Fatima

Hey, I am not Spirit Daily, but you can’t deny that Spirit Daily articles get the blood moving and the spirits lifted up.  With the recent deaths of the Polish government officials, the riots in Kyrgyzstan, the current Russians president was Putin’s lawyer?, and signing of nuclear arms treaty (who signed first), all bringing back memories of the Fatima promise.

Many follow the messages of Fatima, but have become depressed and lost hope in her message.

Here is a great article from EWTN outlining the consecration of Russia in 1984 and what followed.  It is very inspiring and may lend a hand to uplift spirits and show the power of God in creating peace.  Also what does it mean to the current climate in the East?  Some speculate the consecration was not made properly?  Hard to believe when it is often stated John Paul II was Mary’s Pope.

Our Lady in the messages to Father Gobbie speaks about true peace only coming from God.  Dated October 27, 1986

“The more you want to build peace through human discussions and reciprocal agreements, the more it will remove itself from you….Only Jesus Christ can bring you to peace.” – To the Priest

I believe this to be a strong reminder of the power of the rosary and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Especially when we believe the storm of sin has passed us, only to realize we might be in the eye of the storm…

Gospel of LIfe

Priest and Blogs.  Who would have thought that spreading the Gospel would take place on the internet.

The following blogs are good examples (some better than others) or priest/deacons using blogger to sow the seed of faith.

If you are planning on starting your on blog/website for evangelization, take a glance through all of them to spark your creativity.  These are not your spiritdaily sites, but they are still Catholic.

My only criticism is Blogger.  When a WordPress blog is so easy to install and run, why not use a better platform to promote Jesus Christ.  (Don’t worry there will be a follow up article on WordPress.)

The Hermeneutic of …

What is so funny is that so many of these blogs are written by very traditional priest?

Father Check’s Blog

From old school to new school.  Father Check offers much advice on prayer.

Father Hamill’s Blog

A good example of a simple blog used to promote information about the parish

What does the prayer really say

From the Wander to the Internet.  Father Z’s site is worth the trip to check the meaning of all those prayers.

The Deacon’s Bench

Ok, so he’s not a priest, but he did have an ordination.  This deacon has a sense of humor and is a good example for other men involved in technology and the faith.

Standing on My Head

Though the site loads slow, he has done a great job on his design for blogger.  This priest is tough, and should not be messed with.

Mary, Our Mother

Yes, I know another Deacon, but it’s good. And he used our Lady in the title.

Traditional Latin Mass

What’s up with the traditional guys using so much internet.  Anyone think…The Degree on Social Communication?

Adam’s Ale

I think this may be the best example of priest blogging.

Clerical Reform

Tough name, easy to digest content.  More academic than Adam’s Ale.  This is an example of a priest not using his name for his blog.

St. Polycarp

The “do” word might be incorrect.  Function or service to the Church might be a more fitting term.

The imposition of hands “not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry” for Permanent Deacons is becoming more popular today probably do to the low numbers of priest.

However, are these great and holy men replacing priest?  Do we need priest any more?  (Yes we do; however, the Deacons are very important)

Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) writes a brief and concise section on the roles of deacons in the Catholic Church.

These men called to be permanent deacons are strengthened by sacramental grace and dedicated to the People of God.  They labor in service of the liturgy, of the Gospel, and of works of charity.  The Church calls mature men of a more mature age, and suitable young men (however, celibacy still remains in force for those young men).

What a Deacon Does

• Minister Baptism
• Custodian and distributor of the Eucharist
• Assist at and to bless marriages
• Bring Viaticum to the dying
• Read Sacred Scriptures to the faithful
• Instruct and exhort the  people
• Preside over the worship and the prayer of the faithful
• Administer sacramental
• Officiate at funeral and burial services

“Let them be merciful, and zealous, and let them walk according to the truth of the Lord, who beacme the servant of all.” -St. Polycarp

The permanent deacons are probably the least talked about in young adult programs.  Many young adults participating in parish life most likely are married or getting married (often looking for a spouse at a young adult event), so some in the group might one day be called to be a permanent deacon.

Go Deep

Words from Scripture often fall on deaf ears.  These same ears would respond to the cries of a small child in trouble, a plea of help coming from a burning building, or a whimper from an injured dog, but the call from our Lord goes unanswered.

The message of Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, is not one that should hidden because of shyness, but must be proclaimed from the housetops (Mt 10:27).

The love of Christ is what impels (2 Cor 5:14) one to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord.  “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel…I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.  To the Jews I became as a Jew…To the weak I became weak…all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”  (1 Cor 9:16-24)

Too often Catholics forget to evangelize.  Maybe because many are brought up in the faith and it’s just passed down from generation to generation.  This excuse is no longer acceptable.

