VocationsConnect Newsletter

September 1, 2003.

Vocations Placement Service is a non-profit Catholic service organization which exists to help men and women explore their vocation and options to religious life. For more information, call 800-221-1807; fax: 954-344-9231; e-mail: deserttraveler@aol.com; website: www.vocationsplacement.

Mission Statement: One aspect of the mission of VPS is to engage in religious vocational ministry through the creation of vocational awareness. The VocationsConnect Newsletter is intended as a resource tool to contritute to the aims of VPS as well as build community by encouraging genuine and effective collaboration between all organizations involved in vocational and other related ministries.

Disclaimer: The information and links you will find here do not necessary reflect the opinions and viewpoints of VPS but are only included to provide several additional points of view and sources of web-based information that the reader might be unaware of.

Contents

Saint Bernard Abbey

Interior of St. Bernard Abbey Church, Cullman, Alabama, 15 miles from the EWTN Holy Angels Monastery and Shrine.

Saint Bernard Abbey is a Catholic monastery of Benedictine monks located in Cullman, in the Appalachian foothills of northern Alabama.
The motto of Benedictine monks is "Prayer and Work". The monks of Saint Bernard Abbey live this life of prayer by celebrating the Eucharist and Liturgy of the Hours four times daily in the Abbey church, as they have done at St. Bernard since 1891. They live out the mandate of "work" by ministering to parishes, directing a coeducational college preparatory school, operating a retreat and conference center, welcoming visitors to the Ave Maria Grotto shrine and gardens, and offering hospitality to monastery guests for a time of prayer and quiet. If you are interested in attending a 3-5 day "live-in" monastery retreat experience or as a religious community, using our services and programs to help promote your vocational ministry, call 800-221-1807.

On the Calendar...(For a listing by month, click here)

Canon Law Society of America

2003 Portland, Oregon Convention
October 13-16, 2003

At its January 2003 meeting, the CLSA Board of Governors discussed and approved program planning for the Portland convention. The board authorized two pre-convention workshops to be held on October 12-13, 2003: (1) "Judging Marriage Invalidity: Does the Law Section Make a Difference?" (2) "The Preliminary Investigation Process: From Allegation to Libellus." The theme for the Portland convention itself will be: Levels of Church Authority: Conflict or Complementarity. Keynote Speaker: Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J.

Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM)

National Assembly 2003
 
Location:  Louisville, KY. Place:  Galt House - Your Hotel in Louisville***For more information log on to http://www.galthouse.com/. Toll free number 800-626-1814; Date:  August 6-9***

There will be an all day workshop presented by the Legal Resource Center for Religious (LRCR) on August 6. The Assembly will begin on the evening of Wednesday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. with an opening ritual and presidential speech followed by a social with hors d'oeuvres. Theme: The Image of Religious Life in Contemporary U.S. Society & Culture. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, former Master General of the Dominicans, and Sean Sammon, FMS, General Superior of the Marist Brothers, are the keynote presenters at this year's CMSM Assembly.

In addition to the two days on the assembly theme, CMSM members will also receive a presentation by Praesidium, a risk abuse management company that is working with Christian Brothers Risk Management and CMSM on implementing the 2002 Assembly Statement.

Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious

Institute on Religious Life

An Intense Summer Program of Theological Studies for Priests, Religious and Other Consecrated Persons. For more information and other current news and press releases, go to: http://religiouslife.com/whats_new.phtml.

Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)

LRCR Pre-Assembly Program

The Legal Resource Center for Religious is presenting a workshop entitled "Sexual Abuse of Minors and Sexual Exploitation: An Update on Balancing the Legal, the Administrative and the Pastoral Roles and Obligations," August 20, 2003, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. Registration is at 8 a.m. and the program concludes at 5 p.m. Cost includes continental breakfast, lunch, breaks and materials. Presentations by Sharon Euart, RSM, JCD; Phyllis Willerschedit, MA; Dan Ward, OSB, JD, JCL; Judith Hereford, JD; David Kuhnn and Lynn Levo, CSJ, PhD. Cost is $150 for LRCR subscribers and $165 for non-subscribers. Check the website for more information: http://www.lrcr.org/.

National Assembly 2003
 
August 21-25, 2003 

LOCATION: Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center, Detroit, MI 48238
Cost:  $115 plus 15% tax. Phone: 313-568-8412;
Fax:1-313-568-8118. Reservations: 800-228-9290 Call the hotel to reserve accommodations. 
Identify yourself with LCWR to get the special rate of  $115 plus 15% tax for a single or double room. This rate will be available until  July 18, 2003. 
Rooms may be reserved at these rates for three days prior to and three days after the Assembly dates.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Registration Fee:  $300: Registration brochure will be mailed the first week of May. Please Note:  You must be an LCWR member or delegate in order to attend the assembly. For membership information, please call  Linda Thomas at 301-588-4955.
 
"Travel arrangements/hotel amenities/local attractions will be posted on the LCWR website".

