The Catholic Connection ~ February 2014

Winter   Catholic Men's Conference  During the February episode of Conversations with Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, Archbishop Kurtz talks with Gary Montgomery about the upcoming Catholic Men's Conference, which features keynote speaker, Fr. James Martin, S.J.  To register for this conference, click here.   25 Years of Grateful By: Sr. Nancy Gerth, SCN, Vocation Director, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth It's been twenty-five years since I said a formal "yes" to belong to a congregation of women religious and, in turn, they to me!   Sometimes it seems like eons ago; sometimes a blink of an eye.   If you ask my older and wiser sisters who have lived the life much longer and more faithfully than me, many would tell you that I am just a "young" sister beginning the journey and have much ahead of me in this life of mystery, joy, surrender, and goodness.  Alternately, the comments of the high school senior I spoke with last week ("That's longer than I've been alive!") suggest a more seasoned vocation. From either time perspective, this twenty-five year milestone has been a distinctive year to look back and reflect.      In the past, busy and caught up in ministry and community life, I occasionally thought about my initial call as a Sister of Charity of Nazareth.  Now as Vocation Director, I frequently get a nudge inviting me to share that part of my life and more!  Read More...  Making Disciples of Our Youth: Why Mission Trips CountBy: Kathy Williams, Youth Minister, Immaculate Conception Parish, LaGrange  "Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, yours are the eyes through whichChrist's compassion are to look out to the earth, yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good."  - St. Teresa of Avila  I have used this quote by St. Teresa of Avila numerous times in youth ministry. It captures the essence of why we, as Catholics, are called to lifelong service. But how do we do this? How do we become Jesus' hands and feet here on earth? And for those of us who work with youth, how do we light that fire within them to create disciples who serve others like Jesus did? As we approach the season of spring breaks and the opportunity for alternative spring break experiences, I will tell anyone who asks me about youth ministry that mission trips are the single most effective experiences for a young person to see the face of Jesus in those they serve and in each other. Read More... The Blog Spot  This section will feature local and national blogs that will inspire, teach, and call to action. This month features "Archbishop Kurtz's Blog," written by our Archbishop who also is the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Check out his recent entries about his trip to the Philippines.      What I Learned in the Philippines By Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz Seven cargo ships ran aground in the Anibong region of Tacloban City during Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda, as it's called in the Philippines. Three months later, children run and play around the mud-encrusted rudders of one ship. Wooden poles stick out of the water nearby where now-destroyed houses once sat on stilts. Debris litters the ground for miles. Power lines overhead dangle on patched and broken poles, impossibly tangled. Anibong was my first encounter with a neighborhood devastated by the typhoon. Our delegation representing the U.S. bishops and Catholic Relief Services could see immediately how great the need for aid remains. Over February 4-6, I also would see the vital work of CRS in the lives of these people, work made possible by the generosity of U.S. Catholics and donors around the world. Walking among some houses now reduced to rubble... Read More Quick Links Archdiocese of Louisville The Record USCCB The Holy See Why Catholic? Catholic Services Appeal Catholic Conference of Kentucky Twitter Spanish Twitter  Archbishop's Tweets Do you followArchbishop Kurtz on Twitter? Here is a sampling of his tweets this month:    February 9 @ArchbishopKurtz: Confirmation at Holy Trinity Church this afternoon.pic.twitter.com @ArchbishopKurtz: Confirmation at Holy Spirit Church last evening.pic.twitter.com February 4 @ArchbishopKurtz: Please read my blog about rain, unity, and hope in the Philippines.ow.ly/thW2a February 3 @ArchbishopKurtz: Please read my blog about faith & hope in midst of destruction as we visit island of Leyte in the Philippines.ow.ly/tfsg5 February 2 @ArchbishopKurtz: Please read my blog about first day in the Philippines and the vitality of the Church there. ow.ly/tcTGr  @ArchbishopKurtz: Please read my blog with my congratulations & thanks to religious celebrating anniversaries at annual Jubilee Mass.ow.ly/tc8sV February 1 @ArchbishopKurtz: Priests gathered as vocation initiators - creatively seeking to foster religious vocations.pic.twitter.com Archlou Happenings:  Below is a list of upcoming archdiocesan events: 2/15, 4:00 p.m. Conversations The Faith Channel or view here  2/18, 7:00 p.m. Multicultural Ministry Class (See link for registration/cost.) St. James Parish, Elizabethtown 2/21-2/23 Retrouvaille Weekend  (For married couples in hurting marriages; see link for registration/cost.) Mt. St. Francis Center for Spirituality, IN 2/28-3/2 On the Side of Angels (Retreat for 9-12 grades; see link for registration/cost.) Mt. St. Francis Center for Spirituality, IN 3/1 6:00 p.m. African American Catholic Leadership Awards Banquet(See link for RSVP/cost.) Seelbach Hilton Hotel 3/6 7:00 p.m. Images of God (See link for registration/cost.) Our Lady of Lourdes Parish 3/7-3/9 Catholic Engaged Encounter (See link   for registration/cost) Mt. St. Francis Center for Spirituality, IN 3/8 9:00 a.m. Foundations for Marriage (See link for registration/cost.) St. Augustine Parish, Lebanon, Ky. The Catholic Connection is provided by: