MMISSION ISSION APM is

a community of caring people

committed to the Church’s

human service ministries

and the support of each other

in those ministries.

THE ROLE OF OUR MEMBERS is one of leadership

in calling people forth

to respond to their baptism

through ministry

and in modeling new ways

of ministering.

WE ARE DEDICATED TO

NURTURING

RELATIONSHIPS with individuals and

organizations

within the Archdiocese

of St. Paul & Minneapolis

and beyond its boundaries.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF

DISCERNMENT seeking to discover and

to implement

ways that will strengthen

and improve

the quality of our ministry

modeled after the life and

teachings of Jesus.

Volume 32 No. 1 September 2010 in the Archdiocese of St. Paul * Minneapolis

By Marge Virnig “If you don’t feed the shepherds, they will eat the sheep.” These are very true and wise words that Jackie Witter is often quoted as saying. Another wise quote from Jackie is that “we don’t want lay ecclesial ministers to get burned out and leave … but we also don’t want them to get burned out and stay.” In order to address both of these situations, The Benedictine Center of St. Paul’s Monastery has developed the ministry to ministers named iLLUMINARE: Called for Service, Formed in Christ, with Dr. Jackie Witter as its executive director. iLLUMINARE is founded on the vision that excellent ministry is nurtured and sustained through ongoing formation of ministers in practices that foster vibrant Christian ministry. iLLUMINARE realizes this vision with a creative approach to advanced spiritual, pastoral, professional and personal formation for experienced ministers.

2010 Spring Banquet

By Lisa Amos On the evening of April 25

th, spring rain brought

hope for refreshment and renewal to those gathered for the 2010 APM Spring Banquet inside the Binz Refectory at the University of St. Thomas. Almost 60 pastoral Cont’d on page 3

2010 Fall Gathering Don’t Miss it!

iLLUMINARE:

Called for Service, Formed in Christ

“Apprenticed to Hope” Speaker: Julie Neraas September 16, 1-4pm

Lumen Christi Catholic Community St.

Paul

Julie is an ordained Presbyterian clergywoman, a Spiritual Director and an Associate Professor in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Hamline University, where she has taught since 1991. She has served as a pastor in a number of churches (including as a visiting minister at Pax Christi Catholic Church in the early 80's), a treatment center chaplain at St. Mary's, a college chaplain at Macalester College and Gonzaga University in Spokane. She received her M.Div., from Princeton Seminary, her training in Spiritual Direction from the Shalem Institute, and a certificate in Organizational Leadership from the University of Minnesota.

In addition to the systematic and intentional formation, iLLUMINARE has personally given me new energy in ministry and has helped me build and maintain relationships with other lay ecclesial ministers throughout our archdiocese and around the country. Participation in iLLUMINARE is in a cohort model that meets for three days every three months over a two year period. We spend a considerable amount of time integrating theology and the arts, engaging in theological reflection, studying, sharing our experiences and Cont’d on page 4

PAGE 2 NEWSLETTER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PASTORAL MINISTERS VOLUME 32 NO. 1

Br Sr. Fran Donnelly, B.V.M. Dear Colleagues in Ministry, In this year of great flux and change, we will find potential comfort and strength by “Abiding in Hope”. Web-ster tells us that “abide” means to endure, to remain, to reside and that “hope” means expectation of fulfill-ment. Interesting concepts. Even aside from the theological premises, what a fabulous thought! Hope is a value that helps us hold it together, to hang in there, because there is a promise of more and better to come. That is not only comforting, it is empowering. When one adds the belief that hope is indeed a theological virtue, i.e., it is a gift from a loving and merciful God, it is even more powerful. It helps us live in relationship to our God and to one another. It is a promise of the Resurrection; it is the promise of a life where all will live together in peace. And we all know that when a relationship is fractured we fail to function as we should; and tension, dissent, anger, hurt, loss, and separation are prevalent. As we continue to minister with and to others during these times of uncertainty, we, as pastoral min-isters, are in a tenuous position. We, “feel” the same emotions and fears along with everyone else. But per-haps the gift we are able to share with one another, and with those to whom we minister, is the gift of abid-ing in hope. That is living in a state of right relation-ship; abiding in the promise and the expectation of something coming, something good and different, and perhaps even better.