Legal Resource Center for Religious

2003

Aug. 6-9, CMSM Annual Assembly, Louisville, KY
*LRCR Pre-Assembly Workshop, Aug. 6

Aug. 21-25, LCWR Assembly, Detroit, MI
*LRCR Pre-Assembly Workshop, Aug. 20

Sept. 24-27, NATRI National Conference, Albuquerque, NM

November 5-9, RFC CONGRESS 2003~The Jubilee~50th Anniversary of the Religious Formation Conference, St. Louis, MO

National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors

2003 NCDVD Convention
September 27 - October 2, 2003
Region V - Host
Biloxi, Mississippi

National Federation of Priests' Councils

National Religious Vocation Conference

Summer Institute, 2003

Registration forms for the Summer Institute for Vocation Directors at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago are available from the national office. It is always better to register early if possible. If you have any questions, please contact the office asap.

Fall Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors

This year the Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors is from October 30 to November 3 at the Cenacle Retreat House in Chicago, IL. This program will be the same program that is scheduled for the third week of the Summer Institute, July 14-18. If anone is having a change of vocation personnel in your community in the upcoming year, be sure to mark both sets of dates on your calendar.

Campus Ministry Orientation for Vocation Directors

The Frank J. Lewis Institute (EAST) for Campus Ministry Orientation has prepared new Campus Ministers for over thirty years. Two years ago the Institute opened its doors to a limited number of vocation ministers based on their belief that an opportunity for campus ministers to network with vocation ministers would be mutually advantageous and of great benefit to the students served. This year ten places have been secured for vocation ministers at the Institute. The cost of the Institute this year is $875.00 and will run from July 22-29, 2003 at College of Notre Dame, Baltimore, MD. For questions about the Institute and/or an application, please e-mail Eileen Spanier, GNSH, at ESpanGNSH@aol.com .

National Catholic Youth Conference, November 13-15, Houston,Texas

This year's theme is "River of Life" and will be held at Reliant Park in Houston, Texas, from November 13-15, 2003. Religious congregations are invited to exhibit as an opportunity to reach Catholic young people and their adult leaders. For further information about exhibiting at this conference, please contact Paul Raspa, Director of Development and Marketing, at the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, 202- 636-3825 or paulr@nfcym.org.

North American Conference of Associates and Religious

May 31, 2003. 10 AM - 4 PM. Partnership in Mission: The Associate-Vowed Relgious Relationship in the United States. Midwest Kindred Spirits, Donaldson, IN September 26-28.

2003.TBAUnpacking the CARA/NACAR Study: Partners in Mission, Part II, Franciscan Center
Tampa, FL

Workshops: Two Video Workshops presented by Jean Sonnenberg:
1. Spirituality for Busy People - Awareness and Living in the Present Gratitude
2. Fostering Associate Community

Each videotape is $20 plus $5 for postage if mailed. Send name, address, title of video and payment to: NACAR,1720 Metropolitan Avenue, Bronx, New York 10462.

National Conference--hold the date
DateTimeEventPlace: May  28, 29, 30, 2004 TBA "Fan Into Flame the Gifts of the Spirit Within You" St. John's University, Queens, NY.

Religious Brothers Conference
 
Focus on the Future...

Marriott Hotel, Albuquerque, NM, June 18-20, 2003
Miramar Retreat Ctr., Duxbury, MA, Sept.19-22, 2003

Regional Weekend Retreat

Albuquerque Convention 2003
Theme: "Proclaim Brotherhood"
Chairman: Brother Steve Synan, FMS
Marriott Hotel, Albuquerque, NM 
June 21-24, 2003

Religious Formation Conference

November 5-9, 2003, St. Louis, MO., 
Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel.

The Religious Formation Conference, will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2004.  Having formally begun as the Sister Formation Conference in 1954, the organization was renamed the Religious Formation Conference in 1975 as it expanded its mission to address the needs of both women's and men's religious congregations. Theme of the Congress: MOVEMENT IN HOPE: CONVERSATION ON
A THEOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS LIFE. For more information, go to:
http://www.relforcon.org/6_congress/congress2003.htm.

USA Council of Serra International

61st Annual Serra International Convention, Chicago, IL

The 2003 Serra International Annual Convention is scheduled July 4-6, 2003. Register online at http://www.serraus.org/.

Editorial by Ron Rolheiser, OMI, Speaker, Author and Columnist

The Right to Call Another to a Vocation

Recently I participated in an International Conference on Catholic vocations. It gathered a wide assortment of persons to reflect upon why less people in the Western world are entering the priesthood and consecrated religious life.

It was a wonderful event, filled with prayer, hope, and energy. It was too a time of reflection on strategy: What might we be doing, practically, in terms of attracting more people into priesthood and religious life?

