December 2002 (View as a .pdf file)
Index
- How to Serve God by Fr. Bob Camuso
- First Annual SacraMentors Leadership Retreat by John Radoslovich
- New SacraMentor Board by Jeff Smith
- Note from the Executive Director Jeff Smith
- Wanted: Men and Women to Serve As SacraMentor Trainers By Bill Wiebe, Senior Trainer
How to Serve God by Fr. Bob Camuso
Albert Schweitzer, the physician missionary to Africa, once said this to a group of Christian ministers:
"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those how have sought and found how to serve."
I like what Schweitzer said for three reasons:
1. He states what we all want most, which is happiness.
2. He points to one of the essential sources of happiness, which is service.
3. And, finally, he tells us that the key to service is knowing how to serve.
Now, many of us know about serving God, but do we know how to serve so that we find joy in what we do? Mother Teresa offered this example for how to serve God:
"I am like a little pencil in God's hand.
That is all.
God does the thinking.
God does the writing.
The pencil has nothing to do with it.
The pencil has only to be allowed to be used…"
Each of us is like a small pencil in God's hands. God does the writing when we get out of the way so that God may write. Then happiness is discovered, accidentally, as we allow God to use us.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to serve one another for a good greater than ourselves. We are called to live out the commandment of Jesus, which is to "Love one another as I have loved you." Jn 15:12
God has blessed our SacraMentors movement with many gifted people to do God's work. As SacraMentors in God's Church, we receive these gifts with gratitude. In using our gifts we need to ensure that they work together to build up the body of Christ.
When Lory and I started SacraMentors in 1996, it was very important to me that we not create a program only for those that participate in the program. In other words, the program would serve the participants but also serve God by calling the participants to serve others. And in serving others, the faith life of the participants is enriched and deepened. But what would be different about SacraMentors is that we would be called to serve not as individuals but as small groups of apostles sent by God to do good works as a group.
What I often find with spiritual programs is that they tend to focus on the individuals in the group and little or nothing flows out of the group. There is an individual desire to have "me and Jesus and my prayer group for my growth and inspiration." But is that what Jesus wants for us? Jesus called his disciples to go in pairs as laborers for God's harvest. Lk 10:1-2 He didn't send them to work as individuals in ministry. Jesus seems to have preferred teams.
We live in a very individualistic society and we bring our individualism along with our need to control to serving God. Thus, we find a SacraMentors group where maybe all are serving in some way, but as individuals, each with his or her "own" preferred ministry using his or her preferred gifts.
But doesn't a group also have the gift to serve?
There is nothing more evangelizing or empowering in a faith community than to see a team of Catholics serving as a group. People are amazed and often want to become part of the group. This is a wonderful way to recruit candidates for our movement. In addition, your pastor might be relieved to know that there is a group he can depend on to help in the parish when the need arises. He probably knows many individuals he can call on, but sometimes it's more helpful for a pastor to know there is a group that wants to serve.
Service in a spirit of love is the mark of a true disciple of Jesus. Service in a group with a spirit of love is a mark of disciples in communion with God, with one another and with their community.
Fr. Bob Camuso
Ideas for service:
- Hold an evening prayer service at your parish.
- Sponsor a 24-hour adoration of the Holy Eucharist.
- Sponsor a prayer vigil for peace, or healing, as current events dictate.
- Sponsor the Stations of the Cross during lent.
- Sponsor a prayer breakfast at a local restaurant or in your parish gathering space. Consider choosing as the topic for discussion the upcoming Sunday's gospel message.
- Sponsor a needy family or refugee in your area.
- Help parish organizations (e.g., food banks, clothing banks, St. Vincent de Paul, etc.) during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other times as needed.
- As a group, donate services to a soup kitchen one day a month.
- Sponsor the coffee and donut hour after Mass.
- Put on a parish event of a spiritual nature (e.g., sponsor an outside speaker, a healing Mass, a centering prayer workshop, a Bible study, etc.).
- Any other project that will bring you and your members closer as a group and will benefit someone else.
First Annual SacraMentors Leadership Retreat
by John Radoslovich, St. Brendan's Parish
The First Annual SacraMentors Leadership Retreat was held on Saturday, September 15th at St. Charles Borromeo in Tacoma. The primary purpose of the retreat was to fill the six positions on the newly reorganized SacraMentors board and to identify individuals who felt a calling to serve the board in auxiliary positions. Nearly thirty men and women attended, representing eighteen parishes from throughout the Archdiocese of Seattle. Father Bob Camuso was present as our spiritual advisor throughout the day.
