January 2006 (view as a .pdf file)

Index

• Becoming Spiritual Mentors in the Apostles Group Process By Fr. Bob Camuso
• A Purposeful Journey to a Holy Place By Colleen Champlin
• Cyndie Ulrich - From the Executive Director
• Thank You to retiring Board Members
• Brainstorm with the Board
• Give a Bit - Be Blessed Abundantly
• Lessons From the Tarmac by Carbery O’Shea
• We’re doing lunch
• International Visitors to SacraMentors’ Website
• Meet Your Board... by Cyndie Ulrich
  

Becoming Spiritual Mentors in the Apostles Group Process
by Father Bob Camuso

Becoming a spiritual mentor is fundamental to being a SacraMentor.  After all, our name has to do with being spiritual mentors.  The name, “SacraMentor,” literally means “Holy (sacra), Wise and Trusted Friend and Teacher (mentor).”  This is what we were initiated to be at the Stone Ceremony.  As SacraMentors we are called to be spiritual mentors to others not just in private relationships, but, more importantly, in the group process that SacraMentors offers in its weekly Apostles Group meetings.  Here we act as mentors for one another as we share our problems, worries, expectations and concerns; the blessings and miracles in our lives; along with our wisdom.  We do this with trust for one another and with a great deal of trust in ourselves to be radically open with the secrets of our hearts.
 
As we all know, it’s not easy to trust others with the secrets of our hearts.  We fear someone will betray us.  We fear someone will tell a spouse what we said in the group and the spouse, who has no confidentiality agreement with the group, will tell others.  As a result, we fear we will be judged, put down, embarrassed or shamed.  But as we grow in trust for one another we learn that the Apostles Group process creates a safe place in which to share.  And even if someone does betray his or her promise of confidentiality, and ultimately has to answer to God for that, we have confidence that we gained more from taking a risk than from being so careful that no one ever really knows us.   Jesus said, “I know my sheep and mine know me” (Jn 10:14).  If we are to be Jesus for one another, then others need to know us and we need to know them.  The Apostles Group process allows that to happen.  Our group gets to know us as we lay down our life for them, our friends.  We lay down our life as we let go of our pride, fear of rejection, embarrassment and selfishness with ourselves to be radically disclosive with our group.  Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down our lives for our friends (Jn 15:13). 

Another way false pride shows up at weekly meetings is a technique some of us use to avoid talking about ourselves.  We talk about others instead.  Some of us would rather tell a story about another person who is not at the meeting and never say how that person’s story has affected us.  It’s always a good thing to tell a story about someone not at the meeting as long as we bring that story back to how it affects us—how it impacts our life and how we feel as a result.  Otherwise, the rest of us can read stories about others in the newspaper or rent a movie.  There’s no need to bother to meet if all we do is tell stories that have nothing to do with us.  This is why many groups disband, often because of just one member who refuses to share how the story of a wife, husband, child, relative or friend has touched his or her life.
As we tell a story about another and add how that story has impacted us—how it makes us feel—we begin to bridge the boundary between heaven and earth.  In this way, the Apostles Group process harkens back to how the followers of Jesus met and struggled with the world and yet still found their way to communion and holiness.  We only have to read St. Paul’s letters to know that the early Christians faced conflict within their community.  They had anger and resentment toward one another at times.  Yet, they didn’t give up.  They didn’t bolt from the group when they got upset.  They were willing to sometimes painfully grow in their faith and put aside any false pride that got in their way.  Yes, many did leave their community, just as many SacraMentors leave their Apostles Groups.  But enough of the early followers of Jesus stayed together to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. 

As SacraMentors, we also spread the Good News of Christ to the world by being faithful to our group meetings, because as we grow in faith from the group process we become witnesses of our faith.  Others see something in us they don’t have.  And when they discover that we have holy, wise, trusted friends and teachers with whom we can share the secrets of our hearts, they want the same.  That is when we invite them to become SacraMentors.  And that is when we discover that despite any doubt we have about ourselves—despite our uncertainties, fears, and false pride—we too have become holy, wise, trusted friends and teachers.  We have become SacraMentors.  Yes, you really have.  And you can trust that all the way to heaven.

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Pour a Cup of Coffee & Support Sacramentors

Sacramentors is working closely with Seattle’s Specialty Roast Coffee founder, Warren Sly, to establish an easy way for you to buy delicious, fresh roast coffee and financially support our organization, too. In the next several weeks, a visit to sacramentors.org will offer you the way to buy the best coffee available at a great price – and Specialty Roast donates a portion of each sale to Sacramentors!