Mass attendance grows smaller and smaller, young people are leaving the Church in droves, souls are falling to hell like snowflakes (Fatima), and the faithful are losing faith in the Bishops.

Urgent Wake Up Call to Catholics

Enough with planning, procrastinating, and feeling sorry for ourselves.  The effort that goes into complaining could be used for winning souls for Christ.

The Lord is calling for an urgent reply.

Right after Pentecost the disciples are seen out in the street proclaiming the saving power of Jesus Christ.  (If you have forgotten about miracles, just ask for one).

• “Every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42).

As a boy Jesus was urgent in his Father’s will.

• “I must be about my Father’s business” (Lk 2:4).

Again in the parables Jesus is saying be quick.

• “Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame….Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled” (Lk 14:21-23).

Even the Angels work with haste.

• “Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen” (Mt 28:8).

• “Men of Galilee…why do you stand here looking up at the skies?” (Acts 1:11).

Ever watch a good sports coach?  They never accept excuses…Even the good ones.

• “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for oyu, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:60)

Catholics Have a Great Message

The Mass, Sacraments, Rosary, Scripture, Tradition, Saints, Theology of the Body….And this is just the tip of the ice burg.

SALVATION!

Next time a planning meeting comes or the daily grind, think about how important the Message of Jesus Christ is to proclaim.  There is no time for procrastination.  Go out to all nations and preach the God News.

Prayer

Just an end note.  All this going out is also in conjunction with praying and asking the Lord for guidance and His will.  The disciples spent time with Jesus to learn how to pray, preach, and teach.  So must we spend time with Jesus, because if He isn’t inside of us, what do we have to give?

Follow Jesus

Many times working in the Catholic Church can turn you away from your faith.  Sometimes even turn others away from you.

With limited budgets, growing concerns, grouchy coworkers, and uncharitable adversaries its a miracle many youth ministers, young adult coordinators, DREs, teachers, and clergy stay in ministry.

It’s easy to give up and turn away.  It’s even easier turn glorify yourself for success.  I have done both.

Pray, Pray, Pray

Trust in God is the number one lacking element I have seen in successful and unsuccessful Catholic ministry.  This is also the element that is not mentioned in self help or business practices.

Don’t handle or worry about each individual concern on your own.  Invite God the Father into all the concerns.  Not just once, but throughout the day.  Make it an hourly routine.

The Liturgy of the Hours is a great example of taking time throughout the day to give glory to God, pray for the salvation of the world, and pray for your ministry.

God doesn’t always answer the way we expect, but He always gives us the best.  Because His will is the best plan.

“For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”  The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.  Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?  Will he be slow to answer them?  I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.”
Luke 18: 4-8

If this ungodly judge gave into a little widow, how much more will our Father in Heaven give us.

Humility and Charity

This is just a reminder for so many charitable missionaries of the Gospel.  It’s something to be talked about in planning meetings, personal pray, and daily activities.

Always remember the glory and graces come from God.  Our Lord through His Divine Love invites us to be ‘coworkers in the vineyard’ and participate in His plan.  However, we must never allow our egos to overshadow our Lord.

Our Blessed Mother is a wonderful example humility.  She said “YES” to the Fathers will and participate in His will.  Ask the Blessed Mother to help your team of missionaries and evangelizers emulate her virtue of humility.

I really like this passage from Luke (use it in a lesson).  It talks about how the tax collector knows his weakness and sin, but ask the Lord for His mercy.  Jesus then says the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

“But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’  I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18: 13-14

Mission of the Church

Love

Evangelization is the mission of the Catholic Church, so go out into the vineyard in humility.  Be persistent and ask the Father for your ‘daily bread.’  Don’t give up to human weakness, discouragement, or sin.

Sometimes motivation is lacking, but remember the words Jesus spoke concerning discipleship.  “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Evangelization

I recently heard a story about a Bishop in Alaska who uses Skype to talk with his priest and youth ministry groups.  What an innovative idea! How could Skype help your Catholic Parish?

What is Skype

Skype is a free program for both mac and pc that allows you to make phone calls to landlines for a small fee.  In addition you can make free video and phone calls to other Skype users.  It has awesome video quality, simple to use, and it’s free.

How Can a Catholic Parish Use Skype

• Teach a Class on Scripture to a small group.
• Host meetings with DREs, Youth Ministers, Teachers
• Call the rectory from the school using video
• Integrate a Voice over IP phone Systems for less
• Integrate it into the Catholic School room
• Host an evening with your Cardinal or Bishop over Skype
• Project famous Catholic authors and speakers over Skype
• Integrate home schooling families
• Set up virtual teaching classrooms
• Stay in contact with Marriage Prep couples who live far away

Here is a cool article on 50 ways to use Skype in the classroom.

How can Skype help you?

