Information on HURRICANE KATRINA

If you are looking for information on Hurricane Katrina here are a few links:
Everything New Orleans Nola.com is here.
Round up of Charities is here.
BBC News is here.
The Christian Science Monitor Daily on Line is here.
Google News is here.

Halley's Comment: But For The Grace Of God Go .... All Of Us

Halley's Comment: But For The Grace Of God Go .... All Of Us: "But For The Grace Of God Go .... All Of Us
Try to imagine someone just told you the entire city you live in ... New Orleans, in this case ... will be uninhabitable for several months.

In other words, whatever you have with yo -- most likely only one suitcase -- is all you have until Christmas.

Your home, probably your job, all your possessions, are destroyed or off limits.

Where do you go?

What do you do?

How on earth do you manage?

And this was a hurricane but could have been any number of other natural disasters."

This post form Halley Suitt's blog Halley's Comment, made me wonder, "How on earth do you manage?"

During a workshop I conducted last night (8/30) we prayed Psalm 27.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whome shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life:
of whom shall I be afraid? "

When there is little to nothing I can do and words fall so short our ritural of praying the Psalms is comforting.

Don

The New Catechetical Reality

"The New Catechetical Reality: Forming Catholic Identity in a Postmodern Context" symposium for Catechetical Leadership is scheduled for the December 8 – 10, 2005. "The New Catechetical Reality: Forming Catholic Identity in a Postmodern Context" symposium will be held at the Holiday Inn Elk Grove Village near O’Hare airport. The cost of the symposium will be between $305 and $465. The cost includes the registration fee, room and board for two or three nights with a single room or double room. We hope you will make plans to participate in the Symposium. Watch for details and additional registration material coming to an in-box near you shortly after September 1, 2005. Click here for a list of advanced reading material for the symposium. Read the registration material for information on scholarships.

Board drafts new NCCL Mission Statement

As a member of the NCCL Representative Council I recently received the following Email from the NCCL Board of Directors.

Dear Colleagues:
As the board of directors prepared to do strategic goals and objectives on the weekend of June 24-26 in Chicago, our facilitator helped us to realize that we needed to articulate our lived mission in current language to enable the board and the members to make the necessary decisions for our future.

We are excited by the following statement's simplicity and by the mutual agreement and excitement this conversation generated with among board members. It's not perfect but we think that we need to live with it and see how it may help us to promote energy and focus to our catechetical efforts.

We consider you to be a key catechetical leader in the organization (because of your role in the representative council, committee, or as a past president or a representative of an affiliated organization,)

Therefore the board committed to personally share this statement and our enthusiasm with each of you first, so that you will be ready to answer questions when others contact you after we soon share this statement with the general membership.

We look forward to seeing you in the Fall Representative council Oct 27-29 as we look at what this strengthened and refined statement will mean for us all and for our efforts in the catechetical ministry.

It is our hope that every leader, committee chair and staff member will look at what we do in light of this mission. As we move into our planning of goals and objectives for these coming years, our members, the representative council, the forums and constituencies, and the Office Staff will all need to consider:

What is (my, our) role in this mission as representative council, forums, committees, task forces, Office Staff, etc. ?
Who is responsible for authorizing this aspect of NCCL decision making?
Who implements this NCCL decision?
Who are the key supporters needed to guarantee the success of this decision?
Who should be informed about this decision?

The statement is:
The Mission of NCCL is "To go and make disciples"(Matt: 28:19) by creating a community of catechetical leaders who:
Read "the signs of the times" regarding catechesis and explore their underlying questions;
Promote effective catechesis for our times;
Recruit, develop and support catechetical leaders; and
Offer our expertise to our Bishops, pastors and the entire Church.

After reading the email I sent the following email.

I would be glad to talk with you about the “NCCL Mission Statement.” However, I have some strong and immediate reactions that will not wait. This work is further evidence that convinces me NCCL is no longer a grassroots organization. Here a, non-representative group of nine, determines the mission of a so-called grassroots organization. Where was the consultation? If the Rep Council is the heart of NCCL why was the heart not consulted? Why were the Forums not consulted? Regardless of the quality of the statement, even though the Board says, “It's not perfect but we think that we need to live with it,“ the process used to create the statement disregards the values that make NCCL different and valuable for Catechetical Ministry in this country. Mission Statements to be effective require the ownership of the membership. Why should we “look at what we do in light of this mission” when we had no part in establishing it. The Board owes the membership more respect than this! We seem to have abandoned our core identity and for that I grieve.
Peace,
Don Kurre
reo at nque dot com

I want to encourage the members of the DDRE Forum to contact your representative on the Representative Council, the members of the Board of Directors and Forum Animators and let them know how you feel not only about the content of this statement but also about the process used to establish a new NCCL mission statement. Now is the time to speak out!

Something to think about

David Haberman, the Chair of the Indiana University’s Department of Religious Studies, had some interesting comments on religion in the Summer 2005 issue of the Relgious Studies Alumni Newsletter. Haberman said in part,

I have recently finished reading Reza Asian's new book No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. Not only do I recommend this book as a great read, but I also believe that it highlights the fact that religion is a highly influential — yet vastly contentious — force in global affairs today. The need to understand religion is, therefore, greater than ever. Asian remarks in his book: "Considering how effortlessly religious dogma has become intertwined with political ideology since 9/11, how can we overcome the clash-of-monotheisms mentality that has so deeply entrenched itself in the modern world? Clearly, education and tolerance are essential. But what is most desperately needed is not so much a better appreciation of our neighbor's religion as a broader, more complete understanding of religion itself." I could not agree more; these are times of ideological religious warfare. To understand the tremendous struggle going on within almost every religious tradition today to define the nature of that tradition, one must grasp how religion functions in public life.

