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| The
worldwide daily communication newsletter of The Reformed
Catholic Church |
September 2007 Articles
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Message from the
Office of the Presiding Bishop
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Sept.
22, 2007
I
hope that you have been enjoying the Reformed Catholic Radio Program
that Deacon Warren and Sister Meg have been providing to our
community. I am writing to to you get YOU involved in this
very important outreach program, by calling into the RCC
Communications Department to post an audio statement for the Podcast.
You may call in your podcast information to:
In
less than 10 days, we have noticed a remarkable 500%
increase in the number of hits on the podcast page,
and have noticed a marked increase in downloads of the
podcast! This tells me that, besides being a great
addition to our site, the Podcast is working as an evangelism
tool! As such, we want the podcast to be a teaching
instrument as well as a public relations opportunity for the many
ministries of the RCC. We would like for you to
call in, or at a minimum, to write in to linform Deacon
Warren about what is happening in your ministry, your parish or your
hometown community. This is your forum for FREE ADVERTISEMENT!
I hope that you will take advantage of this wonderful gift!
We
have a lot to be proud of... Let's spread the good news that is the
RCC to the ends of the world!
Sept.
20, 2007
I
am pleased to inform you that the Interdenominational Health Initiative,
Faith Works, a community outreach program
sponsored in part by the Columbus Public Health Department, has invited
me to serve as Chaplain to the organization. I have
accepted this invitation as I believe in the mission of this organization.
Faith
Works is a health care program designed to help church communities
improve the community's health through advocacy, awareness,
education, diet and preventative measures/healthcare.
Please
keep this important outreach effort in your prayers.
Sept.
19, 2007
Dear
Family in Christ,
I
would like to officially welcome Fr. Martin Baskin, OCCA, to the RCC
as an Associate Clergy Member. Fr. Martin assists Bishop
Raelyn Scott at St. Mary RCC in Ft. Worth, Texas. He
comes to us from the Orthodox Catholic Church in America.
Please send your notes of welcome to stmaryrcc@reformedcatholicchurch.org
It
is with great pride I announce the formation of two Mission Parishes
of The Good Shepherd in Arusha, Tanzania under the pastoral
leadership of Fr. Julian Kimaro. Fr. Kimaro comes to us from
the Roman Catholic Church.
May
God bless these mission parishes and those who serve them. For
those wishing to contact Fr. Julian, his email address is juliankimaro@hotmail.com
Sept.
18, 2007
I
am happy to report that St. Mary Grace (MG) is now in recovery after
having knee surgery yesterday. From all reports available
to us, she will be in the hospital until Saturday.
MG
thanks everyone for their prayers and support.
After
successful Bypass Surgery, Brother Danny Evans has been released
from Cleveland Clinic and is now back in Columbus.
Brother Danny asked me to pass on his gratitude to the RCC Family
for the many calls and prayers.
Deacon
Steve Victory, of Keleen, Texas will be in Columbus, on
Friday/Saturday to meet with Bishops Frazee and Quinlan and to be
ordained into priestly holy orders before he is redeployed to
Iraq next week. Deacon Steve is also about to be a father,
with his wife due any time now. Please keep Deacon Steve and
his family in your prayers.
May
we continue to do good works in the name of our Lord!
Every
blessing to you all,
Sept. 16, 2007
My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Here we grow again!
I am pleased to inform you that the Reformed Catholic Church on September
14, 2007 gained a presence in Queensland, Australia!
Sister Maggie-Leigh Britton, of Glasshouse Mountain, Queensland, has
joined with the RCC and is seeking to develop a faith community for those
who have been denied sacraments, disenfranchised or simply made unwelcome
by "mainstream" faith communities. Sister Maggie has a
podcast that will be linked to our communications system so that we can
have a Christian perspective from "down under".
Please join me in welcoming Sister Maggie to the RCC Family. She may be
reached by email at leighmargaret@gmail.com
I want to congratulate Jim and Doty West for their vision and commitment
to bring the healing message that is Gospel of Christ to the people of New
Orleans. St. Joan of Arc parish celebrated their first communion
service last week. It seems that the people are embracing the RCC
thanks to Jim and Doty's efforts. Please keep them in your prayers.
