V OLUME 49, ISSUE 3 CHALLENGE WINTER 2009 News for Lay Dominicans, Province of St Albert the Great From the President dent PC Delegates Start Search for New Leadership Fifteen delegates, plus elected and appointed officers Editor, Justice, Peace, and Care of Creation Promoter, Antiphons for Today were present at the October 2008 Provincial Council Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer. Voting by O Wisdom – that comes from the Meeting in Plymouth, Michigan, to report on the activities Delegates will occur at the next Provincial Council gift of prudence of their communities. Provincial Promoter Fr Jim Motl Meeting, Oct. 22-25, 2009. O Adonai – That our Father leads said that he was heartened to learn that almost every com- Besides adoption of a new translation of the Rule , as each to His very being munity has a new member, and that younger people, as formulated by the Inter-Provincial Council earlier in O Root of Jesse – that we may well as more men, are joining the communities. the year, finishing touches were made to the By-Laws, respect the fountain of our roots President Ruth Kummer said that there have also been Handbook , and Guidelines and voted on in their final O Key of David – that our hearts growing pains, and that three chapters subdivided re- versions. Work was done on the Strategic Plan, headed open to Your gifts and strengthen cently. She recommended that in addition to ongoing by Chairman Ed Shea. Also discussed was the applica- one to close one’s hearts to faulting study in the cognitive domain, future training in the affec- tion process for the Province’s tax-exempt status, led O Dawn of Light – that you lead tive domain should be added to formation so as to en- by Treasurer Mary Lee Odders and her finance com- each from darkness with an open hance community life. And it was noted by many that mittee. The finance committee was also asked to for- heart organized preaching during community meetings had mulate guidelines on appropriate use of the Irvine Fund O King of Nations – that Your peace been started, as well as new apostolates initiated. by local communities. fashioned us from clay Preparing a slate of nominations for a variety of offices In the Footsteps of Dominic and Catherine, a seminar O Emmanuel, our King, Lawmaker - was one of many items on the agenda. President Kum- on Dominican spirituality, will be offered through the that your disciples serve others mer’s term of office will end in November 2009, and a Aquinas Institute of Theology on June 11-14, 2009, to O Virgin – that my soul is glad nominating committee was selected to begin the search all Lay Dominicans. Much discussion ensued as to how because your Son is my Savior for candidates. The offices of Vice President and Inter- to attain maximum attendance at this event and also Provincial Delegate will also expire. The search commit- how to encourage the Aquinas Institute to hold this **** tee includes Delegates Ruth Lewis, Dolly Soazo, Jill seminar on a continuing basis. The motion was made Mark your calendar with the O’Brien, Michael Andrews, Vice President Harvey New- and carried that the Irvine Fund will be used to support tentative date of October 22 –25, comb, and alternate Debra Klopf. the first 20 Lay Dominicans from the Province of St 2009, for the next A subcommittee consisting of Ruth Lewis, Dolly Soazo, Albert the Great who apply for a scholarship of $250 to Provincial Council Meeting. and Jill O’Brien will simultaneously solicit nominations attend the workshop (see Page 7). for appointive positions, also starting in November 2009: Delegates also voted to publish an “Abbreviated Min- A Blessed Christmas & Formation Chair, Preaching Promoter, Recording Secre- utes” in the Challenge , and they are on Page 2. tary, Ad Hoc Liturgy and Celebration Chair, Publications Healthy New Year! Peace, Justice & Care of Creation Corner US Bishops Promote National Migration Week, Jan. 4 - 10 US Catholic bishops are highlighting Jan. 4-10, occupied territories of West Bank and Gaza. storms, droughts, and natural disasters,” says an 2009, as National Migration Week. The year’s Andrew Hudson, a senior associate with the Hu- appeal signed by 92 bishops, archbishops, and theme, Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice , “reminds man Rights Defenders Programme at Human cardinals. This effort was launched by Caritas us of our obligation to bring hope to the hopeless Rights First, singled out UN member states, pri- Internationalis , which respresents 162 national and to seek justice for those who are easily ex- marily Security Council members, “who have Caritas church charities, and CIDSE, a Belgian- ploited,” says Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake frequently failed to prevent or address gross vio- based alliance of 16 Catholic agencies. City, chair of the United States Conference of lations of the UDHR.” The United States, Nations Sign Anti-Cluster Bomb Treaty Catholic Bishops’(USCCB) Committee on Migra- France, and Britain have continued to protect The National Catholic Reporter reports that tion, in a letter sent to every parish and Catholic Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan, while Russia and some 100 nations signed the Convention on school across the country. The bishops hope that China continue to shield Zimbabwe, Sudan, and Cluster Munitions during a conference in early the resources the USCCB has made available will Burma against any strictures or sanctions for December in Oslo, Norway. Norway was the help Catholics become familiar with the many is- human rights violations. first to sign, followed by countries hard-hit by sues surrounding migration. these weapons such as Laos, Lebanon, and Af- Climate Change Subject of Clergy Activism Climate Change Subject of Clergy Activism ghanistan. The United States, one of the princi- Landmark UN Document Celebrates 60 Years Catholic Church officials from 38 countries pal manufacturers and exporters of the weap- The United Nations in early December commemo- have launched a campaign with more than 170 ons, did not sign it, insisting that these weapons rated the 60th anniversary of the landmark Univer- Catholic organizations to persuade the United remain a necessary part of 21st-century arse- sal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) against Nations to meet the “moral obligation” of tack- nals. On average, a quarter of all cluster-bomb the backdrop of widespread political repression— ling climate change. “Climate change is a reality victims are children. The treaty will help ensure most notably in Zimbabwe, Sudan, Burma today affecting the lives and livelihoods of mil- that survivors, their families, and communities (Myanmar), Iraq, Afghanistan, and in the Israeli- lions in developing countries by exacerbating receive measurable assistance. P AGE 2 V OLUME 49, ISSUE 3 The Preaching Corner The Three-Legged Stool of Preaching Explained by Laura Dejmek, OP tions continues to encounter the Gospel- are each called to ask ourselves, “How does Co-Promoter of Preaching actualized community.” The three ministries of our preaching charism interface with the On our provincial feast day, Nov. 15, the Pro- the Word that need to be in dialogue with one call to justice?” Our words and actions will moters of Preaching met at Aquinas Institute of another to form a balanced preacher are: 1) then typically bring the Word alive. Theology in St Louis. I had the privilege, and Christian formation ( catechesis ); 2) pastoral Some of you may know that a “fractal” is a challenge, of preaching on our provincial patron, care ( paraclesis ); and 3) social justice phenomenon in nature where you can break St Albert the Great. The meeting was facilitated (evangelization of the culture). something up into parts, but the part has the com- by Greg Heille, OP, a former Promoter of Preach- • In Christian formation (e.g., religious edu- plete elements of the whole. For example, if you ing, and now the academic dean at Aquinas Institute. cation and RCIA), Church tradition can break a fern leaf, each part has the elements of The focus of the meeting shifted from being a interact with people’s own personal experi- the entire leaf. Each necessary element of Minis- planning session for a future preaching workshop ence. Frequently there may be some type try of the Word—catechesis, paraclesis , and to preparing for a symposium-response to the of Scripture reflection or a liturgy with social justice—can then be called a fractal ex- Bishops’ Synod on the Word and the future papal Scripture. When people are actively in- perience of the Sunday “source and summit” document that will be issued. We are hoping to volved in the reflection, the Word becomes preaching. have this symposium some time around Lent alive and active. 2010, figuring that a papal document on the Synod *** will not be issued for another 10-12 months. More • In pastoral care, oftentimes there can be a information will follow as the planning proceeds. Liturgy of the Word when bringing Holy On another note, when you visit our new Pro- In view of this symposium on the Bishops’ Communion. Even in those times when vincial web site, www.laydominicancentral.org , Synod on the Word, Greg Heille presented an there is not a Liturgy of the Word, we can please take note of the preaching blog. I would interesting concept of three integral ministries of bring the Word when we enter into a re- like to stay connected with all of our members the Word that flow into what he called the “source flective conversation with the other. via this blog, be available for questions, be a and summit” of preaching—namely, the Sunday (“Where two or three are gathered, there I resource, etc., and I hope that this can serve as a Eucharistic preaching.