CBS Times SEVEN this Spring

We know seven is the "perfect" biblical number. So I'm happy to announce that, so far this spring, CBS 075 Making Sense of the Bible in the Catholic Tradition will be offered in at least seven locations: Bloomfield (two), Hartford, Middlebury, Prospect, West Simsbury and Bradenton, Florida. (That last one might be a little hard to get to.)

Some of these classes are open to any individual who wants to enroll. Here are three possibilities you might check out:

Cathedral of St. Joseph, the Mother Parish of the Archdiocese began with Suzanne Berwick, CBS Class of 2016, on Saturday, February 17 and will continue through all the Saturdays of Lent. Call the Cathedral and ask Sr. Ann Marie Strileckis, CND to find out if you can still join: 860-249-8431.

St. John of the Cross, Middlebury will start bi-weekly sessions with instructor Mary Ann Kelly, CBS Class of 2016, on Tuesday, March 6, 6:30-8:30 at 1263 West St., Middlebury. Call the parish for details: 203-758-2659. 

St. Anthony, Prospect will start weekly sessions with instructor Pat Wilkin, CBS Class of 2016, on March 7 in the "Hope" Room of the parish center. Contact Katie Blinstrubas, Parish Catechetical Leader, at stanthonyre@comcast.net for more information or to find out about joining the class.

Some parishes are adapting the course to meet the needs of specific audiences, such as parents of children in religious education and catechists.

CBS 075 is adaptable to your needs and  follows the proven methods of the Catholic Biblical School. It is also an effective process for empowering adults to read the Bible with intelligence and reverence. Contact BJ to get some ideas about how you might run Making Sense of the Bible in your faith community: catholic.biblical.school@aohct.org.

PS: Class of 2016, stand tall!

Changes to Class Schedules This Week

The following classes only will meet this week to make up for missed classes this Unit:

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

CBS 100 will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Caritas Christi Center in Hamden.

CBS 400 will meet at 6:30 p.m. St. Pio of Petrielcina parish rectory at Our Lady of Pompeii Campus. (Note the change in location.)

(No CBS 400 classes will meet in Manchester or Waterbury that day.)

Prepare to Be Inspired by God's Word!

Our annual Celebration of Sacred Scripture is free of charge and open to the public. On Saturday, March 3, 12:30-4:30 pm at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Dr. Mahri Leonard-Fleckman of Providence College will lead us through Matthew's legitimization of Jesus as Messiah, making connections between the Old and New Testaments. Here's what to expect:

• Bible study at its best, led by a top-tier teacher and scholar
• Lively conversation and refreshments
• Bible-based prayer
• Premiere of the CBS promotional video (God willing and the tech complies)
• Information about many Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis adult formation opportunities.
• Survey to determine course scheduling for the Advanced Year
• Registration information for students entering CBS 200 (Year 2)
• Announcement of the 2018 Boadt Memorial Medal Winner from CBS Class of 2010

Bring your Bible!

Important Notes: We have a new registration system that can be tricky to navigate, at first. Click here for in-depth instructions.

To go directly to the online registration page, click here: www.bit.ly/CBSCSS18.

Please register by February 28th (deadline extended) to ensure we have seating and refreshments for all. If you need assistance do not hesitate to call us in the OEEC, and ask for technical help getting signed up for the Celebration of Sacred Scripture on March 3rd.

A Celebration of Sacred Scripture

A day of prayer, Bible study and fellowship free of charge and open to the public, March 3, 2018 at St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield, CT.

The Gospel of Matthew opens with a long genealogy of Jesus that we stumble over once a year at the Christmas Vigil Mass. This genealogy serves as the link between the Hebrew Scriptures and the legitimation of Jesus the Messiah. There is perhaps no better time to enter into this genealogy than during the Lenten season, as we reflect upon the cycle of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Session 1 (12:30-2:15) will explore the background to Matthew’s Gospel and examine Matthew’s genealogy, focusing in particular on the theological value of four women included in the line of Jesus.

