January 23, 2012, Volume VI, Number 4

Feast of Satoko Kitahara (The Mary of the Ants Town)Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

January 24 – St. Francis de SalesJanuary 25 – Conversion of Saint PaulJanuary 28 – Saint Thomas Aquinas

Question of the WeekFor the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time“…he taught them as one having authority…” This sense of authority seems to set Jesus apart from the scribes, what does that mean to you? Have you ever been fooled by someone who you felt spoke with authority and whose “fame spread everywhere”? If you knew the author of life as intimately as Jesus, might that make a difference? As part of God’s family with Jesus as your brother, what might you need to do in order to speak with authority? What would you ask someone whom you felt “spoke with authority” in order to be convinced that (s)he really did?

NCCL News

National Prayer Vigil For Life Over 10,000 worshippers including Associate Director Gina Garroway gathered in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to pray for an end to abortion at the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life, Sunday, January 22, the eve of the 2012 March for Life. January 22 marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston and chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, was the principal celebrant and homilist at the Vigil Mass, concelebrated by fellow cardinals and many of the nation's bishops and priests. Following the Opening Mass, the Vigil continued in the Crypt Church of the Basilica with confessions, a National Rosary for Life, Night Prayer according to the Byzantine Rite, and holy hours led by seminarians from across the country from midnight until 6:00 a.m.

On Monday, January 23, the Basilica will host Morning Prayer at 6:30 a.m. in the Crypt Church and the Closing Mass at 7:30 a.m. in the Great Upper Church. Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan

of New York will be the principal celebrant and homilist. At the conclusion of the National Prayer Vigil for Life, participants will join in the national March for Life.

A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer. - Blessed Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, no. 100

The Campaign is Officially Over – THANK YOU

The campaign closes with $2895 toward our goal of $3315. We are most appreciative.

Here are the members who donated $2895 to our annual campaign. We are extremely grateful for their generosity. Bold letters designate new names from last week.

Susan Abbott Pam Fischer Mary Ann Ronan Leisa Anslinger Nancy Groves St. Ann Church Religious Ed.

Dr. Gerard Baumbach Michele Harris Parsippany, NJ Diane Baumann Rosemary Jablonski Jeanne Schrempf Patricia Burbage James and Barbara Kemna Catherine Snyder Jim and Barbara Campbell Sr. Marilyn Kerber, SNDdeN in memory of Mary Alice O’ReillyMary Fran Cassidy Don Kurre Daniel Thomas Catherine Cornue Joanie McKeown Jim TuckerPeggy and Jim DeBoy Lee Nagel James UppenaKaren Dey Neil Parent Mary Von Koss Nancy Ferrari Bryan S. Reising Frank Zolvinski

NCCL invites you to submit your best practices to its YouTube Channel

In the spirit of our national conference roundtables, we invite membership to submit its best practices in evangelization and catechesis. Please submit your entries to Bryan Reising (breising@dnu.org) and Juliann Donlon-Stanz (Jdonlon@gbdioc.org) for review and they may be a part of the NCCL YouTube Channel. Practitioners in parishes, Diocesan level personnel, scholars, publishers, and other resource people can submit their videos. Thank you for sharing your gifts!

CARDINAL-DESIGNATE DOLAN SPEAKS OUT AGAINST HHS RULE

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), sharply criticized the decision by the Obama administration in which it “ordered almost every employer and insurer in the country to provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans.” He made the statement in a web video posted at Dolan Speaks Out Against HHS Rule (http://tiny.cc/tkla7).

“Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn’t happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights,” Cardinal-designate Dolan said.

On January 20, Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Health and Human Services, announced that non-profit employers will have one year to comply with the new rule. Cardinal-designate Dolan urged Catholics and the public at large to speak out in protest. “Let your elected leaders know that you want religious liberty and rights of conscience restored and that you want the administration’s contraceptive mandate rescinded,” he said.

Christian Unity Will Take More Than Kindness

The path to Christian unity requires more than being nice to each other and cooperating, says Benedict XVI. Full and visible unity will require transformation and being conformed to the image of Christ. The Pope said this as he dedicated his weekly general audience to the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (http://tiny.cc/jqecm) , which ends on the feast of the conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 25). The theme for this year's Week of Prayer is "We Will All Be Changed By the Victory of Our Lord Jesus Christ," and the texts for reflection and meditation were prepared by ecumenical groups in Poland.

"The full and visible unity of Christians for which we long demands that we allow ourselves to be ever more perfectly transformed and conformed

to the image of Christ," the Holy Father stated. "The unity for which we pray requires interior conversion, both communal and personal. It is not simply a matter of kindness and cooperation; above all, we must strengthen our faith in God, in the God of Jesus Christ, who has spoken to us and who made himself one of us; we must enter into new life in Christ, which is our true and definitive victory; we must open ourselves to one another, cultivating all the elements of that unity that God has preserved for us and gives to us ever anew; we must feel the urgency of bearing witness before the men of our times to the living God, who made himself known in Christ.'

The Holy Father reflected on the Church's commitment to ecumenism, "The Second Vatican Council put the ecumenical pursuit at the center of the Church's life and work," he said. He cited

John Paul II, who referred to unity, not as "something added on, but [which] stands at the very heart of Christ's mission. ... [I]t belongs to the very essence of this community."

The Pontiff noted the "clear recognition" that the lack of unity jeopardizes Christians' credibility and "prevents the Gospel from being proclaimed more effectively. How can we give a convincing witness if we are divided? Certainly, as regards the fundamental truths of the faith, much more unites us than divides us. But divisions remain, and they concern even various practical and ethical questions -- causing confusion and distrust, and weakening our ability to hand on Christ's saving Word." The full text of the Pope’s comments can be found at www.zenit.org/article-34139?l=english

Cardinal Wuerl: Education is a Key to the New Evangelization

A day after Pope Benedict XVI warned visiting U.S. bishops about the threat of "radical secularism" to American moral values, Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl reflected on the implications of the pope's remarks, giving special emphasis to the role of Catholic education.

"It's so important in our country right now that we not allow faith to be brushed aside," the cardinal told Catholic News Service. "And the only way that's not going to happen ... is a renewal of our own faith."

Cardinal Wuerl, whose recent book, "Seek First the Kingdom," encourages Catholic laypeople to affirm their faith in various dimensions of secular life, said that Catholic schools are

"one of the most tried and proven ways of passing on the faith." Efforts to renew Catholic religious education were proving an "enormous success" at the elementary and secondary levels, he said. "Where we need to concentrate now is on the level of higher education."

Reaffirming Pope Benedict's hopeful words about a "new generation" of American Catholics working to renew the "church's presence and witness in American society," Cardinal Wuerl said that "many of the younger students and some of the faculty" at Catholic colleges and universities have shown themselves willing "to bring the Catholic perspective into the discussion at the level of academia."

Death Penalty on Decline in United States

For the first time since capital punishment was reintroduced in the United States in 1976 the annual number of new death sentences fell below 100 last

year. Shortly before the end of the year the Death Penalty Information Center released The Death Penalty in 2011: Year End Report (http://tiny.cc/ue4av).

New death sentences dropped to 78 in 2011. This compares with the high point in 1996, which saw 315 capital punishment sentences. The decline started in the late 90s, which had seen an average of about 300 annual sentences. Since then the number has steadily dropped. The number of executions also declined, down to 43, three fewer than the previous year.

Only 13 states carried out executions in 2011. Since 1976 out of the overall number of 1,277 executions Texas has accounted for no less than 477, which is 37% of the total. In 2011, nevertheless, there were only eight new death sentences. The number

of states that have the death penalty is down to 34.

Support for the death penalty also continued to decline. According to the report an annual Gallup Poll on the death penalty revealed that last year only 61% of people were in favor of the death penalty, the lowest level recorded in recent decades.

The report also observed that the application of death penalty sentences continues to be very arbitrary. Racial factors also heavily influence the likelihood of receiving a death sentence. Defendants who belong to a racial minority that commit death-eligible murders of white victims are six times more likely to receive a death sentence as minority defendants who commit murders of minorities.

President Invites Members to Join Committees

As a member-driven organization, President Anne Roat understands the importance of member participation on committees. They are the backbone of the organization. If you are interested in sharing your talents on a committee or if you would care to nominate an individual, either a member or a friend of NCCL with the gifts or skills to meet the committee’s objectives, please contact NCCL President Anne Roat personally at aroat@dol-in.org.

A complete list of committees and their charges can be found at the NCCL website under Committees. In addition, if you sign in you can see the current list of persons belonging to each of those committees.

Living with the Moral Burdens of War

This 4 ½ segment is an interview with Nancy Sherman, a University Professor at Georgetown University in Washington. Her specialty is the ethics of war, including what she has called

“moral wounding.” Her most recent book is The Untold War: Inside the Hearts, Minds, and Souls of Our Soldiers. She reminds us that the troops “come home carrying heavy, invisible wounds, of a sense of betrayal and PTSD”. She also states that “We have to reach out through community organizations, creation of jobs, and simply talking to the vet who comes home.” I would include our parishes as one of those community organizations that have to reach out. You can listen/read this program at Moral Wounding (http://tiny.cc/o0rw8).

Pope Stresses Role of Spiritual Guides in Discernment

Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the role of spiritual guides in vocational discernment and said that both parents and priests have a key role in helping youth discover their vocation. "In the biblical readings of this Sunday -- the second in Ordinary Time -- the theme of vocation emerges: in the Gospel it is the call of the first disciples by Jesus; in the first reading it is the call of the Prophet Samuel," he noted. "In both accounts there comes to the forefront the importance of the figure who plays the role of mediator, helping the persons called to recognize the voice of God and follow it."

He went on to mention Eli, the priest awakened by young Samuel three times, who realized that it was the Lord calling the boy; and John the

Baptist, who pointed out the Messiah to the first apostles. "In the light of these two texts," the Holy Father said, "I would like to underscore the decisive role of the spiritual guide in the journey of faith and, in particular, in the response to the vocation of special consecration for the service of God and his people."

The Pontiff observed that the "call to follow Jesus closely, renouncing a family of one's own to dedicate oneself to the great family of the Church, normally passes through the witness and the suggestion of an 'older brother,' usually a priest. But this is not to forget the fundamental role of parents, who with their genuine and joyful faith and their marital love show their children that it is beautiful and possible to build a whole life on the love of God." The full text of his remarks can be found at www.zenit.org/article-34123?l=english.

Update on 2010 New Wineskins Award : “ Christmas Carol Festivals”

Between 5,500-5,600 children, youth, and adults gathered in 19 area parishes for the 2011 “Christmas Carol Festival,” which has grown each year since its inception since 2007. In 2009, the total participants in the Festival were 1,500. Thus 2011 shows a growth of 266% in two years. The Monitor, newspaper and website of the Catholic diocese, provided over 6,000 newsprint sized four-page carol lyric sheets to parishes for free.

For the first time ever, more than 75% of parishes provided follow-up for participants with invitations to “Three Kings” and “Little Christmas” celebrations, “Mardi Gras,” “Jesus in January,” Adult Faith Formation programs, “Living the Eucharist,”  “Wafer Suppers,” Family Religious Education programs, “Catholics Returning Home,” and Parish Retreats. Below are links to articles, photo galleries, a professional YouTube video, and “Christmas Carol Festivals” new Facebook page addition.

Christmas Carol Festivals to Abound in Diocese (http://tiny.cc/araps)

'Joy to the World' (http://tiny.cc/sudg7) Christmas Carol Festivals provide a fun, meaningful way to prepare for the season.

First Christmas Carol Festival from Sacred heart Parish in Mount Holly New Jersey (2011) (http://tiny.cc/wg23d) [1:54].

SEE MANY MORE photos, videos, cartoons, links, and quotes at "Like" Christmas Carol Festival (http://tiny.cc/maonj)

Presence of Catholics Online is Essential, Says Vatican Official

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, emphasized that the presence of Catholics on the internet is essential. He noted that in 2009, roughly 440 million Catholics went online. Archbishop Celli made his comments in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the pastoral instruction on social communications, “Communio et progressio.”

According to L’Osservatore Romano, Archbishop Celli said society has passed from the “era of information” to the “era of conversation,” in which the content is itself the object of dialogue. Speaking about the social media, the archbishop said, “Language, understanding of communities and visibility are the great challenges facing those who want to be present in the new digital continent.” He said Catholics must meet the challenge of stepping into this “courtyard of the gentiles,” where God is unknown to many.

