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Youth Arts Contest Winners to Be Announced
For the second year in a row the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) sponsored a multi-media youth arts contest, designed to encourage Catholic young people to explore Catholic social teaching, to learn the root causes of economic poverty and ways to address those causes. Three national grand prize winners will be announced April 16 at the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership meeting in Jacksonville, FL. This year's contest focuses on the theme "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in America," and youth in grades 7-12 were invited to submit visual and audio-visual artwork and literature. "Poverty is the result of circumstances over which the poor have little or no control," explains Alicia Bondanella, Youth/Young Adult Coordinator for CCHD. "We hope the arts contest not only raises awareness of poverty in the United States, but makes people grow in compassion for those in need."
Alicia Bondanella is available on 202/541-3151.
Permanent Deacons to Meet in Orlando
The permanent diaconate of the Church is the fastest growing Catholic ministry in the world with 13,348 deacons presently in the United States and about 28,000 in the world. The National Association of Diaconate Directors' (NADD) annual meeting will be held April 24-27 in Orlando, Florida. Bishop Robert C. Morlino, the new Chairman of the Bishops' Committee for the Diaconate, will attend and address this meeting of diocesan diaconate directors and leadership personnel for the first time. "Issues that have been raised in the last month or so put special stresses on the institutional church," says Deacon Jerry Wilson, Director, Office of the Permanent Diaconate. "The NADD convening will be an opportunity for church leaders to come together and consider new approaches."
Deacon Jerry Wilson is available at 202/541-3039.
Away from Home but Not Away from Church
Over 1.5 million U.S. men and women make their annual living on the ocean and inland waterways. The Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America (AOSUSA) ministers to those at sea, and meets in San Diego, California, April 9-12, 2002. The AOSUSA is coordinated through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Services, Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees. Members are stationed in port cities on virtually every coast worldwide. In the United States alone, 130 Catholic chaplains serve travelers in sixty-nine port cities. "As ships and tankers stay away from port for longer periods of time, seafarers spend less time in port with their families than ever before,"says Father John A. Jamnicky, National Director, AOSUSA. "AOS chaplains offer spiritual sustenance and kinship to seafarers until they reach their next port of call."
Fr. John A. Jamnicky is available at 202/541-3226.