What became clearer as the conference went on is that, in terms of drawing people into a deep religious commitment of any kind, strategy is not what is ultimately at issue. What is? Depth of commitment and sanctity within our own lives. Simply put: Those of us who profess to be committed need to give our lives over to God in a deep enough way so that we have the right and power to call others to give themselves over in the same way. Only someone who has, without bitterness and too much compromise, given over his or her life in self-sacrifice has the power to ask something similar of another. What this means is that we shouldn't expect anyone to follow us in faith, in church, or in vocation if we, in our own lives, are half-hearted, self-pitying, bitter, and forever whining. No strategy can compensate for that.

The concept can best be explained by an example. Mother Theresa had great power in drawing young women into her community and in drawing others, both women and men, into a deeper faith and church commitment. She didn't do this by any clever strategy, nor by any exceptional theology. She did it by the power that was created by the depth, honesty, and joy of her own commitment. She had the power and right to call others because she had given herself over deeply enough. Only someone who has laid down his or her life in self-sacrifice has the right and, more importantly, the power to ask the same thing of another.

This is an important principle of spirit, even if it is only understood at the level of feeling. This is an equation that works under the surface. People have sensitive radar screens and they are forever picking up and knowing things that they are not aware of consciously. Hence others are always looking at us (who profess faith and commitment) and making deep, unconscious (and valid) judgements about us: Has this person really put his or her life on the line? Is he or she at peace with this? How much blood is this person really sweating? Is this about God or about self-interest and self-protection? Is this about God or about some cause (however noble)? Has this person the right to ask me for my life?

There's often an interesting irony here: At a conscious level, someone might well like us and be attracted to us and what we stand for, even as, at a deeper unconscious level, they (on the basis of our witness) are unwilling to give anything over that costs real life. The reverse can also be true. For example, a lot of people didn't particularly like Mother Theresa and wouldn't have picked her as someone they wished as a friend (though they wanted her as a photo opportunity, to write into their curriculum vitae). Yet, personal attraction aside, underneath they were moved so that she could ask for their blood and they would give it. The power to ask for real life and full self-sacrifice depends not upon the attractiveness of my person, nor even on the truth of my causes, but on the depth of my commitment. Only if I have actually given my life over do I have the power to ask the same of someone else.

That's a scary thought in terms of vocations today. Don't get me wrong: For the most part, we (clergy, committed laity, vowed religious) are very good-hearted and generous. The problem is that often we are also half-hearted and given over to a self-pity, bitterness, infighting, ideology, and various modes of private compensations that have us claiming back for ourselves too much of what we once vowed to God. We all know, too well, the truth of Michel Quoist's famous prayer on commitment: "Lord, I gave myself over to you in the fervour of my youth. I'm your priest. But every day the man in me tries to take back what the priest once gave you!"

A couple of years ago, one of our Oblate provincials, in commenting about his struggle in trying to lead and animate a group of priests and brothers through a painful, dispirited time - lawsuits for sexual abuse, departures from religious life, aging personnel, community infighting, lack of people wanting to join our ranks, and the anger of some of those within our ranks - made this remark: "We would need a saint in a time like this!" How true! Our problem is not one of strategy and marketing, but of sanctity.

(For additional information about Fr. Rolheiser and his regular column, books and website, go to: http://www.ronrolheiser.com/).

Highlight Reel

THE NEW YORK TIMES SPOTLIGHTS RELIGIOUS LIFE AND VOCATION PLACEMENT SERVICE

Recruiting Pitch: Monastic Life, for 3 Days

In a front page story, Gustav Niebuhr describes some of the efforts of the Catholic Church and one individual in particular, Natalie Smith, a marketing executive, to reach out through the media to men and women who might feel led toward a life of religious service. Her efforts are a response to a tough reality: the continuing decline in the ranks of priests, nuns and brothers.

In seeking to make themselves better known, Holy Trinity Monastery in Huntsville, Utah and more than twelve other communities have been aided by this Florida woman who comes from the advertising world. "We are using a system of marketing that was very successful in business," she said in a telephone interview. Adding of the monks, "I feel such a strong kindred spirit with them. It is a labor of love."

Since last March, Mrs. Smith has arranged for over three-hundred people to go on "live-in retreats." Not long ago her efforts culminated in the creation of an Internet website, http://www.vocationsplacement.org/. Mr. Niebuhr said those interested in exploring a call to religious life in the Roman Catholic Church can contact Smith (800-221-1807) and she will arrange for providing information on people and places as well as assisting in the scheduling of a brief retreat with a vocation's director in the area of the candidates choice. (New York Times, January 13, 2001)

VPS PRESIDENT ADDRESSES VOCATION DIRECTORS AT SPECIAL SESSION IN SCHUYLER, NEBRASKA

On Nov. 16, 2002, Natalie Smith, President of Vocations Placement Service addressed a number of men and women religious, who had gathered for their annual meeting of vocation directors of the Order of St. Benedict. Natalie spoke on how the vocations ministry (industry) can be improved in relationship to her vision, the company's mission statement, and the operation and structure of the corporation.

