In this e-weekly:
- What Catholic Schools Can Learn from an Innovative Collaboration (Diocesan News and Beyond)
- Luminous Mysteries and The 15 Promises of Mary to Those Who Pray the Holy Rosary (Helpful Hints for Life)
- How to Pray the Holy Rosary (Catholic Websites of the Week under laptop)
- What Catholic Schools Can Learn from an Innovative Collaboration (Diocesan News and Beyond)
- Luminous Mysteries and The 15 Promises of Mary to Those Who Pray the Holy Rosary (Helpful Hints for Life)
- How to Pray the Holy Rosary (Catholic Websites of the Week under laptop)
Catholic Good News
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
The Holy Rosary
“Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Impress them upon your children.
Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
The Holy Rosary
“Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Impress them upon your children.
Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Most of you probably know how to pray the Holy Rosary. (If not, please check under the website section.) But maybe you do not know of its great power and its great aid to people and to the world. From the great naval victory at Lepanto in 1571 to the peace of heart and peace in the world, the holy Rosary is a gift beyond imagination.
St. Dominic and the Dominicans are and have been great preachers of the Rosary for around 800 years. Popes have endorsed it with Pope Leo XIII writing 12 Rosary encyclicals and 5 apostolic letters from 1883 to 1898, the most of any pope. The blessed Mother herself telling the children at Fatima, “You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world…”
The Rosary is the Prayer of the Gospel, and it unites us and our lives to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph the ordinary and extraordinary events of their lives helping us to understand our own. The Rosary gives us and others grace and help at every moment of our lives. It prepares one for heaven, and helps one to truly love. (Be sure to read the promises of Our Lady below.)
The Rosary is not meant to be only vocal prayers recited, but MENTAL PRAYER, an engaging of the mind and heart to the events that save us. On the 10 Hail Marys ask WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY about each Mystery you meditate upon. Then the true gift and benefit of the Holy Rosary will be made known to you and the world.
Now that is Catholic GOOD NEWS!
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. In 2004, Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary) added five more mysteries to the Holy Rosary referring to the life of Jesus and Mary, check them out under Helpful Hints for Life.
P.S.S. This coming Sunday is the 8rd Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030225.cfm
Most of you probably know how to pray the Holy Rosary. (If not, please check under the website section.) But maybe you do not know of its great power and its great aid to people and to the world. From the great naval victory at Lepanto in 1571 to the peace of heart and peace in the world, the holy Rosary is a gift beyond imagination.
St. Dominic and the Dominicans are and have been great preachers of the Rosary for around 800 years. Popes have endorsed it with Pope Leo XIII writing 12 Rosary encyclicals and 5 apostolic letters from 1883 to 1898, the most of any pope. The blessed Mother herself telling the children at Fatima, “You must recite the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain peace for the world…”
The Rosary is the Prayer of the Gospel, and it unites us and our lives to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph the ordinary and extraordinary events of their lives helping us to understand our own. The Rosary gives us and others grace and help at every moment of our lives. It prepares one for heaven, and helps one to truly love. (Be sure to read the promises of Our Lady below.)
The Rosary is not meant to be only vocal prayers recited, but MENTAL PRAYER, an engaging of the mind and heart to the events that save us. On the 10 Hail Marys ask WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY about each Mystery you meditate upon. Then the true gift and benefit of the Holy Rosary will be made known to you and the world.
Now that is Catholic GOOD NEWS!
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. In 2004, Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary) added five more mysteries to the Holy Rosary referring to the life of Jesus and Mary, check them out under Helpful Hints for Life.
P.S.S. This coming Sunday is the 8rd Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030225.cfm
Do you pray the Holy Rosary with you family?
The family that prays together, stays together!
The family that prays together, stays together!
259. What is required of one who is to be baptized?
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1253-1255)
a) a profession of faith
b) a good life
c) an encounter with God
d) all of the above
260. Who can baptize? (CCC 1256, 1284)
a) Bishop
b) an atheist with intention of the Church
c) any Catholic with the intention of the Church
d) all of the above
261. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? (CCC 1257)
a) Yes, for all those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed
b) Yes, for all who have the possibility of asking for the sacrament
c) No, not if they know not of it
d) all of the above
(Answers at end)
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 1253-1255)
a) a profession of faith
b) a good life
c) an encounter with God
d) all of the above
260. Who can baptize? (CCC 1256, 1284)
a) Bishop
b) an atheist with intention of the Church
c) any Catholic with the intention of the Church
d) all of the above
261. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? (CCC 1257)
a) Yes, for all those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed
b) Yes, for all who have the possibility of asking for the sacrament
c) No, not if they know not of it
d) all of the above
(Answers at end)
Catholic Term
term review
Holy Rosary (from Latin rosarium, “rose garden.”)
- a popular prayer, usually prayed on beads, composed of the twenty Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries which reflect on the events in the life of Jesus, and how Mary was called to cooperate in His saving work along with Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus.
term review
Holy Rosary (from Latin rosarium, “rose garden.”)
- a popular prayer, usually prayed on beads, composed of the twenty Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries which reflect on the events in the life of Jesus, and how Mary was called to cooperate in His saving work along with Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus.
“Helpful Hints of Life”
MYSTERIES OF LIGHT - LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
1. The Baptism of Our Lord by John the Baptist
2. The First Miracle of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven (and Call to Repentance)
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
The promises of Mary from God to those who pray the Holy Rosary:
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful in reciting the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory, those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from My Divine Son, that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors, the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of My only son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to My Rosary is a great sign of pre-destination.
Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1184&context=marian_studies
"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
-Catechism of the Catholic Church #971
MYSTERIES OF LIGHT - LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
1. The Baptism of Our Lord by John the Baptist
2. The First Miracle of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven (and Call to Repentance)
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
The promises of Mary from God to those who pray the Holy Rosary:
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful in reciting the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory, those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from My Divine Son, that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors, the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of My only son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to My Rosary is a great sign of pre-destination.
Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (The Rosary of the Virgin Mary)
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1184&context=marian_studies
"All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
-Catechism of the Catholic Church #971
Vatican’s Website on the Holy Rosary
http://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/misteri_en.html
Has all 20 mysteries of the holy rosary with meditations and documents referring to the Rosary. Click on the pictures.
How to Pray the Rosary Step by Step
http://www.newadvent.org/images/rosary.pdf
This gives detailed directions on how to pray the holy Rosary.
Printout of How to Pray the Rosary with Images of Mysteries printable on back
http://www.newadvent.org/images/rosary.pdfPrint out of above website combined with images and Sacred Scripture verses of 20 Mysteries
http://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/misteri_en.html
Has all 20 mysteries of the holy rosary with meditations and documents referring to the Rosary. Click on the pictures.
How to Pray the Rosary Step by Step
http://www.newadvent.org/images/rosary.pdf
This gives detailed directions on how to pray the holy Rosary.
Printout of How to Pray the Rosary with Images of Mysteries printable on back
http://www.newadvent.org/images/rosary.pdfPrint out of above website combined with images and Sacred Scripture verses of 20 Mysteries
Best Parish Practices
START A HOSPITALITY GROUP FOR YOUR OCIA PROGRAM (if appropriate during pandemic)
[OCIA-Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process by which non-Catholics join the Church, which usually begins in the Fall] Get to know people wanting to get to know the Church before they officially join and witness to them with your kindness and your faith story by being a part of group that brings food and drink to the OCIA class and then shares how you became Catholic or grew up Catholic.
BENEFITS:
People joining OCIA may not be sure about joining the Church or even know much about the Church, but everyone wants and needs to be received and treated kindly ("love is patient, love is kind" -St. Paul). So being part of a group that brings refreshments or food and drink to OCIA class can touch them by 'breaking bread' with them and affirming that you are glad they are there and want them to be a part of your parish. And if some of your committee, one by one, can share their faith journey, that can confirm the OCIA candidates in theirs, and they get to know members of the Church with whom they will worship and serve one day if they ultimately join the Church.
HOW?
Consult and ask if it is okay with your Parish Priest and the person in charge of OCIA. Look for another person or group of people who would be willing on occasion to make or purchase food and drink and bring them to the OCIA meeting (perhaps once a month or every two weeks). And then hopefully one of your group, or perhaps the head of different ministries of your parish, can share a brief version of their faith journey as a cradle Catholic or as a convert themselves. The sharing does not have to be spectacular or stunning, it just has to be real and heart-felt. This can go a long way to helping OCIA candidates into the Church, and making them a part of your parish family for years to come.
START A HOSPITALITY GROUP FOR YOUR OCIA PROGRAM (if appropriate during pandemic)
[OCIA-Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is the process by which non-Catholics join the Church, which usually begins in the Fall] Get to know people wanting to get to know the Church before they officially join and witness to them with your kindness and your faith story by being a part of group that brings food and drink to the OCIA class and then shares how you became Catholic or grew up Catholic.
BENEFITS:
People joining OCIA may not be sure about joining the Church or even know much about the Church, but everyone wants and needs to be received and treated kindly ("love is patient, love is kind" -St. Paul). So being part of a group that brings refreshments or food and drink to OCIA class can touch them by 'breaking bread' with them and affirming that you are glad they are there and want them to be a part of your parish. And if some of your committee, one by one, can share their faith journey, that can confirm the OCIA candidates in theirs, and they get to know members of the Church with whom they will worship and serve one day if they ultimately join the Church.
HOW?
Consult and ask if it is okay with your Parish Priest and the person in charge of OCIA. Look for another person or group of people who would be willing on occasion to make or purchase food and drink and bring them to the OCIA meeting (perhaps once a month or every two weeks). And then hopefully one of your group, or perhaps the head of different ministries of your parish, can share a brief version of their faith journey as a cradle Catholic or as a convert themselves. The sharing does not have to be spectacular or stunning, it just has to be real and heart-felt. This can go a long way to helping OCIA candidates into the Church, and making them a part of your parish family for years to come.
Diocesan News AND BEYOND
What Catholic Schools Can Learn From an Innovative Collaboration
The superintendent of K-12 schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, spearheads strong educational mission with the priority on collaboration — and faith.
What Catholic Schools Can Learn From an Innovative Collaboration
The superintendent of K-12 schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, spearheads strong educational mission with the priority on collaboration — and faith.
Superintendent David Faber, r, greets a Catholic-school graduate. (photo: Courtesy of the Diocese of Grand Rapids)
Martin Barillas Education
February 25, 2025
Martin Barillas Education
February 25, 2025
Consider an alliance of Catholic schools.
And biannual school summits for school leaders and a solid faculty faith-formation program, with a focus on such topics as Church teaching on the Eucharist and the theology of the body. Also, alliances made between the various parochial school boards.
This is the “Catholic Schools: Bridging Faith and Future” plan spearheaded by David Faber, Catholic K-12 schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The results: increasing enrollment and efficiency, plus two new schools and three others “reimagined” with new names and mission.
For his efforts, Faber was recognized with the Dr. Karen M. Ristau Innovations Award, “presented annually to an individual, school or program that has furthered the mission of Catholic education through an innovative program or approach,” by the National Catholic Educational Association, a professional membership organization of 140,000 educators that provides leadership and professional training of supervisors, principals, teachers and pastors. It collaborates with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and private and Catholic associations to lobby Congress and state governments on issues such as nonprofit status, school choice and internet safety.
“I attribute any success to what Mother Teresa would say is ‘faithfulness,’” Faber told the Register, and “I thank the Lord for his grace and goodness in my life. God gave me a vision many years ago for Catholic schools which developed over time. It was something that came from my experiences leading an elementary school.”
Faber began working for the diocese in 1993, serving as principal at an elementary school for the next 17 years. In 2010, he became school superintendent. This year, Faber will retire from the position.
And he is leaving the schools in a better place, anchored on “growth with a focus on bringing in young people and families to know the Lord and encounter him every day,” as Faber told the Register, “growing or expanding education, and thinking about the ways to do that. Expansion is all about evangelization and how to engage more and more young people and families in this beautiful Catholic culture and the opportunity to encounter Christ on a daily basis.”
And biannual school summits for school leaders and a solid faculty faith-formation program, with a focus on such topics as Church teaching on the Eucharist and the theology of the body. Also, alliances made between the various parochial school boards.
This is the “Catholic Schools: Bridging Faith and Future” plan spearheaded by David Faber, Catholic K-12 schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The results: increasing enrollment and efficiency, plus two new schools and three others “reimagined” with new names and mission.
For his efforts, Faber was recognized with the Dr. Karen M. Ristau Innovations Award, “presented annually to an individual, school or program that has furthered the mission of Catholic education through an innovative program or approach,” by the National Catholic Educational Association, a professional membership organization of 140,000 educators that provides leadership and professional training of supervisors, principals, teachers and pastors. It collaborates with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and private and Catholic associations to lobby Congress and state governments on issues such as nonprofit status, school choice and internet safety.
“I attribute any success to what Mother Teresa would say is ‘faithfulness,’” Faber told the Register, and “I thank the Lord for his grace and goodness in my life. God gave me a vision many years ago for Catholic schools which developed over time. It was something that came from my experiences leading an elementary school.”
Faber began working for the diocese in 1993, serving as principal at an elementary school for the next 17 years. In 2010, he became school superintendent. This year, Faber will retire from the position.
And he is leaving the schools in a better place, anchored on “growth with a focus on bringing in young people and families to know the Lord and encounter him every day,” as Faber told the Register, “growing or expanding education, and thinking about the ways to do that. Expansion is all about evangelization and how to engage more and more young people and families in this beautiful Catholic culture and the opportunity to encounter Christ on a daily basis.”
