USCCB - (Office of Media Relations)

October Events

Catholic Charities USA will hold its annual conference October 2-4 in Rochester, NY.

October 3 is Respect Life Sunday.

The Feast of St. Francis Assisi, who was designated by Pope John Paul II as the patron of the environmental movement, is October 4.

Columbus Day is observed on October 11.

Communications Directors are invited to register to participate in an all-day media relations seminar at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas slated for Tuesday, October 12, one day prior to the opening of the annual Unda-USA general assembly. Presented by Barry McLoughlin, President of Barry McLoughlin Associates, issues include understanding the media, succeeding in a media interview, preparing for an interview, handling difficult questions, staying in control, communicating verbally and non-verbally, and overcoming anxiety. Don't miss out on your opportunity to take part in these extraordinary sessions. To date, almost 30 people have enrolled for the all-day program There is a $35 registration fee. For further information contact the USCC's Department of Communications at 202-541-3200.

The Unda-USA general assembly will be held in Las Vegas, October 13-16.

October 23-24 is the United States observance of World Youth Day.

World Mission Sunday is October 24.

The Vatican will host the Interreligious Assembly entitled On the Eve of the Third Millennium, Collaboration Between Different Religions, October 24-28. People from many different faiths - Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. - will gather for reflection on the challenges presented by the new millennium.

October 31 is Halloween.

ALERT: The National Religious Retirement Office has produced a public service announcement to promote the annual collection for retired religious. The PSA can be used by local, secular TV and radio stations, as well as with religious programming. It can even be used as a discussion starter on giving to the religious retirement collection, which is slated for the weekend of December 11-12. There are 10, 20, 30 and 60 second spots available. Video PSAs are in 1" reel, 3/4" reel, VHS and Betacam. Audio PSAs are in 1/4" reel and audio cassette. If you'd like copies, e-mail your request along with a mailing address to mwalsh@nccbuscc.org.

ALERT: Start now to get ready for Many Faces in God's House: Encuentro 2000, slated for July 6-9 in Los Angeles. The event marks the first national gathering to celebrate the multi-cultural nature of the Catholic Church in the United States. The event will gather representatives from the African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Native-American, Eastern European, Western European and other communities that form Catholicism in the United States for prayer, celebration and multi-cultural awareness. The event will be vibrant in color and voice and stand as a living portrait of the Catholic Church at the launching of the Third Millennium.

The following dioceses can be reached by E-mail: ALASKA: Fairbanks, Juneau. ARIZONA: Phoenix, Tucson. CALIFORNIA: Monterey, Oakland, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose. COLORADO: Colorado Springs, Denver. CONNECTICUT: Hartford, Bridgeport, Norwich. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Washington. FLORIDA: Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Venice. GEORGIA: Atlanta, Savannah. HAWAII: Honolulu. IDAHO: Boise. ILLINOIS: Chicago, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield. INDIANA: Evansville, Forth Wayne-South Bend, Indianapolis, Lafayette. IOWA: Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Sioux City. KANSAS: Kansas City in Kansas. KENTUCKY: Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro. LOUISIANA: Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Houma-Thibodaux, Lafayette, Lake Charles, New Orleans, Shreveport. MAINE: Portland. MARYLAND: Baltimore. MASSACHUSETTS: Boston, Melkite Diocese of Newton, Springfield. MICHIGAN: Detroit, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Marquette, Saginaw. MINNESOTA: Crookston, New Ulm, St. Cloud, St. Paul and Minneapolis, Winona. MARYLAND: Baltimore. MISSISSIPPI: Jackson. MISSOURI: Jefferson City, Kansas City-St. Joseph, St. Louis, Springfield-Cape Girardeau. MONTANA: Great Falls-Billings, Helena. NEBRASKA: Omaha. NEVADA: Las Vegas. NEW HAMPSHIRE: Manchester. NEW JERSEY: Camden, Newark, Passaic, Paterson, Trenton. NEW MEXICO: Las Cruces. NEW YORK: Brooklyn, Buffalo, New York, Ogdensburg. Rochester, Rockville Centre; Syracuse. NORTH CAROLINA: Charlotte, Raleigh. NORTH DAKOTA: Bismarck, Fargo. OHIO: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo. OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma City, Tulsa. OREGON: Baker, Portland. PENNSYLVANIA: Altoona-Johnstown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Scranton. RHODE ISLAND: Providence. SOUTH CAROLINA: Charleston. SOUTH DAKOTA: Rapid City, Sioux Falls. TENNESSEE: Memphis. TEXAS: Amarillo, Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Ft. Worth, Lubbock, San Angelo, Victoria. VERMONT: Burlington. VIRGINIA: Richmond. WASHINGTON: Seattle, Spokane, Yakima. WEST VIRGINIA: Wheeling-Charleston. WISCONSIN: Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, La Crosse. WYOMING: Cheyenne.

If any communications director wants to be added to the list, please e-mail Sr. Mary Ann Walsh at mwalsh@nccbuscc.org.