In particular, she offered an insightful analogy to describe the differences in philosophy on how the Catholic Church and VPS approach vocations. She said the Church fosters goodness in her members and her organization does the same thing but just as the Church has a very organized hierarchy and the orders themselves have clearly defined spiritual/vocation goals and methods of operation, VPS takes it one step further and proposes a more clearly defined and organized national vocations economy.

She went on to discuss the broad definition of the word "economy" and how it could be used to describe her organization's overall plan for the efficient use of resources in the vocations ministry, including the use of her staff and volunteers, an innovative system of co-oping advertising for religious houses and the use of modern marketing techniques to let every man, woman, and young person know that a religious vocation is a viable lifestyle option available to all who qualify. In other words, VPS hopes to bring forth a major "aggioramento" in the way religious vocations are handled in our modern world today.

In closing, she offered testimonials of those who have used the services of the corporation and referenced the availability of her talk and the new brochure about Vocations Placement Service that was recently developed and distributed to the vocation and related ministries. For an update of this talk, go to: http://community-2.webtv.net/VocsPlacement/03Strategy.

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR VOCATIONS ISSUE - FORMER AD EXECUTIVE WORKING TO BUILD UP RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES

If you build a marketing plan, they will come

In The Life: A Special Vocations Issue of Our Sunday Visitor, author Tom Tracy depicts how Natalie Smith, a former ad executive, is helping several monasteries consolidate their efforts to attract new members.

According to Tracy, Michael Huard was thumbing through a community newspaper last July when he spotted an ad at the bottom of a page. The ad invited men who might be attracted to religious life to visit a Catholic monastery for a "live-in experience".

Huard picked up the phone, dialed a toll-free number and that same day was booked for a weeklong retreat at a major monastery in the South.

Since that first retreat, Michael has gone back - twice, and for more longer periods than three or four days. In fact, the monks have since invited him to consider returning for a six-month postulancy, which may put the Tampa, Fla., man on the road to a more serious commitment.

Working behind the scenes to find people like Huard is Natalie Smith, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-area mother and former marketing and advertising executive.

A third-order Trappist, Smith has enlisted monasteries around the country to try consolidating their vocations-awareness efforts and marketing. The goal is to encourage the candidates to visit the monasteries with other men curious about monastic life.

Smith places her ads for the vocations retreats in Catholic newspapers, parish bulletins, college newspapers, and on the Internet. She is using a system of marketing, concepts, repetition and hard work that she learned from several former employers.

Now paid a minimum wage, and with several volunteers around the country working with her, Smith's work life is quite different from the days when she was making nearly $200,000 annually with a Chicago-based marketing company.

"It should have never gotten to this point, and now we are at the crisis stage," she said. "We have experienced a major depression in vocations, and the only-way to get out of it is to consolidate into one effort, one central networking system with everyone's efforts supporting it." (Our Sunday Visitor, May 6, 2001, p. 14)

Catholic Media Resources and Links...

Newsletters:

Are you interested in Thomas Merton? There is no better way to keep up with articles, poetry, and published works by and about the famous contemplative than joining The International Thomas Merton Society. Your 1-year membership of $20 includes "The Merton Seasonal: A Quarterly Review", the "ITMS Newsletter" and a reduced price for "The Merton Annual." Direct inquiries to: ITMS, Bellamine University, 2001 Newburg Road, Louisville, KY 40205. Phone: 502-452-8177. e-mail: pmpearson@bellarmine.edu.

Also, the Eighth Conference and General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society is scheduled for June 5 - 7, 2003, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA. The theme of the conference, "The Hawk's Dream: Thomas Merton's Sacred Landscapes," is taken from a passage in Merton's final journey focusing on his attentiveness to the natural world and the sacramentality of creation. For further information, please contact: Judith Hardcastle, Site Coordinator; email: tmsc@telus.net; fax: 604-669-2594; voice: 604-669-2546; web: http://www.merton.ca/ or http://www.merton.org/.

Magazines:

If you don't receive "Desert Call: Contemplative Christianity and Vital Culture", you might want to consider drinking from the streams of Carmelite and Celtic traditions. What can you expect? Besides special features, you will grow with these regular themes: practical spirituality, the way of the pilgrim, wisdom of the mystics, contemplation and action, saints and heroes, interviews, book and movie reviews and a monthly tape club. Contact: Spiritual Life Institute of America, Inc., P.O. Box 219, Crestone, CO 81131. $16 per annum.

Videos:

This insightful documentary explores life at the Abbey of Gethsemani, one of the most well-known monasteries in the world. While much of Gethsemani's acclaim comes from being the monastic home of the renowned spiritual master Thomas Merton, the filmmaker, Morgan Atkinson, reveals there is much more to the rural Kentucky monastery than the legacy of one remarkable man. Granted unprecedented access behind Abbey walls the filmmaker spent almost two years documenting life at Gethsemani. The goal was to capture the essence of the monastic life, as Merton lived it, and as it is lived today by his Trappist brothers. In considering the monastic lifestyle the program poses several questions. What is the call of Gethsemani, not only to its monks, but for the thousands of visitors that come to the monastery every year? Does the monastic lifestyle and the values that support it have any relevance in todays world? Can a contemplative approach to life have meaning in a world where activism is held up as the ideal? This program showcases the beauty and serenity of Gethsemani while examining the struggles that go on underneath. It is a fascinating look inside a rarely seen world. Copies can be obtained by going to Amazon.com or Buy.com or most Catholic bookstores, such as thomasmertonbooks.com.

