Directors' Email Group

During the October Rep Council meeting several members of the Diocesan Directors Forum suggested we start an email group. An email group is similar to a list serve. When members send an email to the list address each member of the list will receive a copy of the email. This list will be A Restricted Group - People must be invited to join the group and post or read messages. The group and its archives do not appear in public Google search results or the directory. The address for the group is: DDRE@googlegroups.com

If you would like to receive an invitation to the group send an email to Don Kurre at donk05@gmail.com and I will subscribe you to the list. I'm predicting that the volumn of email will be light. You do have the option of receiving the list emails in a daily archive. One email per day. Please join the group and the conversation. Your participation is important.

Don Kurre, donk05@gmail.com

Pictures from the Rep Counci Meeting

I created an album of the photographs I took during the Rep Council meeting. You will find the album here. No names just pictures.

Don Kurre

Lively Table Discussion

We had some lively and energetic table discussions around Echoes of Faith and Catechist training. A varity of issues were discussed and shared. The energy in this group around the issue of catechist training is powerful. The passion of the members of the Rep Council for this ministry is as an important resource for Catechesis.

Neil Parent reported that NCCL had paid down the production loan for the Echoes of Faith program and therefore could beging to plan new "Echoes of Faith" modules.

Echoes EchoesEchoes

We've broken even! As of two weeks ago the debt to RCL and the Leach family has been paid down. The contractual agreement signed in 1995 by NCCL has been fulfilled which now allows the Conference to begin to look at the creation of additional modules for formation.

In a survey sent to representative council members concerning Echoes of Faith, the following 4 topics surfaced as those most desired to augment what is already available:

Adult Faith Formation
Adolescent Catechesis
National Directory for Catechesis
Social Issues

The representative council engaged in lively and energized conversation around the following questions:
How do we enhance Echoes familiarity and advance usage of the tool already available? -and- Which module would be the one (from the four listed above) that we would like to pursue first?

No decisions were made at the meeting, but it was clear that the group is very much in favor of offering more topics and continuing the Echoes model for catechist formation.

Catechetical Leaders and Seminarians

Tom Walters gave an energetic presentation to the Rep Council this morning. The title of Tom's presentation was "Catechetical Leaders collaborating with clergy in light of finds in the study of current seminarians." We'll post some of the input given by Tom in the near future. Tom's presentation gave members of the Rep Council important insights into the collaboration between seminarians and catechetical leaders.

Trends in Catechesis

Late into Friday night the Council took time to identified current trends in Catechetics. The discussion was held in intergenerational table groups and surfaced a variety of trends. The trends identified include:

• Changes in Diocesan Staffs
• Growing popularity of Whole Community Catechesis
• A lack of trained catechetical personel on the parish and diocesan levels
• Changes in parish life that radically impact catechesis
• A need to provide undergraduate and graduate tracks for PCLs
• Home schooling
• Impact of Safe Environment programs

The complete list of trends surfaced by the Council will be used to help set the agenda for the Conference well into the future. Leave a comment on the trends you see in catechesis.

Walters Guides Rep Council

Tom Walters facilitated a session in which the Rep Council examined its role. Walters asked small table groups to examine what was and was not working with respect to the Council's role to formulate the values of the Conference, represent the constituency of the Conference and to consult for the Board. A variety of issues ranging from communication and a need to have a more direct role in determining the Council's agenda were shared with the Board. President, Anne Comeaux, said that the Board was listening and would discuss the issues surfaced by the Council and address them as appropriate.

Commitee Members Needed

NCCL continues to conduct a major portion if its work through the committees and task forces of the conference. If you are looking for a way to engage more completely in the work and mission of the organization, committees and task forces are looking for you! The following is a brief list of those work groups seeking to augment membership:

Catechesis and Culture
Recruitment and Retention
Theological Foundations
Technology
Communications
Research

If you would be willing to serve, please contact Fr. Tony Salim at ncclvp@aol.com

Board Nominees

NCCL is looking for people to nominate for the NCCL Board. Please share the names of people you think would be great board members. Leave a comment and we will pass on the names to the discernment committee.

Officer Slates Affirmed

During our Friday morning session the Rep Council affirmed the two slates. The slates are:


Slate one
Mary Ann Ronan, President, Phoenix
Sr. Janet Scheffler, Secretary, Detroit
Lorrain DeLuca, Treasurer, Texas
Father David Loftus, VP, LA
Slate two
Harry Dudley, President, Indianapolis
Charlene O' Connel, VP, Texas
Marc Gonzales, Treasurer, San Fancisco
Kathy Gallo, Secretary, Boston

Assistance for hurrican victims discussed

The high point of the first session of the Rep Council meeting was the discussion of ways to help hurricane victims. A special plea for parish religious education programs was voiced during the discussion. Parish religious education programs seem to be the overlooked victims of the hurricanes. People, buildings and schools are the focus of relief efforts and yet the need for relief for religious education programs is just as great. Neil said NCCL will serve as a clearing house for updated information on the needs for support and help as people rebuild. Check NCCL’s website for specific information.

New members of the Rep Council were also introduced. We also received reports from the Ann regarding her work as President. Jim Tucker gave us an update from the Bylaws Review Committee. Things are in process Jim said.

Fall Rep Council Meeting Begins

Rep Council members are gathering at the Holiday Inn for the beginning of the Fall Rep Council Meeting. 52 members of the council will be gathering for the 2005 Fall meeting. I hope to be able to Blog this meeting since we have wireless access to the internet throughout the Holiday Inn. Please post questions and responses to the work of the Council. Mary Kay (returning to the RC for a new term) and Joe wait in the lobby to be joined by other members of their committee. Our agenda has time for committees to conduct their business. That's all from the Elk Grove Holiday Inn for now. I'm Don Kurre and I look forward to hearing from you during this meeting.

A Vision for Catechesis

The October 27, 2005 issue of Origins contains a pastoral letter from Bishop Saltarelli titled, "Go and Teach: Facing the Challenges of Catechesis Today." Bishop Saltarelli says:

"I know that effective catechesis never occurs in a vacuum. Virbrant parish life is the soil in which catechetical ministry flourishes."

Synod: Catechesis in a Secular Culture

The October 20, 2005 issue of Origins contains a number of interventions from the world Synod of Bishops in Rome. Of particular interest is Bishop Wuerl's intervention titled, Synod: Catechesis in a Secular Culture. " A pull quote from Origins,

"Perhaps the single biggest challenge that we as followers of Christ face today is the great disparity between what we see in faith as the horizon of life and what this secular culture and materially focused world see as the goal, end and purpose of life."

Representative Council Agenda

Items on the Agenda for the Representative Council meeting to be held October 27-29, 2005 Chicago, IL

Report on up dating of by-laws
Report on strategic directives
President's report
Reports from committees
- Membership
- Development
- NDC Project
Remarks from Episcopal Moderator -- Bishop Richard Malone
Report from Executive Director -- Neil Parent
Report from USCCB -- Michael Steier
Remarks/reports from partner constituencies
Process for fleshing out roles and identity of Representative Council Facilitator -- Tom Walters
Listening from Representative Council members (needs and issues of constituencies)
Committee meetings
Presentation on "Catechetical Leaders collaborating with clergy in light of findings in study of current seminarians." – Tom Walters
Rep Council input:
- New Echoes modules
- Catechist formation needs…beyond Echoes
- Training and formation of PCLs in light of national Standards
- Other needs

Safe Environment Curriculum

While providing resources for parishes to conduct Safe Environment Education for the youth and young adults in parish programs we began wondering, “Would it be possible to include Safe Environment or Child Protection materials in textbooks?” Becasuse parish catechists often find it difficult to integrate supplemental materials into their lessons it would be helpful if some basic Safe Environment or Child Protection materials were in the textbook. Since the Textbook/Catechist Manual is the primary resource for most parish catechists it seems logical that child protection materials would be included in the textbooks.

What do you think? Would you like to see Safe Environment or Child Protection materials included in textbooks? Would you like to see the DDRE Forum begin a conversation with Publishers to include the material in their texts? Leave a comment and let us know what your thinking. I would like to bring this issue up at the October Rep Council meeting. Click on the comments link below and share your thoughts.

Don

Monika Hellwig

I read today in the West Nebraska Register that Monika Hellwig died on September 30, 2005. The headline read, "Hellwig, noted theologian and author, dies after suffering stroke."
Catholic News Service reproted:

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Noted theologian and author Monika Hellwig died at Washington Hospital Center Sept. 30 after suffering a severe stroke. She was 74 years old. She had just recently retired as president and executive director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Hellwig taught theology for more than 30 years at Georgetown University before taking up the ACCU post. Just days before her death she had taken up a new position as a research fellow at the university's Woodstock Theological Center. A former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, she received numerous honors and awards for her work, including more than 30 honorary degrees.