Communicator Stay connected to your TEC family December 2016 2016 Gereke Grant Winners Congratulations to the TEC communities that won the 2016 Gereke Grant! For the first time ever, the TEC Conference was able to provide three $1,000 grants thanks to the generosity of our donors. We are excited to announce Belleville TEC (Diocese of Belleville, IL), Wichita TEC (Diocese of Wichita, KS), and Almost Heaven TEC (Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, WV) as the 2016 winners! Each community will receive $1,000 to put towards their projects as outlined in their applications. Belleville TEC applied with the hopes of using the money to purchase their own Mass supplies to use during their weekends. Currently, the TEC community borrows from the host church and must run items such as the Lectionary, Book of Gospels, and Bibles back and forth between their retreat space and the church over the course of the weekend. Purchasing their own supplies for Mass would allow the team members to focus more on the TEC candidates and less on the logistics of the supplies. Beyond the Mass supplies, any remaining money will be used to purchase banner material to replace their old and worn out collection. Wichita TEC intends to use the grant money to subsidize part of the registration costs for young adults from Wichita TEC to attend TEC Encounter 2017. Inspiring TEC s youth to attend this international event will make them aware of the larger TEC community, strengthen their knowledge of the program, help them to make connections, and hopefully keep them involved in TEC for years to come. Almost Heaven TEC plans to use the money to revitalize their community and to bring their TEC center out of a hiatus. Billy will soon travel to the diocese to meet with community leaders and work with them on the best practices to help make their center thrive again. Congratulations again to Belleville, Wichita, and Almost Heaven, and thank you to all of the communities who took the time to apply. We would also like to thank our selection committee, who had no affiliation with any of the applying TEC communities, for their discernment and the time they volunteered to select the winners. Finally, thank you to our donors who continue to make this grant possible each year. Most of our Gereke Grant donors give $20 a month; others make a one-time gift each year. If you would like to support this initiative, please let us know.
Welcome to Valerie Porter & Troy Jacobson! The TEC Leadership Council is happy to announce two more additions: Valerie Porter, Michigan State Representative, and Troy Jacobson, Wisconsin State Representative. Please join us in welcoming them to the Council! Valerie is a member of the New Life TEC community in the Diocese of Gaylord, MI. She and her husband were first involved in Cursillo before becoming involved with the TEC Movement in hopes of bringing an encounter with Christ to their children. Troy is a member of the Kairos TEC community in the Diocese of Madison, WI. He most recently attended the 2016 Summer Council Meeting as a guest, and we are pleased to formally add him to the Council! The entire Leadership Council will gather in Austin, TX, this January for the 2017 Winter Council Meeting. Please keep the group in your prayers as they work and discern for the future of the TEC Movement! #igivecatholic 2016 Results Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2016 #igivecatholic donation drive! The campaign was a great success for the Catholic organizations who participated and resulted in a total of 6,826 donations from across the country. The TEC Conference was blessed by the generosity of 20 donors, who raised $1,700 in just 24 hours. In gratitude for all who helped us promote and support this event, the Conference will be giving 50% of each individual donation back to those individuals local TEC communities. Thank you all again for your spirit of giving! Meet Your Ministry Teams: The Finance Team The Finance Team advises the Executive Director and Leadership Council on key financial matters, including bookkeeping, accounting practices, taxes, and more. Its major project is the development of the annual budget in collaboration with the Executive Director. This team meets once every quarter by video conference. Most recently, the team had its December call, and will help Billy edit a rough draft of the 2017-2018 budget in the coming months. Brian Mathiowetz currently serves as chair, with John Ivas (Leadership Council Treasurer), Gary Pryzgoda, Nick Lafranz, Mickey Giroir, and Mary Kay Marzano serving as members. We d like to thank all of them for their input and help with the TEC Conference s finances!
