Newman Catholic Student Association Some Off-Campus Opportunities

A Writing Center Min-Course. Come write a “This I Believe” essay, in the manner of those read on National Public Radio and published on thisibe-lieve.org. This course does not demand that you delve into your deepest convictions; “This I Believe” essays can be uplifting, moving, insightful, and/or amusing. Topics of “featured” essays in-clude not only the power of love, the value of mending (as opposed to fixing), and the lessons taught by failure, but also the authors’ be-liefs in barbecue, cows, and semi-permanent hair dye. This three-session course is an exercise in reflection, in listening to others, and in building community through dialogue. It is also an opportunity to be guided through a writing process—from idea-generation to drafting to revision—that will result in an essay of which you are proud and which you may submit for publication online, or even on NPR. This mini-course will be taught by Kristen Brookes , Senior Writ-ing Associate, in the Writing Center. Registration, via the Writing Center’s website, is required, and enrollment is limited. Open to the entire college community. Tuesday-Thursday, January 15, 16, 17 noon - 1:00 p.m. each day

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield will offer a program on Human Trafficking, Sunday, January 13 from 1:30 – 3:00 pm in the community room at the Mont Marie Senior Residence, 32 Lower Westfield Road, Holyoke. The educational program will provide a media presentation, fact sheets and practical action plans for dealing with human trafficking. The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services describes human trafficking as a modern-day form of slavery where victims are tricked or coerced into forced labor or sexual exploitation. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women. The educational program is being organized by the Justice and Peace Committee of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield. It is free and open to the public. Contact Sr. Roberta Mulcahy for details at (413) 536-0853 ext. 293. Visit www.ssjspringfield.org

Students, faculty and staff: interterm is a wonderful time to deepen our spiritual lives and broaden the horizons of faith. Perhaps you would like to form a prayer group, make a mini-retreat, or visit a shrine in Western Massachusetts. If you would like assistance, simply write Catholic Advisor Chris Clark at mcclark@amherst.edu.

The Ecology Committee of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield will hold an Advent Solstice Celebration Friday, December 21, 2012 in the Chapel at Mont Marie, 34 Lower Westfield Road, Holyoke, MA. Visitors may stop in at any time: from 2:00 – 3:30 opening prayer, readings, reflection and music; from 3:30 – 4:00 video and discussion; from 4:00 – 6:00 readings, reflection and music. The Sisters welcome all to enjoy warm cider before returning to the cold and beauty of the season. Labyrinth walks will also be available. Visit www.ssjspringfield.org. To rsvp, please email: ecology@ssjspringfield.com or call 413-536-0853, ext. 293.

Will you need a study space for finals? Come to the Cadigan Center for warmth, quiet, coffee and snacks. Bring your friends! Several rooms are available for quiet or small-group studying.We are open for late-night study hours from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. beginning Sunday, Dec. 16, continuing nightly until 4 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21. The Cadigan Center is located at 38 Woodside Ave. You can find us on the campus map. 1. Walk past Newport and take a left onto Woodside. Cadigan is the first house on the left. OR: 2. Walk down the hill behind Johnson Chapel and cross Route 116. Go down the road in front of you (Walnut St.) and take a right onto Woodside. See Cadigan on your right.

The Christmas Masses at Newman Center UMass will be: MONDAY, December 24, Christmas Eve-- 4:30 p.m.; midnight mass. TUESDAY, December 25, Christmas Day-- 8:00 a.m.; 10:30 a.m.

The Christmas Masses at St. Brigid's Parish in Amherst will be: MONDAY, December 24, Christmas Eve, 12:00 Midnight. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, Christmas Day--8:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM

The Newman Student Association at UMass writes: "As part of our yearlong celebration of the Newman Center’s 50th anniversary, we will be holding a lecture series featuring a number of different speakers. Our first lecture in the Lumen Christi Lecture Series will be Evangelical Catholicism: The Church at the Dawn of a New Era, presented by papal biographer and author George Weigel. Weigel’s lecture will be in the chapel on October 22, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. Bishop Timothy McDonnell will be in attendance to inaugurate our 50th Anniversary Celebration. We hope you’ll attend! A free will offering will be taken at the lecture."

The Newman Center UMass is located at 472 North Pleasant Street, across from the Studio Arts Building on the UMass Campus. Some parking is available on site and parking in nearby UMass lots is open after 5 pm. The Newman Center is also near a bus stop for easy access.

http://www.elms.edu/calendar/mary-dooley-lecture-series-david-obrien.xml

Where: Alumnae Library Theater, Elms College, Chicopee, MA

When: 7:30 pm. Tuesday, October 7, 2012.

Admission: Free and open to the public

Theological scholar and Elms College trustee, David O'Brien, Ph.D. will present on the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Dr. O'Brien is faculty emeritus and Loyola professor of Catholic Studies at the College of the Holy Cross and was appointed university professor of faith and culture at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.  His publications include: American Catholics and Social Reform: The New Deal Years (Oxford, 1968); The Renewal of American Catholicism (Oxford, 1972); (co-ed), Renewing the Earth: Catholic Documents on Peace, Justice and Liberation (Doubleday, 1977); Faith and Friendship: Catholicism in the Diocese of Syracuse, 1886-1986 (Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, 1987); Public Catholicism (Macmillan, 1988); Isaac Hecker(1992).

Now in its twenty-sixth year, the Mary Dooley Lecture Series is presented annually by the religious studies department at the Institute for Theology and Pastoral Studies at Elms College.

Jesuit Father James Martin, author of Between Heaven and Mirth speaks on joy in the spiritual life and Ignatian spirituality. Also! Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Mary Johnson, author of Young Adult Catholics: Religion in the Culture of Choice. The conference is at Bellamy School in Chicopee.  To register call 413-452-0812, or fill out the registration form (pdf), or visit www.diospringfield.org. See biographies of speakers at http://www.diospringfield.org/WOMENS%20CONF/womensconfbio.htm 

Featuring Tony Melendez, Robert Rogers, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, Alex Jones, George Weigel. Bellamy Middle School, Chicopee, MA. For information go to http://www.diospringfield.org/mensconf.html

LESSONS AND CAROLS
Schola Nova will present the traditional Lessons and Carols on Sunday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. at Our Lady of the Valley Church, 33 Adams Street, Easthampton, MA.  http://www.olveasthampton.org/  See a brief video clip of Schola Nova at http://www.scholanova.org/clip.html 

Smith College

Religion 235  The Catholic Philosophical Tradition

Faith and reason, worship and the intellectual life, the meaning of redemption and the nature of Catholicism according to major thinkers in the Catholic tradition. 

Readings from Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Pascal, John Henry Newman, G.K. Chesterton,  Simone Weil, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II),
Elizabeth Anscombe, Alasdair MacIntyre and others. {H}
4 credits
Carol Zaleski  (czaleski@smith.edu)
Offered Spring 2012
Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00-2:20 p.m

Here's the link to the course info in the Five College Catalog: http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/courses/coursedetail.php?departmentAbbr=REL&courseYear=2012&courseNumber=235-01-LEC&semester=2&campusID=1&title=CATHOLIC+PHILOSOPHICAL+TRAD

Tim Hourihan writes -----

St. Mary’s Church, through this ministry “Praise Witness & Worship,” we are having Sarah Hart giving a Christmas Concert on December 11th 2011.  She will share songs from her 1st ever Christmas album “Waiting for the Light.”  Sarah will be joined this year with “Full Armor” band out of New York.
 
Sarah is somewhat a regular to the area.  She has been the featured artist at the Annual Catholic Women’s Conference in Springfield a number of times and has played before crowds in our area both young and old. 
She is absolutely loved wherever she goes.
 
This is Christmas Event for the ENTIRE family that you don’t want your parishioners and friends to miss. Last year we sold close to 300 tickets to the general public and I expect we will do the same again.  You want to get tickets for your parishioners before tickets are gone.
 
I would like to offer the parishes in the area a 50% discount on the tickets.  Discount Tickets to Parishes will be $5.00 each. Tickets to the public will be $10 each and Children 7 yrs old and younger are Free.
 
Please contact me with any questions & interest in the event @ praisewitnessworship@gmail.com . Thank you again for your time to this email and your support of this ministry here in Western Massachusetts.
 
God Bless,
  
Tim Hourihan
www.PraiseWitnessWorship.com
www.StMarysofWestfield.com
www.twitter.com/TimHourihan