Individual Learning

Coming soon.

Offerings will include complete online courses for liturgical ministries, sharing faith with others, passing on faith as families, and understanding the Church.

Lenten Online Book Discussion Sponsored by Henri Nouwen Society

Each Lent and Advent the Henri Nouwen Society sponsors online discussions of books written by the late Fr. Henri Nouwen, widely recognized as one of  most influential spiritual writers of the late 20th century. Parishioner Ray Glennon has facilitated these discussions for the Nouwen Society since 2014.  The  book selection for this Lent is Henri’s Letters to Marc About Jesus: Living a Spiritual Life in a Material World.  The book consists of eight profound and beautiful letters that Henri addressed to his 18-year-old nephew, Marc van Campen.  With Marc’s agreement in advance, these letters were written with publication in mind and afford Henri the opportunity to tell his nephew – as well as his many readers – his thoughts on faith, on Jesus, and on the meaning of our existence.
The discussion is conducted online at your own pace and on your own schedule without any scheduled meetings. To learn more, visit the book discussion blog at http://wp.henrinouwen.org/.   We begin on Ash Wednesday, March 2nd with greetings and introductions. Then starting on Sunday, March 6th, we’ll journey through Lent reading and discussing this particularly timely and meaningful publication.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ray at ray.glennon@1972.usna.com. 

Rioting at the U.S. Capitol – what is the Church saying about it?

On January 6, 2021, there was a violent attack against the 117th U.S. Congress by an angry mob of President Trump supporters. What are the leaders of the Catholic Church saying about this sad day in our history?

Building a Nation of Peace and Justice, By Archbishop William Lori

Archbishop William Lori is the archbishop of Baltimore, serves as Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus and is the former chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty.

The Roman Road from Insurrection, By Russell Moore

Russell Moore is president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The ERLC is the moral and public policy entity of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

Why White Nationalism is especially egregious in Catholics, by Elizabeth Scalia

Elizabeth Scalia is a Benedictine Oblate and the author of several books including the award-winning Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life (Ave Maria Press) and Little Sins Mean a Lot (OSV). In addition to blogging as “The Anchoress,” Elizabeth also serves as the Editor at Large for Word on Fire. 

Pope Francis asks Immaculate Virgin Mary to intercede for US after Capitol violence

Pope Francis was “astonished” by the violent attack on the US Capitol.

How House chaplain calmed tense hours in besieged Capitol with prayers for ‘God’s covering,’ by Jack Jenkins of the Associated Press

Rear Adm. Margaret Grun Kibben is a Presbyterian minister and the chaplain to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Statement of Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, on violence in U.S. Capitol

Catechesis for Current Events

Racism
“We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.” Pope Francis, June 3, 2020.

• The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has extensive resources for understanding and responding to the issues of racism in society. The resources include the official document, “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Call to Enduring Love,” prayers, and video messages. http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism/index.cfm
• This article, “The Assumptions of White Privilege and What We Can Do About It” by Fr. Bryan Massengale (a theology professor at Fordham University), is a very thoughtful description of the underlying issues and provides ways we can begin to respond. (https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/assumptions-white-privilege-and-what-we-can-do-about-it)
• This video is the Catholic Church’s response to the violence: Pope Francis and U.S. Bishops Respond to George Floyd’s Killing. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyztKEa6SCc&feature=youtu.be)
• Talking about race, although hard, is necessary. This resource, “Talking About Race” from the National Museum of African American Culture and History – Smithsonian,  provides tools and guidance to empower our journey and inspire conversation. (https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race)
• This video by Phil Vischer discusses the need to talk about race. Why are people angry? Why so upset? Didn’t we elect a black president? Pass civil rights laws? Isn’t racism illegal now? Why are people still angry? Let’s take a look at Race in America – A Holy Post Video. (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2611898429058130)
• Confederate Monuments and Statues: The ”monument issue” seems confusing. The ACLU provides this balanced and concise video which describes the issues concerning the removal of confederate statues and monuments. (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/watch/aclu-tears-down-confederate-monument-myths/vp-BB15Ij2u)

Environment and Climate
Pope Francis urges the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics and all people of good will to take urgent action against the injustice of climate change and the ecological crisis, to protect the poor and future generations. His encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, is a compelling call to care for our common home, Earth, building on a long history of Catholic teaching.

• The month of September launches the Season of Creation with Healing, Hope, and Action. The celebration continues through October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and explores how caring for our environment impacts us more than ever. Click here to learn more about the programs and other information available during this season.
• The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has extensive resources for understanding and responding to the issues of environment and climate change. The resources include 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si: On Care For Our Common Home.”  This site also has additional resources, discussion guides, and videos. http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/environment/index.cfm
• Catholic Climate Covenant provides extensive resources for better understanding environmental issues and taking action, including the new initiative, “Hope for Creation – A Virtual Celebration of Earth Day and Laudato Si,” The Catholic Climate Project, prayer and worship materials, and actions for families and individuals.  https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/
• If you are interested in the role of the Catholic Church in environmental issues around the world, go to the website for the Global Catholic Climate Movement, https://catholicclimatemovement.global/ . They provide resources, stories, and action activities.