Advent Ponderings By Sr. Sarah Yungwirth (LouTEC) We are continuing this beautiful season of Advent- a time to prepare ourselves for all the ways Christ comes to us. This is a brand new liturgical year- an opportunity to start again, fresh and new, in our relationship with God and with others. Yet, we are also entering into a very busy time full of Christmas parties, family gatherings, and work obligations, in addition to the shopping, decorating, baking, and other various things we find ourselves doing. It is so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of December that you and I may sometimes lose track of what this is all about: being open to the awesome gift of Jesus presence here with us, among us to show us how to live and how to love. Throughout Advent, the Church chooses readings from the book of Isaiah- readings that speak of hope, peace, and the wonder that comes through God s presence and in-dwelling among us. God is a God of surprises and joy, and these readings capture this so well. We hear about lions resting with lambs, valleys being raised, and paths being made straight. In the Gospels, Jesus calls us to be ready. We hear about John the Baptist calling people to prepare themselves for the Savior s coming; we hear about the amazing messages spoken by angels, along with the tremendous example of Mary s Fiat. There is a deep richness in these readings. Can you and I take some extra time each day during Advent to pray with the daily readings so that we can hear all that God wishes to speak to us? Can we also ask God to show us other ways that might help us to get ready for the beautiful celebration of Christmas? Is there any clutter in our lives that we might need to clear out so that Christ can enter? Are there any relationships that may need to be mended so that Christ s love can work through us more fully? Are there any negative habits of which we can ask God to help us let go? Can I avail myself of the tremendous grace of God s love and mercy to be received in the sacrament of Reconciliation? Can I ask God to help me to remember the true meaning of this season so that I can fully enter into it? May God bless each of us in a special way during this Advent. May this Advent be a time of reflection, grace, and an experience of God s abundant love. As we light the candles on our Advent wreathes, may the light of Christ shine ever more brightly in our hearts and in our lives. Puerto Rico Update This upcoming January, Billy O Regan will travel with Deacon Dick Venezia and other members of Sonshine TEC to Puerto Rico. During this trip, they will have the very first meeting to prepare for bringing TEC to the Diocese of Caguas. Please keep the travelers in your prayers as they make this journey and for all who are involved in this project. May the Holy Spirit guide the process to open this new TEC center in Puerto Rico!
Annual Harvest This year s Annual Harvest campaign introduced a common friend amongst us all. Her name is Mandy Carlton, whose life was changed by her experience on TEC when she was in high school. Even if you don t know Mandy Carlton personally, it s likely that you know someone like her: someone whose life was touched by an encounter with Christ that was made possible through the TEC Movement. The gifts that are made to TEC through our Annual Harvest appeal allow the TEC Conference to continue providing support and resources to TEC communities so that countless others can have similar experiences. If you would like to make a donation, checks can be made out to TEC Conference and mailed to 1007 Airline Park Blvd., Metairie, LA 70003, or you can make a donation online through PayPal. Please visit our website at tecconference.org/ Annual_Harvest.html to see this year s brochure and donation link. Thank you to all of our donors for their generosity we are immensely grateful! Save the Date! Please mark your calendars for July 7-9, 2017, and join us in Wichita, KS, for Encounter 2017! The theme of this 3-day international gathering of our larger TEC Family will be Make Me Your Instrument with Dr. Michael Carotta serving as keynote. Online registration will be available soon. We re all looking forward to seeing you in Wichita! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas from the TEC Conference staff! During this Advent season, we pray that everyone has had time to prepare his or her heart for the coming of the infant Christ. May God bless everyone as we celebrate the day his Son came into our world as one of us!
Shop AmazonSmile to Support the TEC Conference With Christmas just around the corner, any last minute gifts that you purchase from Amazon could bring in money for the TEC Conference. Because of our partnership with AmazonSmile, Amazon s initiative that supports nonprofit organizations, the TEC Conference receives a disbursement from Amazon every quarter when you select us as your charitable organization of choice. Each purchase through AmazonSmile brings in 0.5% of the price of the purchase for the nonprofit that you select. To make the TEC Conference your chosen organization, and to support us while you shop, follow these steps: Go to smile.amazon.com (instead of amazon.com) Select the TEC Conference as your charitable organization of choice Browse and choose your products as usual If a product is eligible to be purchased through AmazonSmile, the product will be marked as such on the webpage Purchase your products as usual Any products eligible through AmazonSmile will automatically give the TEC Conference 0.5% of the profit Please help us to spread the word by asking your friends and families to follow these steps while shopping on Amazon. You only have to select the TEC Conference once, and it will remain your chosen organization unless you change it. Thank you for supporting the TEC Conference in this unique way! Billy O on the Go: NCCYM Executive Director Billy O Regan traveled to San Jose, CA, from December 1-3 to attend the National Conference for Catholic Youth Ministry (NCCYM). The TEC Conference had a display booth to represent the entire TEC Family. Billy was joined in the booth by Claire Gallagher (TEC New Orleans) and Jackie Klenda (Wichita TEC), along with a host of Council members and volunteers. He would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who helped staff our booth and to all who stopped by for a visit! Leadership Council Winter Meeting Preview The 2017 Winter Council Meeting will take place January 13-14 in Austin, TX. Over this weekend, the TEC of Central Texas community will be holding TEC #16, and the Council has been invited to stay and attend the Hoot on Sunday after their meeting. Among other agenda items, the Council will be focusing on: The strategic revisioning process with TEC ministry teams The 2017-2018 budget Staff performance reviews The Executive Director s goals for the upcoming year Planning for TEC Encounter 2017 in Wichita, KS All ministry team chairs are invited to join the Council during this meeting. May the Holy Spirit be present and guide the dialogue at this upcoming gathering! 1007 Airline Park Boulevard, Metairie, LA 70003 504.227.3233 www.tecconference.org office@tecconference.org
Partners in Ministry Highlight The Sisters of Bon Secours 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. Sisters of Bon Secours Contact: S. Pat Dowling, CBS - 1525 Marriottsville Rd. Marriottsville, Md. 21104 - Phone: (877) 742-0277 e-mail: pat_dowling@bshsi.org Web site: www.bonsecoursvocations.org The Sisters of Bon Secours are women of prayer whose vibrant, hope-filled faith communities draw new sisters and others to share in innovative ways their charism of healing, liberation, and compassion. As women committed to act in justice and solidarity with the poor, the suffering, and those in need, the Sisters proclaim the Gospel where it is not found. Their witness to God s presence is marked by a passionate spirit and enthusiasm for God s reign. The TEC Conference is grateful that the Sisters of Bon Secours pray for and support TEC through our partnership. For more information about the Sisters, please contact Sr. Pat Dowling, CBS, at pat_dowling@bshsi.org, or visit their website at www.bonsecoursvocations.org. If you know of another religious community who might like to partner with us, please let us know! Sisters of St. Benedict Contact: S. Anne DeMers, OSB - St. Benedict Monastery 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, Minn. 56716 Phone: (218) 281-3441 e-mail: ademers@msb.net Web site: www.msb.net St. Mary Monastery Contact: S. Bobbi Bussan, OSB Vocation Director 2200 88th Ave. W., Rock Island, IL 61021 Phone: 309-283-2300 e-mail: rbussan@smmsisters.org Web site: www.smmsisters.org Redemptoristine Nuns Phone: 636-464-1093 e-mail: rednun@redemptoristinenuns.org Web site: www.redemptoristinenuns.org Divine Word Missionaries Contact: Mr. Len Uhal - PO Box 380 Epworth, Iowa 52045 Phone: 800-553-3321 e-mail: svdvocations@dwci.edu Web site: www.svdvocations.org Edmund Rice Christian Brothers Contact: Br. James McDonald, C.F.C. 10001 S. Pulaski Road, Room 111, Chicago, Ill. 60655 Phone: 773-429-4496 - e-mail: bromaccfc@yahoo.com Web site: www.erbrothers.org Home Mission Sisters of America, Inc. (Glenmary Sisters) Contact: John Calhoun PO Box 22264 - Owensboro, Ky. 42304 Phone: 800-301-2689 - e-mail: John@glenmarysisters.org Web site: www.glenmarysisters.org Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Contact: S. Theresa Sullivan, D.C. - 9200 New Harmony Road, Evansville, Ind. 47720 - Phone: (812) 963-7556 e-mail: daughtersofcharityvocations@gmail.com Web site: www.daughters-of-charity.com/ Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Contact: Fr. Kevin Hanlon PO Box 305, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0305 Phone: (914) 941-7636 (2449) or (888) 627-9566 Web site: www.maryknollsociety.org Dominican Sisters of Springfield Contact: S. Teresa Marron 1237 West Monroe, Springfield, IL 62704 Phone: 708.207.1874 - E-mail: srteresa@spdom.org Web site: www.springfieldop.org Please send your future TEC weekend retreat dates, as well as any changes in your TEC leaders contact information, to erica@tecconference.org Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana Contact: S. Michelle Sinkhorn or S. Agnes Marie Dauby 802 E. 10th St., Ferdinand, Ind. 47532 Phone: (812) 367-1411 e-mail: vocation@thedome.org Web site: www.thedome.org School Sisters of Notre Dame Contact: S. Joyelle Proot 320 East Ripa Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63125 Phone: 314-561-4100 - E-mail: jproot@ssndcp.org Web site: www.ssndcentralpacific.org Xaverian Missionary Fathers Contact: Fr. Rocco Puopolo, s.x. 101 Summer Street, Holliston MA 01746 Phone 508 429 2144 Email: frrocco@xavierianmissionaries.org Website www.xaverianmissionaries.org