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Writers Wanted!
Saint
Anthony Messenger Press is seeking contributions from friars for a
prayer book to be published in 2007.� The publication of the prayer
book will coincide with the celebration of the 800th
anniversary of the founding of the Franciscan Order They are seeking
personal, original compositions such as reflections, poetry,
meditations, or prayers inspired by Saints Francis and Clare or
other Franciscans that reflect Franciscan charisms.� Word length
should be limited to 500 words or less. The prayer book will focus
on particular events/episodes in the lives of Saints Francis and
Clare and places associated with their occurrence.� Each
event/episode will be called a �station.�� The proposed themes for
these stations will be based on steps along the spiritual journey of
any individual:� self-identity; beginning �to do penance�;
discerning God�s call; surrender of attachments; confronting one�s
shadow; individual and collective mission and discipleship; the
manner of living one�s Christian vocation or chosen way of life;
taking up the cross; experiences of trust, hope and love; union and
communion with God; and prayers of adoration, praise and
thanksgiving.
Submissions are due by December 1, 2005.�
For more information contact David Liedl.
Let�s Put One of Our Friaries on Television!
(The
following information is reprinted from the on-line newsletter
published by the National Religious Vocations Council.�� We are not
making this up.)
�
Five men,
ranging from an atheist in the pornography trade to a former
paramilitary member, spend 40 days in an English monastery in a
British reality TV show that aired in May.� The British Broadcasting
System show was designed to test whether the 1500-year-old monastic
tradition still has relevance to the modern world.� Each participant
was required to live in community and fully participate in its
timetable of prayer, work, and worship.� (Members did not vote each
other off, like in �Big Brother.�)� Each newcomer is assigned an
individual monk as a guide.
By the end,
the atheist� becomes a believer and gives up his job producing
trailers for a sex chat-line after having what he described as a
�religious experience.� A former convict and former member of the
Ulster Defense Association begins to overcome his inner demons. A
retired teacher regains the faith he had rejected in his youth.� A
Cambridge undergraduate edges closer to becoming an Anglican
priest.� And a man who works for a London legal publishing company
starts to come to terms with his childhood traumas.
For more on
the show see these Websites:
www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/04_april/22/monastery.shtml
www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=3793
Vatican
Reports an Increase in Diocesan Priests and a Decrease in Religious
Priests
�
VATICAN
CITY, MAY 17, 2005
(Zenit.org)
Analyzing the data published by the Statistical Yearbook of the
Church 2003, the semi-official Vatican newspaper reported last
week that overall the number of priests has decreased over the past
25 years from 421,000 to 405,000, but since 1988 there has been a
"very slight" tendency to recovery.
Looking at the data continent by continent, the numbers show that
Africa and Asia have had the greatest rate of increase in the number
of priests -- 79 percent and 69 percent, respectively.� The
situation is stationery in America, while Oceania has had a decrease
of 12 percent and Europe of 19 percent.� Diocesan priests
reached their lowest figure over the past 25 years in 1988, when
they numbered 257,000. In 1978, they were 262,000, while in 2003
they increased to 268,000.
"Therefore, there is a slight but significant recovery," underlines
the Vatican newspaper in its report.� In 1978 religious priests
(those who make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and belong
to a religious order or congregation), numbered 158,000, while in
2003 they decreased to 137,000.� "The slight improvement in the
global number of diocesan priests is due exclusively to the strong
increase registered in Africa (where their number more than tripled
between 1978 and 2003), in Asia (where they have doubled) and in
America."�� "On the contrary, Oceania, and even more so
Europe, have experienced a clear decrease" in the number of diocesan
priests, added the Vatican newspaper.
Today there are 2,700 Catholics per priest, while in 1978 there were
1,800.
�
USCCB 2004
Report on the Newly Ordained
The United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a report on the
men who were ordained in 2004.� There were three changes noted in
the ordinands since the research began in 1988:
�1)���� The
average age at ordination rose from 34.8 to������ 37.0 years.
�2)���� The
level of education prior to entering seminary rose.� Whereas in
1998, 30 percent had less than a B.A. or B.S. degree, in the 2004
sample it was only 22 percent.� Correspondingly, the percentage who
had received a Masters Degree or professional degree beyond the B.A.
rose from 13 to 28 percent.� This is a notable change in six years.
�3)���� The
percentage born outside the United States rose from 24 to 31
percent.� The four principal countries of birth today are Vietnam,
Mexico, Philippines, and Poland.
�To
read the entire eleven page report, please visit
www.usccb.org/vocations/Hoge_Report.PDF
�
Religious Brothers Conference
The 34th
Annual Convention of the Religious Brothers Conference will be held
in Denver, August 5 - 8, 2005.� The theme of the convention is:�
�Brothers as Spiritual Mentors.�� Bro. James Zullo, FSC will be the
keynote speaker of the Convention.� For more information contact the
RBC website at:�
��������������������
www.brothersonline.org.
�
* Don�t miss
the following informative resource available from the National
Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry (www.nfcym.org):�
National Study of Youth and Religion: Analysis of the Population
of Catholic Teenagers and Their Parents.� Summaries are
available on line.� The text is available for $12.95.
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