For those wishing to send a note of support, Jim and Dotty may be reached
at jwest@stjoanrcc.com
Sr. Mary Grace will enter Harris Methodist Walls Regional located in
Cleburne, Texas for knee surgery on Monday, September 17. She will
be in residence at the hospital for 3 - 5 days to recover from the
procedure. Please keep Sr. Mary Grace in your prayers! For
those wishing to send notes of encouragement and support, Sr. Mary
Grace's email address is sharon_mg@sbcglobal.net
I hope that you have had an opportunity to listen to the RCC Podcast.
Deacon Warren continues to improve on this very important outreach effort
of the church! Over the past two days, I have received
a number of wonderful comments about the podcast from people outside of
the RCC Community. It is clear that this communications tool is
working!
Thank you to Ms. Jennifer McWhorter, Deacon Taylor, Fr. Abair and Monsignor
Heckman -- and the newest member of the communications team, Sister
Maggie-Leigh Britton, for their incredible efforts on behalf of the people
of the RCC. Please let our team know that you appreciate their
efforts. Also, let them know what your community is doing! You can
reach the members of the Communications Team at Communications@ReformedCatholicChurch.org
Peace and Blessings to you all!
++Phillip
Sept. 14, 2007
 Dear
Family in Christ,
I am pleased to inform you that The Reformed Catholic Church has been
accepted as a member of The Metropolitan Area Council of Churches (MACC)
here
in Columbus, Ohio.
The Columbus Metropolitan Area Church Council represents a long-term
commitment by various churches to develop a unified approach to the common
concerns and challenges within Central Ohio. This effort dates back to the
early 1930s, when a coalition of churches formed the Franklin County
Council of Churches, with a mission to assist churches to work together to
promote unity of the whole church through exchanging information,
coordinating programs, and addressing common concerns.
As a member church, one of the benefits our clergy receive is a badge that
provides for no-charge parking at the major hospitals where our clergy are
often found making pastoral visits. As you may be aware, in
Columbus, we have a very engaged hospital/nursing home ministry and this
new benefit is a blessing to our clergy.
I strongly recommend that you seek to join a similar organization in your
community. It is an excellent opportunity to inform people about the
RCC and, more importantly, your ministry.
Also, Reformed Catholic Church 3X5 Outdoor Quality Flags will be available
for our communities in 12 days! We are asking that you
make a contribution to the national RCC of $35-$40 for each flag.
Please contact me immediately if your community would like reserve a flag.
Remember: The Paxpress and the Reformed Catholic Radio Podcast are
there to help educate the community about your ministry! Help us to
help you grow by submitting articles, news, interviews and other items of
interest! Please contact Monsignor Marcis at paxpressrcc@aol.com
May God Bless and Mary Keep You All,
++Phillip
Sept. 12, 2007
Dear Family in Christ,
I hope that you had an opportunity to read the Paxpress Daily News
yesterday, September 11, 2007. There is a video presentation
that is absolutely incredible that I believe should be seen by all.
If you haven't had an opportunity to view the presentation, please go to
PaxPress
On-Line
I recommend that you put the Paxpress On-Line link on your favorites for
each assess to the Daily News. By doing so, you avoid having
to make multiple click to get to the news site.
Also, The Reformed Catholic Radio Podcast is rapidly becoming a valuable
media tool for our community. I have received several calls about
the quality of the newscast. I want to thank Deacon Warren Taylor
for his efforts and for this amazing apostolate that is reaching out to
a larger-than-we-anticipated listening audience.
I would like to recommend that you consider contacting Deacon Warren to
determine how your parish, mission, or ministry can be helped through
this new and exciting medium. If you would like to listen to the
Reformed Catholic Church Podcast (RCCP), please click on this link Podcast
Both the PaxPress On-line and the Reformed Catholic Radio Podcast are
designed to keep you abreast of the activity of the RCC, and we need
YOUR input... Please inform us about events happening in your community
-- what YOU are doing -- so that we can assist you and your parish,
mission or ministry. As we have so many active communities in the
United States, let Monsignor Marcis and Deacon Warren help you to inform
your community, and the greater community, about the many ways the RCC
is impacting the lives of the faithful.
