Stay connected to your TEC family. April 2017

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1 Communicator Stay connected to your TEC family April 2017 Encounter 2017 Registration Open Registration for Encounter 2017 is now open! Join the international TEC family for 3 days at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, Kansas from July 7-9. Over the course of this long weekend, attendees will have the opportunity to pray, play, share, and network during the breakout sessions that they choose. Other activities include the silent and live auctions, award ceremony, and keynote speech by Dr. Mike Carrota. We hope that you will join us and Wichita TEC for this year s Encounter! When: July 7-9, 2017 Where: Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, KS Who: ANYONE over 18 who is interested in bettering their TEC community or learning more about TEC! REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!

2 Meet Encounter 2017 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Mike Carotta Dr. Michael Carotta has worked with adolescents in educational, pastoral, and clinical settings for more than thirty years as an author and well-known national speaker. A leader in ministry support for youth, Confirmation programs, and Vocational Development, he has served as Diocesan Director of Adolescent Catechesis, Executive Director of the NCEA Department of Religious Education, and as a member of the Bishops Committee for the Revision of the General Catechetical Directory. Mike has spent eleven years as a classroom teacher, including four years working with at-risk youth at Girls and Boys town in Omaha, Nebraska. As an author, he has published more than forty articles in a variety of publications as well as many books, including his recent Unexpected Occasions of Grace. Along with his wife, Dr. Catherine Cronin Carotta, Mike has done vocational renewal work offering seminars inspired by their book Sustaining the Spirit: Callings, Commitments, and Vocational Challenges. Dr. Carotta received his B.S. in Psychology at Southeastern Louisiana University, his M.A. in Religious Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, and Ed. D. in Leadership Education from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. He continues to teach graduate courses in several Catholic universities as well. Billy O on the Go Billy recently journeyed to the lower peninsula of Michigan for a series of TEC gatherings. First, he met with some of the leaders of New Life TEC in Gaylord. The following morning, Billy met with Gaylord s Diocesan Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization, Wayne Winter, and his ministry staff. Billy visited with two friends from TEC New Orleans while passing through Ann Arbor: Fr. Robert Murphy, S.J. and Sr. Mary Michael Carlton, O.P. Finally, Billy participated in a two day working meeting with the Spirituality Ministry Team, which is editing the meditation outlines in the TEC Conference manual.

3 Heritage Award Winners Debbie DeBruyne Debbie DeBruyne of Sleeping Giant TEC in the Diocese of Thunder Bay, Ontario, has been active in TEC at the local, regional, and national level for many years. She served on the Leadership Council as the Canada Representative from 2009 through 2012 and also served on the Leadership Team during the same time. Beyond the Council, Debbie served on the Communications Ministry Team from 2010 through 2012 and has also been a team member of several Renewing the Vision workshops, helping to revitalize the heart of TEC where needed. In 2005, Sleeping Giant TEC presented Debbie with the Spirit of TEC Award. Outside of her local TEC community, Debbie has served other TEC centers, which included traveling to Minnesota and to Alaska. Debbie s personal spirituality and awareness of the Paschal Mystery as the core message of TEC have been invaluable to the TEC Movement. Through her knowledge and strong leadership skills, Debbie has served TEC in multiple capacities, for which many are grateful. We are proud to present Debbie with the 2017 Heritage Award. Penny Wolf Penny Wolf of Champaign TEC has faithfully served TEC in all corners of the Diocese of Peoria and beyond for about 25 years. From leading her local community, to serving as a team member on workshops, to attending workshops, to serving on the TEC Leadership Council, Penny has played a large role in furthering the TEC Movement from the 1990s onward. On the Leadership Council, Penny has acted as both the Region 7 Coordinator and Illinois State Co-Representative. She is currently a member of the Spirituality Ministry Team and is working to bring Champaign TEC back to her local diocese. Penny is a true servant leader whose zeal for TEC has led to decades of joyful service.her commitment to the local and national Movement has been a source of inspiration to her fellow Council members who have served with her. It is our honor to present Penny with the 2017 Heritage Award. David Walker David Walker of Wichita TEC in the Diocese of Wichita, KS, most recently completed his term on the Leadership Council as Chair of the Leadership Team in 2016, but his service to TEC extends beyond that role. Prior to his time as Chair, he has served on the Council as the Region 9 Coordinator, the Kansas State Representative, Leadership Team Secretary, and Leadership Team Vice-Chair. He oversaw the rewrite of the TEC by-laws as well as the start of the Speaker s Bureau. David continues to actively participate as the chair of the Encounter Planning Committee ministry team. His role as Wichita TEC s contact, his participation in workshops, and his love for the national gatherings have been beneficial to the TEC Movement on both the local and national level. David is well known for his commitment to his job in youth ministry and to the young people whom he serves. This zest, along with his leadership throughout the years, results in his continued dedication to TEC. We are proud to present David with the 2017 Heritage Award.

4 Anchor of Hope TEC in the Spotlight By: John Tilleman Think of only three things: your God, your family, and the Green Bay Packers - in that order. - Vince Lombardi The Green Bay Diocese is rich in tradition. We love our Packers, but Vince could not have summed up this great community s values any better; and that is what has allowed Anchor of Hope TEC to flourish here since We expanded from that date to have two communities in our diocese, but with the amazing expansion of the youth outreach and other retreat centers in the area, we consolidated back into one TEC community. There have been times where we have flourished and times where we have struggled; but in always putting our faith in God and following His lead, we have endured. Like many other TEC communities we have been nomads, moving from place to place and for a while living out of a trailer moving from parish to parish. We have been fortunate enough to have found a home for the time being with warm showers and plenty of space for cots and air mattresses. The involvement of our community has truly been inspiring. In addition to the many passionate members of our TEC community, we have individuals who made TECs #1 and #2 who still continue to be involved today. Our members come from all over the world. We have a strong foreign exchange student presence with young men and women from South America, Central America, and many from Eastern Europe. Over the years we have brought the love of Christ to thousands. We continue to be present in the community through various events and most prominently in the three weekends we host each year. We continually look to St. Therese of Lisieux for her intercession and the Holy Spirit for guidance as we move forward on our journey bringing Christ to all we meet. As I write this, we are preparing for TEC #271, and next year we celebrate our 40th anniversary trusting that this is only the beginning of what He has in store for us.

5 TEC and the Resurrection Icon By: Fr. Matt Fedewa On Passion (Palm) Sunday the liturgy of Holy Week and Easter is introduced with these words spoken prior to the Palm Sunday procession: Dear brothers and sisters, today we gather together to herald with the whole Church the beginning of the celebration of our Lord s Paschal Mystery, that is to say, of his Passion and Resurrection. It was during a summer program in the 1960s as we studied the documents of Vatican II that it came to me that the Paschal Mystery is the core message of our Catholic faith. Yet it had not been part of my theological studies in any explicit way. So I began to pray: how could I teach this core message of our Catholic faith? My first thought was to add a unit to the senior high religion course. But that did not feel right. So in prayer it came to me that the Church celebrates the Paschal Mystery over 90 days each springtime: Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. These 90 days are special, a kind of retreat. So we would need to develop a three day retreat, a day for the Lenten experience, a day for the Easter experience, and a day for the Pentecost experience. What a joy it was to me, when at the conclusion of our first TEC weekend (October 1965), a young man spoke his summary of the experience. He summarized the three days this way: die day, to die with Christ; rise day, to rise with Christ; go day, to go forth in and with Christ and his Holy Spirit. Since that first TEC I have continued to look for images that convey Christ s paschal mystery and our living of a paschal mystery spirituality. I came upon the icon from the Eastern Rite Church printed here. It is generally called, The Harrowing of Hell. I went to the Byzantine Catholic Church in our city. I inquired of the pastor, and he located the lady who wrote this icon for me. Study it carefully and see its relevance for our TEC spirituality. I grew up with holy cards and Easter cards that depict the resurrection of Jesus. He is usually alone. He exhibits a glorified body, and we admire Him as we might admire an Olympic star. We may sit in our recliner chair and watch the Olympics but, not even for a moment, would we think that could be me. But study the icon. Notice the risen Lord is not alone. His hands are extended, one to Adam and the other to Eve, our progenitors. Yes, Jesus rises and we rise with him. Someone even pointed to the fact that the resurrected Lord has a strong grip of the wrists of Adam and Eve. Notice with the risen Lord are some saints of the Hebrew Testament: Moses, King David, and on the other hand saints of the New Testament (John the Baptist, St. Joseph with the two pigeons). All are awaiting the opening of heaven. The cross serves as the platform over the black hole of hell. (Cont. on next page)

6 When the Holy Spirit had urged that the theme of this new retreat should be the paschal mystery, I then searched the Scriptures for a passage with an image that brought the death to life of Jesus home. The Spirit directed me to John 12:24. Jesus speaks these words on His way to His passion and death: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains but a single grain, but if it dies it produces much fruit. At the TEC evening vigil we focus on our Baptism, and we hear these words of St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans: are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with Him through a death like His, we shall also be united with Him in the resurrection. I have one recommendation: purchase this resurrection icon, and have it on display in the conference room for Rise Day. If you need assistance, I am sure the National TEC Office can help. Happy Easter from the TEC Conference He is risen! Alleluia! From everyone at the TEC Conference, Happy Easter! We would like to thank all who donated to our Lenten Appeal these past two months. Through your prayers, generosity, and support, we look forward to continuing to serve as best we can for all the youth and young adults who yearn to encounter Christ. If you would like to make an Easter gift to the TEC Conference, please mail checks to 1007 Airline Park Blvd., Metairie, LA Have a blessed Easter season! Meet Your Leadership Council This April, we welcome the TEC Leadership Council members. The Leadership Council serves the TEC Conference by helping to discern the TEC Movement s future. Members act as a liaison between the TEC Conference office and their local TEC communities. The Council is made up of the Leadership Team*, region coordinators, and state representatives. Please join us in welcoming the Leadership Council! Joe LaScala* - Chair & Kansas State Co-Rep Brett Mathiowetz* - Vice Chair & Minnesota State Rep John Ivas* - Treasurer & Massachusetts State Rep Joan Huber* - Secretary & Kentucky State Rep Dale Kreher* - Member at Large Greg Schwietz* - Member at Large John Smestad, Jr. Region 5 Coordinator Jodi Simon Region 9 Coordinator Joseph Pearson* - Region 10 Coordinator Gonzalo Laverde Region 14 Coordinator Kate Mapes Illinois State Representative Leigh Anne Costlow* - Indiana State Representative Jessica Schneider Kansas State Co-Representative Valerie Porter Michigan State Representative Janelle Stephens Missouri State Representative Megan Wortmann Nebraska State Representative Lauren Afflerbaugh Texas State Representative Troy Jacobson Wisconsin State Representative

7 Council Corner Greetings from the still quite frozen tundra of Minnesota! My name is Brett Mathiowetz, and I m currently serving as the Minnesota State Representative on the TEC Conference Leadership Council and also serving as a member of the TEC Conference Leadership Team. I was born and raised in Leavenworth, MN, a little town of around 26 people where nearly half were relatives at one point or another. Raised in both a construction and TEC family, I grew up with a strong allegiance to family and company. I made my first Riverbend TEC in October of 1998, in Bird Island, MN. It was an eye opening experience that helped me find myself and my place in this world. It changed me in such an amazing and positive way that at parent-teacher conferences, my teachers even mentioned the change to my parents. Since then I have been very active in our local TEC community both serving on and directing weekends, serving on our local TEC Council, and most recently the past couple of years on the TEC Conference Leadership Council. I was lucky enough to be asked to be a co-keynote speaker with my dad at my first TEC Encounter back in Peoria in 2009 where we talked about how TEC has allowed us to be close even amongst the stresses of a crazy construction work schedule. It was a great experience! Outside of TEC I have our family business and my own family to tend to. I have a wife, Lori, of over 11 years, and two daughters, Lily and Eve (well three daughters, the third is on the way). Being in a house full of women definitely has its challenges, but I wouldn t trade my girls for anything in the world! They are a real blessing! My wife and I met at TEC, which changed my life for the better once again back in She has helped me see my place in the world once TEC showed me how to be in the world, and we have been supporting each other on our journeys ever since. Outside of the craziness of work and volunteering for TEC and many other avenues including our sister mission in San Lucas, Guatemala, I very much enjoy playing golf, jamming on my guitar, and singing in a band. I also enjoy connecting with young people growing up and helping them find their true selves. A little positive reinforcement and support can go a long way, and there are so many people out there that simply don t know what they bring to the table! I like to shed some light on that for them! All in all, I m 300% extroverted and really enjoy meeting new people and forming new friendships. So I hope that we can meet some time in the future and enjoy some smiles, laughs, prayers, and maybe a few long, held out Os. God Bless! 1007 Airline Park Boulevard, Metairie, LA office@tecconference.org

