March 1998
Index
- Miracle Upon Miracle (And Just Wait Until You Start Attending All The Gatherings) By Lory Misel
- Bring a Friend to Christ! By Fr. Bob Camuso
- Sacramentors for Women to begin in April
- Holy Family, Kirkland Graduates First Class, With Some Friends
- Do You Feel Called to Teach? By Carl Jones
- Holy Rosary Graduates Class
- Gift Certificates & Gift Books Available By Carl Jones
- Book Review By Richard Casmier
Miracle Upon Miracle
(And Just Wait Until You Start Attending All The Gatherings)
By Lory Misel
Have you been noticing and experiencing miracles lately? Have you observed how things just seem to happen to enhance and touch you and those you love? Have blessings been showing up on your doorstep?
We are hearing a resounding "Yes!" to all of these questions. Healing and blessings are unfolding in ways we never fathomed. Men's lives are being changed. Wives and children are talking about the transformations happening with their husbands and their fathers. We knew this program was powerful but we never imagined its unfolding power.
I do not know if it’s possible to understand SacraMentors. Its effects are beyond understanding. Men joining with each other, Christ and the Holy Spirit to learn, to grow and to bless opens them to the miracles of God, which are beyond understanding. Men are not making miracles for themselves. God is gifting His Grace and miracles to us and for this we are truly grateful.One of the most important processes of SacraMentors is called the "Gathering". This process has not been stressed and explained the way it was given to us. It is a key ingredient to our unfolding relationship with our Lord.
The Gathering is held every six weeks at different Parishes throughout the Diocese. Men have mistakenly thought each Gathering was only for the men of that particular, hosting Parish. This is not true. Each Gathering is for all SacraMentors, throughout the Diocese.
We Catholics do not have "Promise Keepers". We have a powerful, beginning process called, "The Gathering". This process has been given to us by the Holy Spirit for us to join with our brothers in Christ to witness of our relationship to Him and to share the miracles and blessings He is bestowing upon us.
I am sure you have experienced the ego's resistance to pursuing your relationship with your brothers and Christ. The Gathering is for you to reaffirm your testimony of Christ. It is provided for you to witness to your brothers. It is given to you as a place to discuss your heart, mind, blessings and trials. It is an opportunity to hear how other SacraMentor groups are doing. It is an evening of love and brotherhood. It is a chance to expand and meet new brothers.
Simply stated: It is an experience of renewal, inspiration, dedication and motivation. Make it a priority to attend each Gathering. Bring your brothers with you. Open yourself to the miracles awaiting you. We have only just begun. Our next Gathering is going to be held on Thursday, March 12th at Holy Family Parish, Kirkland at 7355 120th Avenue NE. The Gathering will be held in the Social Hall. When you arrive at the parish stop anyone and ask where the Social Hall is, you’ll find a very friendly response.
Bring a Friend to Christ!
By Fr. Bob Camuso
At the second and third sessions of the 4-part SacraMentors series, we ask the men to tell us of the "miracles" that have happened in their lives. As you may recall, a miracle is something that has changed in a man since the series began. I’m always astonished at the testimonies I hear and I sit in awe at how the Holy Spirit works to change the lives of men.
We who have been through the program see the power of the SacraMentors movement and naturally want to share that with others. But it is not enough just to think about how good it might be if our friends attended the program.
As a former advertising person, I well know that a sale doesn’t happen without the "close." The close happens when someone asks for the order. In other words, we cannot bring men to the sessions unless they are asked to come. The best person to ask a candidate to attend a our program is his friend. And so, I invite you to ask one friend to come to an upcoming SacraMentors series (see schedule of events in this newsletter). It really is quite easy to ask if you remember that it is not you who is asking your friend, it is God. If your friend rejects the offer he is not rejecting you. He is rejecting God’s offer. So you have nothing to lose and much to gain. For when a friend shares in your joy he is twice your friend!
