Empty Thoughts, or Do Zen Monk Robes Have Pockets?

As the thermostat pushes into the upper 90's today in North Platte this article from celsius1414 made more and more sense. Robert Daeley: askes, "Do Zen Monk Robes have Pockets?"

For an era when millions of urban folks have supposedly left behind the burdens of a rural existence, we sure are burdening ourselves like pack mules. Take a look around at the next business gathering, especially if there are a lot of geeks in the room — check out the bulging cargo pants and Bat-Belts of devices, the modern geek’s pocket protectors. Wonder at the laptop bags and suitcases with hidden crannies stuffed full of all manner of supplies.

Read the whole article here Celsius1414: Zen Pockets. Thanks to Merlin Mann at 43 Folders for this link.

"Give me, O Lord. . .

"Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give me an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give me an upright heart, which no unworthy prupose may tempt aside."

Thomas Aquinas

Inculturation and the Media

The NCD in Chapter 2 Section 21, D has this to say about inculturation and the media:

"If the new evangelization of the mass media is going to be effective, however, the Church must deepen her understanding of the culture in which the communications media are so consequential and learn how to make proper use of the media to proclaim Christ's message. Pastoral min­isters need to be trained as specialists in communications technology; state-of-the-art production centers need to be set up; communication networks need to be developed; and the faithful need to learn how to be more discriminating in their use of the media, especially in their homes. 'Using the media correctly and competently can lead to a genuine incul­turation of the Gospel'". (NDC page 67)

It's In The Numbers

"One-quarter fewer students attend Catholic schools today than did in 1950, but more than four times as many students participate in parish catechetical programs." (NDC page 35)

Quote Of The Day

"Being a believer means that one lives a certain way--walking with the Lord, doing justice, loving kindness, living peaceably among all people." NDC, page 11.

Symposium Preparation

The following set of articles/book will be recommended for advance reading for the symposium with Richard R. Gaillardetz, December 8 - 10, 2005. Reflection questions will be provided.

Barron, Robert. “Beyond Beige Catholicism.” Church (Summer, 2000): 5-10.

Doyle, Dennis. “Beige or Technicolor: Catholicism Requires Different Theological Approaches.” Church (Summer, 2000): 11-14.

Gaillardetz, Richard. “Apologetics, Evangelization and Ecumenism Today.” Origins 35 (May 19, 2005): 9-15.

Komonchak, Joseph. 2005. "The Church in Crisis: Pope Benedict's Theological Vision". Commonweal 132 (11):11-4. http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/print_format.php?id_article=1249

Portier, William. “Here Come the Evangelical Catholics,” Communio 31 (Spring, 2004): 35-66. http://communio-icr.com/articles/PDF/portier31-1.pdf.

Rausch, Thomas P. Reconciling Faith and Reason: Apologetics, Evangelists, and Theologians in a Divided Church. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2000. (Click here for price at amazon.com)

If you have questions about the Symposium contact us at DDREForum@gmail.com. Or leave a comment on the Blog. We do like hearing from you

Symposium with Richard R. Gaillardetz

Symposium with Richard R. Gaillardetz December 8 - 10, 2005. The Symposium will be held at the Holiday Inn Elk Grove Village near O'Hare airport.

Symposium with Richard R. Gaillardetz Update

The Symposium Planning Committee held a conference call Wednesday, June 15, 2005 to continue planning for the December 8 – 10, 2005 Symposium for Catechetical Leadership. We hope to publish the details including registration information on the symposium around July 15, 2005. Registration information will be sent to Diocesan Directors as an attachment to an email from the National Office. Directors are encouraged to invite members of their staff to participate in the Symposium. We are compiling a reading list to be given to symposium participants prior to the symposium. I’m convinced the symposium will be one of the major catechetical events of 2005, an event not to be missed. Scholarships will be available.

Social Justice Movies

The April/May 2005 issue of the "BluePrint for Social Justice" Newsletter published by the Twomey Center for Peace through Justice at Loyola University http://www.loyno.edu/twomey/blueprint/ contains a 13 page list of "Social justice Movies" with a brief description. The list seems impressive. If you are not familiar with this newsletter it is worth looking at.

World Vision 70,000 people have already died

World Vision Online Donations: Root: "In the Darfur region of Sudan, 70,000 people have already died in brutal ethnic conflict and over two million people have been driven into homelessness with their huts and villages pillaged, burned, and destroyed. They are living in ramshackle grass huts spread in camps on the edge of the Sahara with no access to food, water, clothing, or shelter. Health care is non-existent. Killings and sexual assaults are rampant. These families are on the edge of survival, living in conditions that World Vision has rarely seen in its 50 plus years of serving the needy. Lives of thousands of children are threatened. Many have lost their fathers, their homes,"

Jesus died of blood clot, Israeli researcher says - Science - MSNBC.com

Jesus died of blood clot, Israeli researcher says - Science - MSNBC.com: "JERUSALEM - An Israeli researcher has challenged the popular belief that Jesus died of blood loss on the cross, saying he probably succumbed to a sometimes fatal disorder now associated with long-haul air travel."

How Many Americans Really Attend Church Each Week?

As you remember during the 2004 Annual Meeting we talked about the role of social sciences in catechecial ministry. Continuing this line of discussion I think Dave Olson's analysis of church attendance is very interesting.

Dave Olson, director of church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church, surveying only Christian churches (i.e., evangelical, mainline, and Catholic) says the percentage of Americans regularly attending church is 18.7%.

Olson has collected his findings in an eye-opening slide-show entitled Twelve Surprising Facts about the US Church.

Here is the direct link to the chart that shows the percentage of population attending a Catholic Church on any given weekend in 2000. It seems to me that Olson's analysis raise some good questions for catechetical ministry.

U.S. Catholic Bishops - Social Development & World Peace

"The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
In a marketplace where too often the quarterly bottom line takes precedence over the rights of workers, we believe that the economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected—the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to organize and join unions, to private property, and to economic initiative. Respecting these rights promotes an economy that protects human life, defends human rights, and advances the well-being of all." U.S. Catholic Bishops - Social Development & World Peace

The Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation

VLCFF @ UD: "The Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) is a growing initiative to offer adult religious education and faith formation anytime and anywhere via the internet. The goal is to support the church's professional ministry of religious education and faith formation in cyberspace.

The VLCFF is coordinated and sponsored by the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives (IPI) at the University of Dayton - a Catholic Marianist Institution.

Our mission is to mobilize the resources of the University of Dayton for partnerships with the Church that create and implement innovative pastoral initiatives designed to meet the needs of the Church and to articulate faith within the context of contemporary culture."

If you are looking for a new way to provide formation for the catechists of your diocese I suggest that you look at the University of Dayton's VLCFF program. I'm convinced that VLCFF is one of the most valuable resources for faith formation available today. As a VLCFF partner diocese, VLCFF enables us to provide a richer variety of formation opportunities across the great distances of Western Nebraska.

Don Kurre

Congo's Conflict: Heart of Darkness

"Congo's Conflict: Heart of Darkness
With 30,000 deaths a month from violence and disease, Congo is the world's deadliest place. Does anyone care?"

How do you measure the horror in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Add up all of the American deaths in every single war we’ve fought in since 1776, including World War II and the Civil War (1,540,665). Now add to that the estimated deaths from the recent tsunami (169,752 confirmed dead, 127,294 missing). Next, add to that the estimated..." Read the story here: Beliefnet.com