Faith is paramount for Grand Rapids Catholic schools.(Photo: Courtesy of the Diocese of Grand Rapids)
Educator-Approved
His fellow educators applaud his efforts.
“I worked at NCEA for two years, and while I was there I realized how much of an impact Dave was having in Grand Rapids,” Jill Wierzbicki Annable, president/CEO of West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids told the Register. She said that Faber was able to resolve the relative isolation of the various diocesan schools by bringing together an effective alliance. One of the fruits of this, she said, was the founding of two new Catholic schools in parishes that did not have them before. She added that Faber and Bishop David Walkowiak ensured that home-schoolers also benefit. “Dave was very invitational and taught us how to allow home-school families to see us as a community,” recalled the leader, who served with Faber as assistant superintendent. This meant allowing home-school students to participate in Catholic-school sports and to take enrichment classes.
Amy Zakrajsek, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School in Grand Rapids, has known Faber since 2008, when she interviewed for her teaching position. He was looking not only for teaching credentials, but a faith journey that matched the school’s Catholic identity, Zakrajsek told the Register. “To me, that was very telling about who Dave Faber was as a principal and the type of person he was looking for for St. Thomas.”
Faber also gives credit to Bishop Walkowiak, who was appointed to the diocese by Pope Francis in 2013. “It’s been a journey, and in our strategic planning, we were blessed when Bishop Walkowiak came to the diocese with a bold vision for Catholic schools and he was willing to support that vision and put into place his Catholic schools’ initiative. We nearly tripled the number of scholarships we could offer to our schools and families. We increased affordability through the bishop’s initiative in 2014-15,” Faber recalled. Approximately 11% of the student body is non-Catholic, which he said is a tribute to the attractiveness of Catholic education. However, rural schools may have student bodies of 30% non-Catholics.
His fellow educators applaud his efforts.
“I worked at NCEA for two years, and while I was there I realized how much of an impact Dave was having in Grand Rapids,” Jill Wierzbicki Annable, president/CEO of West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids told the Register. She said that Faber was able to resolve the relative isolation of the various diocesan schools by bringing together an effective alliance. One of the fruits of this, she said, was the founding of two new Catholic schools in parishes that did not have them before. She added that Faber and Bishop David Walkowiak ensured that home-schoolers also benefit. “Dave was very invitational and taught us how to allow home-school families to see us as a community,” recalled the leader, who served with Faber as assistant superintendent. This meant allowing home-school students to participate in Catholic-school sports and to take enrichment classes.
Amy Zakrajsek, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School in Grand Rapids, has known Faber since 2008, when she interviewed for her teaching position. He was looking not only for teaching credentials, but a faith journey that matched the school’s Catholic identity, Zakrajsek told the Register. “To me, that was very telling about who Dave Faber was as a principal and the type of person he was looking for for St. Thomas.”
Faber also gives credit to Bishop Walkowiak, who was appointed to the diocese by Pope Francis in 2013. “It’s been a journey, and in our strategic planning, we were blessed when Bishop Walkowiak came to the diocese with a bold vision for Catholic schools and he was willing to support that vision and put into place his Catholic schools’ initiative. We nearly tripled the number of scholarships we could offer to our schools and families. We increased affordability through the bishop’s initiative in 2014-15,” Faber recalled. Approximately 11% of the student body is non-Catholic, which he said is a tribute to the attractiveness of Catholic education. However, rural schools may have student bodies of 30% non-Catholics.
David Faber and Bishop David Walkowiak(Photo: Courtesy of the Diocese of Grand Rapids)
Sustained Investment
With diocesan investment and implementing Faber’s “Bridging Faith and Future” plan, that investment could be sustained. Scholarships improved affordability, schools’ efficiency and effectiveness increased through shared services, and planning for future vitality commenced. This characterized the initial five-year phase of the plan, in which the diocese is now in the second phase. Faber said collaboration and training for all levels of leadership improved.
Parish school boards meet biannually with the Diocesan Catholic School Board to share resources, experiences and best practices to improve educational outcomes and control costs. “We get all levels of leadership together in order to better serve the community,” he said.
“Prior to the alliance, the parishes and schools were siloed, working on their own and competing,” Faber said, adding, “It just felt wrong.”
“Rising tides raise all ships,” he said about collaboration. Schools share data and strategic planning, leading to improvement. For example, there has been record enrollment for kindergarten and pre-K students.
The diocese serves more than 6,400 students, of which more than 4,000 are enrolled in 26 elementary schools and more than 1,300 in five high schools. The average ratio of students to teachers is 18 to 1. The high schools boast a 99% graduation rate.
Rural parishes, where there are fewer Catholic children, are growing by reaching out to non-Catholics, Faber said. During the COVID-19 outbreak, diocesan schools had in-person sessions when possible and remotely when necessary. “A lot of folks were attracted to that. The wider culture is not supportive of our values. Many families who once thought public schools are good enough are finding out it’s not. They are looking for the truth. They are looking for reality. They are looking for traditional family values. They are looking for virtue to be taught. Our schools have become attractive for a number of reasons,” Faber said.
Family income is taken into account in charging for enrollment, he said, which means that many children attend at significantly reduced tuition rates. In parishes where the cost of education is a challenge to families, the variable tuition rate is supplemented by fundraising.
Encountering Christ
Faber said the diocese offered scholarships for five years to families whose children were new to Catholic schools.
The outgoing superintendent also described the T.I.P strategy of Timely-Invitations-Phone-calls. This involved collecting parish records of the sacraments of initiation, primarily baptism. The diocese collects data from 53 of 79 parishes, which is entered into customer information management software. The diocese regularly sends Christmas cards, updates and invitations to families, resulting in growth in seven of the last 10 years.
Faber, 58, has five married daughters and 15 grandchildren. In retirement, Faber and wife Sarah plan to help their daughters raise their growing families. One daughter recently became a widow in her 20s, which he said offers an opportunity to help support her four young children. “Her faith is beautiful, and it has taught us many lessons and brought us all together in a new way as a family,” Faber said.
The Fabers will establish Seek First Catholic Leadership Consulting in tribute to Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” The nonprofit will assist clergy, parishes, diocesan officials and laity working in evangelization and education, while using the skills and insights from his time as a school superintendent and principal.
As to the difference a Catholic education can make, Faber underscored, “Catholic schools offer an encounter with Christ every day. It’s an integrated curriculum that truly addresses the whole child: mind, body, and spirit. That’s not possible in a public school. In a Catholic school there is no secular subject. God has created all that is. So everything He has ordered and created for our good and the common good. So, everything we teach is within the context of that fully integrated education founded upon our faith in Jesus Christ. We are preparing children not only for this life, but for heaven.”
