One of our Bon Secours ministries is asking for your help.  The following is a letter from the Executive Director of Bon Secours of Maryland Foundation. 

 Dear Friends of Bon Secours,

 On Friday, June 25, 40 young women ages 17 – 21 who are actively pursuing a GED and have demonstrated strong advancement academically will be given the opportunity to attend their prom at the Country Inn Suites in Annapolis.

 All of these young women are success stories. While every story is unique, the majority of these young women grew up in foster care, dropped out of school by their freshman year, and have at least one child under the age of 4.

But that’s just the beginning of the story. All of these young women participate in Bon Secours’ Family Support Center which provides GED preparation, parenting and life skills training, case management and counseling, financial planning workshops, and job readiness training. The goal of the Family Support Center is provide young families with the resources to become economically self sufficient and to put them on the path to achieving their career and life … continue reading…

Poll results of defining God’s will

Prayer for Vocations
Generous God,
You show us the way that leads to everlasting life.
Through baptism you have called us
to proclaim the Good News.

Bless and strengthen those
who have made a commitment
of service in the church.
Guide and give wisdom
to those discerning their vocation.

Enrich our Church with dedicated
married and single people,
with deacons, priests,
and with people in consecrated life.

Filled with your Holy Spirit we ask this blessing that
we, your people, may follow Jesus,
out Good Shepherd, now and always.  Amen.

© 2008 NCCV

www.nccv-vocations.org

Yesterday was the beginning of the Lenten season in the Catholic Church. Traditionally Lent is a time of preparation for baptism and being received into the Church at Easter.  Lent also calls us to live more fully the life we are meant to live all the time, which is to live in ‘joy’.

We are called to love God more deeply and to love our neighbor through service.  This calls for a conversion of heart at times.  How am I called to be the truest person God created me to be?  What stands in the way of that happening?  This is a good place to start.

A local parish priest said in his homily, instead of giving up chocolate, why not instead of cursing the person who cut you off in traffic, say “God bless you.”  Why not say that in many situations we find ourselves – what effect would that have on me over time?  The affects may be that I’m more patient, understanding, and peaceful.  Lent is a good itme to take stock of how we are called to goodness and love.

I made this … continue reading…

Snow blizzard in Baltimore, Maryland brings out neighborly goodness as neighbor helps neighbor.

When Jesus began his public ministry it was by word of mouth and deed that people began to see more than “just  another prophet.”   Some saw him only as a prophet though and could not open their hearts to the possibility that he really was the long awaited Messiah that John the Baptist announced.    

 The Gospel today (Mark 6:14-29) shows how the last days of John the Baptist parallels that of Jesus’ passion and death.  Herod even thinks that Jesus is John raised from the dead.  Today, aside from the oral and written words (Scripture) of our faith, through modern technology using the internet and Googling, etc, we have the benefit of learning about Jesus.  Who do we follow?  Can we see the real Jesus?  This is our challenge today – ask yourself, who is Jesus for me and how can I follow him more closely?  Does knowing Jesus help me to understand my vocation in life?  God’s will for me?

George Matysek, from The Catholic Review, came out to interview new candidate Patty Dooley and me. We discussed Patty’s entrance as well as the vocation campaign to reach a whole new generation of women. Enjoy the article!