AUSCP members have sent in the folowing suggestions for those who wish to make donations to groups that are assisting Ukrainian refugees:

OFM Conventual: In Ukraine, the Conventual friars have two friaries east of the Dnipro River near conflict areas, three friaries in the west that are being flooded with refugees, and friaries across the border in Poland and Romania. The Our Lady of the Angels Province is collecting funds in the U.S. to wire directly to the friars taking in refugees. General Delegate for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Friar Michael J. Lasky (FAN Board member) has also begun a prayer initiative for the Conventual Friars: READ here

Pierre Hegy, professor emeritus of Adelphi University, received his PhD from the University of Paris in 1972. He served as visiting professor at the Catholic University of Lima, Peru, and as Fulbright scholar at the Taiwan National University. His field of research is the sociology of Catholicism in a pastoral perspective. His last book is Wake Up, Lazarus! Paths to Catholic Renewal. Professor Hegy, (516-674-9324), offers free evaluation of preaching for anyone interested. He has some interesting statistics on how various denominations rate the preaching of their pastors: https://wakeuplazarus.net/2022/preaching%20reception.htm

Serving on the Leadership Team offers the opportunity to help guide AUSCP into the future. It also offers the opportunity to develop a spirit of camaraderie with other AUSCP members as you share your hopes and dreams for the future of the priesthood and the Church. Applications are due by April 15th. Elections will take place at the 2022 Assembly in June. (Nominess must be present at the Assembly.) Please consider using your gifts at the service of AUSCP by serving on the Leadership Team, or encourage another AUSCP member to apply. Nomination forms are available at: office@auscp.org.

See below for the exciting list of speakers for the 2022 Assembly. If you have not yet registered for the 2022 Assembly, you can register at: AUSCP - HOME . Or, by mailing a check for registration to: AUSCP office, PO Bos 676, Tiffin, OH 44883. If registering by check, there is a $10 discount until March 31st.

AUSCP member Fr. Jim Holmer, age 79, (Diocese of Toledo, OH), died on

February 11, 2022. Fr. Jim taught high school for seven years before entering St. Meinrad Seminary. After his ordination in 1976, Fr. Jim served as associate pastor, then pastor at several parishes in the Toledo diocese; he was also an instructor at Cardinal Stritch High School in Oregon, OH. In spite of health problems, Fr. Jim attended the AUSCP annual assemblies as often as he was able with the aid of his friend, AUSCP member Fr. Ted Miller.

AUSCP member Bishop Donald Trautman, age 85, (Diocese of Erie, PA), died on February 26, 2022. Bishop Trautman served as auxiliary bishop of the

Diocese of Buffalo 1985-1990, and as bishop for the Erie Diocese 1990-2012. He was know as a Vatican II bishop who encouraged inclusiveness and participation of the faithful in the liturgy. His background as a Scripture scholar played a role in his work within the local and the national church. Bishop Trautman was a speaker at the 2013 AUSCP Assembly and received the John XXIII Award.

Progress Report on 2022 Annual Appeal

The total response to the Appeal thus far is $96,885.25 from 410 donors. Thank you!

The Annual Appeal is the main source of income for the AUSCP! We need the support of all who believe in furthering the spirit of Vatican II and the agenda of Pope Francis. Thank you for whatever support you are able to offer! We are counting on your generosity to help us move forward.

You can give online at the AUSCP website: AUSCP - HOME

Assembly Scholarships Available

All AUSCP Priest members and Friends are invited to join us for the 2022 Annual Assembly in Linthicum, MD (near Baltimore), June 20-23. See below for the wonderful line-up of speakers. If you have friends who are interested, we welcome them also.

Scholarships available: Special scholarships are being offered to those who have been ordined five 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 us: office@auscp.org.

More webinars are planned for 2022. You can register for these webinars by clicking HERE.

************

Mondays, (January 31), (February 21), March 14 at 4 PM EST/3 PM CT - Conversations on the Council, sponsored by the AUSCP Vatican II Working Group. These conversations will focus on each of three issues drawn from the documents of Vatican II. We see these three issues as relevant to the Church and society at this time, namely: “People of God,” “Church in the present world” and “religious liberty.”

January 31, 4-5:30 EST/3-4:30 PM CT - “People of God.”
February 21, 4-5:30 EST/3-4:30 PM CT - “Church in the present world”
March 14, 4-5:30 EST/3-4:30 PM CT - “religious liberty”.

Each session will begin with prayer and a short statement on the topic by a member of the working group. Then we will invite a free-flowing conversation on what participants consider values to be drawn from the topic and how we can promote these values in the present Church and society. Please plan to join and invite others.

************

Wednesdays, March 9, 16, 23, 30 at 4:00 PM EST - Our Mission: LEAVENING HUMANKIND in TODAY’S WORLD by Living the Gospel a la` Vatican II Pope Francis’ Synod 2021-23 for a Synodal Church is his call for a second “wave” of Vatican II implementation. He judges that the Church has embraced and effected only 50% of the Council’s Vision and Values, if that. Accordingly Francis invites us to “Dream” a timely “Path to a Better Future”. Refreshing our grasp of Vatican II’s 16 conciliar documents can help us dream that dream and walk that path. This series will revisit all 16 Vatican II documents over the next few years. The series will start with Gaudium et Spes, one of the final documents of the Council but the best lens for re-reading clearly Vatican II’s collective dream. Only if its teaching remains fresh in our minds and hearts are we likely to walk the challenging steps we still must take to effect God’s plan in today’s world.

Presenters: Fr. Bob Bonnot with Dr. Joseph Torma

************

Sunday, March 27, 3:00 PM (EST) - The Consequences and Impact of War on Children. Kathy Kelly, a peace activist and author, made over two dozen trips to Afghanistan from 2010 – 2019, living with young Afghan Peace Volunteers in a working class neighborhood in Kabul. She learned about conditions in Afghanistan through encounters with mothers and children, many of whom were directly affected by war. Likewise she traveled to Iraq many times trying to deal with the Sanctions imposed on Iraq. Her topic rises from actual lived experience with the people.

You can register for the webinars by clicking HERE.

************

The following webinars of January 2022 are available for viewing:

(Links to past videos can be found on the AUSCP website: www.auscp.org)

V2 and Our Mission: Leavening Humanki nd

Session 1 - Our Lens for Reading Vatican II

Session 2 - The Community of Humankind

Session 3: - Human Activity Throughout the World

Session 4 - The Church's Role in Today's World

Conversations on the Council:

Session 1 - People of God

Session 2 - Church in the Present World

The Synodal Process: An aid to facilitating synodal sessions

Visit the AUSCP Facebook page and invite your friends to like us: AUSCP Facebook page

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