With diocesan investment and implementing Faber’s “Bridging Faith and Future” plan, that investment could be sustained. Scholarships improved affordability, schools’ efficiency and effectiveness increased through shared services, and planning for future vitality commenced. This characterized the initial five-year phase of the plan, in which the diocese is now in the second phase. Faber said collaboration and training for all levels of leadership improved.
Parish school boards meet biannually with the Diocesan Catholic School Board to share resources, experiences and best practices to improve educational outcomes and control costs. “We get all levels of leadership together in order to better serve the community,” he said.
“Prior to the alliance, the parishes and schools were siloed, working on their own and competing,” Faber said, adding, “It just felt wrong.”
“Rising tides raise all ships,” he said about collaboration. Schools share data and strategic planning, leading to improvement. For example, there has been record enrollment for kindergarten and pre-K students.
The diocese serves more than 6,400 students, of which more than 4,000 are enrolled in 26 elementary schools and more than 1,300 in five high schools. The average ratio of students to teachers is 18 to 1. The high schools boast a 99% graduation rate.
Rural parishes, where there are fewer Catholic children, are growing by reaching out to non-Catholics, Faber said. During the COVID-19 outbreak, diocesan schools had in-person sessions when possible and remotely when necessary. “A lot of folks were attracted to that. The wider culture is not supportive of our values. Many families who once thought public schools are good enough are finding out it’s not. They are looking for the truth. They are looking for reality. They are looking for traditional family values. They are looking for virtue to be taught. Our schools have become attractive for a number of reasons,” Faber said.
Family income is taken into account in charging for enrollment, he said, which means that many children attend at significantly reduced tuition rates. In parishes where the cost of education is a challenge to families, the variable tuition rate is supplemented by fundraising.
Encountering Christ
Faber said the diocese offered scholarships for five years to families whose children were new to Catholic schools.
The outgoing superintendent also described the T.I.P strategy of Timely-Invitations-Phone-calls. This involved collecting parish records of the sacraments of initiation, primarily baptism. The diocese collects data from 53 of 79 parishes, which is entered into customer information management software. The diocese regularly sends Christmas cards, updates and invitations to families, resulting in growth in seven of the last 10 years.
Faber, 58, has five married daughters and 15 grandchildren. In retirement, Faber and wife Sarah plan to help their daughters raise their growing families. One daughter recently became a widow in her 20s, which he said offers an opportunity to help support her four young children. “Her faith is beautiful, and it has taught us many lessons and brought us all together in a new way as a family,” Faber said.
The Fabers will establish Seek First Catholic Leadership Consulting in tribute to Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” The nonprofit will assist clergy, parishes, diocesan officials and laity working in evangelization and education, while using the skills and insights from his time as a school superintendent and principal.
As to the difference a Catholic education can make, Faber underscored, “Catholic schools offer an encounter with Christ every day. It’s an integrated curriculum that truly addresses the whole child: mind, body, and spirit. That’s not possible in a public school. In a Catholic school there is no secular subject. God has created all that is. So everything He has ordered and created for our good and the common good. So, everything we teach is within the context of that fully integrated education founded upon our faith in Jesus Christ. We are preparing children not only for this life, but for heaven.”
In Lincoln, Nebraska, you can tell the seasons by the habits of the School Sisters of Christ the King.
It’s not really summer until you spot a “CK Sister”, as they are affectionately known, walking around in her lighter blue summer habit.
But when a CK sister is donning her dark blue habit, that means the months are turning colder. And when the dark blue habits come out, you can find almost every CK sister in a classroom, teaching in one of the 27 Catholic elementary schools in the diocese.
Religious school sisters are a fairly common sight in the Diocese of Lincoln, which has two diocesan orders of women religious - the Christ the King Sisters as well as the grey-habited Marian sisters, many of whom can also be found teaching in the local Catholic schools.
In much of the rest of the country, however, religious sisters are something of a rare novelty - thought they used to be a much more common sight in the United States.
In 1965, there were nearly 180,000 women religious in the United States, many of them school teachers, according to data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate out of Georgetown University.
By 2014, there were less than 50,000 religious sisters, the numbers having steadily declined over the past half-century in the post-Vatican II upheaval that was felt in many parts of the Church around the world.
It was in the midst of this upheaval and decline that Bishop Glennon Patrick Flavin, then of Lincoln, decided to found the Christ the King Sisters as a religious order dedicated specifically to teaching children.
“He noticed that there were a good number of sisters in our schools in the 50’s and 60’s, but by the 70’s the sisters were starting to pull out of our classrooms,” Sr. Mary Cecilia, a Christ the King Sister, told CNA.
Bishop Flavin had difficulty finding already-established religious orders that were able to come to the Diocese of Lincoln, and eventually felt called to found a diocesan order dedicated specifically to teaching, Sr. Mary Cecilia said.
“He knew that our seminaries were growing and increasing in number, and he thought if the Lord was calling this many young men to serve as priest then he was probably calling young women to serve as sisters also,” she said.
Sr. Mary Cecilia, who now serves as principal of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Lincoln, said that Bishop Flavin founded the order with the idea that a good religious education would strengthen the faith of much of the laity in the diocese.
“He wanted to extend Christ’s reign in whatever place possible...and he realized what was so important to make that happen was Catholic education. Because if we can reach the young people in the diocese, we not only reach the young people but we also reach their parents and families,” she said.
“He realized that one of the best ways to really nurture their faith in the lives of these children is through the consecrated life, through having sisters present in the schools, the value of the witness of a religious - their life totally dedicated to God, their gift of self-sacrifice, being a spiritual mother to every single student in the school,” she added.
For herself, Sr. Mary Cecilia said she knew from a young age she wanted to teach.
“I have a brother who’s a priest - he often talks about how I used to play school so everything he knows about teaching came from me when he was little,” she joked.
In college in the early 1990s, she studied high school math education and dreamed of teaching calculus and algebra to older students. But that’s also when she met the Christ the King Sisters, who only teach at the elementary level.
“I realized oh they’re joyful, they’re young, vibrant, I like that,” Sr. Mary Cecilia said.
Even though she was drawn to religious life as a CK Sister, she was still hesitant about teaching at the younger level - “that was something that I had to take to the Lord,” she said.
Ultimately, though, the spirit of the CK Sisters, their depth of prayer, their warmth, and their dedication to education were what drew Sr. Mary Cecilia to them.
“We are extending the kingdom of God in Catholic schools, and Catholic schools are so important to me primarily because of my own education in Catholic schools,” she said.
Sr. Mary Agnes belongs to another religious order, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Wichita, Kansas, that is also primarily dedicated to the education and formation of young people.
A veteran teacher of 10 years, Sr. Mary Agnes said she believes that religious sisters bring something unique to the classroom that other teachers cannot, even though at a basic level, they perform the same functions.
“Our vocation is to be a more radical, vivid sign of the presence of Christ in the world, and then hopefully through that witness draw people to an encounter with Christ,” she told CNA.