Music Audio:

Lavinia Byrne of The Tablet (August 24, 2002) provides a definitive list of url's for ecumenical church music. Click on any of these websites to educate yourself: http://www.rscm.com/ (Royal School of Church Music); the American equivalent is: http://www.rscmamerica.org/; the liturgical Amazon UK can be found at http://www.decanimusic.co.uk/. Other links: www.wpldi.net/_murrows/denoms.html.

Spoken-Word Audio:

From our friends at "New Dimensions Radio Newsletter" comes two new tapes that might interest you. Both made the new best-selling list. "Being Present, Living in the Moment" with Eckhart Tolle (#2894) and "The Estatic Soul - Jelaluddin Rumi: His Life and Poetry (# 2893)" with Coleman Barks. If you are not familiar with New Dimensions, it is an independent producer of broadcast dialogues and other quality programming. It strives to present a diversity of views from many traditions and cultures, and strives to provide its audience with practical knowledge and perennial wisdom. For more information, call 800-935-8273 or visit their website: http://www.newdimensions.org/. Different levels of membership are offered, including discounts.

Web Picks...

Top 50 Catholic Websites

Here are the Top 5 of the Top 50 Catholic websites in the world, ranked in order of popularity according to Alexa's TrafficRank software. This is a list of the busiest Catholic websites, which are not necessarily the best Catholic websites. Several of these websites have received unfavorable reviews from PetersNet; they are listed here without [WEBSITE] links. This list was updated on April 13, 2003. Top 5: The Holy See, New Advent, EWTN, Catholic Online, and Encuentra.com. For the complete list, go to: http://newadvent.org/.

Books and Reviews...


Top Ten Books From Catholic Bestsellers at Amazon.com.

The Top Ten Books on such subjects as Spirituality, Prayer, Mysticism, Lay Spirituality, Benedictine and Jesuit Spirituality, Marriage, Baptism, Catholic Devotions, Theology, Religious Education. Gospels, Catholic Bibles, Catechisms, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Liturgy and other subject matter can be found after the book reviews under "Top Ten List" story.

Top Ten List

Catholic Bestsellers at Amazon.com is made available by America magazine through their weekly e-mail newsletter. The "url" below will provide you with the current Top 10 Catholic bestsellers on Catholicism at Amazon.com with reviews and customer ratings. To access this list, go to:

http://xml.amazon.com/onca/xml2?t=americamag10-20&dev-t=D1SSWIYLUA3R8B&KeywordSearch=catholic&page=1&mode=books&type=heavy&sort=+salesrank&f=http://www.americamagazine.org/asin-to-html-10-20.xsl

After reviewing the "Top Ten Books on Catholicism", go to the botton of the list and type in the name of the next top ten subject you are interested in the search box, i.e. benedictine spirituality, etc. The entire Top Ten email list can be found at: http://community-2.webtv.net/VocsPlacement/Top10/.

Religion BookLine

Religion editor Lynn Garrett of Publisher's
Weekly (voice: 847-328-4043; fax: 847-328-0048) edits a bi-weekly online e-mail newsletter
on news and book developments as well as trends in religion publishing called "Religion BookLine". If interested in getting on the
mailing list, go to: http://publishersweekly.reviewsnews.com/index.asp?layout=eletters&industry=Religion+BookLine.

Other Titles Noted:

Becoming A Religious: A Process of Lifelong Transformation by the Center
for the Study of Religious Life. 3rd in the Reflection and Dialogue series. Contact the National Coalition for Church Vocations
(NCCV), 5420 S. Cornell Avenue, Chicago,
IL 60604 for copies. voice: 800-671-NCCV or e-mail nccv400@aol.com; website: http://www.nccv-vocations.org/. $7.00, includes shipping and handling.

Vocation Ministry: A Community Project by Catherine Bertrand.
Special reprint of a CMSM Forum article. Contact CMSM for
more information at 301-588-4955 or visit the following website: http://cmsm.org/PO/publicat.htm.

Research on Men's Vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life by
the Secretariat of the U.S. Bishops' Committee
on Priestly Formation. # 904-1. 104 p. $4.95.
No date. USCCB Publishing, 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 2017-1194. voice: 800-235-8722; website: http://www.usccb.org/publishing/vocation.htm.

**Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential by Gordon Smith. InterVarsity Press. 1999.

**Doing the Truth in Love: Conversations about God, Relationships and Service by Michael Hines. Paulist Press. 1995.

(The two books (**) referenced above are part
of a $2 million grant from Lilly Endowment to Christian colleges to explore the theological understanding of vocation.)

Reading Thomas Merton: A Guide to His
 Life and Work by Dr. John Laughlin. Xlibris Corporation. To order a copy, call 1-888-7-XLIBRIS or go to the following website: http://www.xlibris.com/.

The Other Side of the Altar: One Man's
 Life in the Catholic PriesthoodM by Paul E. Dinter. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 240 p. $23. Original Paperback.

Tears at Night, Joy at Dawn by Andrew Robinson. Andrew's journal of the last four
months of his life and illness as he jouneyed toward the priesthood. Published in the UK.

Seeking His Mind: 40 Meetings with Christ by M. Basil Pennington. Selection
of The Catholic Book Club. Paraclete Press.
2002. 176 p. $14.95. For more information on
the Club, go to: http://www.americamagazine.org/cbc.cfm.

Walking With God In A Fragile World
by James Landford and Leroy S. Rouner,
editors.A Featured Book of Spiritual Book Associates. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 2003.168 p. $19.95.

Cloister and Community: Life Within A Carmelite Monastery by Mary Jo Weaver. Indiana University Press. 2002. 128 p. $29.95.

In Search Of An American Catholicism:
 A History of Religion and Culture in Tension by Jay P. Dolan. Oxford University Press. 2002. 336 p. Cloth $28.00.

Finding God In Troubled Times by Richard J. Hauser. Loyola Press. 2002. Paperback. $13.95.

Going on Retreat by Margaret Silf.
Loyola Press. 2002. Paperback. $10.95.

Highly Noted:

Monkscript: Liturature, Arts and Spirituality

At the suggestion of Brother Paul Quenon of the Abbey of Gethsemani (and novice under Thomas Merton), Fons Vitae has published an anthology entitled Monkscript, a format for creative writing of a high literary standard. It specializes in writings by authors inspired by monasteries, monastic life, and any contemplative style of living. Monkscript includes art and spirituality, as reflective of monastic life as well as contemplative living, as major fields of interest.

Monkscript offers the thoughtful reader poems, fiction, essays, art, meditations and interviews, written from the ambiance of monasticism, eastern
and western, by those who live inside and outside of monasteries. Included are writings from such respected figures as Seamus Heaney, Thomas
Moore, R.E. Sherwin, Huston Smith, Thomas Hopko, Steve Sanfeld, Bonnie Thurston and Robert Lax.

Monkscript is an anthology of poems, essays, interviews, and artwork by men and women inspired by monasteries, monastic life, and contemplative living in both Eastern and Western Traditions.  It describes their experiences of the marvelous, whether in mundane life or within the sacred realm.  The thirty-eight contributors range from a teenage boy who lived at a monastery for several months to well-established poets and professed monks and nuns. For example, Huston Smith, the renowned world religions scholar offered his interview entitled "Retreat", Irish poet and Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney allowed the reprint of a poem and offered the first printing of "Colmcille the Scribe," a translation of a poem from the eleventh-century Irish.

Edited by Gray Henry and 
Bernadette Diecker. Forthcoming 2003
Fons Vitae: http://www.fonsvitae.com/MG1.html

Living A Contemplative Lifestyle

John Tintera, sales manager for Crossroad, says "People are returning to the essense of spirituality, the core of practices and beliefs. They're not trusting other people to do it for them anymore."

"What they are trusting , it seems, is the wisdom they believe God has given throughout the centuries to those Christians who view every detail of their lives as a prayer. Christian contemplatives through the centuries have sought to live intentionally, ever aware of the activity of God in and around them. And while that may conjure up visions of monks and hermits, the reality is that today's contemplatives can be found in all walks of life."

Many Christians after 9-11 became spiritual seekers, journeying on a quest for meaning. And where did they turn? Most stopped by their local bookstore or went online using book site search engines to find contemplative books that would take them to a deeper degree of spirituality.

Two books have shaped the industry and helped pave the way for Christians to realize "they could have a monastic experience of their own and adopt a contemplative approach toward their everyday lives." Thomas Merton's Seven Storey Mountain and Kathleen Norris's The Cloister Walk helped restore the contemplative tradition to modern life.

"Publishers and readers alike continue to dip into the deep well of the contemplative past (and present) to draw a measure of spiritual depth and wisdom often missing in contemporary writings." Some of these include The Practice of the Presence of God (forerunner to all contemplative books?} and Revelations of Divine Love, both perennial favorites. Renewed interest in the desert fathers has produced Paraclete's Eternal Wisdom from the Desert and Ascent of Mount Carmel: John of the Cross."

Even monastic journals have taken on a life of their own. Teaching the Dead Bird to Sing: Living the Hermit Life Within and Without traces the early life struggles of a hermit in the Ozarks. And where would we be without St. Benedict and his rule. A number of new titles have been added to the list: St. Benedict on the Freeway....The Gift of St. Benedict....In the Abbey Up the Hill: A Year in the Life of a Monastic Day....and The Inner Room: A Journey into Lay Monasticism.