It's wiki time

As diocesan offices face reduced budgets and small staffs we find ourselves looking for new and less expensive ways for working together or colaborating. If you need to revise a document or prepare new guidelines for choosing catechetical texts you might find a wiki helpful. (The name wiki is derived from a Hawaiian word for "quick") Follow this link to a PC Magazine article titled, "Working Together With Wikis." If you need to save time, money and generally be more productive why not try a wiki?

When faith and science meet.

I would like to see the Diocesan Directors Forum create a resource for catechists who will need to address the issue of "intelligent design" (ID). It would be in our best interest to provide resources for catechists who will lead discussion on ID from the perspective of Catholic Tradition. The Roman Catholic tradition has much wisdom to share in a discussion of the relationship between faith and science. We need to avoid the mistakes of the past. Providing catechists with a resource to use in bringing that wisdom to the discussion of ID is a service the DDRE Forum can provide. Any one interested in leading such a project?

Don

Frist Backs 'Intelligent Design' Teaching - Yahoo! News

Frist Backs 'Intelligent Design' Teaching - Yahoo! News: "NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Echoing similar comments from
President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said 'intelligent design' should be taught in public schools alongside evolution.
ADVERTISEMENT

Frist, R-Tenn., spoke to a Rotary Club meeting Friday and told reporters afterward that students need to be exposed to different ideas, including intelligent design.

'I think today a pluralistic society should have access to a broad range of fact, of science, including faith,' Frist said."

Churches seeking marketing-savvy breed of pastor

csmonitor.com:

A year ago, the Rev. Scott Schlotfelt was weighing job offers from three churches smitten by what he had to offer.

But they weren't talking about his preaching or counseling skills. What they were seeking, like a number of churches across the United States, was some savvy marketing. And like a growing number of pastors, consultants, and volunteers, Mr. Schlotfelt was eager to do some branding for the Lord.

"I've kind of had a heart for marketing, [and] I think a lot of churches are looking for outreach" specialists, says Schlotfelt, outreach pastor at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Md. He received his undergraduate degree in marketing, then studied for the ministry and helped

Read the article from the Christian Science Monitor here.

Symposium with Richard R. Gaillardetz Update

The Symposium Planning Committee held a conference call Friday, August 12, 2005 to continue planning for the December 8 – 10, 2005 Symposium for Catechetical Leadership. The Committee agreed on a title for the symposium. The title will be: "The New Catechetical Reality: Forming Catholic Identity in a Postmodern Context." We hope you will make plans to participate in the Symposium. Watch for details and additional registration material coming to an in-box near you shortly after September 1, 2005. Click here for a list of advanced reading material for the symposium. Read the registration material for information on scholarships.

This just in

America, United States, Times Online, The Times, Sunday Times: "

Da Vinci plot may get new twist to placate Catholics
By Dalya Alberge, Arts Correspondent
THE film version of The Da Vinci Code is attempting to reduce the offence that the best-selling book caused to Roman Catholics.

Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film starring Tom Hanks and Sir Ian McKellen, is reported to have been so concerned that it has consulted Catholic and other Christian specialists on how it might alter the plot of the novel to avoid offending the devout.

Film officials have held talks with Catholic groups and other organisations despite Dan Brown, the author, insisting that “it’s only a novel and therefore a work of fiction”, The New York Times reported yesterday."

CNN.com - Gibson asked to recreate 'Passion'

This story appeared on both CNN and Yahoo news
CNN.com - Gibson asked to recreate 'Passion': "Gibson asked to recreate 'Passion'"

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Hollywood actor-director Mel Gibson has been asked to recreate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the streets of Sydney if the city is selected to host a major Catholic gathering in 2008, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Click here for the link to Yahoo News.

Wired News: A Hacker Games the Hotel

Wired News: A Hacker Games the Hotel: "A Hacker Games the Hotel

Since I find myself spending time in hotel rooms I found this information interesting and helpful.

"A vulnerability in many hotel television infrared systems can allow a hacker to obtain guests' names and their room numbers from the billing system.

It can also let someone read the e-mail of guests who use web mail through the TV, putting business travelers at risk of corporate espionage. And it can allow an intruder to add or delete charges on a hotel guest's bill or watch films and other premium content on their hotel TV without paying for it."

Click here to read the whole article.

A quote from Nelson Mandela

"Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times -- times in which the world boasts breathtaking advances in science, technology, industry and wealth accumulation -- they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social ills. Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life." (Nelson Mandela)

I found this quote as part of a post on Dave Pollard's blog, "How to Save the World" here.

Don

Has it been 20 years?

Has it been 20 years? Cindy called me down to help her with a computer emergency and I walked into a suprise anniversary party. I've been the DRE for the diocese of Grand Island for 20 years this month. The Staff at the NP Catholic Offices threw me a party and gifted me with this large Gum Ball machine filled with M&M peanuts. (see the picture) The Gum Ball machine has a lable that says, "Diocesan RE Director, 1985 - 2005, SWEET!" I was very surprised and overwhelmed even speachless. For those same 20 years I have been a member of NCCL and I am very greatful for the friendship and support I receive from the people I've meet through NCCL over these 20 years. Prior to becoming a Diocesan Director, I remember Matt Hayes encouraging me to join, what was in those days, NCDD. Moving to Nebraska and joining NCCL are two of the significant blessings of my life. I've truly enjoyed the past 2o years.