CBS Classes Resume

Except for the Luke course with Dr. Casey (for graduates only), CBS classes are back in session beginning Wednesday morning.

Dr. Casey's class will resume next week, God willing. (He has extensive tree damage that is penning him in at the moment.)

And remember: If your situation is still precarious after the storm, be advised to stay safe. Pray for one another while we recover from Sandy's wrath!

HCBS Cancellations for Hurricane Sandy

Hartford Catholic Biblical School classes are CANCELLED for Monday, October 29, and Tuesday, October 30. We will reassess on Monday night and consider re-opening some Tuesday evening classes, if possible.

All updates will be posted on the ORE phone system: 860-243-9465. Please follow the prompts for weather advisory.

Our STS Registrar system has gone offline and may not be re-established before the storm is over, so please use telephones to contact the ORE to find out what's happening with classes later in the week.

Stay safe! BJ

Emergency Procedures

As we prepare for a possible hurricane, CBS students and faculty should review the following procedures: 

1. If you do not feel safe coming to class, please do not endanger yourself, whether or not your class is canceled.

2. We will use the STS Registrar notification system to advise you of canceled classes:

• Students log on at http://www.stsregistrar.org/cgi-bin/CBS/cbsstudentlogin.pl
• Faculty log on at http://www.stsregistrar.org/cgi-bin/CBS/cbsinstructorlogin.pl

3. We will also post a voice recording on the ORE phone system: 1-860-243-9465.

If you are able to access neither the online system nor the  telephone system, please use your judgment. In no circumstances should you endanger yourself to get to class if conditions are not safe.

Remember that conditions will vary from city to city within the state, and so even if it seems safe in your neighborhood, classes may need to be canceled. If the power is out in class buildings or ice cannot be removed from parking lots, we will cancel class for your safety.

It is your responsibility to find out whether class is being held. We will do everything possible to keep you informed about the status of your class during weather incidents, using the online and telephone systems we've put in place for this purpose.

In the event of a real emergency, though, we may not be able to use these alert systems. (Telephones and computers may be out.) Please use your best judgment and STAY SAFE.

STS Registrar is Down

If you haven't been able to log into the CBS communications and record system, it's not just your computer being cranky. The St. Thomas Seminary records system has been down since Thursday. The problem is with the remote server (not on site at the seminary) and so we will not be able to use that system until Monday at the earliest. I will post when it is working again.

Ten Points for Fruitful Scripture Reading

No. 1: Bible reading is for Catholics.

"The Church encourages Catholics to make reading the Bible part of their daily prayer lives. Reading these inspired words, people grow deeper in their relationship with God and come to understand their place in the community God has called them to."


From "Understanding the Bible" by Mary Elizabeth Sperry,
Associate Director for Utilization of the New American Bible
 (http://www.usccb.org/bible/understanding-the-bible/index.cfm)

Youth & Young Adult Ministries in a Complex, Global Age

On Friday, November 9, Fordham University's Westchester campus (400 Westchester Ave., West Harrison, NY) is offering two public lectures introducing "must see" material for anyone whose work or life is touched by young people today:

"Were We Ever Their Age?"

Dr. Harold "Bud" Horell

11:00 a.m

"They Were Never Our Age!"

Dr. Kieran Scott

12:45 p.m.

FREE OF CHARGE! ALL ARE WELCOME!
LIGHT LUNCH SERVED!

RSVP is required by Monday, November 5, 2012. Email Bill Madden at wmadden@fordham.edu.

This event is not sponsored by the Catholic Biblical School but is recommended.

CBS Retreat for Graduates

CBS Graduates: Mark your calendars! The next CBS graduate retreat is scheduled for October 2013. Here are the details:

Title: "Seeing the Face of God" (tentative)
Director: Sr. Janet Weber, RSCJ
Dates: October 25-27, 2013
Location: Genesis Spiritual Life and Conference Center, Westfield, Mass.


Details will be forthcoming when we get nearer to the date.

Bishops' Website: Ten Points for Fruitful Scripture Reading

"The Bible is all around us. People hear Scripture readings in church. We have Good Samaritan (Luke 10) laws, welcome home the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), and look for the Promised Land (Exodus 3, Hebrews 11). Some biblical passages have become popular maxims, such as 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' (Matthew 7:12), 'Thou shalt not steal' (Exodus 20:15), and 'love thy neighbor' (Matthew 22:39)."

As Mary Elizabeth Sperry, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Associate Director for Utilization of the New American Bible, tells us, "Today's Catholic is called to take an intelligent, spiritual approach to the Bible."

On Fridays between now and the New Year, we will be featuring one of Mary's "Ten Points for Fruitful Scripture Reading," from her article on the USCCB website: "Understanding the Bible" by Mary Elizabeth Sperry, 
 (http://www.usccb.org/bible/understanding-the-bible/index.cfm).

May the angels sing her to paradise

On Monday morning, Rev. Aidan Donahue, beloved faculty member of the Catholic Biblical School and Pastor, Saint Mary Church, Milford, entrusted his mother Helen to the arms of Jesus.
Here are some of the details:

Helen Donahue, died Monday, October 15, 2012. She had just celebrated her 80th birthday the week before.

There are No Calling Hours.