“We do really similar things that other people do who are not sisters,” she said. “So (the value of) religious life is not about doing, it’s about witness and the being of the person. Our vocation is to be a more radical, vivid sign of the presence of Christ in the world, and then hopefully through that witness draw people to an encounter with Christ.”
Perhaps some of the most well-recognized teaching sisters in the Catholic Church in the U.S. today are the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia based in Nashville, Tennessee and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Both orders, primarily dedicated to education, have sisters teaching on Catholic campuses throughout the country.
“We belong to the Dominican Order and our charism is preaching and teaching.
Women religious have been an integral part of the history of Catholic education in the United States,” Sr. John Dominic with the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist told CNA.
“As Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, we seek to continue the tradition of educating generations of young people in their faith and most of all, to bring youth into deeper relationship with Christ,” she said.
Despite the general decline in religious life that has been happening over the past few decades, both Dominican orders have seen a boom in young vocations in recent years. The Dominican Sisters of Mary recently opened a new priory in Texas in order to accommodate all of the young women discerning religious life in their order.
When asked what is drawing so many young women to their order, Sr. John Dominic responded: “The young people are responding to God’s invitation to ‘come and follow Him’.”
Sr. John Dominic said the depth of the prayer life of the sisters and the close relationship with the Lord that their way of life allows lets them bring the fruits of their spiritual life to their students.
“Pope Saint John Paul II once described women religious as being a ‘sign of tenderness’ in the world. From my experience in working with Sisters in schools, this is precisely what many of them bring - tenderness and an intuitive heart,” she said.
Sr. Mary Agnes said she is always humbled when parents and students recognize the unique gifts and witness that religious sisters bring to the classroom.
“...that to me is the most striking, when the students come back after they graduate and they’re so excited to express: ‘Thank you what you’ve done for me.’ Many times they don’t recognize it at the time but then they do say thank you I’m glad that you taught me, I’m glad you were there for me, and it’s so humbling,” she said.
Sr. Mary Cecilia said that she would encourage young women considering religious life not to be afraid, and to encounter sisters up-close before believing some of the misconceptions about religious sisters that exist.
“When I was younger I thought that all sisters instantly became like 70 once they put that habit on, and that’s not true!” she said. “None of our sisters are 70 yet.”
On a more serious note, she added, “I think one of the misconceptions out there is that you have to give up everything that you hold dear, that you have dreams of, in order to do this. And in reality you do but its not the giving up that you focus on,” she said.
“It’s what takes its place - your relationship with the Lord, and being able to be filled with an intense and immense love for him, and therefore an immense love for the people you’re asked to serve.”
It’s not really summer until you spot a “CK Sister”, as they are affectionately known, walking around in her lighter blue summer habit.
But when a CK sister is donning her dark blue habit, that means the months are turning colder. And when the dark blue habits come out, you can find almost every CK sister in a classroom, teaching in one of the 27 Catholic elementary schools in the diocese.
Religious school sisters are a fairly common sight in the Diocese of Lincoln, which has two diocesan orders of women religious - the Christ the King Sisters as well as the grey-habited Marian sisters, many of whom can also be found teaching in the local Catholic schools.
In much of the rest of the country, however, religious sisters are something of a rare novelty - thought they used to be a much more common sight in the United States.
In 1965, there were nearly 180,000 women religious in the United States, many of them school teachers, according to data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate out of Georgetown University.
By 2014, there were less than 50,000 religious sisters, the numbers having steadily declined over the past half-century in the post-Vatican II upheaval that was felt in many parts of the Church around the world.
It was in the midst of this upheaval and decline that Bishop Glennon Patrick Flavin, then of Lincoln, decided to found the Christ the King Sisters as a religious order dedicated specifically to teaching children.
“He noticed that there were a good number of sisters in our schools in the 50’s and 60’s, but by the 70’s the sisters were starting to pull out of our classrooms,” Sr. Mary Cecilia, a Christ the King Sister, told CNA.
Bishop Flavin had difficulty finding already-established religious orders that were able to come to the Diocese of Lincoln, and eventually felt called to found a diocesan order dedicated specifically to teaching, Sr. Mary Cecilia said.
“He knew that our seminaries were growing and increasing in number, and he thought if the Lord was calling this many young men to serve as priest then he was probably calling young women to serve as sisters also,” she said.
Sr. Mary Cecilia, who now serves as principal of St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Lincoln, said that Bishop Flavin founded the order with the idea that a good religious education would strengthen the faith of much of the laity in the diocese.
“He wanted to extend Christ’s reign in whatever place possible...and he realized what was so important to make that happen was Catholic education. Because if we can reach the young people in the diocese, we not only reach the young people but we also reach their parents and families,” she said.
“He realized that one of the best ways to really nurture their faith in the lives of these children is through the consecrated life, through having sisters present in the schools, the value of the witness of a religious - their life totally dedicated to God, their gift of self-sacrifice, being a spiritual mother to every single student in the school,” she added.
For herself, Sr. Mary Cecilia said she knew from a young age she wanted to teach.
“I have a brother who’s a priest - he often talks about how I used to play school so everything he knows about teaching came from me when he was little,” she joked.
In college in the early 1990s, she studied high school math education and dreamed of teaching calculus and algebra to older students. But that’s also when she met the Christ the King Sisters, who only teach at the elementary level.
“I realized oh they’re joyful, they’re young, vibrant, I like that,” Sr. Mary Cecilia said.
Even though she was drawn to religious life as a CK Sister, she was still hesitant about teaching at the younger level - “that was something that I had to take to the Lord,” she said.
Ultimately, though, the spirit of the CK Sisters, their depth of prayer, their warmth, and their dedication to education were what drew Sr. Mary Cecilia to them.
“We are extending the kingdom of God in Catholic schools, and Catholic schools are so important to me primarily because of my own education in Catholic schools,” she said.
Sr. Mary Agnes belongs to another religious order, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Wichita, Kansas, that is also primarily dedicated to the education and formation of young people.
A veteran teacher of 10 years, Sr. Mary Agnes said she believes that religious sisters bring something unique to the classroom that other teachers cannot, even though at a basic level, they perform the same functions.
“Our vocation is to be a more radical, vivid sign of the presence of Christ in the world, and then hopefully through that witness draw people to an encounter with Christ,” she told CNA.
“We do really similar things that other people do who are not sisters,” she said. “So (the value of) religious life is not about doing, it’s about witness and the being of the person. Our vocation is to be a more radical, vivid sign of the presence of Christ in the world, and then hopefully through that witness draw people to an encounter with Christ.”
Perhaps some of the most well-recognized teaching sisters in the Catholic Church in the U.S. today are the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia based in Nashville, Tennessee and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Both orders, primarily dedicated to education, have sisters teaching on Catholic campuses throughout the country.
“We belong to the Dominican Order and our charism is preaching and teaching.
Women religious have been an integral part of the history of Catholic education in the United States,” Sr. John Dominic with the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist told CNA.