Blue for Mary

Catholic schools used to be one of the great foundations of education and evangelization across America.  However, since the 60s we have had two generations of Catholics who have not participated in Catholic education.  I remember my own education being extremely beneficial and formative in my faith.  I can’t say that it benefited all of my classmates, because many have left the faith.

What was once a cherished symbol of identity for a parish has now become a financial stigmata.

Recurring Problems

• Catholic schools are closing their doors and charter schools are opening inside the abandoned buildings.
• Enrollment has dropped significantly and what was once only partially funded by parishioners now has grown into a financial burden for parishes.
• Parents would rather send their children to public school because there is no visible advantage to sacrificing for a Catholic education.
• Graduates are abandoning the Catholic faith or graduate poorly catechized.
• Schools are breading grounds for gossip and ‘clicks’ of parents.  I would suggest also that a certain majority of parents of school children are not attending Mass regularly.  (This is a different issue that could be addressed further.)

Missionary Work

The Catholic Church advocates in Ad Gentes that schools are an excellent means of forming youth in the faith.

With special care, let them devote themselves to the education of children and young people by means of different kinds of schools, which should be considered not only as the most excellent means of forming and developing Christian youth, but also as a valuable
public service.  – Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church – Ad Gentes

The Church sees the value in our schools as forming young people in the Faith, but our schools unfortunately don’t see the mission of the Church.  (Before someone gets upset, I have seen plenty of great Orthodox Catholic schools.  Yes, they do exist, but the bad ones always steal all the attention.)

It is for this reason we need to change and reform the mission of our Catholic schools and display the advantage of attending Catholic schools

Areas of Improvement

1. Authentic Catholic Teaching – Determine if the Faith is properly being taught.
2. Develop Prayer and Devotional Life – Emphasize and cultivate the value of prayer through First Friday devotions, daily recitation of the Rosary, Daily Mass, Brown Scapular, Scripture Reading.
3. Parish Participation – Promote Sunday Mass attendance and evangelize to parents of students.
4. Witness to Jesus Christ – By teachers actions, schools environment, and leadership.
5. Pray for more areas of growth.  This list is limited.

Opportunities for Catholic School Growth

School

Yes, these suggestions are radical, but also traditional.  They would require an environment of sacrifice and change.  Yes we can.  Teachers and administrators would be asked to develop their own faith life in accordance with Catholic teaching.

Students formed in the Faith would have to be the number one goal of education.  Salvation through Jesus Christ must be a top priority.  Students who have a relationship with God will be open to learning more, because Jesus Christ is ‘Wisdom.”  God the Father is all knowing.  Scripture teaches to “Love one another.”

By advertising these advantages and changing the emphasis in our schools we will be fulfilling our mission as a Catholic school.
The Lord did not say, “Count my sheep.”  He said, “Feed my sheep.”

What do you think?

Email Newsletters

With rising cost and hard to reach parishioners, email newsletters are a great way of contacting parishioners.

Before the closing prayer has always been the normal slot for announcements, but with so many important activities to engage the parish community that is not enough time.  With email newsletters and announcements you can reach the parish community through the medium they check most regularly.
Who doesn’t check their email daily?

The traditional parish bulletin is essential to outreach, but often that’s not enough.  With an additional weekly blast the parish can engage on multiple fronts and encourage parish participation.

Benefits of Email Newsletters

• Save Money on Printing
• Save Time by Reusing Announcements
• Track who opens emails
• No limit to length of information
• Easily Add in Video, Color Pictures, Polls, and Additional Web Sites
• People Read Emails

Additional Ways to Use Email Newsletters

• Insert Catechism lessons.
• Teach a course
• Capture responses automatically
• Track what people are interested in
• Manage from any computer, in any office, in any part of the world

Which Company to Use

I have personally used iContact.com and have been very happy with the price and service.  With it’s ease of use and, low cost, and good customer service, it has proved itself to be CatholicTool of choice.  I have used multiple competitors and been unsatisfied.

Techniques for Email Newsletters

These are a few article I read to ensure I produce the best email newsletters for the Catholic parishes I have worked with

Best Practices For Bullet Proof Emails

Design and Build Email Newsletters without Loosing Your Mind

Useful Web Design Email Newsletters – These are good to subscribe to if you are interested in design

Let me know how these work for you!  If you have questions leave a reply.

Evangelization

Have you ever sat in a Catholic parish meeting and everyone is asking what we should do?  The answer is evangelization.  That’s not coming from me, but from the Church.  The Church is given the call from Jesus Christ.

As the Father sent Jesus into the world, so does Christ send His Church into the world “to make disciples of all the nations.” So cry out like a voice in the desert, “Evangelization, Evangelization, Lets Go Out and Evangelize.”