A Purposeful Journey to a Holy Place
by Colleen Champlin

What is a Pilgrimage? It is a journey to a Holy Place for a specific reason, or an invitation from God to be open to what He may have in store for us. It can renew, regenerate, and replenish each of us to a deeper love of our faith and our Creator, God. For me, this call began in April, when my pastor, Fr. Jim Lee, announced he would be leading a pilgrimage to Italy and France in October. Interest at my parish was so high, that by the time I responded, all of the spaces were taken. I was place on a waiting list. Would enough people cancel that I could be moved from the waiting list? If so, would I be able to come up with enough money to go?

Soon I received word that I had been moved from the wait list to the list of pilgrims who would be going. Yet, as the time of our departure got closer, I had many reservations. My brother-in-law has cancer of the lung, my father-in-law was very ill, and I had my own health issues to deal with. Still, despite those reservations, I felt a calling from God to go on the pilgrimage.

Once on the pilgrimage, the time spent in prayer, daily Eucharist, saying the Rosary, morning and evening prayer, devotions, and getting to know other members of our parish were a real blessing for me. Additionally, going with expectant faith and a trust that our Father knows what each of us needs made the journey a bit easier.

I went on the pilgrimage asking for physical healing and spiritual renewal. I also brought petitions from loved ones and from other members of my parish. I lit candles in every church we visited and prayed for the intentions we carried in our hearts.

After spending time in Italy, our group headed to Lourdes where I felt a heavy burden lifted from my shoulders. I also spent time in Adoration where I gave our Lord all my worry, pain, and awaited His answers for my life.

For those who have never been on a pilgrimage, it is hard to convey in words what one experiences. In my case, what a blessing it was to be able to touch the tomb of John Paul II and to be 4 feet away from the bones of St. Peter. To see the Holy Shroud of Turin brought tears to my eyes. Being in Notre Dame and hearing the bells peal was another highlight for me. Sacre Coeur Basilica in Paris found me climbing stairs to the top, fighting my anxiety and claustrophobia with the help of Praying the Rosary. St. Therese of Lisieux was another highlight. In her own words: “Prayer means a launching of the heart towards God; it means lifting up one’s eyes, quite simply, to heaven, a cry of grateful love, from the crest of joy or the rough despair; it’s a vast, supernatural force that opens out my heart and binds me close to Jesus.”

Upon returning home, I felt renewed. The many concerns that made me hesitate to go on the pilgrimage were still present, but now I feel God’s presence and His strength in a new way. After 4 years of severe pain, at times debilitating, I have not taken a pain pill since November 8th. Additionally, I was given the strength to deal with my son totaling my car, my brother-in-law dying and being a support to my sister-in-law, and then having the strength to support my husband when his father died 19 days later.

Life goes on, my faith is stronger, and my God is with me at all times. He walks beside me and sometimes carries me through difficult situations. He’ll do so as I continue to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. I have been on two pilgrimages now, and both times my prayers have been answered. I have been blessed abundantly.

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Mission Statement

“To create in parishes small faith communities
of men and of women committed to supporting
each other in living a Christian life characterized by
acts of love, kindness, appreciation, and forgiveness.”

Cyndie Ulrich - From the Executive Director

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
There are so many ways to mentor. Mentoring is just another way of being kind. It shouldn’t be feared as a monumental task. It’s about connecting to God and about caring about our family, friends and those in our greater community. It’s a matter of being well-grounded in our true identity as God’s beloved children.

Probably a lot like you, this time of year I find myself reflecting on the 12 months just past. I count blessings received and recall both happy and, (ouch!), painful lessons I’ve learned. Then I envision how I’ll use those lessons to bless those around me with my very best today and tomorrow and the day after till reflection time New Year’s 2007.
Our Sacramentor sister, Ann Trepus, emailed this short essay to me New Year’s Eve. I find it a foundation to mentoring, a fine recipe for spiritual giving worthy of dishing up daily.

Take 12 fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly cleansed from all old memories of bitterness, hate, and jealousy.

Cut these months into 30 or 31 equal parts. (This batch will keep for one year. Do not attempt to make more than one batch at a time-many people spoil the entire lot in this way.)

Prepare one day at a time as follows: Into each day, put 12 parts of faith, 11 of patience, 10 of courage, nine of work (some people omit this ingredient and spoil the flavor of the rest), eight of hope, seven of fidelity, six of open-mindedness, five of kindness, four of rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad-don’t do it), three of prayer, two of meditation, and one of well-selected resolution.
Optionally, you may add a teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

Pour love liberally into the whole, and mix with strength. Cook thoroughly in a warming heat. Garnish with smiles and a sprig of joy; then serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness-and a Happy New Year, all year is a certainty.

May you and yours be safe in God’s Peace & Happiness now and always,

Cyndie

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Thank You - Ron Reierson, Denise Smith and Don Grainer:

The board and membership of Sacramentors wishes to gratefully acknowledge the dedicated service and deep friendship of our board members, Denise Smith, Ron Reierson, and the group’s administrative assistant and former board member, Don Grainer.

Ron is our finance director. He and wife, Patty, are well-traveled adventurers-at-heart. They wish to travel more, so Ron has given notice to the board that he’ll leave his position as of March 15. We wish both Ron and Patty our prayers for safe and happy travels.

For the last several years, Denise has filled the board position of Senior Women’s Parish Coordinator. Wife of former Executive Director, Jeff Smith, Denise was Jeff’s official “Chief in Charge of Corollary Duties” during Jeff’s term as Executive Director. Denise is mom of their three wonderful children. Denise desires to have more time to devote to her active family. God’s bessings Denise.

Don served as the board’s Expansion Coordinator until he transitioned to the duties of Administrative Assistant. Don performed his duties with great attention to efficiency and accuracy. He graced the board with his wit and gentility. Don will be sorely missed.

On behalf of Sacramentors, its co-founders, board and the organization’s members, I bid each of you God’s Grace and Peace. Thank you for your devotion to Sacramentors. You’ve blessed each and every one of us!

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Brainstorm with the Board

The SM Board Retreat and Brainstorm Session (originally scheduled for early
December) has been re-scheduled for: 8:30am to 4:00pm, Saturday, January 21
Willenborg Center, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Federal Way.
Lory Misel will be with us for his presentation for the first part of the day. Topic: concepts for revamping, streamlining and enriching the program, thereby enthusing current membership and revitalizing our marketing program.
Also facilitating our retreat will be Sacramentors Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Rikel Getty and Cyndie Ulrich.

A continental-style breakfast, lunch and snacks/beverages will be provided.
All you need bring is a note pad and your creativity.

1. Please share this invitation with all Sacramentors you know. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!
2. Please RSVP via email or phone: mculrich@comcast.net , 425-861-6540 (direct) or 425-830-9296 cell

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Give a Bit – Be Blessed Abundantly

The volunteer board positions of Senior Women’s Parish Coordinator and Finance Chair are available for the person who feels called by the Holy Spirit to serve in either of these two capacities. There is also need for an Administrative Assistant

• The Senior Women’s Parish Coordinator organizes semi-annual Parish Coordinator breakfasts in cooperation with the Men’s Senior Parish Coordinator; she oversees the vitality and needs of women’s apostle’s groups and is a communication conduit between women PC’s and the Board.
• The volunteer position of Finance Advisor includes the duties of monitoring bank balances, making deposits, writing checks, advising the board on issues of money and expenditure, filing periodic reports, and conducting, in conjunction with the board, the annual fund raising campaign, attendance at board meetings, etc.
• The position of Administrative Assistant is open. Duties include your presence at monthly board meetings for the purpose of taking minutes; transcribing and emailing of minutes; preparing and mailing the quarterly newsletter (does not include writing/layout/printing); maintaining the membership list and a number of program documents. There is hourly compensation for this position.

With the Grace of the Holy Spirit, please discern your willingness to participate in any of these positions. For more information, please contact Cyndie Ulrich at (425) 861-6540 or at mculrich@comcast.net.

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Lessons From the Tarmac
by Carbery O’Shea

Early Sunday morning, Nov. 27th, I learned my mother was gravely ill in a nursing home in New Jersey and wasn’t expected to live. This was that dreaded phone call none of us ever want to receive. I wanted to be with her right away, but she passed on that evening before my wife, Jan, and I were able to get east.

The next day was filled with making Funeral Mass arrangements with the loving staff of my mother’s parish. I had to trust complete strangers in this process by telephone.

Then our computer wouldn’t function to get our airline tickets electronically. When the chips were down, my sons stepped in. Brian called and offered to arrange our tickets and our son, Mike, offered to drive us to the airport at 4:00am. We had lost my older son, Sean, age 37, earlier this year. When Mike and Brian heard that their grandmother had passed, they came through with such love and care. Their support was very meaningful to me. I was reminded, “Love never fails, love endures all things”.