“As Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, we seek to continue the tradition of educating generations of young people in their faith and most of all, to bring youth into deeper relationship with Christ,” she said.
Despite the general decline in religious life that has been happening over the past few decades, both Dominican orders have seen a boom in young vocations in recent years. The Dominican Sisters of Mary recently opened a new priory in Texas in order to accommodate all of the young women discerning religious life in their order.
When asked what is drawing so many young women to their order, Sr. John Dominic responded: “The young people are responding to God’s invitation to ‘come and follow Him’.”
Sr. John Dominic said the depth of the prayer life of the sisters and the close relationship with the Lord that their way of life allows lets them bring the fruits of their spiritual life to their students.
“Pope Saint John Paul II once described women religious as being a ‘sign of tenderness’ in the world. From my experience in working with Sisters in schools, this is precisely what many of them bring - tenderness and an intuitive heart,” she said.
Sr. Mary Agnes said she is always humbled when parents and students recognize the unique gifts and witness that religious sisters bring to the classroom.
“...that to me is the most striking, when the students come back after they graduate and they’re so excited to express: ‘Thank you what you’ve done for me.’ Many times they don’t recognize it at the time but then they do say thank you I’m glad that you taught me, I’m glad you were there for me, and it’s so humbling,” she said.
Sr. Mary Cecilia said that she would encourage young women considering religious life not to be afraid, and to encounter sisters up-close before believing some of the misconceptions about religious sisters that exist.
“When I was younger I thought that all sisters instantly became like 70 once they put that habit on, and that’s not true!” she said. “None of our sisters are 70 yet.”
On a more serious note, she added, “I think one of the misconceptions out there is that you have to give up everything that you hold dear, that you have dreams of, in order to do this. And in reality you do but its not the giving up that you focus on,” she said.
“It’s what takes its place - your relationship with the Lord, and being able to be filled with an intense and immense love for him, and therefore an immense love for the people you’re asked to serve.”
How one Catholic School Takes a Hammer to the Cycle of Poverty
By Matt Hadro
Washington D.C., Jan 30 / 07:10 pm (EWTN News/CNA)
By Matt Hadro
Washington D.C., Jan 30 / 07:10 pm (EWTN News/CNA)
Picture Not Loaded: San Miguel School in Northwest Washington, D.C. Credit: John MacArthur.
“When it comes to Pope Francis, his message is simple and clear, and it’s what we do: helping others who are more needy than you.”
The school is sponsored, but not owned, by the De La Salle Brothers. Its mission is in the La Sallian tradition of the “preferential option for the poor.”
That ministry dates back to the 1600s when St. Jean Baptiste de La Salle served the poor in France through Christian education, hoping to break their “cycle of poverty.”
And in the same way, San Miguel exists to break the “cycle of poverty.” The formula is not easy, because the students enter the middle school a year or two behind the sixth grade level. In three years, they must be ready to excel at a private Catholic high school.
In short, the school crams five years of education into three calendar years. Students attend school year-round for nine hours a day.
The enrollment is small – only 65 students – and is only male and middle school-age.
This is an extremely formative and important age, Mullikin explained, providing the best opportunity to prepare kids for high school, something many of their parents never got to accomplish.
With the small enrollment the principal knows every student, so “you cannot slip through the cracks.”
The students are all from immigrant families, half of them Salvadoran and the rest from other parts of Latin America. And every family starts out at or below the poverty line. Admission is made on a financial basis “in reverse.”
Thus, tuition is almost completely free, which separates San Miguel from other parochial schools. “We are reliant upon the good will and contributions of the community to survive,” Mullikin stated. “Most parochial schools don’t want to take our kids who can’t pay.”
Many families just pay the minimum of $50 a month. Those who can afford to pay more may do so. But the school doesn’t just cover education; it also provides counseling, breakfast, lunch, and extracurricular activities. It is almost completely dependent upon donors and foundations for its income.
Yet these low-income students leave with a ticket to a Catholic high school. The acceptance rate at Catholic high schools in the area is 100 percent, and 97 percent of alumni either have a high school diploma or are pursuing one. In comparison, that rate is 50 percent for all Latino males in the D.C. area.
The immigrant parents of students are extremely hard-working but do not know the “foreign” American school system, Mullikin explained. Thus they may not know of options like San Miguel.
“What’s really important is allowing these families to fulfill their dream of making it better for the next generation,” he said.
The parents are “working their fingers to the bone day and night,” he added. They don’t have time to research the U.S. school system. “We have to really reach out to them and teach them about the school.”
Cramming five years of education into three calendar years is an apt metaphor for the school. It seems a daunting task but not only does it work, it succeeds marvelously.
The end product, he said, is “well-educated boys who are young men who are prepared to succeed in high school.”
The school does not stop helping a student once he graduates, either. A counselor has a full-time job of checking in on each alumnus in high school, ensuring that any needs of theirs are met and that they are succeeding in school. This establishes a “safety net” that goes beyond the San Miguel years.
One example Mullikin gave was of a graduate who wasn’t eating lunch at his high school because he didn’t have the money. Once San Miguel discovered this they alerted his high school. The administration quickly took care of the problem and gave him a cafeteria card.
“If that safety net wasn’t there, he wouldn’t be eating,” Mullikin said. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Pope: Confirmation Gives Us The Strength To Defend The Faith(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=28898)
VATICAN CITY, January 29 (CNA/EWTN News) .- In his Wednesday audience, Pope Francis reflected on the sacrament of confirmation, explaining that it is intrinsically linked to our baptism, and that through it our relationship with the Church is fortified.
"It unites us more firmly to Christ," the Pope said in his Jan. 29 general audience, referring to the Sacrament of Confirmation, "it strengthens our relationship with the Church and it gives us a special strength from the Holy Spirit to defend the faith and confess the name of Christ."
The Pope began his weekly audience by addressing the thousands of pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square, stating that "dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the seven sacraments, we now reflect on confirmation."
Confirmation, he explained "together with baptism and the Eucharist, is one of the sacraments of Christian initiation."
These three Sacraments, he noted, form part "of the unique process of Christian initiation, through which we are gradually inserted in Christ, dead and risen, and we receive a new life, making us members of the Church."
Reflecting on the term confirmation, the Pope highlighted that the word "indicates that this sacrament ratifies baptismal grace."
He then explained that during our confirmation, "through the sacramental sign of anointing with sacred chrism, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in order to be more closely conformed to Christ, God's 'anointed one.'"
"We are also strengthened - 'confirmed' - in the grace of our Baptism and in our mission of bearing daily witness to Christ and his love," the pontiff continued, adding that "Confirmation is God's work," as is every sacrament.
And this particular sacrament, observed the Pope, "ensures that our life be embodied in the image of his son, for us to love like him, infusing his Holy Spirit."
"This Spirit acts with strength within us, within all people and during one's whole life," he emphasized, highlighting that "when we receive him in our hearts, Christ makes himself present and takes shape in our lives."