To make your offer even more desirable, our Sumner brother, Steve Egge, came up with the idea of a gift certificate. This certificate may be purchased by you to give to a candidate you wish to sponsor. The cost of the gift certificate is $50. We will send the gift certificate to you to present to your friend. Your friend will not be so much impressed with the savings for him as your willingness to sacrifice something of yourself to help him. And who knows what miracles might occur in your friend’s life, simply because you encouraged him and sponsored him to attend the SacraMentors program! We would encourage you to not only sponsor your friend, but to accompany him to at least the first meeting of the series.
To obtain a gift certificate, please send a check made payable to SacraMentors for $50 to Carl Jones at 816 Sumner Avenue, Sumner, WA 98390-1433.
SacraMentors for Women to begin in April
Brothers, would you like to have your wife have the same experience you have had with the SacraMentors program? Would you like to share more deeply with her about your Holy Relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit? Now you will have that opportunity.
SacraMentors will be starting the SacraMentors for Women program in April at a location to be determined. The dates of the series will be April 19, 26, May 3 and 9. The series will have the same time components as the SacraMentors program, meeting on three Sundays from 3-6 PM and one Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM.
The first SacraMentors for Women series will be open to all spouses of present SacraMentors.
Once the series is complete, the women will have the same opportunity to meet weekly as you. The meetings will be conducted separately from the existing men’s meeting, but could be conducted at the same time, on the same day.
Offer your wife the opportunity to enhance her relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit, encourage her to attend SacraMentors for Women.
To register, have your wife call Carl Jones at (253) 863-1269. The series may be have to be limited in size due to the room available. Therefore, registration will be on a first come, first reserved basis.
Holy Family, Kirkland Graduates First Class, With Some Friends
SacraMentors would like to extend a hearty congratulations to our new brothers from Holy Family and those that attended the series from Camano Island, Enumclaw, Everett and Stanwood.
(note: The webmaster has edited out the names of men to prevent this list from being used for comercial purposes on the internet)
Because of the size of the group that was commissioned there will need to be three small groups meeting each week at Holy Family, two on Sundays, at 7 AM and 7 PM and one on Wednesday at 7 PM.
Congratulations to all of you, God bless you and welcome to the SacraMentors program.
The SacraMentor program would also like to extend its thanks and appreciation to Dan Walker for all of his support and assistance during the four week series. Dan has also accepted the position of Community Coordinator for SacraMentors at Holy Family. This position has been created by SacraMentors in each community so that the SacraMentor program will have a way of communicating with each community both to pass along information and to hear from each community. The Community Coordinator also works with the Pastor to inform him of what is happening within the SacraMentor organization and within the parish SacraMentor groups.
Do You Feel Called to Teach?
by Carl D Jones
Two short years ago Fr. Bob Camuso and Lory Misel offered the SacraMentors program in Sumner. At the time they didn’t realize what the demand would be for their program. They knew that we men wanted, in some cases hungered, for a deepening of our spirituality and they were willing to let the Holy Spirit lead them in the development of this wonderful program.
As an old saying goes, "you have to be careful what you pray for because you might get it". Fr. Bob and Lory have gotten what they prayed for, a program that would help men deepen their spirituality and strengthen their bond with other men in their parish and with Jesus Christ. The one challenge however is the program is growing so rapidly that they can’t possibly fulfill the demand by themselves.
They have decided that if this movement is of the Holy Spirit and if it is to grow quickly, lay trainers must be brought into the program to teach and share what they have learned and to help fill all the requests from the parishes for the SacraMentor program .
Our first training took place in the fall/winter of 1997 and as a result two teams of men are presenting the SacraMentors series within the diocese. We have managed to fill the need for the series thus far, but with our upcoming season starting in September we know we will need more teams trained and ready to present the series within Western Washington.
We need, therefore, to pose a question to all men who have gone through the SacraMentors program. Have you been touched by your participation in the SacraMentors series or the weekly sessions? Has your spiritual life been enhanced? Do you feel this series can be helpful to other men? If you answered yes to any of these questions I would urge you to prayerfully consider the opportunity to serve your fellow Catholics through becoming a trainer in the SacraMentor program.
A Train the Trainer series will begin this summer in preparation for having more training teams ready to give the four session series by September, 1998. The training series will be a series of sessions at which Fr. Bob, Lory and I will give you all the information, hands on instruction and materials you need to conduct a SacraMentors Series. We will guide you through the process and help you through a full SacraMentors Series in a parish before you "go out on your own".