The day's activities began with a continental breakfast provided by the women SacraMentors of Sacred Heart Parish in Lacey. Jeff Smith, our dynamic new Executive Director, then opened the retreat by welcoming all of us and thanking us for attending the retreat when there were so many other things we could have been doing on a beautiful fall day. Jeff's enthusiasm and vision for SacraMentors was contagious as he easily and naturally started the day's activities. Jeff then recognized the outgoing board members and thanked them for their years of service and leadership as they helped SacraMentors grow from its humble beginnings in 1996 at Holy Family Parish in Kirkland to what it is today.
With our group sitting in a large circle, we then went around the room and introduced ourselves, telling the group our name, our home parish, how long we have been a SacraMentor, and how SacraMentors has impacted our lives. When it was my turn, I announced I have been a SacraMentor for over three years and that I serve as the parish coordinator at St. Brendan's parish in Bothell. I added that I faithfully attended weekly Sunday Mass for almost ten years, but was never interested in participating in any other church organizations because I wanted to belong to a group that appealed to my desire to enrich my spiritual life. The SacraMentor series came to my parish when I was in a personal crisis and most in need of God's help and comfort. I'll never forget during the Saturday Sanctum, the intense, overwhelming feeling of God's presence and love for me, as the trainers and my fellow candidates placed their hands on my head and shoulders and then blessed and prayed for me in my time of need. I was on my knees in our church's chapel, feeling very vulnerable and lost, asking my fellow brothers to bless me. With them there with me, as children of God, I knew that all was well. The program has shown me how to truly live in the present, for that is really all we have. SacraMentors has also taught me the power of prayer and blessing and given me the opportunity to be a leader, as a parish coordinator, for the first time in my life.
Following the introductions, Father Bob gave an opening prayer asking God to open our minds and hearts and help us listen to the Holy Spirit. He then thanked us all for our presence and commended us for the time we were devoting to the retreat when there were so many other demands on our time. Like Jeff, Fr. Bob was overjoyed to see us and appreciative that we had CHOSEN to be there. He then introduced our retreat facilitator, Pat Lewis, from St. Mary's Parish in Seattle, someone Fr. Bob highly recommended to educate and assist our group in the discernment process.
Pat started off by asking if any of us had ever participated in a discernment process before. Most of us, to include myself, had not but we were curious how it all worked. Pat explained to us that for the discernment process to work, each of us must be open to the Holy Spirit's calling and we must recognize and rediscover our talents, abilities, and personality traits that would be the desirable qualities of an effective board member. Throughout the day, Pat was extremely patient with us and wanted the day to be a success and a rewarding experience of self-reflection.
Pat then led us in an icebreaker, by having the group move outside where we formed two circles, one within the other. The people in the inner circle faced the people in the outer circle. Pat then posed a thought provoking question to answer and discuss, such as, "If you could ask God just one question, and knew He would answer it, what would it be?" After a few minutes, the people in the outer circle rotated one person to the right, and the group was given another intriguing question to discuss. Personally, it gave me a welcome opportunity to talk to some wonderful, enlightened individuals - many for the first time. It was a very rewarding experience for me.
The next part of the retreat was called “Jeremiah’s Call,” which refers to a call by God to the prophet Jeremiah not to be afraid for God will protect you and we will never lack for words, for God speaks through us. We are simply His instruments. After some discussion about Jeremiah, we were then invited to find a quiet space for individual reflection on several questions, including: “When have I heard God’s call in my life?” “When has it been difficult to follow God’s call in my life?” “When have I specifically felt the touch of God?” And lastly, “Who are some of the people who have been companions on my journey of faith?” The large group came back together and was divided into smaller groups of three or four people to participate in faith sharing and to freely discuss their insights. Essentially, we were telling our life story and just as important, listening to others tell their stories.
Pat then brought everyone back together and discussed discernment. Essentially, it is a process of sorting out and listening to the voice of God within us. It is living with a conscious awareness of God in our lives. Pat explained that the Holy Spirit is full of surprises, but we must listen and be open to the Spirit. We must learn to let go and let God. Pat explained that an overwhelming sense of peace is a sign of God’s presence and evidence that we have made the right choice.
Our next exercise, just before lunch, was to reflect on the question, “What gifts has God given me?” Pat explained that gifts are blessings that are meant to be shared with others. The second question on the same exercise was, “How do my gifts and talents match what is needed for SacraMentors leadership?” And last, “In the light of what I hear God saying, what is my ability to make a commitment to leadership in terms of other commitments?”
After these reflection exercises were handed out, we were allowed to retreat to a peaceful and quiet place to contemplate these probing questions, converse with God, and discover His will for us. At the retreat, I found the most comfort and peace in being with Jesus in the chapel or simply sitting outside on some bare grass under a large shade tree.