"It is He who prays, forgives, infuses hope, serves the brothers most in need, creates communion and seeds peace in our lives. It is He who does that!"
Turning to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit which are received when one is confirmed, Pope Francis noted that the direct works of the Holy Spirit are "reflected" in these "spiritual gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord."
Encouraging all present to "thank the Lord for the grace of our confirmation," the Pope urged them to ask "that, filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, we may always mirror Christ's presence in our relations with others, our openness to those in need, and our living witness to the Gospel message of joy and peace."
He concluded his audience by extending personal greetings to pilgrims present from various countries around the world, including those from Spain, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Scotland, Ireland and the United States.
Giving a special greeting to a group of pilgrims who traveled from the diocese of Rapid City, SD accompanied by their bishop, Robert Gruss, the pontiff then invoked "God's blessings of joy and peace!"
A bit of humor…
Some Thoughts
-I hate people who use big words just to make themselves look perspicacious.
-Smoking will kill you... Bacon will kill you... But, smoking bacon will cure it.
- With a calendar, your days are numbered. -If good things come in small packages, then more good things can come in large packages. – We are all time travelers moving at the speed of exactly 60 minutes per hour. -Thanks for explaining the word "many" to me, it means a lot. -I ran three miles today. Finally I said, “Lady take your purse.”
Some Thoughts:
- I woke up this morning and forgot which side the sun rises from, then it dawned on me.-
-I recently decided to sell my vacuum cleaner as all it was doing was gathering dust.
-Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.
-I don’t like nesting Russian dolls, they’re so full of themselves.
Rare Phone CallMy mother, a master of guilt trips, showed me a photo of herself waiting by a phone that never rings.
"Mom, I call all the time," I said. "If you had voicemail, you’d know." Soon after, my brother installed it for her.
When I called the next time, I got her message: "If you are a salesperson, press one. If you’re a friend, press two. If you’re my daughter who never calls, press 911 because the shock will probably give me a heart attack."
Hot Horseradish
A minister who was very fond of pure, hot horseradish always kept a bottle of it on his dining room table. Once, at dinner, he offered some to a guest, who took a big spoonful. The guest let out a huge gasp. When he was finally able to speak, he choked out, "I've heard many ministers preach hellfire, but you are the first one I've met who passes out a sample of it."
_________________________
HIGHER POWER
A Sunday school teacher said to her children, 'We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?' One child blurted out, 'Aces!'
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
'Take only ONE . God is watching.'
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples.'
________________________________
BEING THANKFUL
A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, 'So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very commendable. What does she say?'
The little boy replied, 'Thank God he's in bed!'
Some Thoughts
-I hate people who use big words just to make themselves look perspicacious.
-Smoking will kill you... Bacon will kill you... But, smoking bacon will cure it.
- With a calendar, your days are numbered. -If good things come in small packages, then more good things can come in large packages. – We are all time travelers moving at the speed of exactly 60 minutes per hour. -Thanks for explaining the word "many" to me, it means a lot. -I ran three miles today. Finally I said, “Lady take your purse.”
Some Thoughts:
- I woke up this morning and forgot which side the sun rises from, then it dawned on me.-
-I recently decided to sell my vacuum cleaner as all it was doing was gathering dust.
-Don't you hate it when someone answers their own questions? I do.
-I don’t like nesting Russian dolls, they’re so full of themselves.
Rare Phone CallMy mother, a master of guilt trips, showed me a photo of herself waiting by a phone that never rings.
"Mom, I call all the time," I said. "If you had voicemail, you’d know." Soon after, my brother installed it for her.
When I called the next time, I got her message: "If you are a salesperson, press one. If you’re a friend, press two. If you’re my daughter who never calls, press 911 because the shock will probably give me a heart attack."
Hot Horseradish
A minister who was very fond of pure, hot horseradish always kept a bottle of it on his dining room table. Once, at dinner, he offered some to a guest, who took a big spoonful. The guest let out a huge gasp. When he was finally able to speak, he choked out, "I've heard many ministers preach hellfire, but you are the first one I've met who passes out a sample of it."
_________________________
HIGHER POWER
A Sunday school teacher said to her children, 'We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a Higher Power. Can anybody tell me what it is?' One child blurted out, 'Aces!'
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
'Take only ONE . God is watching.'
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples.'
________________________________
BEING THANKFUL
A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, 'So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That's very commendable. What does she say?'
The little boy replied, 'Thank God he's in bed!'
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope.
To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To Thee do we send up our sighs mourning
and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
Thine Eyes of Mercy toward us,
and after this our exile show unto us the
Blessed Fruit of thy Womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope.
To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To Thee do we send up our sighs mourning
and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
Thine Eyes of Mercy toward us,
and after this our exile show unto us the
Blessed Fruit of thy Womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us O Holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
8th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, March 2nd, 2025
The First Reading- Sirach 27: 4-7
When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one's faults when one speaks. As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just. The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind. Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested.
Reflection
The first reading invites us to reflect on how the words we used make known what is in our heart. The way we respond in difficult situations can tell others about what kind of shape we are in on the inside - in our hearts and minds. Do you speak words and react in a way that shows others that you are a follower of Christ?
Adults -What is one way you can strive to respond better in difficult situations?
Teens - Do you pause and think before you speak, especially in a difficult situation?
Kids - What do you do when it’s hard to speak kindly to others?
Responsorial- Psalm 92: 2-3, 13-14, 15-16
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Reflection
-Give thanks in an intentional way for something different every day this week.
The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Brothers and sisters: When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Reflection
Saint Paul reminds us to stay dedicated to the work of the Lord, even when it may seem to be in vain. He is in control, and will guide and assist us in all ways if we simply show up to do His work. He didn’t promise that it would be easy - but He promised us the reward of life eternal, and God always keeps His promises.
How do you find encouragement when things get difficult?
The Holy Gospel according to Luke 6: 39-45
Jesus told his disciples a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye. "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."
Reflection
It’s very easy to see, acknowledge, and even spread the word about what we perceive to be the faults of others. How often do we turn such probing eyes upon ourselves, to look and see where we may need work in our own lives? Jesus has strong words here for those who are quick to judge the actions of others, but who avoid such thorough examinations of their own lives. It is good to remember that we often don’t know the whole story of things we hear, or even things we see, and that God expects us to be be, foremost, loving, merciful, and to help each other to Heaven.
Adults -Can you think of a time you judged someone unjustly? Can you make amends? Sometimes it’s possible and sometimes it isn’t. Talk to God about it in prayer.
Teens - Have you formed opinions of someone based on the words of others instead of getting facts straight from the source themselves. What can you do to change that?
