The AUSCP Leadership Team met in Minneapolis April 6-8 to do strategic planning and to assess the situation for moving forward with an in-person Assembly for June 21-24, 2021. The decision was made to proceed with plans to hold the 2021 Assembly in person.

The retreat with Fr. Michael Joncas on Monday, June 21, will be livestreamed. Those who are not attending the Assembly in person can get the link to this by paying a registration fee of $25. For those attending the Assembly in person there is no extra charge for the retreat. Registration for the virtual retreat will be available soon.

The Assembly keynote presentations will be recorded and will be available soon after the Assembly. Webinars will be planned around these presentations so that discussion can follow for those interested in participating.

The webinar series on the highlights from the past AUSCP Assemblies begins Monday, April 12th. Fr. Bob Bonnot, AUSCP Executive Director, has reviewed the presentations given at the past AUSCP Assemblies and has developed a webinar on each Assembly. Each webinar includes excerpts from the main presentations, followed by time for questions and discussion. Fr. Bob says, Our aim is to give viewers an opportunity to refresh your grasp of our Assembly themes during our first decade -- and to reflect on them as we look forward to our second decade of service to God’s Priestly People.

Fr. Kevin Clinton, chair emeritus of the AUSCP Leadership Team, is assisting with this project. The series will run on Mondays, 3-4:30 PM EDT, beginning Monday, April 12th. You can register for the webinars by clicking HERE.

Catholic Climate Covenant’s new 2021 Earth Day program, “Restore Our Common Home” is available to be part of your planning. With spiritual nourishment and practical activities, the free one-hour educational program can be easily downloaded. The program is intended for Earth Day (April 22), the 6^th anniversary of Laudato Si’ (May 16-24), or whenever works for you. The interactive program includes prayers, readings, a short video, discussion questions, and suggested “restoration” activities.

If you are a PNC Financial Services shareholder, we ask you to vote yes on Proposal 4 of the Proxy. AUSCP, which banks with PNC, has already done this. If you are an investor in some other mutual fund, please check if PNC is in the Fund. If so, do the same. Just as Tabaco and Apartheid were stigmatized in this way, so nuke's end thru divestment could come about. Further information is available from: Bernie Survil, bsurvil@gmail.com and http://www.abetterpncbnk.org/

All AUSCP Priest members, Associates, and Friends are invited to join us for the 2021 Annual Assembly in Minneapolis, June 21-24. See below for further details. Until April 30, registration is $480 online or by check. After April 30 - $500.

Scholarships available: Special scholarships are being offered to those who have been ordined ten years or less. The scholarships will include the Assembly registration fee and three nights at the hotel (June 21,22,23). Scholarships are also available for others in need of assistance. These scholarships include up to half of the registration fee as needed. Please call the office for more information: 872-205-5862.

Other Assembly Notes: If you wish to share a hotel room, or to connect with someone who is driving to the Assembly, contact the office: office@auscp.org.

If you are aware of any AUSCP member who has died recently, please inform the AUSCP office. Thank you!

A generous donor will match up to $5,000 for donations received in this month of April. Our goal is to reach $150,000 from 500 donors. We met our goal for number of donors at 527 donors who have given a total of $121,059. Thank you for whatever support you are able to offer! We are counting on your generosity to help us move forward.

Click on the MLK photo to donate online!

AUSCP Upcoming Webinars

Please register for the webinars that are of interest to you and we will send you the Zoom link. All webinars are free at the present time. The next webinars are listed below. You can register for any of the webinars by clicking HERE.

Webinar topics - If you have suggestions for future webinar topics, please send them to Fr. Bob Bonnot: auscpbonnot@gmail.com

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AUSCP Annual Assembly Highlights Videos: Mondays, April 12 - June 14th, 2021 3:00 – 4:30 PM EDT - Each session includes one hour of keynote speaker highlights of a given year's Assembly, followed by discussion. The last session on June 14 will offer an opportunity to begin a conversation around this year's Assembly theme, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? - scheduled for June 21-24, in Minneapolis, MN. Fr. Bob Bonnot will be the host for the sessions. Your webinar registration will trigger an email reminder 1 day prior to each session with the Zoom log-in credentials, which will be the same for all sessions:

April 12 - 2012 Assembly - Our Passion for the Vision of Vatican II, speakers: Msgr. Michael Ryan and Dr. Richard Gaillardetz

April 19 - 2013 Assembly - Our Church as a People of God, speakers: Robert Mickens and Dr.Catherine Clifford

April 26 - 2014 Assembly - Dei Verbum, Revelation in Our Lives and Times, speakers: Sr. Diane Bergant, Fr. Donald Senior, Fr. Michael Crosby and Fr. James Bacik.

