| Dear Happy May! We have three main topics fyi:
1. Family Synod Listening Sessions/ Interview on the Mary Hanson Show 2. Intentional Eucharistic Communities Conference/ Homelessness Benefit Concert 3. Pope Francis in the USA/Shall we join in with the national welcome plans of COR? No. 1. Pope Francis wants input on family issues? He is getting input on family issues! Love and Sex Listening Sessions are popping up all over. If you can host one, please call Mary Beth Stein at 612-805-7091. CCCR/Council of the Baptized supplies the facilitator and the format. All you need to do is supply the participants and the venue (and cookies, if you want).
The input from Listening Sessions is being sent to Pope Francis and to the U.S. representatives to the Vatican Synod on the Family, October 2015.
Our questions: Does the Church need to define family in order to serve families? In practice, there is no questionnaire on family when people come knocking at the parish rectory door for assistance. Why hold up an ideal family? What are the "ideals" when it comes to sexuality? Is it possible to define a "moral" life in the abstract? The Council of the Baptized position paper Toward a Healthy Christian Theology of Sexuality has spelled out some norms to judge healthy sex. It is available at www.councilofthebaptized.org/sexualitypaper to answer some of your questions.
Monday, May 18th, at 9:30 pm, tune in to "Catholics Speak Out on Sexual Issues." Mary Ellen Jordan and Mary Beth Stein, authors of the Council of the Baptized position paper, will be interviewed on the Mary Hanson Show, airing on one of the TPT stations. Go to http://www.maryhansonshow.com/tpt-mn.html to find the TPT channel in your area. Or call 651-229-1330 for more information.
No. 2. IECs? What are they? Are you aware of the national convention for Intentional Eucharistic Communities (IECs) coming to town on the weekend of June 26-28? Is your parish an intentional eucharistic community? Ought it to be? We can learn from these people who are ahead of the curve in being intentional. Here is how they describe IECs: IECs are those small faith communities, rooted in the Catholic tradition , that gather to celebrate Eucharist on a regular basis. Born in the enthusiasm flowing from Vatican II for a church of the people, some IECs were instituted in parishes, some were created as alternatives to the parish, some retain close ties with the institutional church, and some function independently. The diversity of models is remarkable. It will be held at Concordia College in St Paul. Full details, information on keynote speakers and breakout presenters, schedules, and registration information are at www.intentionaleucharistic.org Save this date: Thursday evening, June 25, to kick-off the conference, Fr. Jan Michael Joncas, Marty Haugen, and David Haas, liturgical music composers whose work we all know, will give a "Concert to End Homelessness - A Benefit for St. Stephen's Human Services." It will be at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 4030 Pilot Knob Rd, Eagan, MN 55122. Tickets are $35. For more information see http://ststephensmpls.org/concert. No. 3. Welcome and Encouragement for Pope Francis Any event planners out there? Pope Francis will be in the U.S. at the end of September. We would like to have a local event to welcome and encourage the Pope. The national coalition of reform groups, Catholic Organizations for Renewal (COR), is planning a national campaign of events called "Love is Our Mission: A Church for All." Video of our local event can be added to a web page of groups around the U.S. doing the same thing. Can you see a huge and lively St. Paul/Minneapolis gathering? We need someone to step up to make it happen. If you have experience as an event planner, grab a known associate to partner with, and email Art Stoeberl at [email protected] or call Paula at 651-219-5909. AND KEEP INVITING NEW REGISTRANTS FOR THE LAY NETWORK! Registration at www.cccrmn.org. Thanks from all of us at CCCR and Council of the Baptized |
