Pedro Curbelo 1936-2012

The Hartford Catholic Biblical School joins St. Rose of Lima Parish and the greater New Haven Latino community in mourning the loss of Pedro Curbelo, Class of 1999, longtime leader of St. Rose of Lima and the Fair Haven community, and a founder of Elm City Congregations Organized. Pedro died of cancer on Thursday, April 26. He was 76.

Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1936, he emigrated to the United States in 1966. He married the love of his life, Juana Luz Rivera on October 9, 1971.

Mr. Curbelo’s body will lie in state at St. Rose of Lima on Monday, April 30, 2102, beginning at 4 pm until 9pm.  A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 7:30pm. On Tuesday morning at 10 am, a prayer service will be held followed by a procession from the church to East Lawn Cemetery for burial.

Besides his beloved wife of 40 years, Luz, he leaves to cherish his memory a brother, Luis Curbelo and a sister, Francis Curbelo. He was predeceased by his sister, Hilda Gorrin.

Unit Three Test Review Alert!

Misprints appear in the Year One and Year Four student workbooks that might affect some students' performances on the final exam in CBS 100 and CBS 400.

Year One: Unit III.10 Test Review Identifications, add "Shechem" and "Rahab" to the list.

Year Four: Unit III.10 Test Review Item 2 reads: #20 "New Testament Writings Overview"; it should instead read #21 "New Testament Writings: Overview."

Educational Ministry in the 21st Century Church

Lunch, Lecture and Conversation - Free of Charge! (RSVP Required)

When: Friday, May 4, 11:30-2:30
Where: Fordham Westchester, 400 Westchester Ave., West Harrison, NY

Dr. Kieran Scott will explore with us Models for the Future of educational ministry in the church. Dessert will be accompanied by directed table conversation with other religious educators.

Anyone actively involved in catechesis or religious education is invited to attend this special event at Fordham University's Westchester Campus. Contact Assistant Dean William Madden for details and to register: wmadden@fordham.edu.

Hope to see you there!

Call for Prayers

Pedro Curbelo, Catholic Biblical School Class of 1999 and member of St. Rose of Lima Parish in New Haven, is gravely ill in the hospital.

In addition, Jean Gray, spouse of beloved CBS faculty member, Don Gray, is also seriously ill in the hospital.

We keep these folks and all the members of the Catholic Biblical School family in our prayers.

So What's "New" About the New Evangelization?

Pope Benedict XVI and the worldwide bishops have, in recent years, begun talking about the "New Evangelization." What that means can be confusing. Evangelization is the call of every baptized Christian to learn and live our faith actively and in such a way that others are attracted to the faith. Haven't we been hearing about this challenge throughout most of our lifetimes (at least since the time of Vatican II)?

So what's "new" about the new evangelization?

Truthfully, the New Evangelization is, in some senses, as old as the teaching of Jesus and the proclamation of the gospels by the apostles.

The New Evangelization calls all Catholics first to be evangelized and then in turn to evangelize. While it is directed to all people, the New Evangelization focuses specifically on those Christian communities that have Catholic roots but have lost a living sense of the faith. (Preface, Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization)

What's "new" is that church leadership recognizes that in recent years more Catholics than ever have lost faith in the church as the authentic witness to Christ in our contemporary world. Many Christians claim to be "spiritual, not religious," opting for a personalized "brand" of faith that is often unconnected to any particular faith tradition.

Unfortunately, this kind of disconnect with Scripture and Tradition proclaimed in the church usually boils down to a disconnect with Christ, the One who reveals God most fully and whom we profess to follow. In their new document, Disciples Called to Witness, the Bishops are reminding us of an ancient truth: generation to generation, the ancient faith must be proclaimed in a new way so as to create true followers of Christ in today's world.

 So today as in every generation, we as Christ's disciples commit ourselves to continue learning and growing in faith so we can in turn bring the good news to our world in both word and deed. As the bishops affirm:

To create a culture of witness, we must live explicit lives of discipleship. Being a disciple is a challenge. Fortunately, one does not become a disciple of Christ on his or her own initiative. The work of the Holy Spirit within the Christian community forms the person as a disciple of Christ. (Part IV, Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization)

The Office of Religious Education, in communication and solidarity with other Catholic faith formation offices nationwide, has been and continues to be committed to the New Evangelization, which might equally well be called "The Tried and True Evangelization."

URGENT DEADLINE for current CBS Students

REGISTRATIONS for next year's CBS students (currently in Years 1, 2 and 3, St. Thomas Seminary CBS 200 and 400) must be completed and turned in to BJ at the ORE by MAY 1, 2012.

Enrollment determines class meeting times and locations. Classes are forming now.

Forms have been distributed in class but are also available online. Click for the Advanced Form or Year 2 Form. Or call Jill Costa for additional paper copies.

URGENT CBS Deadlines May 1, 2012

YEAR TWO AND YEAR FOUR STUDENTS who are expecting Archdiocesan Certificates this year MUST return the following forms to the Office of Religious Education by May 1.

•    BASIC ELIGIBILITY FORMS for Year 2 students (St. Thomas Seminary course CBS 200) who expect to receive the Certificate in Basic Biblical Studies. Forms were distributed in class, but you can get a duplicate form from Jill Costa and send completed forms to BJ in the ORE.

•    GRADUATION FORMS for all Year 4 students. Forms were distributed in class, but you can get a duplicate form from Jill Costa and send completed forms to BJ in the ORE.

CBS Recommends—Bible Talks at St. Timothy's

St. Timothy Parish Festival of Sacred Scripture welcomes Professor Wayne Rollins. On Tuesday, April 24, Prof. Rollins will discuss "The Gospel of St. Mark in Three Perspectives: The Telescope, The Microscope, and The Stethoscope." On Tuesday, May 15, 2012, his topic will be "The Parables of Jesus and Vision Therapy in Everyday Life." Each presentation will take place in West Hartford at St. Timothy Parish's Milligan Hall from 7-9 pm. For more details, contact St. Timothy Parish Pastoral Associate Pat Piano at 860-232-8594.

This event is not sponsored by the Catholic Biblical School but is an authorized make up for certain requirements towards certificates in biblical studies.

Letters Written on The Heart: The Life and Teaching of the Apostle Paul

Next to Jesus himself, the Apostle Paul was the most influential figure in early Christianity. Apostle, missionary, preacher, pastor, theologian, mystic, and passionate follower of Jesus Christ, Paul’s influence extends from the earliest Gentile churches to our own time. He continues to shape our theology, our spirituality, and our understanding of what it means to be Christian.

Dates: April 14 and 21; May 5 and 19; June 9 and 23; July 7 and 21

Time: 1:30-3:45 PM

Place: St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish, Hartford

Presenter:  Paul Sansone

During these eight Saturday sessions, we will read selections from Paul’s letters that clarify his teaching about Jesus and living a Christian life. Readings for each session will be taken from: James P. Ware, Synopsis of the Pauline Letters in Greek and English (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010) ISBN 978-0-8010-3889-1. It is recommended that participants purchase a copy of this book, available on Amazon.com and www.cbd.com (as well as other venues), before the first session.

Offering:  $65.00.  Because of the continuing nature of this course, we request payment in full at the time of registration.

For more information or to register, please contact Pat Curtis at 860-756-4034, x.113.

Note: This course is not offered by the Catholic Biblical School or St. Thomas Seminary.