More to come in this series!

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Wednesdays, 4:00 - 5:00 PM EST, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, April 7, 14 - DIVINE DESIGN: The Cooperatist Alternative to Competition; A Catholic Vision for Society and the Church

Divine Design explores how Catholic Social Teaching on cooperation opens contemporary possibilities for church minstry. Current ideologies are not designed to promote the Kingdon of God understood as the common good - where "there is made available to everyone everything necessary for a truly human life" (Pastoral Constitution, art. 26)...God wants society ordered "as a community and not as a competing crowd." (Cardinal Bernardine)

PRESENTER: Joseph Torma, Ph.D., a university professor who has been involved in issues of social justice and ministry for fifty ears. His inspiration is derived from the Catholic Worker Movement in Rochester, NY, and Alliance, OH. He has been a trainer of parish social action committees, a field education director at St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester NY, and the director of Institute for Justice and Peace at Walsh University in North Canton OH.

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Other Workshops/Activities that might be of interest to you:

Living Non-Violently in a Violent World - Apr 12, 19, and 26, 2021 at 3 PM CT/4 PM EDT, Description: The Legacy of Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis
Presenters: Rev. Msgr. Albert Kirk and Therese Gustaitis
Three hope-filled virtual sessions that address negativity and violence in our world today. The “WHY” and “HOW” will encourage a non-violent way of living. The “WHEN” of this course offers a very flexible approach for busy participants. Each session is self-contained; participants will benefit from attending one or all the sessions. http://bit.ly/livingnonviolently

Recordings will be available afterward on the Pax Christi USA YouTube page.

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To RSVP: Click on the image above.

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Celebrating the 100^th Birthday of Daniel Berrigan:
A Retreat Session on the Life and Writings of Daniel Berrigan
Saturday, May 8, 2021 - With Rev. John Dear

Sunday, May 9th, marks the 100^th anniversary of the birthday of legendary peacemaker, Fr. Daniel Berrigan, who was John Dear’s lifelong friend and mentor. On Saturday May 8^th, John will share reflections on Dan’s life, writings, and challenges for us today, and encourage us to take up anew where Daniel Berrigan left off.

This online zoom session will start at 2:00 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PST, May 8; and last three hours with a short break. The cost is $40.

https://beatitudescenter.org/programs/#daniel-berrigan

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The following past webinars are available for viewing:

Choosing Peace: Vision and Practice

Caring for People and Our Planet: Living Laudato Si - Ecological Justice and Ecologically sinful Footprints, Part 2

Race Superiority and Fascism: Is Fascism a Threat in and to the U.S.? Is the current U.S. struggle with racism and white superiority laying the ground for a Fascist future?

SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD

Celebrating Dorothy Day’s 40^th Anniversary

God's Own Vintage - Dr. Marc DelMonico - January 11, 2021

Ban the Nukes, Feed the Hungry

All 7 Caste discussion videos are posted on Vimeo:

https://vimeo.com/user130704160

Catholic Social Teaching Series - 4 sessions by Dr. Joe Holland

Devine Design Series - by Dr. Joe Toma

(Sessions 1,2,3,4)

Register for: The 10th ANNUAL AUSCP ASSEMBLY

Minneapolis, MN: JUNE 21-24, 2021

Where do we go from here?

2021 Retreat Day will be led by Jan Michael Joncas.

Speakers include: Michael Sean Winters, Dr. Shannen Dee Williams, and Bishop William Wack

Contemplative Reflector: Sr. Margie Klein, SSND

Assembly Registration: $480 if received by April 30, 2021 (Online or by check); $500 after April 30.

For the safety of all, Assembly participants must be fully vaccinated.

Click HERE to register!

For room reservations, use the Hilton Link on the AUSCP website, or contact the DoubleTree by Hilton directly at 952-835-7800. Rooms are $119 per night (Standard Room, single or double occupancy) if booked by May 20^th. Limited availability; rate available three days before and after the Assembly.

For links to articles of interest on various topics, visit the AUSCP Facebook page

For more information and photos, visit the AUSCP website at: AUSCP - HOME