Also, we need more volunteers for the communications department.
If you feel called to serve the community through this apostolate,
please contact Monsignor Marcus Heckman at paxpressrcc@aol.com
May God continue to bless this community,
++Phillip
Sept.
10,2007
A
horrific day, a horrific crime forever etched in the minds and
souls of the people of the United States.
Today,
with sadness, we mark the 6th anniversary of the tragic loss of so
many lives due to extremism. May we cherish each other and thank
God for the variety, diversity and beauty of His people. May
we, as shepherds of God's people, always preach the healing
message of the Gospel that is our inheritance.
I
ask that we remember those who were lost, and importantly, their
families, in our prayers and at every mass today. I ask that you
light a candle today to remember our family who suffered the loss of
their loved ones in this horrofic moment. I have attached a link
for an incredibly powerful memorial presentation that says all that can
be said about this tragedy. It reminds us that God is with us,
even in the darkest moments of our life.
May
those we love never fall victim to crimes caused by religious
intolerance or hatred, and may we always seek to find Christ in all
those whom we encounter. Remember that evil can only prevail if
good people choose to do nothing. May we always choose to DO
SOMETHING!
Sept.
7, 2007
Dear
Family in Christ,
As
we know, Monsignor Heckman, RSJ has provided the RCC with an
incredibly improved RCC website over the past few months. For this, I am
deeply indebted to him.
Monsignor
Heckman placed Deacon Warren Taylor, RSJ of St. Michael the Defender RCC,
at the helm of the Paxpress Radio Project. I am pleased to inform
you that the Paxpress Radio Program is now active!
I
would like to congratulate Deacon Warren for the outstanding effort he
has made on behalf of the RCC through the Paxpress Radio Program.
Working countless hours and utilizing available technology, Deacon
Warren has given the RCC an incredible witness and a priceless gift of
his talents. In doing so, he has helped our community to more
effectively spread the Gospel Message of our Lord through clear audio!
When
you are able, please listen to Paxpress Radio, which is found under the Communication
Tabs of the RCC Website. Deacon Warren has projected that the
PaxPress Radio Program will run 5 days of the week, with a new program
every day!
What a major undertaking!
Again,
I both thank and congratulate Both Monsignor Marcis and Deacon Warren
for this incredible addition to the RCC Communication effort!
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Office of the
Bishop of the Diocese of St.
Patrick
The Most Reverend William
Quinlan, DD OSI
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Sept.
14, 2007
Feast
of the Triumph of the Cross
Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Father
into your hands I commend my spirit.
Lord
Jesus, you entrusted to the Fathers mercy the people of every age.
Fill us with your Spirit of love,
so
that our indifference will not render vain the fruits of your death.
To you, crucified Jesus, the wisdom and the power of God, be honor
and glory for ever.
2000
years ago to be crucified upon the cross was a punishment for crimes.
This grisly form of death was
used
many times by the Romans against all who dared to speak or act against
Imperial Rome.
That
Jesus, our savior was put to death using this cruel form of punishment
speaks to us today. He chose to undergo this death to free us from
our sins and to fulfill the will of the Father in heaven. When we
look upon the cross today, we see not a criminal, but the greatest love
the world can ever know. We see not a criminal, but love
incarnate.
Let
us genuflect before this cross, with hearts filled with love and sorrow,
asking that Jesus bless our ministry, give us strength to bring His
love, and His promise of salvation to all those entrusted to our care.
Oh
Jesus you have redeemed us by your Holy Cross.
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Office of the
Bishop of the Diocese of The Divine Mercy
The Most Reverend
David A. Frazee, DD RSJ
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Sept.
7, 2007
It
is with great joy that I announce the Reformed Catholic Church is
continuing to grow.
This
Sunday, September 9, 2007
at
11:00 a.m.
the first Communion service will take
place at St. Joan of Arc Oratory in
New Orleans
,
La.
Jim
and Doty West will host the service at the house they are using until
their home is repaired. .
Jim
and Doty will be moving back into their home that was damaged by Katrina
around the end of September and will continue to build a community. I
will be traveling to
New Orleans
later in the year, possibly October, to
ordain Jim as a Deacon. Jim
has been working hard to start a community there and is starting with
Communion outside of Mass as way to bring people in and start his
community.