I encourage you to read Evangelii Nuntiandi by Paul VI.  This document is full of reasons why we must go out, just like Christ, and call people to Him.

Evangelization should be at the center of our ministries.  In this mission we will find our identity.  This purpose of evangelization is for an interior conversion.

How do we evangelize?

We first look to Jesus in the Gospels and call on the Holy Spirit for direction.

Start with Prayer. Be nourished on the Word of God and the Bread of Angels.  Before going out and preaching the Gospel listen to what it has to say.  Take time with your evangelization team to pray with the scriptures, go to Mass together, pray the rosary, and make full use of the sacraments.

Don’t rush the process.  Listen to where the Lord is calling.  After the Lord was baptized he went out in the desert for 40 days, so to must we be prepared.

Witness – Go out.  First in our daily lives.  They will know we are Christians by our Love.  Live as a sign of contradiction to the times.  Our witness, preaching, and proclamation of the Good News will “evoke admiration and conversion.”

10 Evangelization Activities

1. Welcome Back – Call, Email, Send Letters, and welcome those who are on the parish database who never come to Mass
2. Intercession Team – Start a group of people who pray for those ‘out’ evangelizing and those coming back to the Church
3. Door-to-Door – Start canvasing neighborhoods around the parish welcoming people to the Christian community.
4. TV Commercials – They have worked in Arizona.
5. Youth Group – Teens are learning for an opportunity to encounter Christ
6. Bible Study – Open the Bible and invite others to come here the Good News.  (The Good News is Salvation.)
7. Catechism Class for Adults – People want to learn about the faith
8. Neighborhood Parties – Invite families to come to someone’s house and watch a religious video, share a meal, or pray the rosary.
9. Learn to Evangelize – Offer a night to encourage people to live as a witness in their daily lives.
10. On the bus, at home, in school, or at work, everywhere we go Proclaim the Jesus Christ has risen.

The Lord went from town to town preaching to the poorest who were often the most receptive to his message.  So the next time you see a homeless person tell him about Jesus Christ.  Pray with him.  Share with him the love of Christ.

What Do You Share When You Evangelize – All the aspects of His (Jesus) Mystery

• The Incarnation itself
• Miracles
• Teaching
• The gathering together of the disciples
• The sending out of the Twelve
• The cross and the resurrection
• The permanence of His presence in the midst of His own

Be a witness and speak about the joy and happiness of belonging to the Kingdom of God.  Proclaim the liberation from sin and snares of the Devil.

Give witness to the radical conversion and the laying down ones life so that others might have life.

“Do not be afraid.”  John Paul II

Greece, Yea it was fun.

Let’s face it…Youth groups in the Catholic Church are usually small; however, here are some sure methods of bringing more youth to youth group.  Try them and tell me how they work for you!

1.  Speak from the Pulpit. Right after all the Masses in the Fall and Spring speak from the Alter.  Short, 2.5 minutes long and simply say (very enthusiastic ((I always wore a suite) “ Hi my name is Jason Buck and I am the youth minister at (insert Church).  I am very excited to invite all the youth tonight to come our annual youth group kick off night.  It will be filled with food, fun, and faith.  So if you like food, (insert a pause  maybe a little laugh), fun, and faith (all with pauses) come on out at 7pm.  We have a large number of youth from the parish who participate all ready.  I will be in the vestibule giving out more information.  Thanks and see you there.”

Collect names and email addresses.
2.  Get rid of the objection. Never ask, “Do you want to come to youth group?”  because the answer is always “no.” Instead ask, “Does pizza, sports, and a ton of young people sound like fun to?  Ok I will see you at youth group tonight, insert name.” If they say no, say, “What don’t you like pizza or making new friends?”

3.  Bulletin Announcements for the parents.  When you insert a bulletin announcement make sure to tell how much fun your last event was and how much greater this one is.  It is good for the parents and parish to stay informed about the youth group.
4.  Posters with Pictures. Place posters in the vestibule of Church with pictures showing how much fun the youth group is having.
5.  Go to School. Make friends with the theology teachers, help out with retreats, and make a little nitch.  The school can send out your information and put you in contact with the teens.  Remember you must offer something to the teens and teachers if you want something in return.  Don’t forget the home school crowd.
6.  Offer Incentives. With the group of 20 you have to create an incentive for each person to bring one more person.  That makes 40.  Double that you will be making history.

More Tips
1.  Use zoho.com CRM to keep track of your youth group.
2.  Create a website using wordpress.org or finding a youth to manage it.
3.  Always collect email addresses
4.  Don’t use myspace.com
5.  Read articles and constantly update yourself.  Don’t be an authority, just be informed.

Any of these tips could work for other parish ministry organizations.  Just be like Jesus and go out to talk with people.  If you have to, perform some miracles in His name.