November 7, 2009

October 2009

Respect Life Conference stirs the ‘catholic heart’

LAKE MARY | Optimism, hope, healing and education became the core values offered at the annual Florida Respect Life Conference and participants were inspired to “awaken in every body a catholic heart for life.”

“By ‘catholic’ we mean ‘universal,’” said Paulist Father Nieli, a Catholic evangelist and missionary who offered Saturday’s first keynote address.

More than 300 respect life advocates – from ages 15 and younger to 85 and older – gathered for the event hosted by the Orlando Diocese and held at the Lake Mary Marriott Conference Center Oct. 16-18. It began with a youth night on Friday and ended with a White Mass in honor of the feast of St. Luke, and included workshops that focused on a variety of issues – health care; human sexuality; solidarity with those who are oppressed, vulnerable or underserved and more – all of which were connected to Catholic social teaching.

Keynoters also spoke on various subjects, but returned to the conference’s theme of “The Love that Satisfies.”

Read the rest of the story here and also see, “The only pro–life approach is a nonselective approach.”

Jean Gonzalez | 10.20.09 | Return To Top

‘Catholic-schools’: one word

FORT LAUDERDALE | “Catholic-schools”: Think not of two words but one. Not religion “tacked” on to a curriculum, but an identity, a vision of the world, imbued in every aspect of school life.

That was the message the archbishop of Vancouver, British Columbia, brought to more than 240 school principals and superintendents from throughout Florida gathered for their annual conference Sept. 30-Oct. 2. The theme was “Miami CSI: Catholic School Identity.”

“Your schools should be ecclesial in every dimension of their educational activity. Being Catholic is fundamental to their identity,” said Archbishop Michael Miller, one of the keynote speakers at the conference. “They are not first schools then Catholic. They are almost one word, ‘Catholic-schools.’”

MORE...

Ana Rodriguez-Soto | 10.09.09 | Return To Top

Women face financial, membership, legal woes head on

JACKSONVILLE | Members of the National Council of Catholic Women heard bleak news from their top officers at their recent convention here: The organization is rapidly shrinking, going broke and was operating with a policy–setting structure that was not only unwieldy, but also illegal.

But the 900 or so gathered women also heard a message of hope from their president, regional vice presidents, treasurer and other leaders: We’re already working on it and, with your help, we can fix it.

“We all know that times have changed, our beloved Church has changed, society has changed. It’s time for (the National Council of Catholic Women) to change,” said Bobbie Hunt, president of organization that comprises members of women’s groups at nearly 4,000 parishes and other Catholic entities, including 212 in Florida. In addition to the members of those local groups, the national council has about 4,000 individual members.

During the Sept. 24 session on “The Future of NCCW,” Hunt and other officers reported the findings of a thorough assessment of the organization’s standing. Continued...

Denise O’Toole Kelly | 10.07.09 | Return To Top

Was it a ‘God moment?’

You may have heard of the term, “God moment.”

Some people use those words to express the emotion of special moments when lives intersect in a precise and mutually beneficial way. Some use the term, “God incidents,” similarly to give proper credit. Others might chalk up such encounters as coincidence, luck or even the stars.

Columnist Debra Tomaselli and a lone stranger of deep faith recently experienced such an encounter that left Tomaselli wondering who it was she had entertained.

Was it a “God incident” or a coincidence? Find out HERE.

Ed Foster Jr. | 10.01.09 | Return To Top

Women’s council seeks higher profile

Updated: 10.01.09

JACKSONVILLE | It’s time to blow the lid off one the U.S. Catholic Church’s best–kept secrets, in the opinion of Judy Powers of St. Juliana Parish in West Palm Beach.

Powers, outgoing Florida province leader for the National Council of Catholic Women, said she’s tired of being part of a “secret society” and wants to make the good works of the women’s organization as well–known as those of “that other organization with the funny hats.” Her reference to the Knights of Columbus drew a laugh from her audience of more than 900 at the opening session of the women’s group’s national convention Sept. 24 in Jacksonville.

“If more women knew what we did, they’d want to be part of it,” Powers said during her campaign speech for the next office she’s seeking in the organization, regional vice president. Continued...

Denise O’Toole Kelly | 09.25.09 | Return To Top

First-ever John Paul II film festival coming to Florida

MIAMI | Pope John Paul II’s legacy serves as an inspiration to people of all faiths and backgrounds, and organizers of a new Florida film festival in his honor hope it, too, will reach everyone.

“It is imperative for our community to make this festival their own,” said Laura Alvarado, one of the founders of the 10-day festival, set for south Florida in late October and early November. The founders have sought involvement from religious and nondenominational organizations and places of worship, including Catholic churches, Jewish temples, schools and businesses, she said. “If John Paul II was known as ‘the people’s pope,’ then it is our goal to make this ‘the people’s festival.’

The John Paul II International Film Festival, originally set for the last weekend of October, is now extended to Thursday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Nov. 7. The festival was conceived by Alvarado and two other young adults who connect with the late pope, an actor and playwright in his youth, through their faith and artistic passions. Continued...

Melody Regalado | 09.24.09 | Return To Top

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