Fr. Mike's Faith and Flicks on the Da Vinci Code

--By Fr. Mike Carson
There have not been any movies worth going to. I do not review movies that are rated "R" or "NC-17" so that limits the availability of movies for review. The De Vinci Code is also not worth watching, but I had to review it for all of the talk that it is getting.

De Vinci Code
(Rated PG-13)

When I was a kid, I remember being in a drive-in-movie theater, back in the day when they had drive-in-moves. The movie was a fictional account of slavery in the south. It was not so much about slavery as about gratuitous violence done to entice movie goers. During the movie I went to the snack bar. There was a young African American boy about my age. When he saw me, he ran up to me and smacked me hard in the mouth. He told me I deserved it. I presume he meant that I deserved being smacked in the mouth because of what he saw on the screen and not because of the way I held my popcorn! He did not make the difference between a factious story on the screen and reality. Hence, my painful jaw. As for the “De Vinci Code”, I have been told by a lot of friends not to take this movie seriously; after all it is just “entertainment”.
I am willing to be entertained, that is why I buy my ticket, however, this movie, the book, and the people behind it have a very open agenda against Christ, and against the Catholic Church. The scenes of gratuitous violence are there to try to keep the audience’s interest as they continue the diatribe of smearing and maligning slander against my faith. My faith I take very seriously. Although artistically this not a serious movie, I do take their attacks against faith seriously.
It would be nice to think that people will use the movie to find out the real facts about St. Mary Magdalene, their faith life and the history of the scriptures and the Church. My fear is that they will just smack the Church in the face and tell them that deserve it for what they see on the screen!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DSJ Young Adult Work Retreat For YA Ministry

The aim of this work retreat day was to gather YA leaders from around the diocese already supporting YA groups, toward the building of a communication network and "sustainable" YA ministry in partnership with each other, and parishes.
Parish staff, clergy and communities will soon be hearing about the work of this group and our role in supporting this ministry!!!

Here is a big hint...

YMC Quarterly Meeting--Summer Calendar and more...

Youth Ministry Coordinators met for our quarterly meeting on May 23. They put together a summer calendar of various activities that is open to all youth of the Diocese.

Kirky Kirkendale (below) shares the Venturing program with the YMC's. Through Venturing which is associated with Scouting--parishes and our young people have the opportunity for leadership training camps on the Venturing facilities and under their insurance. Ropes courses and high adventure experiences are a possibility for our young people. More info coming on how your group can partner with Venturing of Boys Scout of America for expereinces that will connect to young people today! You can click the "Venturing" logo (green mountain) to the right of this post for more info! Kirky and I will be sending you more info soon!!!

And The Desert Shall Bloom..National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry

Come to the Desert this
December…
...and Watch It Bloom!
National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry
And the Desert Shall Bloom/Y el Desierto Florecerá
November 30-December 3, 2006
Riviera Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
The National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry is the major connecting point for the profession of Catholic youth ministry in the United States. This biennial conference is filled with a variety of opportunities to grow in our knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as numerous opportunities to network, pray, and celebrate with others in the field of youth ministry and adolescent catechesis.

Come join together with colleagues this December, in the Nevada desert amidst the neon lights and breathtaking images of a city bursting with life, in order to gather, grow, and bloom in the profession that is youth ministry.

Registration is now open to enter the desert…

Youth Surive 30 hour famine and raise $ at St. Julie Parish

On April 28 and 29, twenty participants from the St. Julies Youth Group journeyed through 30 hours of fasting from food, cell phones, electronics, and family to raise awareness and money for the hungry in our world.

The teens began their fast on Friday afternoon at their schools surrounded by friends who questioned why they were doing this. Most told me that at the time, they had no good answer…Why fast?

After participating in many activities Friday night to raise our awareness about the 29,000 children who die every day of hunger and hunger related illness, and beginning to treasure juice breaks, the teens finally fell asleep at about 3:00am many outside, building wind breaks to keep them warm.