As we and our parishioners struggle with change and transition, we find ourselves caught on a spectrum between grace and chaos. On any given day, we experience it all. But by abiding in hope and by holding on to the belief that we can endure, we do reside in a world of expectation. To be human is to change. To be a part of a living organism, the parish community, is to be in motion. We are on our way to someplace else. This time, this community, this place is where we reside, remain, and endure, as we wait in expectation for something else. So, as decisions are made for the good of the whole, our responsibility is to find that hope, that

From the Chair

Ministry to Vulnerable Adults

By Mary Ann Kelly-Wright Twenty-six people from across the Archdiocese participated in the June 10

th MVA Trainer’s workshop held

at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. There were good discussions and questions as trainers and participants learned from one another. Evaluations were very favorable and helpful. Our thanks to Corpus Christi for their hospitality. FAQ’s about the MVA training continue to be posted on the APM website. If you have questions or would like to be placed on a list to be notified when a workshop will be held, please contact Mary Ann Kelly-Wright. She has recently moved to a position at St. Joan of Arc Church in South Minneapolis. Her new contact information is: 612-823-8205 ext. 231 or mkelly@stjoan.com Thank you for your continued support of APM and the Ministry to Vulnerable Adults training program.

Abiding in Hope

expectation of a promise of more and better to come. It is not going to be easy, but the value of being in it together is the gift of the Association of Pastoral Minis-ters. Each of us will be affected in different ways by the changes coming. Each of us will be called upon to serve in a way that is most appropriate to our ministerial setting. But we all have been given the gift and the power to abide in hope. Perhaps more than usual, this year’s APM pro-grams and gatherings will serve not only to inspire but also to support and to remind ourselves of the promise that hope brings. I do not at all equate the current situation with the tragedy of September 11, 2001. However, recently I came across the statement the Bishops made following that awful day. I found the message appropriate and well worth the reflection as we embark on a whole new reality. “Above all, we need to turn to God and to one another

in hope. Hope assures us that, with God’s grace, we will see our way through what now seems a daunting challenge. For believers, hope is not a matter of optimism, but a source for strength and action in demanding times. For peacemakers, hope is the indispensable virtue. This hope…must be rooted in God’s promise….” (United States Conference of Catholic Bish-ops, A Pastoral Message: Living with Faith and Hope after Sep-tember 11)

So, as together we anticipate something new, my prayer for you this year is that of the late Irish poet and theologian, John O’Donohue. In his book, To Bless the Space Between Us, he has a prayer entitled, “For the In-terim Time”. It ends with this verse… “What is being transfigured here is your mind, And it is difficult and slow to become new. The more faithfully you can endure here, The more refined your heart will become For your arrival in the new dawn.”

PAGE 3 NEWSLETTER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PASTORAL MINISTERS VOLUME 32 NO. 1

Banquet, cont’d from page 1 ministers came to share with one another terrific food, music from the fantastic Clinton Avenue Trio (plus one), the wisdom of an association favorite and keynote speaker, Jackie Witter, and to weave together once again our stories of ministry and fellowship. Jackie Witter’s theme, Weaver of a Sacred Tapestry, Work of the Divine Artist, and her message of ministering to ministers was timely for everyone in attendance. She asked, “What is impeding [our] ministry?” and offered an invitation to find ways to “let it all out”. Pastoral care ministers, she says, need ways to

express the fears, challenges, frustrations, realities, disappointments and, oh yes, limitations that we encounter in our work. She gently reminded us what a privilege it is to be a weaver of sacred tapestry and a work of the Divine Artist. We are asked, “What practices make [us] joyful in [our] ministry?” She declares, “We don’t need any more grumpy ministers”! We were encouraged to recall that our ministry is a vocation in answer to a call to be the presence of Christ in the sacred tapestries of people’s lives and that we must be faithful to this calling, regardless of whether others recognize it as such or not. She shared the story of one ecclesial minister who was turned away by a sick and hospitalized parishioner who again and again requested a visit from a priest; the story, which so many of us can personally identify with, of a minister who chose to answer the call to “go back, and go back, and go back”. In closing, Jackie Witter left us with four things to think about: first, to persevere. “Don’t give up and don’t go away”. Second, to maintain perspective, this often comes to us in the form of humor. Third, that we should always be prepared. And last, but perhaps most importantly, to pray. How many ministers feel they lack time for prayer as we care for others? Jackie reminds us that “Jesus took time for prayer”. We, especially, need to