It
starts with the seed, which Jim has planted, it continues with nourishment
and care, which Jim and Doty will diligently do.
The dream is a Parish that is thriving and showing Christ to all as
a Loving and Caring God.
Please
keep Jim and Doty in your prayers as they move forward to do God’s work.
May
God grant them a bountiful Harvest as they work the fields in His name+
+David
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Message
from the Office of the Vicar of Communications
The
Very Reverend Marcis Heckman RSJ
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Sept.
14, 2007
I
would like to take this opportunity to formally introducing and
welcome Fr. Michael Abair of Southern New Jersey to RCC Family.
Father Michael Abair minister in a great variety of contexts. The
majority of his work takes place in Camden City (“most dangerous
city in the U.S.” five years in a row is sadly our “claim to
fame”). Among his apostolic ministry are ecumenical efforts
within the Camden faith communities as together we seek to live out the
Gospel of peace in a place of utter brokenness. Fr. Michael works as
pastoral counselor and spiritual director in this area.
In
terms of his works “behind the scenes,” Fr. Michael writer
of, "seeking publication of works specifically related to
inter-religious dialogue; a natural extension of my ecumenical
bent." Furthermore, His is developing “Pilgrim’s
Sanctuary: Christians United in Seeking the Holy,” which is
building a mission of the RCC addressing the spiritual and
practical needs of the poor; particularly in Camden City. He spends much
of his time working in grant writing, urban renewal and ecumenical gatherings
for peace. Michael's involvement in Camden he characterizes in the
following way: "we are moving forward with determination, in great
faith of the work of the Spirit who so imbues this entire faith
community with an unprecedented growth – fruits – in which we can
rejoice in affirmation of those first seeds planted in the RCC."
Fr.
Michael will be join the Vicariate of Communications and am very
excited to have him being a part of the Communication Team! Fr. Michael
will be taking over as Pax Press Editor in addition to becoming the new
Blog Administrator. He can be reached by phone (917) 579-5733
or by email FrMichaelAbair@reformedcatholicchurch.
Take the time to welcome Fr. Michael .
Ad Maiorem
Dei Gloriam
Marcis+
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RCC Quarterly Newspaper |
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Sept. 30, 2007
A Note From Fr. Abair Regarding the
Pax Press Quarterly Newspaper
My Dear Friends in Faith,
Grace and peace be with
each of you, in Jesus the Christ! I write with regard to a pragmatic (albeit
important issue). As newly appointed Editor of the Pax Press Newspaper: This
note is to kindly remind all RCC clergy that the final date for submissions
is October 15th. As of this present moment, I was
anticipating being in receipt of more material than I am at present. I
therefore implore ALL – not just those who enjoy writing – RCC Clergy to
offer a submission. However brief, what this collection of materials
does is represent the spectrum of the Church and this requires the inclusion
of each of us. It is understandable that submissions will vary in length and
I am sensitive to the fact that for many writing is not a particular charism;
however, for the sake of your parish and our Church I send out this notice.
Please know that you are STRONGLY encouraged to submit materials other than
“reports” related to your parish. The Newspaper is to read as such; with
articles, pictures, poetry, essays, reports, etc. There is no limit to what
the Paper can contain save our collective imaginations! Don’t hesitate to
call me at any time to discuss items laid out in this notice at: (917)
579-5733 or by email (which I check regularly) at
FrMichaelAbair@reformedcatholicchurch.org
Many thanks to each of you in your
ministries and in our collective ministry, ever:
For the Greater Glory of God,
Michael+
The Reverend Father Michael J. Abair,
Jr., M.A., R.Y.T. |
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News
from St. Michael Diocese
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Sept. 30, 2007
St. Stephen the
Martyr Oratory Livingston, TN.