Comprehensive Sites/Collections

• Formed.org
  (https://www.Formed.org)
  An online platform providing access to the best Catholic audio talks, movies, e-books, and video-based studies from trusted sources. The “Netflix for Catholics”. FORMED is an extensive online platform that helps you learn and enjoy your faith every day through a variety of approaches: study using video series on faith and Bible studies; watch movies with friends and family; listen to engaging talks & podcasts; and read a virtual library of e-books.
  Go to https://formed.org/home to create an account and enter code: CPP94R.
• Busted Halo
  (href=”https://bustedhalo.com/)
  Busted Halo, a ministry of the Paulist Fathers, is a website that focuses on young adults, but is appropriate for everyone wanting to know more about our Catholic faith and living as disciples of Jesus.
• Word on Fire
  (https://www.wordonfire.org/)
  Word on Fire Catholic Ministries is a nonprofit global media apostolate that supports the work of Bishop Robert Barron and reaches millions of people to draw them into— or back to— the Catholic faith. Word on Fire is evangelical; it proclaims Jesus Christ as the source of conversion and new life. Word on Fire is Catholic; it utilizes the tremendous resources of the Roman Catholic tradition—art, architecture, poetry, philosophy, theology, and the lives of the saints— in order to explain and interpret the event of Jesus Christ. See also Word on Fire’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/wordonfirevideo.

Official Church Websites

• The Vatican
  (http://www.vatican.va/)
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
  (http://www.usccb.org)
• Archdiocese of Baltimore
  (http://www.archbalt.org)
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church
  (http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/)
• The New American Bible online
  (http://www.usccb.org/nab/)

Daily Prayer Sites

• Lent with the Saints (Daily inspiration during Lent from Franciscan Media).
• Sacred Space Daily Prayer (Online Guided Meditation, also available as an iOS/Android app)
  (https://www.sacredspace.ie/)
• Henri Nouwen Society’s Daily Meditations
  (https://henrinouwen.org/resources/daily-meditation/)
• Dynamic Catholic Daily Meditations (Matthew Kelly)
  (https://dynamiccatholic.com/daily-reflections)
• Pray As You Go
  (https://pray-as-you-go.org/)
• Plough (Christian/non-Catholic reflections)
  (https://www.plough.com/en/subscriptions/daily-prayer)

Faith Growth

• Readings of the Day/Bible Online
  (http://www.usccb.org/bible/index.cfm)
  The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has a section for both the readings of the day and the entire Bible online, as well as an audio recording of the daily readings. From the linked page, access each of these three sections. USCCB also provides a daily video reflection on a playlist on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/usccb/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=3.
• Center for Action and Contemplation
  (https://cac.org/)
  The Center for Action and Contemplation seeks to empower individuals to live out their sacred soul tasks in service to the world through contemplative programs and resources. Its most well known member, Richard Rohr, OFM, provides online courses, materials, and a regular email (daily, weekly, or monthly).
• Catholics Come Home
  (https://www.catholicscomehome.org/)
  Catholics Come Home is a non-profit, independent charity whose purpose is to invite inactive Catholics, and others searching for a faith home, to the Catholic faith. Their informative and interactive website helps to answer questions about Church teachings and gives an overview of the Catholic faith.
• Blessed is She
  (https://blessedisshe.net/)
  Blessed Is She is a website for busy women, “just like you.” Whether “single, married, mamas, and grandmamas too”, the site provides daily devotionals based on scripture, articles, a marketplace, and subscription-based emails.
• Popes in a Year
  (https://flocknote.com/popes)
  We all know Pope Francis and we all know St. Peter, but do you know all the popes in between? This program will send a daily (Mon-Fri) installment featuring a brief and fun overview of every pope of the Catholic Church from #1 to #266.
• Catechism in a Year
  (https://flocknote.com/catechism)
  Join the largest group in human history (120k+) to ever study the catechism together! Get one email a day (Mon-Fri) and cover the entire catechism in a year!
• Basic Understanding Of the Kerygma (the Good News)
  (https://youtu.be/ye8D8p54C4c)
  Excellent 50-minute presentation of the Kerygma (the Good News!) by Father Ricardo.
• The Ministry of the Wild Goose
  (https://thewildgooseisloose.com/)
  Enhance Your Relationship with the Holy Spirit. In the Wild Goose Series, Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR, a well-known author and speaker who is director of Franciscan Pathways, encourages us to pray “Come Holy Spirit.”
• Liturgy Training Publications
  (ltp.org/s/gatherings)
  Virtual gatherings and faith formation opportunities from Liturgy Training Publications.

Family/Parenting Issues

• Coming Soon.

St. Francis of Assisi parish strives to be consistent with Catholic Church teaching in all its content. On this website you will find links to outside resources, including some from non-church organizations. These links do not constitute an endorsement by this website/parish of all content on these sites and none should be inferred. St. Francis of Assisi parish is not responsible for the content of these outside organization’s websites.