On the outbound leg, our flight was delayed two hours in boarding. We sat on the runway for another two hours, waiting for take-off to Newark, NJ. There we were, absolutely powerless to affect the outcome. It was an exercise in patience. I thought of the waiting in Advent: Daniel 12:12: “Blessed is he that waited”.

I realized that I had been waiting for the Lord to call my mother home and that she had been one of my great mentors. She taught me about love of people, beauty and nature. I suddenly began to share the reason for my trip and my pain with strangers in the aisle. I told one woman that I was going east to bury my mom. She said she had just lost her husband. All through the trip I had other similar experiences. People responded with compassion when we told them why we were going east.

It was 9:30pm before we finally landed in Newark, got our rental car and headed out for something to eat in my old hometown of Montclair. I called the hotel, only to find out that our reservation had been cancelled and there was “no more room in the inn”. It was 10:30pm and we had been up over 15 hours. I explained to the clerk our situation, why we came east and that we needed a place to stay. The clerk told us not to worry, to enjoy our meal, and that he’d make arrangements for us at a nearby motel. That was such a relief. Again, we were mentored by strangers.

We went to the hotel and met the clerk and he said that he was sorry about our loss. He had buried three members of his family in the past year. He proceeded to send us to a motel the company owned across the highway. To our surprise, the motel picked up the cost of our room for the next two days while we attended to the affairs of the funeral. What a blessing!

At the viewing at the funeral home the next day, my twin sister and I got to pray before my mother’s body and to thank my mother for life and all that she had given and taught us. We each thanked her for her many qualities and her generous spirit and sage advice. We were able to thank her for her judgments and criticisms that had been hard to take at times.

One of the things that touched me after the Funeral Mass was when a Eucharistic Minister from the parish came up and introduced himself. He said that he had been taking our mother Communion for almost three years and that she often spoke proudly of her family. I was able to thank him for his ministry that meant so much to her and to her family.

After the burial, we visited the nursing home where my mother had lived for three years to thank the staff. The nurses told us she was one of their favorites, hugged me and said that even though my mother couldn’t communicate much at the end, her face lit up when I called her on Thanksgiving Day.

The last day we made one final trip to the nursing home to make sure all her possessions had been disposed of from her room, #212. On our arrival, we noticed an ambulance unloading a woman on a gurney. We met the woman’s daughter who was asking us where Room #212 was located. We were able to tell her that my mom had resided there and of the many positive qualities of the home. Life had come full circle for us. We learned again that kindness matters and what matters is passing it on.

We stayed another night at our motel then called an old college friend. He and his wife insisted that we spend our last night with them despite the fact there was a snowstorm and we were due back at the airport at 5am. He is blind yet he got up at 4am to make sure we were awake. He was standing at the door as we drove off in the snow. Kindness, kindness, kindness!

I learned that 20% percent of the human population at any given time has something heavy on their hearts. When I opened the door to my grief and shared, a door was opened for others to share their pain or offer compassion. I found it healing to hear that everyone has the same issues: love of family and children and dealing with death and dying. When humans are caring and kind, we are constantly teaching one another.

The trip back led to more lessons on the tarmac. I learned to expect the unexpected. I was one of those singled out at airport security for a random search. Rather than react to the invasion of privacy, I humored the transportation security guard and thanked him for his thorough search. The early morning snowstorm and de-icing of the plane delayed our departure. That gave me more time to reflect on my mother’s life, to journal and to thank God for the strangers who mentored us along our way. We discovered that we had the same flight crew that had flown east with us on our flight from Seattle a few days before. Even though we missed our connection in San Francisco, we felt a guardian angel was looking out for us as the airline had already booked us on the next flight to Seattle and had upgraded us to first class.

We were never so glad to get home, but we were blessed - we brought home new lessons in our hearts.

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We’re doing lunch

We’re doing lunch on Saturday, Feb. 25 at St. Francis of Assisi, Burien!  Can you make it?

Yes, Sacramentors are gathering that day to attend a mini-retreat given by local area Christian retreat ministers, Wes Howard-Brook and Sue Ferguson Johnson (see www.abideinme.net for more information on this excellent team of presenters). The retreat is entitled “May They Be One As We Are One”, and will explore the meaning of Lent from its earliest origins up through the current day observances of that season. The retreat will begin at 9:00 a.m and continue through the morning until 12:30 p.m. with a format of prayer, presentations by Wes and Sue, ”guided silence”, small group discussions, and group prayer.  A lunch will be served to all attendees immediately following what promises to be a very timely pre-Lenten spiritual centering event. This is a first-of-a kind Sacramentum event, what with lunch and a weekend gathering time slot.  It’s something you won’t want to miss. But please let us know you are coming so we can prepare enough food. This is a no-cost event, but donations will be accepted. RSVP by Feb 20 to Frank Pease at frank_pease@hotmail.com or (425)562-8744.