Here in Livingston, TN we are blessed
to have the Overton County Ministerial Committee which operates Good
Samaritan Center. It's provides those in need with food, clothes,
households items, etc. free of charge. The center is open Tuesday and
Thursdays from 8:30am to 10:30am. This ministry is located in the county
annex building , They change NO rent, They pay for the lights and water and
they provide the center a home for us to minister the love of Christ those
less fortunate in this community. Charles and Ottie Eldridge with their
daughter has operated the center with a host of volunteers from the area
churches. This past month , We served over 455 individuals and handed out
over 195 food baskets. St. Stephen the Martyr is honored to be a part of
this dynamic ministry. At the end of the month, Charles and Ottie are
planning on retiring from Good Samaritan after serving there for over 19
years. The Ministerial is in the process of searching for someone to take
up the mantle and and oversee this growing ministry. This is a great example
of when we put aside our differences of doctrine and beliefs and focus on
what our Lord commands us as Christians to be, How we can be the hands and
feet of Christ in the world. May God continue to bless the Good Samaritan
Center and the churches that stand behind and support it.
Faithfully Submitted,
Rev. Br. Steven Michael Sandaluk-RJE
Curate : St.Stephen the Martyr Oratory Livingston, TN. |
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| News
from Divine Mercy Diocese
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Sept.
13, 2007
A
Message from St. Joan of Arc, RCC
New Orleans, LA
My
brothers and sisters:
I
have often questioned myself over the last two years on whether or not I
wished to embark on the journey of establishing a community of prayer and
service in this city that we call home. Given the circumstances that
we all face in rebuilding our lives and homes it has seemed an almost
impossible task. Surely we all have greater concerns than church.
Surely we have faced things that have strained our moral and spiritual
fiber to the breaking point. I know that my spouse and I have
certainly not been the same since Katrina, nor will we ever be. It
seems to me that there has been a collective ‘dark night of the soul’
for all of us. So why now should we come together as a community of
prayer? What do we have to offer in service? We who have so
little. We who are simply struggling to survive.
It
is precisely for those reasons that we should come together as the
Father’s children to shine our light, which He has given us as a
birthright, to all around us. Now is the time, and now is the place
if ever there was one. I firmly believe that adversity does not
build character but that it REVEALS IT. With that said let us remind
ourselves that we are the children of the Living God. Our character
is inbred, and our destiny is yet to be revealed by what we choose to do.
We
have an opportunity to put away our self pity and our sorrows and to act
as His children. In short to contribute rather than take, and to act
rather than to accept what others impose upon us.
St.
Joan is the patroness of the persecuted and the oppressed. A beacon,
if you will, for those whose will is subjugated by the will of others.
She has been chosen as our parish exemplar and patroness for that very
reason. I invite you all to join together as a community of prayer
and service. We should start with communal prayer and communion, and
then progress to greater things. Let us make a beginning. Let
us come together weekly for prayer and communion as a start. As the
scriptures tell us, “Eye has not seen, nor ear has heard, what the
Father has in store for those who love Him”.
I
hope you choose to join the journey. God bless us all. www.stjoanrcc.com
Jim
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| News
from Teresa of
Calcutta
Diocese
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Sept,
18, 2007
Greetings!
I
felt it was time for an update of what is happening here in Connecticut
along with the Diocese of Teresa of Calcutta. I'm sure you are all finding
that with the coming of fall, the year is ending more quickly than
one would have thought. Since we won't be able to gather as a community in
October this is a way of reaching out through the miles.
St.
Joe's in CT continues to grow and we are fast approaching our one year
anniversary. We have yet to decide how to mark that event, but I'm sure it
will be a celebration of Thanksgiving. Just recently we blessed and
dedicated our new Catholic Community Hymnals from GIA, after completing
our hymnal drive. We are blessed to have this added to our music ministry,
and they have really brought something special to our liturgy. We were
also able to dedicate the church's sign this past weekend, which gives us
a much bolder presence here in New Haven.
We
have settled into our new home and time, with the change has come a
wonderful partnership with the UCC church that hosts us. We are truly
blessed to mark them as friends. St. Joseph of Arimathea now has a
beautiful and permanent chapel that seats about 40 people.
On September 16th
we baptized Anthony S., and welcomed his parents into our community. Sadly
only an hour after Anthony's baptism his grandmother Shirley entered her
eternal reward. Bro. Terry and Msgr. Shawn had been ministering to
Shirley. On
We
have begun our outreach ministry and will be working with Columbus House
here in New Haven. Thanks to the good work of Bro. Matthew, St.