Kids - How can you show kindness to someone who has been treated poorly?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! –“While we ourselves are blind to, or wanting in, many necessary virtues, yet we can spot this lack in our brother Christian and have the audacity to offer to lead him on the right road. We are often lacking in the basic knowledge of the teachings of our faith and yet we can find a thousand faults in the official doctrine of the teaching Church. We can all criticize minor defects in our neighbor's Christian behavior whilst our own Christian way of living is giving far greater scandal.
In other words, most if not all of us, are to some degree hypocrites. We pretend to be what we are not, but should be. We pretend to be producing good fruit: figs and grapes, whereas we are only thornbushes and brambles which produce nothing but harmful thorns which sting and poison ourselves and our neighbors. And while I am making these comments I shouldn't be at all surprised if some of my listeners are saying in their hearts: "Mrs. X or John Y is getting it today, I hope they are taking it in," when what we should all be saying is: "How truly our Lord read my heart. How many times in the past week have I criticized my fellow men without knowing all, or any perhaps, of the true facts. How seldom have I honestly examined my own conscience to see my own more serious defects and tried to correct them?"
When our Lord spoke these words, his purpose and intention was not to condemn his hearers, the vast majority of whom were guilty of the defects he mentioned, but rather to open their minds and their hearts to their shortcomings so that they would change for the better and learn to live with their neighbor's faults, and do all in their power to correct their own. It is for the very same purpose the Church has selected this particular lesson for us today. We are all guilty of rash judgment and unjustified criticism, to a greater or lesser degree. Let us turn this criticism on ourselves rather, and judge ourselves honestly and sincerely and in a short while we may, with God's grace helping us, notice a change in our Christian conduct. We shall not become saints in a week or a month but little by little, imperceptibly at first perhaps, we shall find ourselves becoming more Christian and therefore more charitable towards our neighbor and less critical of the faults of others.” —Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
259. What is required of one who is to be baptized? a) a profession of faith
Everyone who is to be baptized is required to make a profession of faith. This is done personally in the case of an adult or by the parents and by the Church in the case of infants. Also the godfather or the godmother and the whole ecclesial community share the responsibility for baptismal preparation (catechumenate) as well as for the development and safeguarding of the faith and grace given at baptism.
260. Who can baptize? d) all of the above
The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the bishop and the priest. In the Latin Church the deacon also can baptize. In case of necessity any person can baptize provided he has the intention of doing what the Church does. This is done by pouring water on the head of the candidate while saying the Trinitarian formula for Baptism: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
261. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? d) all of the above
Baptism is necessary for salvation for all those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” -John 3:5
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
8th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Sunday, March 2nd, 2025
The First Reading- Sirach 27: 4-7
When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one's faults when one speaks. As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just. The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind. Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested.
Reflection
The first reading invites us to reflect on how the words we used make known what is in our heart. The way we respond in difficult situations can tell others about what kind of shape we are in on the inside - in our hearts and minds. Do you speak words and react in a way that shows others that you are a follower of Christ?
Adults -What is one way you can strive to respond better in difficult situations?
Teens - Do you pause and think before you speak, especially in a difficult situation?
Kids - What do you do when it’s hard to speak kindly to others?
Responsorial- Psalm 92: 2-3, 13-14, 15-16
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
R. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
Reflection
-Give thanks in an intentional way for something different every day this week.
The Second Reading- 1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Brothers and sisters: When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Reflection
Saint Paul reminds us to stay dedicated to the work of the Lord, even when it may seem to be in vain. He is in control, and will guide and assist us in all ways if we simply show up to do His work. He didn’t promise that it would be easy - but He promised us the reward of life eternal, and God always keeps His promises.
How do you find encouragement when things get difficult?
The Holy Gospel according to Luke 6: 39-45
Jesus told his disciples a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye. "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."
Reflection
It’s very easy to see, acknowledge, and even spread the word about what we perceive to be the faults of others. How often do we turn such probing eyes upon ourselves, to look and see where we may need work in our own lives? Jesus has strong words here for those who are quick to judge the actions of others, but who avoid such thorough examinations of their own lives. It is good to remember that we often don’t know the whole story of things we hear, or even things we see, and that God expects us to be be, foremost, loving, merciful, and to help each other to Heaven.
Adults -Can you think of a time you judged someone unjustly? Can you make amends? Sometimes it’s possible and sometimes it isn’t. Talk to God about it in prayer.
Teens - Have you formed opinions of someone based on the words of others instead of getting facts straight from the source themselves. What can you do to change that?
Kids - How can you show kindness to someone who has been treated poorly?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! –“While we ourselves are blind to, or wanting in, many necessary virtues, yet we can spot this lack in our brother Christian and have the audacity to offer to lead him on the right road. We are often lacking in the basic knowledge of the teachings of our faith and yet we can find a thousand faults in the official doctrine of the teaching Church. We can all criticize minor defects in our neighbor's Christian behavior whilst our own Christian way of living is giving far greater scandal.
In other words, most if not all of us, are to some degree hypocrites. We pretend to be what we are not, but should be. We pretend to be producing good fruit: figs and grapes, whereas we are only thornbushes and brambles which produce nothing but harmful thorns which sting and poison ourselves and our neighbors. And while I am making these comments I shouldn't be at all surprised if some of my listeners are saying in their hearts: "Mrs. X or John Y is getting it today, I hope they are taking it in," when what we should all be saying is: "How truly our Lord read my heart. How many times in the past week have I criticized my fellow men without knowing all, or any perhaps, of the true facts. How seldom have I honestly examined my own conscience to see my own more serious defects and tried to correct them?"
When our Lord spoke these words, his purpose and intention was not to condemn his hearers, the vast majority of whom were guilty of the defects he mentioned, but rather to open their minds and their hearts to their shortcomings so that they would change for the better and learn to live with their neighbor's faults, and do all in their power to correct their own. It is for the very same purpose the Church has selected this particular lesson for us today. We are all guilty of rash judgment and unjustified criticism, to a greater or lesser degree. Let us turn this criticism on ourselves rather, and judge ourselves honestly and sincerely and in a short while we may, with God's grace helping us, notice a change in our Christian conduct. We shall not become saints in a week or a month but little by little, imperceptibly at first perhaps, we shall find ourselves becoming more Christian and therefore more charitable towards our neighbor and less critical of the faults of others.” —Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
259. What is required of one who is to be baptized? a) a profession of faith
Everyone who is to be baptized is required to make a profession of faith. This is done personally in the case of an adult or by the parents and by the Church in the case of infants. Also the godfather or the godmother and the whole ecclesial community share the responsibility for baptismal preparation (catechumenate) as well as for the development and safeguarding of the faith and grace given at baptism.
260. Who can baptize? d) all of the above
The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the bishop and the priest. In the Latin Church the deacon also can baptize. In case of necessity any person can baptize provided he has the intention of doing what the Church does. This is done by pouring water on the head of the candidate while saying the Trinitarian formula for Baptism: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
261. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? d) all of the above
Baptism is necessary for salvation for all those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” -John 3:5
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