2019 Assembly

 I was enriched by the presence of so many brothers and friends and was affirmed and given great hope. I was “waffling” about attending because of my schedule but am more than glad I went—there’s a message in there. The Contemplative process was quite enlightening, and I’m going to attempt to use it in my parish.

- Michael Allison, Assembly Participant

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

Links to 2018 Assembly Presentations: 

Katarina Schuth 

Bishop R. McElroy

Richard Rohr

*******

Invitation to Become "Friends" of AUSCP

The AUSCP Friends Group now has 178 members. Please take time to invite your friends to join us!  

The majority of those who have become Friends have done so because of a personal invitation from an AUSCP member.

If you would like a flyer with the information on AUSCP Friends to print out or to email to your friends, send a request to: office@uscatholicpriests.org

**********

Help us continue the important and critical work of the AUSCP with your financial assistance!

You can click below to donate.

Thank you!

Parish Tithing

If your parish tithes its Sunday collection and sends a monthly donation to various places please consider putting the AUSCP on the list of recipients.  Thanks! 

*****

Membership Renewal

If you received a reminder about your annual dues, please renew by clicking on the BECOME A MEMBER button below, or send a check to:

 AUSCP

200 St. Francis Avenue, Tiffin, OH 44883-3458

872-205-5862

Consider setting up an auto-renewal on your bank account.

For more information, visit the AUSCP website at: 

AUSCP - HOME 

If you have a problem with your credit card being accepted online, call PayPal at 888-215-5506. When asked to name your problem, say “credit card denied.”

******

To access the latest information on immigration reform and Action Alerts, click on the JFI logo below:

 ********

To access information on care of creation and Laudato Si', click below:

Catholic Climate Covenant

Direct link to Homily Resources

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

Creator Mundi 

VISIT THE CREATOR MUNDI STORE: "Creator Mundi", is supporting our mission. The AUSCP receives 12% of your purchase total every time you shop at the Creator Mundi Store, if you use code donateAUSCP  when you place an order. (This is not a discount to the customer.)  

Click here to order.

*****

 Amazon Smile 

If you shop at:

 http://smile.amazon.com/ch/45-3307327, 

Amazon donates to Association of Us Catholic Priests. 

2019-2020 AUSCP Leadership Team

L to R: Greg Barras, Ray Cole, Bill Spillly, Jim Kiesel (leaving after 2 terms), Steve Newton, Mike Bausch, Louie Arceneaux, Aidan McAleenan; Row 2 - Bob Bonnot, Peter Daly, Kevin Clinton, Tulio Ramirez, Andy Switzer, (missing, Lee Bacchi)

At the annual Assembly in St. Louis, three new members were elected to serve on the AUSCP Leadership Team: Ray Cole, Diocese of Metuchen; Steve Newton,CSC, Congregation of the Holy Cross, and Andy Switzer, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Louis Arceneaux, CM, was re-elected to serve a second term. Thank you to all who offered their services, either as nominees, or as helpers with various aspects of the Assembly.

The following will serve as officers for 2019-2020:

Chair: Greg Barras, (Diocese of Biloxi) 

Vice-Chair: Bill Spilly (Diocese of Rochester) 

Secretary: Louie Arceneaux, CM

Treasurer: Lee Bacchi, (Diocese of Joliet)

Chair Emeritus: Kevin Clinton (Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis)

Executive Director: Bob Bonnot (Diocese of Youngstown)

May the Spirit guide us in all that we do!

Issues Chosen for 2019-2020

A contemplative process was followed at the Assembly to surface, choose and prioritize issues for the focus of our work during the coming year. The top issues chosen are:

• Immigration
• Climate Change 
• *Women in the Church
• *Clericalism
• Issues within the Priesthood
• Our Church in the Political World – Preparing the Voice of the AUSCP for our Next Assembly in June 2020

Working Groups have been formed to address these issues and some groups have already begun to meet, so we are off and running! Watch the AUSCP website for updates on progress on the issues.

*White papers on Women's Status in the Church and on Confronting the Systemic Dysfunction of Clericalism were presented and affirmed at the Assembly. Multiple copies of the clericalism document were printed due to a generous donor through Voice of the Faithful. You can order these free of charge by sending a request to: office@uscatholicpriests.org. Donations for postage are appreciated, but not required. Both papers are available electronically. Both are also available on the AUSCP website:   AUSCP - HOME 

Ordination Does Note Annihilate Our Baptism

Cardinal Blase Cupich addressed the 2019 AUSCP Assembly on the above topic. Here are a few quotes from his presentation:

• Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has framed the renewal needed today in terms of retrieving an understanding of the Church as synodal, which can only take place if all the baptized fully participate in the life of the Church. 
•  It is the conversion of men and women, walking together as a synodal Church — parents and priests, catechists and religious, parish leaders and bishops — and the conversion of ecclesial cultures on every continent that we must seek. 
• So much more is at stake in ending clericalism than winning back the confidence, respect and trust of our people. It is central to the renewal the Church needs at this time to also turn away from a self-referential church so that it can be that field hospital in the world.

The text of his talk is posted on the AUSCP website:

AUSCP - HOME 

 In Memoriam

AUSCP member Bishop Stephen Blaire, ordained in 1967, died on June 20, 2019, at age 77. He was Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Stockton, CA. In his obituary, Bishop Blaire was cited as "fun-loving but serious when work needed to be done. He encouraged collaboration and was generous with his time, something people might not have realized." 

Bishop Blaire was an advocate for life issues and the justice due to workers. He praised the end of the death penalty in Maryland, supported common sense legislation to curb gun violence, and reminded legislators of the need for budget decisions to be based on the dignity of human life and the common good. May his spirit live on!

May he rest in God's eternal love!

Inspirational Song

Musician and songwriter David Kauffman gave permission for the AUSCP to use one of his inspiring, contemplative songs at the AUSCP Assembly. You can access it here:

I Will Make This Day My Prayer - YouTube

ACTA Publications Offers Discount & Donation

You can get a 10% discount and raise money for AUSCP by purchasing books from ACTA Publications, including Fr. Jim Bacik’s new Enduring Wisdom for Today’s Spiritual Seekers, which answers 154 provocative questions for everyday life; (Foreword by Fr. Bob Bonnot). New titles include books by Fr. Dom Grassi, Br. Loughlan Sofield and Sr. Carroll Juliano, Fr. Don Cozzens, and Barbara Pawlikowski  (with Foreword by Sr. Joyce Rupp). If you purchase any books from www.actapublications.com and use coupon AUSCP at checkout, you receive a 10% discount and AUSCP receives a 20% donation.

This offer can also be used on phone orders at 800-397-2282 by mentioning the coupon AUSCP. All orders must be paid by credit card.

Mark your calendar!

The 9th ANNUAL AUSCP ASSEMBLY

Baltimore, Maryland: JUNE 22-25, 2020

 Our Catholic Faith in the Political World

For  links to articles of interest on various topics, visit the AUSCP Facebook page at:  https://www.facebook.com/AUSCPriests

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

 ©2017 Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP)