 20's and 30's; Tim Welch, consultant for Educational Technology at Catholic Education ministries, Diocese of Saint Cloud, MN and author of Technology Tools for Your Ministry; Sr. Janet Schaeffler, a national consultant, author and VLCFF online faculty membor and columnist for Catechist Magazine; Fr. David Frederici, a priest from the Diocese of Fall River and chaplain to CARIAS, a student organization at Cape Cod Community College; and Richard Drabik from the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives at the University of Dayton and the develper of the Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation.

Registration fees are $135 before July 19 or $150 after July 19.

For more information or to download the registration form/brochure, go to http://www.necddre.org/.

"Teaching Theology with Technology"

Upcoming Webinar:

Don't be intimidated by the technology. Effective teaching/catechesis never changes, but the tools do. Ave Maria Press will be hosting a Webinar that will provide a brief survey of some of the latest tools and resources online and in many of your classrooms.

Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Time: 4:00 pm EDT (duration - 30 minutes)

To register, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/304302721

The New Roman Missal is Approved

The Roman Missal, Third Edition, the ritual text containing prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Mass, has been approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Vatican).

Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the news that the English translation of the Roman Missal will be published soon. He stated that "A new task will then present itself...one in which one way or another will involve all of you - the task of preparing for the reception of the new translation by clergy and lay faithful".

As catechetical leaders, it is very important that we stay abreast of the work by the Office of Divine Worship. Please look at the General Resources and the Parish Resources available on the United States Bishops' website - http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/index.shtml.

(Available in Spanish at http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/espanol2.shtml.

Catechetical Sunday 2010

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis approved for Catechetical Sunday 2010 the theme "Matrimony: Sacrament of Enduring Love" to coincide with the release of the Bishops' Pastoral on Marriage.

Catechetical Sunday will be celebrated on September 19, 2010.

Some of the resources are already available (at no charge) online at www.usccb.org/catecheticalsunday/resources.shtml.

Included are lesson plans, teaching aids, resources for catechetical leaders and families, prayers, and various articles for pastors, etc.

The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership has also developed some resouces - a reflection booklet on the Sunday readings, designed for catechists and parents and a pin with a silver cross with a gold heart laid upon the cross. Check them out at http://www.nccl.org/.

Growing as a Catechist - Free Webinar

A Self-Evaluation Based on 7 Critical Tools from The Catechist's Toolbox...l

Facilitator: Joe Paprocki, D.Min.

Brought to you by Loyola Press, A Jesuit Ministry

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

7:00 - 7:45 p.m. (Central Standard Time)

At this time of the year, many catechists are coming to the end of their teaching schedules. This is a good time to pause and take stock - to engage in a self-evaluation in order to grow as a catechist. In this Webinar, Joe Paprocki invites catechists to evaluate their efforts this year in light of 7 critical "tools" (skills and qualities) drawn from his book The Catechist's Toolbox.

This Webinar will assume a very different flavor from the previous ones in that the focus will be on answering 7 poll questions (one for each of the 7 tools), resulting in a highly interactive and fast-paced experience.

In the days following the Webinar, Joe will answer questions on his blog, Catechist's Journey.

This free Webinar is led by Joe Paprocki, an eight-grade catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry. Joe, national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press, is the author of numberous books.

To register for this free Webinar, go to https://loyolapressevents.webex.com/mw03061/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=loyolapressevents or check out Joe's blog at http://catechistsjournal.loyolapress.com/

Free PNCEA Webinar

Join the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association for a free webinar discussion with Fr. Frank DeSiano, CSO, co-author of Awakening Faith.

Parishes often want to reach those who are less-than-active in their faith. But they are frustred about how. Awakening Faith is a comprehensive program with a methodology attuned to many inactive Catholics - those who are not marginalized or angry, but mostly on the edge and disconnected. Awakening Faith gives the rools, the preparation and the follow-up to allow a parish to reach out.

For more information about the program and other offerings from PNCEA, go to http://www.pncea.org/.

To register for this webinar, go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/9333813659.

Awakening Faith 2010 - Free Webinar

Join the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association for a Webinar on Thursday, February 11, 2010 3:00-4:00 pm ET

Join us in a free webinar discussion with Fr. Frank DeSiano, CSP, co-author of Awakening Faith. Parishes often want to reach those who are less-than-active in their faith. But they are frustrated about how. Awakening Faith is a comprehensive program with a methodology attuned to many inactive Catholics—Those who are not marginalized or angry, but mostly on the edge and disconnected. Awakening Faith gives the tools, the preparation and the follow-up to allow a parish to reach out.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.


System RequirementsPC-based attendeesRequired: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendeesRequired: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer
Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now at: www.gotomeeting.com/register/854352291

Prayer for Haiti

God of all creation, as we weep with our family in Haiti, console us.
In this time of crisis, open our eyes to look beyond the disaster
to see Christ in our brothers and sisters in Haiti, as Christ sees us.
Be with us as we stand in solidarity with those living and working in Haiti.
Be with us in our mourning and guide our efforts to feed the hungry, shelter the
homeless, comfort the grieving and stand for justice.
With your mercy, sustain us at this time as we continue to work for peace and justice.
Amen

How to Help:

Donate via phone: 1-877-HELP-CRS
Donate online: www.crs.org
Write a check: Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090
Memo portion of Check: Haiti Earthquake

New RCL Benziger Sales Representative

RCL Benziger has recently realigned territories to provide us with better service. Maureen Provencher, our former rep, will now handle the Eastern New England territory, covering the dioceses of Portland, Burlington, Providence, Fall River, and the Archdiocese of Boston.

Effective January 1, 2010, Jane Person will be our new sales representative for the Archdiocese of Hartford. Many of you will remember Jane from her over 25 years with the former Silver Burdett Ginn Religion company. She has since been a member of the RCL Benziger family for the past 2 years. Jane brings to us a great knowledge of the resources and of the catechetical ministry, a dedication to this ministry and a commitment to serve. Jane lives in Worcester, MA.

Jane can re reached at: 1-508-797-9027 or jperson@rclbenziger.com.