CRHP enewsletter December 2013

Transcription

1 CRHP enewsletter December 2013 Proclamation of the Birth of Christ The twenty-fifth day of December. In the five thousand one hundred and ninety-ninth year of the creation of the world from the time when God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth; the two thousand nine hundred and fifty-seventh year after the flood; the two thousand and fifteenth year from the birth of Abraham; the one thousand five hundred and tenth year from Moses and the going forth of the people of Israel from Egypt; 1

2 the one thousand and thirty-second year from David's being anointed king; in the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel; in the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; the seven hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome; the forty second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; the whole world being at peace, in the sixth age of the world, Jesus Christ the eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed since his conception, was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary, being made flesh. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. Traditional translation from the Roman Martyrology We remember again and we celebrate again the Birth of Jesus. We look forward again to His second coming. TEXAS Christ Renews His Parish Workshop Saturday, Jan 18, 2014, 9 am - 4:30 pm Prince of Peace Parish, Plano TX Diocese of Dallas Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) is one of the most popular renewal processes in the United States Catholic Church today. There are approximately 17, 250 parishes in our land. CRHP has connected with over 1,300 parishes nationwide (around 7.5%). 80 of these parishes are found in Texas: 38 in the Diocese of Austin, 15 in Dallas, 14 in Galveston- Houston and 8 in Fort Worth. CRHP is a copyrighted renewal process that started in 1969 and continues to grow to this day. Sixty parishes around the country started CRHP in 2

3 2013. CRHP is not an experimental process; it has passed the test of time. In parishes, the CRHP process is routinely coordinated by a CRHP Continuation Committee who serves under the coordination and authority of the parish pastor, assisting him so that CRHP does not become another additional duty on an already very busy priest. The CRHP Continuation Committee is comprised of people, both men and women, who have completed all four parts of the CRHP PROCESS. Other parishioners are also involved in the CRHP ministry, i.e. team members, facilitators, lay spiritual directors, etc. Prince of Peace Parish in Plano, Texas, Diocese of Dallas, is hosting a seminar/workshop for people involved in a parish CRHP ministry. The workshop will include the vision for CRHP, successful information and invitation practices, how a successful CRHP Continuation Committee operates, marks of the most successful CRHP parishes around the country, new developments in CRHP, and responses to questions and concerns. The workshop will be led by Frank Wardega, national facilitator for CRHP USA, from Cleveland Ohio. Such workshops have been held in the past in Colorado Springs CO, Kansas City KS, St Louis MO, Joliet IL, Fenton MI, Cincinnati OH, Covington KY, Atlanta GA, Buffalo NY, Huron OH, and Jacksonville FL. The workshop is scheduled for Saturday January 18, 2014, starting at 9 am and ending at 4:30 pm, and includes lunch, followed by parish Sunday Vigil Liturgy. Registration opens at 8 am that day. A donation of $10 per person is asked to cover cost of lunch, snacks, drinks, and handouts. Workshop attendees are asked to bring a handbook, a pen and their Bible if possible. Reservations are requested so food may be prepared and seating arrangements made. For reservations and questions, please contact the workshop coordinator listed below. The parish contact listed below can offer advice on overnight accommodations for those traveling from afar. Amy Yoste, 3

4 Prince of Peace Parish is located at 5100 West Plano Parkway, Plano TX, More Recommended Reading In the past, we have recommended several books to those who have completed their CRHP process and are now serving in parish, community and diocesan ministries. Below, please find two more recommendations. We especially recommend these two books to parish leaders and dynamic Catholics, Continuation Committee members and spiritual directors REBUILT and TOOLS FOR REBUILDING, both written by Fr Michael White, pastor, and Tom Corcoran, pastoral associate. REBUILT, published in 2013, is the story of how a "languid community, aging in place," developed into a growing, vibrant parish for discipling the lay faithful and evangelizing the unchurched. The forward is written by Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York. Its follow up, TOOLS FOR REBUILDING, also published in 2013, offered 75 "practical" ways to make a parish better. I first saw the books in a catalogue I received from Ave Maria Press. They looked good and read even better. These two works spoke to me as a Catholic, as an older disciple, as a parishioner, and as a facilitator for CRHP. They had value for my life in the parish and in my life ministering CRHP. Easy to read, they were books I underlined, folded pages and took notes on! Book details: REBUILT: THE STORY OF A CATHOLIC PARISH, 280 pages plus footnotes, and TOOLS FOR REBUILDING: 75 REALLY,REALLY PRACTICAL WAYS TO MAKE YOUR PARISH BETTER, 297 pages. Both published by Ave Maria Press. Both works come with impressive recommendations, i.e. Cardinal Dolan, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop Lori, Bishop Vasquez, many seminary professors, many pastors, many college professors, many diocesan officials, and lay ministers such as Matthew Kelly and now my recommendation. A.M.D.G., Frank Wardega 4

5 At this time we send love, prayers, and best wishes that your Christmas season is a time of celebration, of remembering again that He did come and of looking forward to when He comes again! CRHP National Office crhpfw@aol.com P O Box Cleveland OH