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International Visitors to SacraMentors’ Website

Sacramentors Steve Egge, Rick Fleehart, Rikel Getty, Clyde Hill, and Rick Mahoney are the members of our “webcreate” team. They recently revealed that our organization’s website is visited by a large number of people world-wide.

Following are numbers of visits and countries of origin for December, 2005: Over 3500 from the US; 129 from Great Britain; 62 from Canada; 22 from Australia; 18 from the European Union; 15 from Denmark; 13 from Norway; 9 or less from Germany; 7 from the Netherlands; 4 each from France and India; 3 each from Israel, Russian Federation and Italy; 2 each from Portugal, Spain, Kuwait and Japan; 1 each from the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, South Africa, Ghana, Switzerland, Greece, Taiwan, Croatia, Brazil, Ireland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Barbados and South Korea. In addition, 220 visits in December came from unknown sources.

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Meet Your Board... by Cyndie Ulrich

Clyde Hill: Series Coordinator

As the name of the popular ‘60’s television program implies, Clyde Hill says his life is, indeed, a Family Affair. He and his lovely wife, Julie, have 2 beautiful daughters, Samantha, 9, and Jaclyn, 7.

“Until I turned 40, I lived life large,” Clyde admits. “But at 40, I hungered to discover what was real in my life. I found my reality in the Catholic faith.” He wanted to be educated in the Catholic tradition for his daughters’ sake so as to share it with them, so Clyde converted to Catholicism Easter of 2003. The Hill family attends St. Francis of Assisi, Burien and it was there Clyde was introduced to SacraMentors.

“Sacramentors arrived at just the right moment in my life,” says Clyde. “It took me from RCIA’s inquiry and Confirmation’s spiritual investment phases onward in my faith journey.”

Clyde credits Jeff Smith’s pre-series witness talk at St. Francis of Assisi in 2003 for firing up his interest in the program. After Jeff’s talk, Clyde thought himself ready to register. Confirmation that his decision was truly “of God” came when his pastor took him aside and suggested he attend; the coup de grace occurred immediately thereafter when Julie agreed with their pastor’s opinion and supported Clyde’s participation.

It’s no surprise why his favorite saint is St. Philip Neri. St. Philip Neri is known for blending humor with holiness – and humor is that with which Clyde blesses all those around him. Gifted with talents of a natural-born diplomat, he’s present and sensitive to those around him. His attention to detail, imagination and finely-tuned ability to see “outside the box” graces his work.

With his shock of short, silver hair and snapping blue eyes, he lightens and brightens even the most serious board meetings with his illuminating insight and well-timed, wise and humorous one-liners. Of Clyde, a fellow Sacramentor says, “He wears his enthusiasm on his shirtsleeve. There’s no doubt the program has changed his life profoundly. He’s excited about everything he tackles and his positive attitude lures the hearts of those in his presence to participate with him with their own unabashed joy.”

During the DVD shoot last August at The Palisades, Clyde participated in a solo, on-camera witness talk. Poised atop a rock with dense evergreens and crisp, blue sky as backdrop, Clyde’s testimony was deep and spontaneous. The film crew was struck by Clyde’s relaxed manner and the confidence with which he spoke of the program’s effects on his life and his love for Christ.

The official board title of the position he fills is “Series Coordinator”. In essence, Clyde is our “Go 2 Guy”. He’s in-house producer, director and marketing guru for training series. Clyde manages and disburses the stock of documents and props needed by trainers, insures that the organization is adequately supplied with marketing and training materials including the hefty Leadership Manual and the gender-specific Books of Kindness and Apostles Group Meeting Manuals.

He constructed the marketing timeline for parish announcements, calendars, bulletin blurbs and flyers announcing upcoming series at participating parishes. In addition, he’s a member of our “webcreate team”, lending his expertise to the construction and management of the recently revamped SacraMentor website.

“I stepped forward to volunteer for Sacramentors because I believe in the process. I know what it’s done for me and for my relationship with the Holy Trinity. I want to help nourish and expand Sacramentors by using the gifts God gave me to use. The work is life-giving because I continue to discover God’s Grace in all I do.”

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