As a trainer your responsibility would be part of a team (3-4 men) who would work together to conduct the four session series in a given parish. The series includes; three Sunday sessions from 3-6 PM and one full Saturday session from 9 AM - 9 PM. Team members would act as facilitators and trainers and would conduct 2-4 series per year. The commitment of our trainers are for one year with an option to continue into each new season. In the words of more than one of our trainers, "This has been the best experience of my life.".
You do not need to have previous teaching or training experience because the Holy Spirit will give you what you need to share yourself with other men. You just have to be open to the possibility that the Lord might be calling you to help Him open the hearts of men in Western Washington to this program.
If you feel you want to become a trainer or you need more information call me, Carl Jones at (253) 863-1269 I will be happy to discuss the program with you.
Holy Rosary Class Graduates
The SacraMentors movement is really expanding. Another wonderful group of men have joined our ranks. Holy Rosary Parish in West Seattle has graduated its first class as of February, 1998. Congratulations and continuing prayers go out to the men of the Holy Rosary series.
The men attending the series at Holy Rosary included two from Gig Harbor and one from North Bend. We are also reaching men outside the Catholic Church as two of our Lutheran brothers attended the program at Holy Rosary. The names of the men who attended from other parishes are italicized with the initials of their community immediately following their name. The initials are explained as follows; GHQ, Gig Harbor and NB, North Bend.
Listed below are the graduates of the SacraMentor series; Ed Aro (GH), Bill Caton, David Chamberlain, Joe Desimone, Eric Dwyer, Don Graham, Jr., Jake Hangartur (GH), Randy Kemberling, Mike Killeen, Joe Lawless, Scott MacMillan, Tom Martinsen, Pat McGrann, Jim Newstrom, Don Nokes, Nathan Smith (NB), Matt Smithberg, Mark Spadoni, Matthew Suhadolnik, Bill Whetham and Ed White.
Gift Certificates & Gift Books Available
By Carl Jones
If you read Fr. Bob’s article on page 1 you now realize that we are making gift certificates available for purchase for $50.00. These gift certificates can be used for either the SacraMentor series or the SacraMentors for Women series. What a great gift to give to someone you really love. You can purchase it now, give it for Easter and the recipient can redeem it when they want.
We are also offering one other item for sale now. This item is the Book of Blessing II. This 30 day program of daily thoughts can be practiced by anyone to help them find a new beginning and chart a fresh course. If you would like to purchase one send a check for $5.95 to Carl Jones at 816 Sumner Ave., Sumner, WA 98390.
Book Review
Have you read a good book lately? Would you like to share it with your brothers? Here’s your chance. Write a review not to exceed 300 words and send it to Carl c/o SacraMentors, 1411 1st Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119.
The Redeeming Love of Christ
by Alphonsus Liguori. Edited by Joseph Oppitz, C.S.S.R.. New City Press, New York, 1992.
REVIEW by Richard Casmier
The message of Alphonsus Liguori is on that is familiar to SacraMentors. Ligouri was born in Naples, Italy in 1690. He was unusually gifted and successful in all of his studies as a young man in the upper nobility. At age 16 he became a doctor in both civil and church law. He became a priest at the age of 30 and immediately threw himself into working for the poor and abandoned of the slums of Naples and then the most forgotten, the abandoned mountain folk for whom neither church nor state seemed to care. In 30 years of mission preaching he published 111 books.
Some of the chapters in the book include: The Practice of Familiarity with God and The Great Means of Salvation and Perfection. Once you’ve read a chapter you will want to read parts of it again and again. Liguori said of his writings, "My writing is focused entirely on the practical and is not replete with theoretical questions. I have in mind rather to promote the salvation of souls and therefore I have selected matters that are most useful and helpful." And he does just that! Liguori was declared a saint in 1839.
If your bookseller doesn’t have this book in stock, he can order it for you. It will become on of your favorites.
Richard Casmier is a SacraMentor from St. Andrew Parish and resides in Sumner, WA.
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