St. Dominic Church, Southington

The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Dominic Church, 1050 Flanders Road, Southington, Connecticut 06489, (860-628-0349), on Friday, October 19, 2012, at 10:00 a.m.

Please pray for Mrs. Donahue, Fr. Donahue and the whole family.

For driving directions to St. Dominic, click here.

US Bishops Promote Biblical Preaching and Living

When the US Catholic Bishops meet in November, they will be voting on a document that emphasizes the importance of Biblical preaching in the Sunday homily and connecting it to our twenty-first century lifestyle.

“Preaching the Mystery of Faith: The Sunday Homily” will be presented by the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), chaired by Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis.

“The ultimate goal of proclaiming the Gospel is to lead people into a loving and intimate relationship with the Lord, a relationship that forms the character of their persons and guides them in living out their faith,” the document says. It continues: “The homily is intended to establish a ‘dialogue’ between the sacred biblical text and the Christian life of the hearer."

On their website, the USCCB summarizes the initiative with the following three points:

• Homilies should connect Scripture to daily life
• Preacher should be in touch with contemporary culture
• Sermons should enhance hearer’s relationship with Jesus

The Catholic Biblical School and St. Thomas Seminary Certificate in Biblical Studies program contributes significantly to this ministry not only by providing biblical educational opportunities to deacons and priests. It also prepares all Christians for biblical ministries that encourage communities to "see the world with biblical eyes" (to borrow a phrase from the document) in ways that complement the Sunday homily.

Notice! 2012 Grads

The 2012 graduates have been added to the St. Thomas Seminary Registrar System, online.

I am requesting that all 2012 grads try to sign into the system at this time.

You will need your password which is automatically selected with the following format: Initials in capital letters followed by your birthdate in 8-digit format. NO spaces anywhere. If you gave us a middle initial on your original CBS application, that will be included in your password.

So, Donald Duck, whose birthdate might be March 13, 1914 (there are differing opinions on this question), would have the following password: DD03131914.


So kindly click on this URL to get to the login page, and make sure you can log in: http://www.stsregistrar.org/cgi-bin/CBS/cbsstudentlogin.pl

If you don't get it on your first try, add in your middle initial. Remember that the initials must be in caps, but you can't leave the "caps lock" key activated when you enter the numbers.

Let BJ know how you fare, so we can work out any problems that might be showing up in the system. Thanks!

PS: The Student Login page looks like this:

Day of Biblical Spirituality

On Friday, October 26, Fordham University's Westchester campus (400 Westchester Ave., West Harrison, NY) is offering two public lectures that could be life-changing and will certainly be well worth the trip:

"Try to Discover What the Lord Wants of You"

The Biblical Roots for Ignatian Discernment of Spirits

Fr. Francis McAloon, SJ

11:00 a.m.

"Born of the Father"

The Spirituality of the Divine Womb
in Scripture, Creed, and the Words of the Saints

Dr. Shannon McAlister

 12:45 p.m.

FREE OF CHARGE!

ALL ARE WELCOME!
REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED!

RSVP is required by Monday, October 22, 2012. Email Bill Madden at wmadden@fordham.edu.

This event is not sponsored by the Catholic Biblical School but is an authorized make-up for certain requirements towards archdiocesan and seminary certificates in biblical studies. Only contact BJ about this program if you wish to request it as a make-up for your missed requirements.

HCBS Students Living God's Word

Students in the West Hartford Advanced Class may be interested to know that we've heard from Sr. Heather. She seems busy and happy in her ministry in South Carolina. Here's an inspiring story she shares from her ministry:

"There was a banquet .... There was cake and banana pudding for dessert. Everyone ate the banana pudding, and there was lots of cake left over.  We cut up the cake and rode around the neighborhood, giving it to families who the sisters know are always in need of food. It was a little strange for me, but a real blessing that we were able to share it. The people around here really do trust the sisters! Not one person questioned if the cake was safe to eat. They were all glad to have a nice treat. In the city, the leftover cake would probably have gone to waste, but here it was appreciated."

If you--or someone you know--is a student or graduate of the Biblical School who is involved in ministry, let us know what they are up to! We love to see how the Holy Spirit is working among our faith communities.

Seminar for CBS Graduates

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Vatican II and the 20th Anniversary of the CCC:

 "The Apostle Paul  and the Universal Call to Holiness"

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary

9:00 am-12:00 pm (“Coffee and” begins at 8:30 am)

Pre-registration required by October 12, 2012

Presenter: Dr. Joan M. Kelly, Sacred Heart University

Every baptized Christian is called to be nothing less than a saint, as the Second Vatican Council reminded us. This "universal call to holiness," was one of the landmark teachings that initiated the current renewal of the church, already begun in the late 1960s. This is not a new teaching, however. The universal call to holiness was taught by Paul in the first century and is energetically put forward in the NT Letter to the Ephesians: "I plead with you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received!" Dr. Kelly will explore this theme from the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium in connection with St. Paul’s writings.

Dr. Joan M. Kelly is a popular lecturer and retreat presenter at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford and Caritas Christi Center in Hamden. She is on the faculty at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, CT and teaches in Sacred Heart University's SHARE program certificate in religion. For 11 years she has been involved with the theological training of deacons at Holy Apostles Seminary and in the Diocese of Bridgeport. She joined the faculty of the Archdiocese of Hartford's Catholic Biblical School in 2011.