Busy Catholic Youth Ministry Blog ging

This has been a hyperactive month on the Catholic Youth Ministry Blog

(http://www.dscottmiller.com/) - - - I agree with Scott that there has been “Lot's of good stuff!  There’s been discussion of that Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus video that’s gone so viral recently. some March for Life resources, discussions regarding change and the future of youth ministry, a resource on Witness Talks,  and even an international visitor have already filled our screens.  And, we have started running the individual content pieces from last fall’s ReBuild My Church”.  If you haven’t visited in a while, please check us out (http://tiny.cc/ewftq)

Migrants Are People, Not Numbers, Says Pope

Marking last Sunday's World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Benedict XVI recalled that there are millions of people involved in migration, but they are not numbers. "They are men and women, children, young people and old people who seek a place where they can live in peace." The Holy Father referred to his message (http://tiny.cc/9igr8) for the world day, which he dedicated to the theme of migrants and

evangelization. "Migrants," he stated, "are not only recipients but also protagonists of the proclamation of the Gospel in the contemporary world."

Vatican Pleased News Website is Popular

The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications says it is very happy with new figures that show over 10,000 people are using its online news site every day. “I think that for an initiative that is only a few months old these results are really quite positive,” said Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the communications council. The site, www.news.va, went live in June 2011.

“For example, at Christmas we were having over 16,000 visitors a day, and according to the research, 52 percent of those were new visitors to the site.” Archbishop Celli also revealed that visitors to the page come from 180 different countries, with many people favoring the live streaming site for papal events.

The Vatican’s news site already operates in English, Spanish and Italian, but it is expanding to other languages. Archbishop Celli said that the site will begin offering news in French this month

and in February it will go live in Portuguese. “So in less than one year we’re having news.va in the five main languages that are used today,” he said.

The Vatican’s news portal was launched by Pope Benedict XVI in June 2011. With the tap of an iPad, the Pope sent a message on Twitter that said, “Dear Friends, I just launched News.va Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI.” The site brought together all the Vatican’s communication outlets into one online location for the first time ever. That list includes Fides News Agency, the newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican Information Service, Vatican Radio and the Vatican television service, CTV. However, each news source still maintains its own independent website.

Why I Love Religion and Love Jesus

A four minute response to the video Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus (http://tiny.cc/m6b2a). The purpose of this video is to do a response from a Catholic perspective, in a spirit of love, but also with a spirit of passion to defend our Mother the Church. The things that are said are not meant to offend, but we do have to be direct about what we believe and what we

stand for. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru_tC4fv6FE. Join the discussion at http://phatmass.com. To find out more about the producers of this video, Spirit Juice Studios, go to their website: http://www.spiritjuicestudios.com/ . Here are the lyrics to this video.

What if I told you that Jesus loves religionAnd that by his coming as man he brought his religion to fruitionSee this had to be addressed, the use of illogical terms and definitionsYou clearly have a heart for Jesus but its fueling atheistic opinionsSee what makes his religion great is not errors of wars and inquisitionsIt's that broken men and women to participate in his missionClearly Jesus says I have not come to abolishI came to fulfill the law and I came to fulfill the prophets (Matthew 5:17)And lines about building big churches and tending to the poorSounds a bit like Judas when the perfume was being poured (John 12:5)See His religion is the largest worldwide source of reliefFor the poor, the hungry, the sick and repentant thiefOceans of compassion, opening wide the doorsFor single mothers, widows and orphans, married and divorced (James 1:27)We all detest hypocrisy, and empty show is just the worstBut blaming religion for contradictionIs like staring at death, and blaming the hearse.See the teacher will teach when the students are ready to listenBut those that choose to sit in the pews and refuse the good newsIs not the fault of religion. And If I have the Jersey and I'm playing for the BullsThere's going to be some boundaries, regulations and some rules.You can't have Christ without his Church; you can't have the King without his Kingdom

Sins of the Body and internal treason will never ever make me leave himAnd that Jesus said it is done, is absolutely trueBut he also gave us a mission with many things to DO.Jesus says if you love me, you will Do what I command. (JN 15:14)Go and Baptize in the name of the Father, Son & Spirit in Every Land. (MT 28:19)And on the night he was betrayed he took his men in the Upper RoomTake at eat this is my body take and drink my blood for you.A New covenant you see, an act connected to the tree,Do this time and time again in Memory of Me. (Mt 26:26-28)And at last with crown of thorns beaten beyond comprehensionHis eyes were looking for yours and mine; it was divine, no human invention.So as for religion I love it, I have one because Jesus rose from the dead and won.I believe When Jesus said IT IS FINISHED, His religion had just begun.