Joe's will be responsible for serving a monthly meal for 130+ of our
area's homeless! We realize we're a far way from 104,000 sandwiches, as
Mary's Open Arms Project in Columbus Ohio has done, but we
thank Bishop Frazee, for giving us the hope, dreams and motivation
for this great ministry.
Soon
we will be beginning a door to door campaign with our "The
Same…..But Different" door hangers. These hangers feature a horse
and cow, both with white and black spots. On the back they list the
differences between Reformed Catholic and Roman Catholics. It will be a
time for our community to come together, enjoy the fall season our in our
neighborhoods, and hopefully help our community grow!
Our
diocese continues to grow as well, with the recent ordinations and all the
exciting events happening! Fr. Bill Heller celebrated his first mass and
kicked off Sacred Heart Parish in New York. I will soon be visiting him
for the formal dedication of his Parish. Soon
Fr. Martin Jordan will be giving us a much needed presence in Maine. Fr.
Michael Abair will be doing great things in his neck of the woods in NJ.
It seems as though, more and more our diocese is coming alive in New
England. The blessings are evident in the good and hard work of the
clergy.
The
Diocese of Teresa of Calcutta should be gathering in October for a meeting
of clergy when Archbishop Phillip Zimmerman visits. This will be a
time to plan even more for growth and structure within the Northeast
Community of our church.
All
of this news is exciting and it's evident that the Holy Spirit is at work
here in the Northeast. Please know that the entire church is in our
prayers, and we appreciate the support and prayers that you give us.
May
God continue to bless you all!
Msgr.
Shawn M. Smith RSJ
____________________________________________________________________________________-
Sept.
14, 2007
News from Sacred Heart RCC Parish Warsaw New York
On Sunday, September 9, 2007,
Sacred Heart Parish held its Inaugural Mass to celebrate the 23rd Sunday
of Ordinary Time in the South Chapel of United Church of Warsaw .
Sixteen folks of varying ages and backgrounds from Warsaw and other nearby
towns attended. Fr. Bill Heller led worship and offered a homily entitled,
"Counting the Cost." The Inaugural Mass had been
publicized through ads in the local Pennysaver and on the Religion Page of
the local Daily News out of Batavia. In addition, the Saturday
September 8 edition of the Daily News contained a nice article and picture
about the first Mass and about the origins of Sacred Heart RCC Parish by
staff writer Matt Surtel. This was the second article Surtel has
done about the Reformed Catholic Church. which have helped to generate
much interest in Sacred Heart RCC Parish. Weekly liturgies will be
held at the South Chapel Sundays at 5:30 PM.
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From
The Office Of Online Coordinator
Rev.
Deacon Warren Taylor, RSJ |
Sept.
7, 2007
Greetings
Family In Christ;
I
am excited to be writing this to you about a great opportunity we
now have. As You well know, the Podcast now goes out 5 days a
week! Monday through Friday you can log on and listen to
the Daily Mass Readings, hear about the Saint Of The Day, pick up on
what is new and upcoming, and hear some great music mixed in as
well. But there is so much more to come. We have plans for
even more special programming of music and issues that will keep you informed
and enlightened.
As
part of this move forward, we would like to put you in the
spotlight. We are adding a new feature: "Ministry In
Action". Each week we would like to focus in on one Parish or
one particular Parish ministry.
We
need you to send in your ideas and what you are doing in the ministry for
your community. The joy you are bringing to those you serve
will be a joy for our listeners to hear about. You can even send
us sound bites and audio of the things you are doing.
Sharing
with us and our audience your needs and your challenges can even prompt
the right listener to step forward and provide for those needs.
We
indeed have a great opportunity that has been given to us. Let us
work together to truly take the Message of Christ "around the globe".
May
God Bless you and keep you always.
Vicariate
of Communications Online Coordinator
678-853-5048
Radio@reformedcatholicchurch.org
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Confidentiality
Memorandum The information contained in each issue of the Pax Press
Express is private and confidential to RCC members, and associates only.
Should anyone wish to re-print anything submitted, contact the Vicariate
of Communications at 419-517-6762, or E-mail PaxPressRCC@aol.com
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