Council of the Baptized logo
 
LAY NETWORK 
CLAIMING OUR VOICES
in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
   
 Dear 

First a reminder of why you are getting this monthly email: Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (CCCR) and Council of the Baptized are trying to keep a network of lay people connected to have a voice in the direction and growth of our local church. We need a strong Gospel-centered institutional church to keep us focused on Jesus' mission.  Thanks for adding your strength to our voice.  

You are a member of this lay Catholic network of about 1500 parishioners in 87 parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.  Some of us are not in regular parishes, and we call that collective "non-parish" St. Elsewhere.  All of us are needed to build the kingdom of God. 

A little history:  the Lay Network was set up in 2014 by CCCR to hear people's views about the role of archbishop--why we need one and who would be a good one.  Your deluge of letters to the U.S. papal nuncio, at the time Archbishop Carlo Maria ViganĪŒ, was effective.  We let him know we care about our church and are paying attention.

In 2016, still paying attention, we are hopeful and eager to work with our new leader, Archbishop Bernard Hebda.  He has graciously accepted an invitation to a social gathering with the CCCR Board and Council of the Baptized members at the end of this month.  We will say hello from all of you.   

The Archbishop has also responded that he is willing to work with the Pastoral Recommendations Project team, though a meeting date has not been set.  You recall the eight categories of recommendations, adding up to over 100 individual recommendations posted on the website, www.cccr-cob.org?  We have to prioritize a few that we can focus on at a meeting with the Archbishop. If you have strong convictions on priorities, let us know. info@cccr-cob.org.  

The Council of the Baptized meeting is where the community gets heard in real time.  You are invited to come to Gloria Dei, 700 S. Snelling, St. Paul, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13, to  join the discussion of priorities and what recommendations we can initiate ourselves in our parishes.   Please come.

Init iatives going forward:
How do parents help their children develop healthy sexuality?  Be An Askable Parent.
If you are parents of school-age children, you may be interested in a three-session program being offered by a team of educators who are St. Frances Cabrini parishioners.  It is called Be An Askable Parent .  If you are a grandparent, you might be filling that role, or you can help us spread the word to your adult children with school-age children.  

As you know, it is a high-pressure, sexually permissive world out there for kids.  How do they deal with the pressures as they develop into healthy sexual adults.  How do parents help them cope?  The class offered by the Be An Askable Parent team offers information to parents to help them teach their own children--the dangers, the ethics of healthy sexuality, the means available to protect themselves as they grow.  

The next class begins Wednesday, September 28.  Registration deadline:  September 10
Dates: September 28, October 5, and October 12.
Location:  St. Frances Cabrini, 1500 Franklin Avenue SE, Minneapolis
Time:  7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Child care available
Cost:  $30 fee covers the cost of the three sessions and the texts
Contact:  Diane Sineps  651-690-3247  or   dbsineps427@gmail.com    
Click on this red link to view the  Be An Askable Parent flyer on the Council of the Baptized website:   www.cccr-cob.org

How do we understand what we are doing at the liturgy of the Eucharist?
Thanks to those who responded to our last month's request for views on liturgy.  It seems that receiving communion remains very important to people, but the meaning of the ritual around it isn't as clear as it should be.  Are we on autopilot as far as liturgy is concerned?  What does the official church mean for people to experience at Mass?  Is it an individual experience or a communal experience?  Does just being there convey an experience?  Is it about experience at all?  What are the people doing at Mass and what is God doing?  Does each parish have its own meaning for the Sunday worship gathering? Does Sunday worship send us out as a community on a mission?   How can we unite the whole Archdiocese as a worshiping community?   These are some of the questions we are discussing in committee.  If you have ideas to share, email us.  info@cccr-cob.org

Enjoy the end of Minnesota summer!

   

In Joyful Hope,
CCCR Board and Council of the Baptized