After a lunch break, we again formed as one large group and went around the room, sharing what we felt were our God-given gifts, talents, and personality traits. Pat and Jeff quickly wrote down our first names and our responses on large sheets of white paper, which were taped to the interior walls for all to study. A list of the six vacant SacraMentor board positions was handed out together with a description of each position and the general responsibilities for each position.
The next step for the group was to identify gifts that were desirable and necessary to perform the duties listed for each position. Some overlapping qualities and traits emerged from the lively discussion, such as being well organized, personable, patient, and flexible. Again, these responses were written on large sheets of paper and hung around the room.
The heart of the discernment process began when some sacred time was set aside to be still and pray about our gifts and talents from God and how we were being called by the Holy Spirit to serve. After a short time, everyone gathered back together in our familiar circle and we shared with each other our feelings and desire to serve on the board or in some other capacity. Six men stepped forward and said they felt called to commit to a two-year term to serve on the Board of Directors in some capacity. Others either wanted to continue working in their parish or in some way volunteer to be assistants to the new board members.
Returning to the list of board positions, we prayed that volunteers would come forward in faith and serve in the role that the Spirit wanted them to serve. We looked at the list to consider who would best be suited for each board position. Following group prayer, the men then told us the position that they felt called to fill. Amazingly, everybody picked a different position, with the exception of the Financial Advisor. However, despite some hesitation, the final man who chose to serve in this capacity was the first choice of many, including myself, based on his talents, skills, and leadership qualities. At the end of the day, SacraMentors had a completely new board of directors. Many of the past board members were present, and they pledged to support and help the new members in any way possible. The group expressed agreement and acceptance of the choices. Six openings in the board and six people decided this was their time to listen to God’s call and do His will.
To conclude our inspirational day of prayer, soul-searching, and commitment, Fr. Bob celebrated an intimate, evening Mass. The theme of the Mass was forgiveness and Father gave an interactive homily on forgiveness, especially of ourselves for any perceived wrong doings or for blaming others. It was a touching and moving Mass and the perfect way to end the retreat.
Finally, pictures of the new board members were taken and Jeff and the new board were off and running for a promising “Year of Rejuvenation” for the SacraMentor movement. I can’t wait!
New SacraMentor Board
by Jeff Smith
It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the new SacraMentors board that the Holy Spirit selected at our First Annual Leadership Retreat on September 15th.
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Our new Spiritual Development Coordinator is David Gedrose. David is a former Lutheran minister who joined the Catholic Church through the RCIA program in 1999 and, together with his wife Kay, has been an active parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish in Lacey since then. David became a SacraMentor in the fall of 2000 and he is now actively working on establishing a comprehensive program of events that will facilitate the spiritual development of individual SacraMentors and the various Apostles Groups. Stay tuned for more details! |
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Bill Wiebe, another parishioner from Sacred Heart in Lacey, is our new Senior Trainer. Bill completed the RCIA program and joined the Catholic Church in 2001. Bill heard about SacraMentors while going through the RCIA process and became a SacraMentor in the fall of 2000 prior to his joining the Catholic Church. Bill became a trainer in January 2002 and is known for his heart-felt presentations of the SacraMentor series. A native Washingtonian, Bill and his wife, June, have one son and are active parishioners and SacraMentors at Sacred Heart. |
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Our new Series Coordinator is Bruce Jaeger. Born and raised in California, Bruce moved to Kirkland in 1985. Bruce has been a SacraMentor since 1997 and over the past five years has served SacraMentors both as a trainer and as a member of the outgoing SacraMentors Board. A self-described “SacraMentor series junkie,” Bruce has attended some or all of more than ten men’s series, making him a natural to serve as Series Coordinator. Bruce and his wife Keri have two children and are parishioners at St. John Vianney. |
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Frank Pease will be serving as our Senior Parish Coordinator. This is a new position on the board and Frank’s responsibilities include developing a program to help grow and sustain our Apostles Groups and serving as the liaison between the board and the various Apostles Groups. Frank and his wife, Tu, have three children and they have been parishioners at St. Louise Parish for the past fourteen years. Frank became a SacraMentor in March of 2000 and in addition to his new duties as Senior Parish Coordinator, Frank is also a trainer as well as an outstanding chef. |
 Ron Reierson |
Ron Reierson was discerned to serve as Financial Advisor, a new position on the board whose responsibilities include developing a comprehensive fund development program for SacraMentors. A native of the Puget Sound area, Ron joined the Catholic Church through the RCIA program in 1993 and has been a parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo since then. Ron and his wife, Pat, have seven children and four (soon to be five) grandchildren. Ron became a SacraMentor in 1999 and also serves as the men’s parish coordinator at St. Charles Borromeo. |
 Dean Mannello |
Our new Expansion and Development Coordinator is Dean Mannello from St. John’s Parish in Vancouver. Another newly created position on the board, Dean is responsible for developing a plan to expand the SacraMentors movement beyond the Seattle Archdiocese and the SacraMentors program beyond adult men and women. A “cradle Catholic,” Dean, his wife Jan, and their three children moved to Vancouver twelve years ago and have been active parishioners at St. John’s Parish since their arrival. Dean has been a SacraMentor since March of 2001. In addition to his new duties as a board member, Dean is also a trainer and the men’s parish coordinator at St. John. |
David Gedrose
Bill Wiebe
Bruce Jaeger
Frank PeaseWhen there is good will towards others, there will be peace on earth. This good will and peace cannot occur without you.
