Vol.40, No.2 Summer 2007 Transitioning into Adult CLC Contents 3 Editorial Foreword 4 A Swan Song and Youth And Young Adult: Lessons from Arthur Godfrey and Paris Hilton by Tom Bausch NCLC-USA NATIONAL 8 My Transition to Adult Christian Life Community by Phuong- COORDINATING COUNCIL MEMBERS Ha Nguyen 11 Young Adult CLCs in South Florida by Carmen Santamaría and EXCO MEMBERS Angelique Ruhi-López Thomas Bausch, President 13 Our Thanks to Father Bill Kidwell, S.J. by Maritza Falo Ann Marie Brennan, President-Elect 14 Fr .William Kidwell Says Goodbye after Twenty Years of service Paula Burgan, Secretary by Aken Cabrera Kitty Gray, Treasurer John LeVecke, S.J., Ecclesial Assistant 15 “Grace Follows Whenever We Meet Again” by John LeVecke, S.J. REPRESENTATIVES 16 CLC – Jesuit Relationships…An ongoing Partnership by Lois Angelique Ruhi-Lopez & Campbell Carmen Santamaria 18 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering 2007 by Sylvia Picard Schmitt Youth and Young Adult Coordinators 19 Youth and Young Adult Updates from Around the Country Lois Campbell, WCLC Representative Susan Stith, Mid-Atlantic 19 From ExCo Mary Wescovich, Missouri 20 From the Regions Clarivel Marin de Dragas, New England Dong Hanh Carmen Castagno, New Orleans Ann Marie Brennan, New York Korean CLC Bonnie Hugeback, North Central 21 Mid-Atlantic Region Tom Taylor, Northwest Missouri Region Carol Klosowski-Gawecki, Rieman Great Lakes 22 New Orleans Region Clarita Baloyra, South Florida New York Region Gary Miskimon, Western 23 North Central Region Liem Le, Vietnamese CLC Bibiana Hae Ja Rhee, Korean CLC South Florida Region 24 Western Region Coordinating Editor Calendar of Events Dolores Celentano Next Issue Layout & Design Patricia Carter Vol. 40, No. 2, 2007 Christian Life Community Harvest (USPS 985-900: ISSN-0739-6422) is published quarterly by the National CLC-USA Office National Christian Life Community of the United States of America, 3601 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 3501 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108 MO 63108 314-633-4628. Subscriptions are $24 per year USA; $28 foreign, $34 foreign air mail. Items can be faxed to: 314-633-4400. POSTMASTER: Send all changes of address to (Be sure to indicate that the fax is for NCLC.) Christian Life Community Harvest, 3601 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Visit our web site: www.clc-usa.org. Periodicals postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri Harvest / 2 Return to Table of Contents EDITORIAL FOREWORD Transitioning—can be interpreted to mean the state of Those CLCers who are passing from one condition to another or a passage con- sharing their own ‘transitions’ necting two themes or subjects. Which is it for serious with us do well do remind us CLCers? how important their leaders This issue has as its focus the invitation received and have been as role models. It is nurtured and then the subsequent transitioning of youth also interesting to note that the and young adults who have had a pre-CLC experience and example set and interest shown have found it the means to ‘plant seeds’ that coalesce into by more senior CLCers has Dolores Celentano developing the desire to live out their own personal voca- also served as the flint to ‘light tions within the CLC context. the flame’ of desire to continue along the CLC path in daily life— Our National Leadership has realized the importance of addressing this particular course of action, but CLC- “My college years were blessed. As a youth, CLC USA has ‘taken and the ball and run with it’ . We are provided me a wonderful environment that nourished my already seeing the fruit of the dedication of members of spiritual growth. ..As an adult, CLC took a deeper mean- campus ministries as well as the many volunteer guides ing …my fellow CLCers and I help each other discover, and mentors who have had a hand in developing commu- discern and live our personal vocation.’ nities in our high schools and universities; in the growing “We contemplated how the Lord is calling us to serve numbers of our young adults who are embracing Christian in the areas of formation and all the different ministries of Life Community. Youth/Young Adult Ministry…” CLC-USA was fortunate to recently be able to host “Our region encourages and happily welcomes young Fr. Alberto Brito, our World Vice-Ecclesial Assistant. adult involvement in activities, which has helped us take Along with enjoying his first baseball game and city tours on leadership roles and increase our involvement in CLC, across the country,he referred to CLC’s work with different both regionally and nationally.” campus ministries as “…a bridge CLC-USA can explore.” “Now we, the young adults, are following the example He has worked with Coimbra University in Portugal for set by the local adult communities and are helping form and twenty years and knows well of the Youth/Young Adult guide new communities of young adults. …CLC has really CLC experience. been an intergenerational effort — and both generations of As our outgoing National President Tom Bausch notes, CLCs are richer for it.” “The fluidity and mobility of young adults may manifest itself differently, but it is a fact of life and provides a major part of the reality in which we must promote CLC and We are also happy to include in this issue “CLC—Je- make it work for these young men and women who are the suit Relationships, An Ongoing Partnership” as well as future.” a report on the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering 2007. Along with the Transitioning articles, these seem to pro- Our National Ecclesial Assistant, Fr. John LeVecke, vide a natural segueway into the words of Cyril Taylor’s notes, “Transitioning is a part of life, especially if we are hymn, growing, adapting and embracing the changes which are Lord, You Give the Great Commission the very fabric of our lives.” “Lord, you give the great commission… In the Metro NY Region, we had a second generation Lord, you call us to your service… CLC group, which grew out of the San Lorenzo Ruiz CLC Lord, you bless with words assuring, in New Jersey. After a few years, new job opportunities, I am with you to the end. internships, relocation took their toll on this group of young Faith and hope and love restoring, adults. Although the group per se is not as it began(which can May we serve as you intend. also be said of adult CLCs), some of the original members are And amid the cares that claim us, still providing dedication and leadership to Metro CLC. Way Hold in mind eternity. to go!!! With the Spirit’s gifts empow’r us For the work of ministry.” Continued on page 7 Summer 2007 / 3 Return to Table of Contents A Swan Song and Youth And Young Adult: Lessons from Arthur Godfrey and Paris Hilton Tom Bausch Many of you reading this article join me, I am sure, as a member of the CLC- USA “Flickering Candles” and can remember Arthur Godfrey firing Julius LaRosa on live television in the mid-1950’s. Arthur did it by telling LaRosa, after he sang what was to be his final number, that he had sung his “swan song”. This came to mind as I reflected on what I wanted to convey as my swan song as President and at the same time address how we generate and support youth and young adults in CLC. The tie to Godfrey firing LaRosa is like unto the phenomenon of Paris Hilton. Let us be honest, each of us, as disgusted as we may claim to be, are following the soap opera with keen interest as we ask, “What is wrong with modern culture and the degenerate manner in which we celebrate the rise and fall of “celebrities”? This phenomenon is not new! The “Godfrey/LaRosa” affair was greeted with two-inch front page headlines in most of the newspapers of the day. Godfrey’s ratings were falling dramatically and he had to “jump the shark” as Fonzie did in Happy Days as it died “not with a bang but a whimper.” And once a week Archie reminded us, as he dealt with his frustration with Michael, that “Those were the days.” Thomas Bausch, President MY SWAN SONG After two years as President, I thank God that “these are the days” He chose for me to live and more specifically that these are the days that He has chosen me to be Presi- dent of CLC-USA. It has been an honor and a gratifying experience as I have worked with and grown to know ever more of you who joined Sodality/CLC in the cultural eras of Arthur Godfrey, All in the Family, Happy Days, Peyton Place, Cheers, Stein- feld, Parr, Carson and Letterman. (One caveat, however! I refuse to concede an inch, the gold standard of monologs was, is, and always will be, Carson.) John Paul II was I am simply in forceful in reminding us that each of us is the subject of our work and all other activ- ity. I know that CLC is the Spirit alive for me for I know that I have grown as a human prayerful awe of person through all of my interactions with all of you. Thank you! Any accurate definition of the human person, which does not include American individual CLCers individualism, insists that each of us can only become the person God intended if we are in community. I grow step by step towards this image in God’s eyes every time I and CLCs as I meet have the honor and privilege to serve, be served by, work with, proceed with, inter-act with and pray with members of Christian Life Community.