8 Partners in Ministry Highlight TEC Conference Partners in Ministry These religious communities have joined our Partners in Ministry program and offer continual prayer support for the TEC Movement. Please contact us to have your religious community featured here and on the TEC Conference. The Dominican Sisters of Springfield, IL are members of the Order of Preachers, preaching the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to God s people around the world. As Dominicans, the sisters are sustained by their lives in community, continual study and contemplation, and praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Springfield Dominicans live and serve in the United States and Peru, and enjoy relationships with other Dominicans around the world. The sisters pray together, have fun together, and support one another in good times and in bad. For more information on the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, please visit their website at www. springfieldop.org. You can also contact Sr. Teresa Marron at srteresa@spdom.org. If you know of a religious community who would be interested in partnering with the TEC Conference, please contact office@tecconference.org. Sisters of Bon Secours Contact: S. Pat Dowling, CBS Marriottsville Rd. Marriottsville, Md Phone: (877) pat_dowling@bshsi.org Web site: Sisters of St. Benedict Contact: S. Anne DeMers, OSB - St. Benedict Monastery 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minn Phone: (218) ademers@msb.net Web site: St. Mary Monastery Contact: S. Bobbi Bussan, OSB Vocation Director th Ave. W., Rock Island, IL Phone: rbussan@smmsisters.org Web site: Redemptoristine Nuns Phone: rednun@redemptoristinenuns.org Web site: Divine Word Missionaries Contact: Mr. Len Uhal - PO Box 380 Epworth, Iowa Phone: svdvocations@dwci.edu Web site: Edmund Rice Christian Brothers Contact: Br. James McDonald, C.F.C S. Pulaski Road, Room 111, Chicago, Ill Phone: bromaccfc@yahoo.com Web site: Home Mission Sisters of America, Inc. (Glenmary Sisters) Contact: John Calhoun PO Box Owensboro, Ky Phone: John@glenmarysisters.org Web site: Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Contact: S. Theresa Sullivan, D.C New Harmony Road, Evansville, Ind Phone: (812) daughtersofcharityvocations@gmail.com Web site: Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Contact: Fr. Kevin Hanlon PO Box 305, Maryknoll, NY Phone: (914) (2449) or (888) Web site: Dominican Sisters of Springfield Contact: S. Teresa Marron 1237 West Monroe, Springfield, IL Phone: srteresa@spdom.org Web site: Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana Contact: S. Michelle Sinkhorn or S. Agnes Marie Dauby 802 E. 10th St., Ferdinand, Ind Phone: (812) vocation@thedome.org Web site: Please send your future TEC weekend retreat dates, as well as any changes in your TEC leaders contact information, to erica@tecconference.org School Sisters of Notre Dame Contact: S. Joyelle Proot 320 East Ripa Avenue, St. Louis, MO Phone: jproot@ssndcp.org Web site: Xaverian Missionary Fathers Contact: Fr. Rocco Puopolo, s.x. 101 Summer Street, Holliston MA Phone frrocco@xaviermissionaries.org Website