It’s Pentecost

Maybe this is the real answer. It’s a little less than four minutes. Maybe the producers are correct when they say “Read the story again for the first time – Acts 2: 1-21.” Check out the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmweXyEeoBw.

Abortion leading to less respect for lives of disabled

A Philadelphia hospital's alleged refusal to provide a kidney transplant to a mentally disabled 3-year-old is yet another example of the harm caused in the United States by the Roe v. Wade court decision legalizing abortion, according to Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. "The habit of treating genetically disabled children as somehow less worthy of life is growing across the country," the archbishop said in a column posted Jan. 19 on the website of his archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Standard & Times (http://tiny.cc/mhxt0).

He was commenting on the case of Amelia Rivera, whose parents say she was denied a kidney transplant at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia because she has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that results in severe developmental retardation. The child's parents say a doctor at the hospital told them that a kidney transplant would not be performed on Amelia at the hospital using a donated kidney because she was "mentally retarded." The hospital has declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing patient confidentiality, but said that transplant eligibility decisions were "based on widely accepted, medically valid methods, with many factors considered."

Archbishop Chaput said it is "unwise to assume that news media get all the details of a story like

this right, or that the motives of an entire hospital's leadership and staff are as unfeeling as an individual doctor might seem." But he added, "We need to understand that if some lives are regarded as unworthy, respect for all life is at risk. We should pray that Amelia Rivera gets the help she needs, and that God surrounds her parents with the support they need."

"The real choice in accepting or rejecting a child with special needs is never between some imaginary perfection or imperfection," the archbishop said. "None of us is perfect. No child is perfect. The real choice in accepting or rejecting a child with special needs is between love and unlove; between courage and cowardice; between trust and fear." The complete text of his article can be found at http://archphila.org/archbishop-chaput/statements/weeklycolumn2.pdf.

A Choice Between Pain or Death: “ Make Her Live”

The program is Snap Judgment and it is part of the NPR programming line-up. This is Snap #302 entitled Hand of Fate and this segment is Selfish Man (a title I would dispute). This clip is 4:48 and is very emotional. However, if you believe in life, and you appreciated what Archbishop Chaput wrote in his column, then please listen to Kyle Bowen at http://snapjudgment.org/Hand-Of-

Fate . The program is dedicated to Deirdre Artimis Bowen.

Happiness Revealed

Happiness Revealed is the title of a project by Louie Schwartzberg, the founder of Blacklight Films. This is a nine (9) minute TED presentation, the first 3 ½ minutes feature Louie and what he has been doing for the last thirty (30) years. Besides learning what a wonderful gift your eyes are, you are treated to beautiful time-lapse images of flowers. Then he introduces you to

his latest project where you will meet a delightful young girl and a reflective elderly gentleman. This is one of the most profound pieces I have ever seen on gratitude. It ends with this suggestion “Let your gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you.” You will not be wasting your time to watch this film at Happiness Revealed (http://tiny.cc/zmo6m).

3 Timeless Parables for Gaining Perspective

These are the opening words of Fast Company Expert Blogger (whatever that means), Mark McNeilly in his blog titled 3 Timeless Parables for Gaining Perspective.

If you are like me, sometimes I am so busy trying to catch up, stay even, or take the lead that I lose perspective. When things are going well, I am on top of the world. Yet then when bad luck hits or I see others achieving things I wish I could, I get down on myself. It's at times like these that I refer back to three parables from different cultures that have help me better keep my perspective.