Session 2 (2:45-4:30) will engage deeply with the story of one of these women, Ruth, as told in the story that bears her name.

Our presenter is Dr. Mahri Leonard-Fleckman, an assistant professor of Hebrew Bible in the Theology Department at Providence College (Providence, RI). Previously a member of the faculty at the University of Scranton, Dr. Leonard-Fleckman has also been a favorite instructor in the Hartford Catholic Biblical School. She is the author of two books, including the recent Book of Ruth for the Wisdom Biblical Commentary Series (Liturgical Press), and a regular contributor for Give Us This Day: Daily Prayer for Today’s Catholic (Liturgical Press).

To register, click here. For more information contact the Catholic Biblical School at 860-242-5573 or email us at catholic.biblical.school@aohct.org.

How Will I Know if My CBS Class Is Cancelled?

At this time of year, all Biblical School (CBS) students need to remember to check online notifications every week before heading to class. The Archdiocese of Hartford Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis (OEEC) is very cautious about holding any programs when and where there might be a safety hazard. CBS, as part of the OEEC, posts cancellation notifications a minimum of two hours before each class is scheduled to begin. Please check this site each week, regardless of how the weather may appear in your location.

If for any reason you cannot access the internet, you can contact our office during work hours (8:30 am-4:30 pm weekdays only) or by phone at (860) 242-5573, extension 2670. If you might need the information outside regular office hours, we recommend that you arrange to phone another student in your class to find out whether class is being held.

Regardless of whether class is being held or not, never travel to class if you don't think you can do so safely! We want you always to stay safe. Contact your teacher directly to let him or her know about such circumstances.

There are at least two ways to access CBS official notifications.

Your first choice is to go directly to the STSRegistrar website (http://www.stsregistrar.org/cgi-bin/CBS/cbsstudentlogin.pl) and enter your password* to access your records. Here is a photo of the correct page:

Once you've logged in, select the "Notifications" button, and a notice will appear for any classes cancelled. If you are on the correct site but it is more than two hours before your scheduled class time, check again two hours before class, to be sure you catch any notices pending.

Your second choice is to go to the OEEC website at www.catholicedaohct.org and to click on "Catholic Biblical School" in the main menu near the top of the page. A drop down menu of all CBS pages will appear. Click on "Student Matters," and then scroll down the page to where it reads, "Student Portal." Instructions are given for signing in with your (required) password, so read those instructions carefully to determine your individualized password. Then click on the link that appears at the top of that section (http://www.stsregistrar.org/cgi-bin/CBS/cbsstudentlogin.pl) . Here is a picture of what you're looking for:

The red arrow does not appear on the page itself. It's placed in this image to show you where to look.

*Note: To get password instructions click here and scroll down to where it reads, "Student Portal." Or contact the OEEC office during regular office hours, Mon-Fri, 8:30-4:30.

Wednesday Classes Rescheduled to Feb 21st

On Wednesday, February 7, 2018, Hartford Catholic Biblical School classes are cancelled in all locations today, due to imminent snow and the likelihood of icy conditions. We will resume classes as usual next week and will plan to make up today's classes during our snow make-up week, on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, in the usual times and locations. (God willing.) The assignments that were due today should be submitted next Wednesday.

If you have questions, email us at catholic.biblical.school@aohct.org.

Please be cautious and safe today.

Happy Valentines Day - Remember Your Ashes!

This year Ash Wednesday falls on St. Valentine’s Day, February 14th.

Unlike a Friday in Lent, when a dispensation is sometimes given from fast and abstinence on St. Patrick’s Day, Ash Wednesday is a more solemn and universal day of prayer and penance for Catholics and many other Christians as well. So there is no dispensation from fast and abstinence on Ash Wednesday, February 14, in the Archdiocese of Hartford.

Catholics may wish to anticipate the Feast of St. Valentine on the day before, on February 13.

 – Archbishop Leonard P. Blair