On Saturday morning, we freshened up and donned our “30-hour famine” T-shirts and signs reading “29,000 children die every day of hunger and hunger related illness. We are doing something about it.” We marched up Cottle Road to the Light Rail station which we rode downtown to the St. John station. From there, we marched past the grandiose new City Hall and expensive statues to an old, run down Victorian house called Casa de Clara which quietly serves women and children in need. Our stomachs now growling after walking past restaurants along the way, we met one of the staff from Casa de Clara who explained that this was a place where women and their children are welcome while they find their way to a better life. The staff at Casa de Clara provides resources and understanding to women for two weeks to a month while they get back on their feet in new jobs and new housing. It is not surprising that operating purely from small donations, this house of love does not have the means to keep up the yard, so we followed the staff to a small shed out in the back yard for tools and spent two hours pulling weeds, sanding the deck, scrubbing playground equipment, and preparing lasagna for their Saturday dinner.

The walk and ride back to St. Julies was long and hot. We were all getting a bit crabby, but I began to hear the teens discuss and question. When we saw a discarded box of french-fries on the side walk, one of the girls commented, “I’m actually tempted to pick one up and eat it.” Others talked about how lucky we were because although we would still have to wait a while (they knew to the minute when dinner would be delivered) the kids we had learned about the night before didn’t have a dinner plan. They compared the assumed expense of the huge glass dome at city hall to the basic repairs needed at Casa de Clara. One asked, “Did you know there is enough food in the world for everyone, but people still starve to death?”

When we arrived back to the Sullivan Center, we posed the question again…Why fast. Finally they understood. By our suffering, if only for one day, we began to get a glimpse of what others live every day. The group decided they would work to continue to raise awareness of this world wide tragedy. We broke our fast with Eucharist at 5:00 mass.

To date, we have collected over $3,000 and the money is not due until this Sunday. “Together we can make a difference!”



Anne Peterson

St. Julies Youth Group

Focusing Your Parish Vision--make sure you include young people in your plan.....

Catholic Parishes are at a Critical Moment...
People are hungry for an authentic, uplifting, and meaningful experience of Church. Come to SCU on June 19-21, 2006 and examine the core structure and essentials of every parish through liturgies, community building, formation, outreach, administration, and leadership. Fr. Tom Sweetser, SJ and Sr. Peg Bishop, OSF will guide the process. The cost is reduced this year to $190 per person which includes lunches and all materials. Bring three people and get a fourth person free. Scholarships are available! For more information about “Focusing Your Parish Vision: Know Where You’re Going and How to Get There” open the attached registration form or contact iacino@dsj.org

Justice Symposium

JUSTICE SYMPOSIUM – Catholic Social Teaching: The Good News in a Broken World/Enseñanza Social Católica: Buenas Noticias en un Mundo Roto

The Diocese of San Jose is sponsoring a Justice Symposium, Catholic Social Teaching: The Good News in a Broken World/Enseñanza Social Católico: Buenas Noticias en un Mundo Roto on Saturday, June 24 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm at Benson Center at Santa Clara University. It will feature a keynote address by John Carr, Secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Social Development and World Peace and, in Spanish, by Daniel Lizárraga of Catholic Relief Services. There will also be an afternoon legislative briefing by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. There will be workshops, exhibits, and a special luncheon awards program. Online registration is available on the diocesan website: http://www.dsj.org/. Registration is limited, so please register early. Cost is $35 including lunch and materials. $45 after June 10. For questions, contact Sylvia at (408) 983-0128 or Linda at (408) 983-0158.

Spanish:

Fr. Oscar and Fr. Bob.

Fr. Oscar and Fr. Bob

Went to St Jospeh Parish in Mountain View to facilitate a strategic plan for the growing of Youth Ministry in this parish. All the players were present including the School Principle and the Director for Catechical Ministry. The commitment and investment of this team is the cornerstone of building the framework for ministry to the Young Church!

At St. Joseph parish Mountain View for a Youth Ministry Strategic Planning Meeting

Members of the team: Kathleen, Anne Marie, Jo, and Stephanie Knight
Nancy Royal was stuck in traffic but made it safe and sound!

An Immigrant Nation

Click here-->We are an immigrant nation for photo and video stories of the march for Immigration Reform on May 1---from the Mercury News

What's the Big Deal About Theology on Tap????

Click below for a short article on some background and history on the Theology on Tap story.

‘Theology On Tap’ Taps Into Young Adults' Needs by Kate Blaine