Be awake!
Be ready! Be open!
Be accepting of the birth of Christ in you.
--Book of Kindness, Day 24
Note from the Executive Director Jeff Smith
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, It has been a blessing and an honor to serve
as your Executive Director these past five months. As I mentioned to those attending the Leadership Retreat in September, we have set a goal of having SacraMentors established in five states within the next five years. Before we can accomplish that objective, however, we must insure that our movement is alive and well in our own Archdiocese. Thus, we have dubbed the period of time from September 2002 to September 2003 our "Year of Rejuvenation," as we focus on reinvigorating and growing our Apostles Groups here in western Washington. Toward that end, we have already held three spirituality series this fall and have four scheduled (and six others in the planning stages) for the first half of next year.
None of this can happen, however, without your prayers, support, and hard work. I would ask each of you to prayerfully consider what you can do to help out during our Year of Rejuvenation. Perhaps you would like to give a witness talk at a parish preparing to host a spirituality series. Maybe you would like to become a trainer (if so, see Bill's article in this newsletter). Others of you may feel called to provide financial support.
No matter how God is calling you to help, please know that the SacraMentors board and I welcome and appreciate your support, in whatever form it takes. If you want to volunteer to help or if there is some way that I can be of service to you, please call me at (360) 754-7693 or email me at JeffSmith@SacraMentors.org.
May God's blessings and peace be with each of you,
Jeff
Wanted: Men and Women to Serve As SacraMentor Trainers
By Bill Wiebe, Senior Trainer
It has been said that, "To study is a good way to learn; to hear is a still better way; to teach is the best of all." That certainly applies to SacraMentors. If you want to enhance your understanding of the material covered at the SacraMentors spirituality series, why not become a SacraMentor trainer? Without exception, those who serve as trainers have discovered that the blessings they receive from presenting a series are greater than the blessings they give to those attending the series. I know from experience that the Holy Spirit flows through me very strongly when I present a talk at a series.
In this, our "Year of Rejuvenation," you have probably noticed that the SacraMentor movement is alive and well. To expand the program outside of our Archdiocese, however, requires additional men and women trainers. Jeff Smith, our Executive Director, is already making plans to present a minimum of 16 series (10 for men and 6 for women) between September 2003 and June 2004. Our small cadre of trainers (15 men and 5 women) is busy now and will only get busier when the number of series to present increases.
Hopefully some of you are feeling the call of the Holy Spirit to become a trainer and are wondering what that involves. Becoming a trainer is a two-step process. First, you need to attend the "Train the Trainers" program, which consists of two sessions, normally held on two consecutive Saturdays, with each session lasting 2 to 2 ½ hours. At the first session, experienced trainers will share training techniques and key points about the various sessions. At the second session, each of you will present a five minute talk on one of the lessons from the SacraMentors spirituality series.
Second, after completing the training program, you will be assigned to a training team from a parish near your home. Don't worry about going into a series cold. Seasoned trainers will be with you. Unless you request otherwise, at your first series you will take notes, observe, and give a five minute witness talk. After that, if you are still not ready to present a talk, you can take notes, observe and give a witness talk at another series. It is my belief, however, that the Holy Spirit will move you to present at the earliest possible date that you are ready.
Currently, most of the trainers live in the South Sound area and must travel significant distances when a series is held at a parish in the Seattle metropolitan area. Thus, we are in greatest need for trainers living in North King County and in Clark County. I would ask everyone, especially those in the Seattle area, to prayerfully consider becoming a trainer. If you are interested, please email Bill Wiebe at W_wiebe@msn.com or call Bill at (360) 456-3264.
PS: The Trainers have a really great boss, Jesus. He is at every series we present.
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