2010 Fall Conference for Separated and Divorced

Change and Transition

Presented by Adaire Lassonde, SSND, MA The loss of a relationship through divorce poses one of the most difficult transitions anyone can face. As people go through a divorce, they face the stress of emotions, life changes and developing ways to live a new life. This presentation will give you time to focus on yourself and learn ways to help life feel more normal. Adaire Lassonde has worked with separated and divorced people for 25 years, giving her insight into the challenges and stress people face when a marriage ends through divorce or separation. Saturday, October 9, 2010, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. St. John the Baptist 835 2nd Ave NW, New Brighton, MN

Conference fee: $20 No pre-conference registration. Registrations will be taken at the door. For information or financial aid call 651-647-3126 and leave your name and number(s), or e-mail address.

Member Registration 2010

Membership information for 2010-2011 is

available on our website www.apmspm.org. If you are a

current member receiving an electronic form of this

newsletter an email reminder will be sent to you.

Members receiving paper copies will also receive

membership forms by USPS.

Do you know a recently unemployed pastoral

minister who may be interested in membership in APM?

If so, feel free to make copies of our registration forms or

direct them to our website.

New this year is a parish membership which will allow members to bring up to five guests to our programs without paying a charge at the door!

be people of prayer, she says, if we are to keep our will attuned to God’s. These things will help us to be people of hope, to trust God’s promises, to develop, Jackie says, “a habitual disposition of hope”. After the keynote address, outgoing APM chair, Kathleen Conrad Eustice, thanked the board members of the past year and welcomed returning and new board members. The Mary Mulheron Award was presented to Bonnie Wek, pastoral care minister at St. Mary of the Lake in White Bear Lake. Once again, the spring banquet brought new light to our ministries and renewed a sense of camaraderie and hope for next year. Thank you to all who brought their stories and added them to the tapestry that is APM.

PAGE 4 NEWSLETTER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PASTORAL MINISTERS VOLUME 32 NO. 1

Mark Your Calendar Now!

Chair: Fran Donnelly, BVM 651-255-0537 Past Co-Chair Kathleen Conrad Eustice 612-869-2426 Chair Elect Deacon Al Schroeder 952-402-7205 Secretary Open Treasurer Adaire Lassonde SSND 651-647-3126

Representatives, Committee Chairs, and Coalition Delegates:

Coalition Reps Marge Virnig 651-644-4918 Open Communication Mia AhSani 651-698-5581 Lisa Amos 651-905-4304 Hospitality Barbara Roban 612-724-3643 Kathryn Runman-Zimney 612-729-5633 Program Chris Sorensen 507-334-2266 Spirituality Deb Organ 612-724-3651 MVA Mary Ann Kelly-Wright 612-823-8205

The Executive Board meets bi-monthly to implement the APM mission. APM members can play a vital role by helping to identify issues, needs, future leadership, and other concerns for the common good. Please call on any Board members listed above if you have suggestions or needs.

2010-2011 Board Meeting Dates: October 22, December 10, February 11, April 8 and

June 10

Fall Gathering Thur., September 16

1:00-4:00pm Lumen Christi, St. Paul

“Apprenticed to Hope” Julie Neraas

Program I Thur. November 11

1:00-4:00pm St. Cecilia’s, St. Paul

Dr. Russ Connors

Winter Retreat Fri. January 28 9:00am-3:00pm

TBD

TBD

Archdiocesan Ministry Day

TBD

Program II Thur., March 24

1:00-4:00pm Pax Christi, Eden Prairie

Jackie Witter

Spring Banquet Tues. May 24 6:00-9:00pm

Binz Refectory, St. Paul

TBD

PRAYERS

For those seeking employment

For Archbishop Nienstedt and the people of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis

in this time of transition and change

Executive Board . Officers:

in the Archdiocese of St. Paul * Minneapolis

The newsletter of the Association of Pastoral Ministers is published for its members as an expression of APM’s mission. Input, suggestions and feedback from its members is valued and requested. Please direct these to any board member or email lamos@stpetersmendota.org.

iLLUMINARE, Cont’d from page 1 building friendships. Check www.illuminare.org to learn more about this vital and life giving ministry. “Ongoing formation, which strengthens ministerial identity as well as enhancing ministerial skills, is not a luxury to be pursued when time and resources allow, but is rather a permanent necessity for every ecclesial minister, lay or ordained.” Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord, USCCB, 2005, p.51