If you are "looking for depth in a lite world", you would do well to visit the following webpage and read Marcia Ford's article on "the current resurgence of interest in a contemplative lifestyle." http://publishersweekly.reviewsnews.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleId=CA244128&display=searchResults&stt=001&text=contemplative+life.

Vocations and Formation: News, Resources and Links...

National Strategy for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life

The Bishops' Committee on Vocations (BCV) recently implemented A Future Full of Hope, A National Strategy for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life in the Dioceses and Archdiocese of the United States, and is building upon the initiatives taken. This effort fostered: a renewed emphasis on prayer for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life;
the assistance and cooperation of national organizations with an expressed interest in vocations; the development of a national media effort to promote vocation awareness through a positive image of priesthood and consecrated life; research to clarify the characteristics of successful candidates for priesthood and consecrated life and determine what invitations and programs attract candidates; the distribution of materials to assist dioceses and religious communities in carrying out the vocations apostolate; the promotion of programs of vocation awareness that are attentive to the cultural diversity of the Church in the United States.

The BCV also maintains regular communication with the national organizations of vocation directors: The National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) and the National Religious Vocations Conference (NRVC). An ongoing concern of the Committee is the promotion of effective vocation information in religious text books and catechetical materials.

VPS Icon Ready for Use on Websites

VPS has developed an interactive icon which is being made available to organizations interested in helping promote religious vocations through the monastery retreat "live-in" experience. Call 800-221-1807 for more information.

American Benedictine Review

From an issue of "The American Benedictine Review (September 2002)," Dominic Milroy, OSB writes about "The Cultural Background to Formation Today: the Contemporary Environment, Values and Style of Life". You will find the article on pages 285-304. For more information, call 701-974-3315; Fax: 701-974-3317; E-mail: abredit@assumptionabbey.com.

Rediscover the "Golden Rule" For Effectively Promoting Vocations!

In these 12 meditations written by Rev. John A. Hardon, S.J., we are given wonderful theological reflections that get right to the heart of the matter regarding the current vocations crisis. "Come and See" is a perfect resource to effectively foster vocations in this time of great need. Go to: (http://religiouslife.com/come_and_see.phtml) for information on special bulk pricing.

Over 275 Candidates "Test" Their Call Using VPS Website

Often, people who may have an interest in a religious vocation wonder if they truly have a call. How can they know? To help in this process, VPS developed a definitive website - http://www.testyourcall.org/ - to provide individuals with an opportunity to "test" their call by taking the "Ministry Potential Discerner (MPD) Self-Assessent Survey.

The MPD is a comprehensive spiritual evaluation tool consisting of 39 simple questions. The test points out many areas of strengths, insight and Catholic values when taken honestly and conscientiously. The information can be quite useful in determining whether or not God may be calling a person to the vocation of consecrated witness to the Church.

Within two weeks after completing the self-assessment survey on-line, a personalized e-mail is sent indicating the person's particular numerical score and ranking. Additional information is also provided to those who may feel that the Lord is calling them to take the next step on their spiritual journey, including an invitation to attend a "live-in" monastery retreat experience.

For more information, call 800-221-1807 or go to: http://www.mpdinc.org/.

Guidelines Available

The document, "Guidelines for Assessing Candidates for Diocesan Priesthood", has been finalized and is posted with other resources on the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) website as part of its educational mandate. NCDVD also offers "Helpful Hints" for vocation director's from past issues of its Newsletter in "NCDVD News - Winter 2002-2003," page 11. For more information, see Our Sunday Visitor (Sept. 8, 2002), "New Strategies for Evaluating Seminary Applicants" by Tracy (ttracy@osv.com.) or contact Mrs. Dorothy T. Foss, Executive Director at voice: 843-280-7191; email: ncvocdir@aol.com; website: http://www.ncdvd.org/.

Annual Religious Vocation Discernment Guide

From the Publishers' Note:

"These are your times. You have many gifts, and they point toward 'your' true calling. It is essential that you pursue that calling with all your heart. We hope that Vision will be a trusted guide on your journey." - Tom McGrath and Patrice J. Tuohy. VISION is the annual publication of the National Religious Vocation Conference. The contents are divided into the following sections: prayer and discernment, religious life, priests, women religious, brothers, missionaries, and celibacy. It also has a web index and a directory of men and women religious communities. For direct access to a number of these articles, go to: http://www.visionguide.info/articles.cfm?CFTOKEN=26290448&np=4&nl=2&CFID=608410&aid=0. You may request copies online at http://www.visionguide.info/; e-mail: vision2003@visionguide.info; or call 800-942-2811.

NRVC News

From the National Religious Vocation Conference Fall 2002, Volume 15, No. 5 E-Newsletter. "Order your vocation day resources now. The church annually gives us three opportunities to celebrate priesthood and religious life; the dates will be: National Vocation Awareness Week January 12-17, 2003 World Day for Consecrated Life February 2, 2003 World Day of Prayer for Vocations May 11, 2003. NCCV kits for these celebrations are in the final editing and translation stages. Kits will be on the shelf and available for sale in September. Order yours today and help your parish, school, congregation or diocese celebrate these events and invite the next generation of priests, brothers and sisters!

Vocation Resource Catalog 2003 - the new catalog will be available in September.

HORIZON writers sought. The NRVC editorial board invites submissions to HORIZON on any theme of interest to vocation ministers. In particular, the board encourages articles on the subject of religious community. Please contact the editor in advance of writing: Carol Schuck Scheiber, editor, 448 Decatur St., Toledo, OH 43609; (419) 385-5746, mscheib@pop3.utoledo.edu."

Current Affairs Newsletter On Religious Life

The Institute on Religious Life has begun to publish an online religious affairs newsletter for vocation directors and related organizations involved in vocation ministry. An abridged copy is provided below:

E-NEWSLETTER. October 21, 2002, Vol. 1, No. 5.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CONTENTS

*POTENTIAL VOCATIONS CAN NOW TEST THEIR CALL
*RELIGIOUS.COM OFFERS NEW AUDIO FEATURE ON VOCATIONS

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Potential Vocations Can Now Test Their Call!

Do you know a person who may be thinking about the religious life? To help them make the right decision, the IRL has recently added the Ministry Potential Discerner (MPD) Self Assessment Survey to its website. In less than two weeks, 21 people have taken the MPD survey. We believe that this comprehensive questionnaire will affirm many young men and women to seriously consider whether or not God may be calling them to the priesthood or consecrated life.

The MPD is a spiritual evaluation tool consisting of 39 simple questions designed to measure one's vocational potential. It points out many areas of strengths, insight and Catholic values when taken honestly and conscientiously.

If you or some you know wants to "test your call," please visit www.religiouslife.com/mpd01.phtml. Once there, follow the simple instructions and take the test. An e-mail revealing the results of your survey will be sent to you within a week or two. Please keep this new apostolic effort in your prayers!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Religiouslife.com Offers New Audio Feature on Vocations

For over a year, the IRL website has been offering a free audiotape, "Myths and Misconceptions Concerning Vocations" by Fr. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem, to persons from the U.S. and Canada requesting it. Literally hundreds of these tapes have been distributed to individuals, groups and at churches. Now audio clips of this popular tape are available on-line so that everyone can listen to highlights of this vocation tape via the Internet. At www.religiouslife.com/free_tape.phtml, web surfers can listen to selected segments of Father Thomas' talk highlighting five common myths concerning vocations. The audio clips range from 36-91 seconds in length.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The e-newsletter is free. Why not get a free subscription? Or add a friend's name to the list. Contact kbanet@religiouslife.com and put "subscribe" in the message line. Back issues are available at: http://religiouslife.com/whats_new.phtml. For more information, contact the office at 773-267-1195 or go online: http://www.religiouslife.com/.

Fostering A Vocations Culture Pastoral Plan For Vocations in North America Launched

According to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the pastoral plan of the Third Continental Congress on Vocations to Ordained Ministry and Consecrated Life in North America has just been released.

The 136-page plan is the result of last April's Congress in Montreal that saw 1200 people from across North America gather to examine the current vocations situation and develop strategies for the future.  It was held at the request of the Holy Father and was organized by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops working in collaboration.

The plan, entitled "Conversion, Discernment and Mission: A Practical Guide for Fostering a Vocations Culture in North America", is a reflection and a guide for practical action, proposing strategies and answers to the question "How do we create and establish a 'vocations culture' throughout the Church in North America?"   Intended for everyone for whom vocations make a difference, it lists practical suggestions for bishops and community leaders of institutes for consecrated life, as well as members of the clergy and religious, parents and many others in the Christian community.

The user-friendly document contains two sections:  The first is called Foundations – Conversion and Discernment which discusses the process of the Vocations Congress. The second section Action – Mission looks at concrete ways to create this vocations culture, including a facilitator's guide for meetings in parishes, deaneries, dioceses, eparchies, communities, national organizations and regions.  

One of the Congress' prime orientations was to foster a "preferential option for the young." This is reflected throughout the pastoral plan as a result of the dynamic and emotionally moving participation of a large contingent of young adults at the Congress who committed themselves to the future of the Church, asking in turn for its support and guidance.

The pastoral plan is available through CCCB Publications at $14.95 plus taxes, shipping and handling. It may be ordered at 800-769-1147, 613-241-7538 or by email at publi@cccb. For more information, contact: Deacon William Kokesch, Director, Communications Service at voice: 613- 241-9461; fax: 613-241-9048; email: kokesch@cccb.ca.

Research, News, and Links...

Notes:

/1. The Center for the Study of Religious Life is sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM), and the Catholic Theological Union.
/2. Other materials available in video format, etc.


We Welcome Your Comments and Suggestions regarding the newsletter and new materials.


Please send me an email by clicking here: deserttraver@aol.com

Thank You.

John Mark Worsham, Editor