If interested in reading them, please go to http://www.fastcompany.com/1809457/three-timeless-parables-for-regaining-perspective. [Image: Flickr user ZeroOne]

At Break of Day

This picture book’s strength is “derived from the artful combination of gentle, lilting prose and the beautifully textured and rich illustrations”. Rather than that using a simple rhyme for children, Nikki Grimes makes “great use of alliteration and gently rhythmic language”. Furthermore, Grimes does an excellent job of using a playful and loving relationship between father and son in this creation story to give us the combined imagery of Genesis 1 and John 1. You can purchase At Break of Day

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Here is the newest book on The Canticle of the Sun. This is the first book for the artist Pamela Dalton, a master of scherenschnitte, the art of papercutting. Each piece is first sketched freehand, and then cut by hand from a single piece of paper before being hand colored. It will come as no surprise that her artwork has enthralled collectors worldwide for more than two decades. Renowned children's author Katherine Paterson reimagines this text and

turned it into a poem that I believe St. Francis would enjoy. You can purchase Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Leaping: revelations and epiphanies

Brian Doyle is amazing. What a writer. I can’t believe I never came across this before; since it was written in 2003. Thanks to Paul Brian Campbell, SJ in his People for others blog, I was not only introduced but was able to track down a copy. This is a book that any parent can identify with and a selection could be used as part of prayer or as a human development activity or a lead in to faith sharing. Here is an excerpt to give you a flavor of what this book holds. You can purchase Leaping: Revelations & Epiphanies though you may have to search on a used book site for a better deal and then I am not sure you can find one. There

is always the library.

I am rich in children, but they are driving me stark raving muttering insane.

I think there are three of them, but they sprint through the house and scream piercingly and slam doors and pee in the bushes and break action figures at such a rate that I am not altogether sure sometimes how many children or action figures there are in the house.

The children call me names and use bad words and hide clothes under their beds and take their mother for granted and get sick all the time and cough darkly on me and put their muddy feet on the couch and throw mud halls at the house and pour milk on the porch. They have broken two windows and cracked a door. They have dug a pit in the yard big enough to trap a car. They hide shoes in the freezer. They lose their homework, their hats, their jackets, their backpacks, their tempers.

Yet when they are sick they drape themselves on me like warm shirts, which I love, and they leave me notes sometimes in my shoes, which I love, and they have honest loopy handwriting, which I love, and now all three of them can read, which I love, and they read aloud by the fire at night, which is the coolest sound I have ever heard, and when they hug me they hug me desperately and powerfully, and they murmur like small owls when they are sleepy, and they are hilarious twice a day and sometimes, not very often, not as often as I would like, they turn to me and cup my grizzled face in their grubby hands and do the Vulcan mind-lock thing, their sea-green eyes drilling into me, and that is when I am most sure that I am a man wealthy beyond words in the only coin that matters, love, harried though it may be.

Knowing Jesus and His Message – Conociendo a Jesus y su Mensaje

This is an excellent resource. Immediately following the Learning Session on this resources at the NCCL Conference and Exposition in Atlanta, the NCCL Bookstore sold over twenty (20) copies of the book in English and Spanish.

Based on the protocol used to evaluate elementary religion series, the book used

fifteen standards for Pre-K and K through Grades 7 & 8. Included with the binder is a CD with all the materials available for duplication. This is an ideal help for any elementary catechist regardless of the series you might be using. Check out the following and use the Order Form.

PREFACE - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/nysql) EXPLANATION - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/xuvw8) Standards - Explained (http://tiny.cc/65wmc) Normas y Fundamentos (http://tiny.cc/zfrg2)

ORDER FORM - Knowing Jesus and His Message (http://tiny.cc/9j0mb)

Looking For A Good Book?

Stop by the NCCL Bookstore. Purchasing books, CDs, DVDs, and other products on Amazon through the NCCL Bookstore (http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20) helps support this valuable online ministry.

If you are an on-line shopper and you frequent Amazon.com, please enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore as the organization benefits from every purchase you make. It’s an ideal way to support our ministry. Just go to our Home page (www.NCCL.org) and click on the Store tab or click on http://astore.amazon.com/natioconfefor-20 and it will take you directly to our bookstore. It doesn’t matter what you buy, as long as you enter through the NCCL Amazon Bookstore, we get a percentage of your purchases.

We are just building our bookstore and adding titles every day, so if you have any suggestions for books you believe should be available through our bookstore, please drop NCCL a note. All books mentioned in CL Weekly are available at the NCCL Bookstore.

Feedback/Comments should be addressed to: lnagel@nccl.org