.:: Catholic Aid Upcoming Events ::.

March 6 - Diocese of St. Cloud
All are invited to a Mini Retreat with Dr. Janet Smith, Chair of Life Ethics, Professor of Moral Theology. Dr. Smith is the author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later, Editor of Why Humanae Vitae was Right: A Reader co-authored Life Issues, Medical Choices, Questions and Answers for Catholics, and authored Right to Privacy. Over a million copies of her talk “Contraception: Why Not" have been distributed. The mini retreat will be held at St. Henry's Parish in Perham beginning with Mass at 7:30am, followed by continental breakfast, talk on " Contraception: Why Not", then Father Aaron Kuhn will speak on "The Sacrament of Reconciliation - A personal encounter with Jesus", then Adoration/Sacrament of Reconciliation, Lunch (included), with a final presentation on "The Right to Privacy" by Dr. Janet Smith.

The cost of the event is $20 in advance/$25 at the door. Tickets are available at St. Henry's Parish office at 218-346-4240. Questions please call Deb at 218-346-2467 or Joe at 218-346-5797.

This Mini-Retreat is co-sponsored by Catholic Aid Association and the Catholic Aid Association Foundation. Please attend this spiritually filled event.

March 6 & 7 – Diocese of St. Cloud
St. Mary Catholic Aid Council in St. Augusta, MN will host a Garage Sale from 9:00am to 3:00pm on Saturday and 9:00am to 11:00am on Sunday at St. Mary Help of Christians Parish Center. $1.00 a bag from 1:00 to 3:00pm on Saturday and from 9:00 to 11:00am on Sunday. For more information, please contact Field Representative Greg Gall at 320.229.0717.

March 7 – Diocese of St. Cloud
SS Bernard & Elizabeth Catholic Aid Council in Melrose, MN will host their Communion Breakfast with Mass at 10:30 AM; Breakfast to follow at St. Mary’s Church. For more information contact Field Representative Dave Ehlert at 320.836.2617.

March 7 – Diocese of St. Cloud
St. Mary Catholic Aid Council in Upsala, MN will host their Matching Grant Breakfast serving from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at St. Mary’s Church Basement. Menu consists of pancakes, with toppings, eggs, sausage and rolls. Adults are $6.00, Children 4 - 10 are $3.50 and children under 3 are FREE. For more information contact Field Representative Shawn Ehlert at 320.845.6612.

March 12 – SALUTE TO YOUTH DEADLINE
Honor an outstanding high school senior that you know with the Salute to Youth honor program. Nominations for this honor are due to our Fraternal department by today. Email hvargo@catholicaid.org for more details.

March 12 - Diocese of St. Cloud
The Catholic Aid members of Holy Family council in Perham, MN will host a Lenten Fish Fry at St. Henry’s from 5:00 PM to 7:30PM. Dinner includes delicious deep fried fish, coleslaw, baked potato, buns, beverages and desserts. Contact Kathy Hemmelgarn with questions at 218.346.5797.

March 14 – Diocese of New Ulm
St. Joseph Catholic Aid Council in New Ulm, MN will host their Communion Breakfast and 50 year Recognition at 8:00 AM at Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. For more information contact Field Representative Bob Skillings at 507.354.7593.

March 14 – Diocese of St. Cloud
St. Joseph Catholic Aid Council in Wadena, MN will host their Annual Breakfast after the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Anne's Parish. For more information contact Field Representative Ryan Schmitz at 218.445.5296.

March 14 – Diocese of St. Cloud
St. Paul Catholic Aid Council in Sauk Centre, MN will host their Communion Breakfast after the 8:30 AM Mass at Holy Family School - Cafeteria. For more information contact Field Representative Cindy Heveron at 320.554.7579.

CAA to Help Youth and Young Adults Attend WYD 2011

by Susan F. Detlefsen, Staff Writer and Heather Vargo, Youth Fraternal Liaison

The phrase “the opportunity of a lifetime” might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché that applies when a young person takes part in World Youth Day. This international gathering attracts hundreds of thousands of young people every three years as they come together to express and experience their Catholic faith.

In 2008, Catholic Aid helped young adults attend World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, by providing nearly $34,000 in grants to 70 young members. The pilgrims returned from the experience with an energized zeal for their spirituality.

Alisha Hafner of Mahtomedi, Minn., said of the pilgrimage, “Words cannot describe how I felt from the enthusiasm of all the pilgrims around me. It was such a moving experience to see so many young people gathered together for the same reason.”

Matt Kuettel of St. Paul, Minn., said seeing the Pope at World Youth Day was “an experience that will not be forgotten.” Kuettel said his favorite moment of World Youth Day “was praying in front of Christ in the Eucharist at our Catechesis site. There was a real peace and beauty in the church and prayer was easy.”

The most valuable lesson of the trip for Andrew Vandal of Sykeston, N.D., was “no matter what race you are from, or the color of your skin, all the pilgrims in Sydney believed in the same risen Christ. I could see it in every pilgrim’s face that they were ready to meet St. Peter’s successor and proclaim their faith with him.”

All three of these young members received grants from Catholic Aid. “I am very grateful to Catholic Aid for all they did to help me go to Australia. Their financial support helped me acquire the funds necessary to make the lengthy trip and I am a better person because of it; thank you Catholic Aid,” Kuettel said.

While the event is a little less than two years away, groups are making plans and gathering funds to attend World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain, on August, 15-21, 2011. Catholic Aid will again offer young adults $500 scholarships to aid in their travel expenses.

“The interest from our members for World Youth Day 2008 grants was extremely enthusiastic,” said Heather Vargo, Youth Fraternal Liaison. More personal reflection from WYD 2008 pilgrims can be found on Heather’s blog: catholicaidyouth.blogspot.com. “We’re excited to offer these grants to our young members again and assist them in attending such a faith-building and eye-opening experience.”

Potential pilgrims can apply for one of 60 grants that will be given out in 2011. Vargo expects to receive more applications than grants, so the recipients will be determined by lottery.

Click here for more information about the World Youth Day 2011 Scholarships.

This article is republished from the November-December 2009 issue of Catholic Aid Journey Magazine. Content and photos are not to be reproduced in print or online without the written permission of Catholic Aid Association.

Catholic schools and supporters win big through Catholic Aid Association’s 2009 Raffle

Photo by Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Congratulations are in order for our Catholic schools! Students and educators at 18 Catholic schools in Minnesota and South Dakota pounded the pavement and rang doorbells for over a month to sell raffle tickets. Together with raffle sponsor Catholic Aid Association (CAA), these hard workers raised more than $128,575. Every penny of the money raised goes directly into school accounts thanks to CAA providing the promotion, printing and prizes involved in the raffle.

“From the beginning, we wanted every penny raised by this raffle to pay for the needs of our Catholic schools,” said Michael McGovern, president and board chairman of Catholic Aid, a fraternal life insurance and benefits company. “It is our hope that we can repeat this program every year. It fits into our mission of supporting the Catholic faith through our local schools.”

Students, parents and educators sold more than 25,000 tickets from Sept. 14 to Oct. 28. The official drawing ceremony for the CAA School Raffle was held on Oct. 30, 2009 at 11 a.m. Official winners of the raffle drawing will be announced as soon as they are verified and the winners are contacted. A complete list of all raffle winners will be available on CAA’s website, www.catholicaid.org/links/raffle.

However, CAA is happy to announce that the winning didn’t end on Oct. 30.

“The real rock stars of this program were the students, the parents and the teachers who tackled the work involved in this raffle. They did an excellent job,” said Steve Wendorf, Marketing Director for Catholic Aid. “We’re hoping for even more energy and participation from them next year because we’re going to add more schools, and there will be more competition.”

Catholic Aid’s Field Representative will be presenting prizes to the top student ticket sellers and pizza parties for top-performing classrooms at each participating school in the coming weeks.

Catholic Aid Association has been a proud supporter of Catholic schools and religious education for over 50 years.

Photo Information. Photos of the Oct. 30 Raffle Drawing Ceremony are available by calling Susan Detlefsen, 651-490-0170 ext. 169 or email ads@catholicaid.org.

About The Catholic Aid Association. The Catholic Aid Association helps every generation of the Catholic community thrive and grow. By striving to be the provider of choice for life insurance and retirement preparation for its 73,000 members and by giving back to the local communities through its 160 local councils, Catholic Aid has built a relationship with its members stretching back 131 years. Programs that provide matching grants to schools and churches, assistance to members in need, and education scholarships for young members have given millions of dollars to communities throughout Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota. Based in St. Paul, Minn., Catholic Aid is a professional friend, helping its members to plan for the future, for every step of every journey, for life.For more information about The Catholic Aid Association or its Foundation or Credit Union, call 651-490-0170, 1-800-568-6670 or visit online at www.catholicaid.org.

Marketing Contact: Rebecca Redlin
Oct. 30, 2009
651-765-4137 or 1-800-568-6670
Catholic Aid Association
rredlin@catholicaid.org

Catholic Aid & the National Catholic Youth Conference

Catholic Aid offered scholarships for the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC). NCYC is the single largest event organized by the Catholic Church in the US. Sponsored by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), this bi-annual conference will bring together over 20,000 Catholic teenagers from throughout the United States to a wonderful venue in Kansas City November 19-21, 2009.

Catholic Aid is pleased to announce that the following young people have received scholarships to NCYC 2009 (listed according to council):

Holy Family Catholic Aid Council #017, Mankato
Taylor Clements, Blake Matuska, Brooke Matuska, Rachel Wendlandt

St. Leo Catholic Aid Council #099, St. Leo
Ben Bossuyt, David Bursack, Rachel Kollar, Shawn Polman

St. Theresa Catholic Aid Council #146, Johnsburg
Jordyn Bissen

St. Willibrord Catholic Aid Council #275, Gibbon
Brady Forst, Heather Horning, Ryan Horning

St. Philip Catholic Aid Council #312, Litchfield
Kate Carlson, Jon Carlson

Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Aid Council #337, Spicer
Leah Salisbury, Shannon Salisbury

Visitation Catholic Aid Council #371, Stacyville
Andrea Mayer, Tyler Thome

Catholic Aid Foundation Golf Tournament

May 18, 2009, Registration Begins at 11:00 AM
River Oaks Golf Course, Cottage Grove, MN

All proceeds of this tournament go toward the Catholic Aid Foundation's three priority funds:
1. Technology Grants for Catholic Education
2. Chastity & Abstinence Education
3. Disaster Relief

Please contact the Catholic Aid Foundation for more information about this event at 651.765.6548.

Sponsor options include:
Dinner Only for $40
Sponsor a Priest to Golf for $110
Individual Golfer for $110
Benefactor Sponsor for $150
Corporate Sponsor for $500
Founder Sponsor for $1000
Additional Options for $1500 - $3000

Young Adult Advisory Panel

Catholic Aid realizes that it is essential to include youth/young adults as active participants in any development initiative. They have to be equal partners in the process. Their involvement presents a great challenge to adults and charges them to rethink how they have engaged in planning, program development and implementation. Therefore, the Fraternal Department will pilot a Young Adult Advisory Panel of 8-10 young adults or youth ministers.

Description of the Panel:
The Young Adult Advisory Panel will be focused on how Catholic Aid can increase visibility, promote volunteerism, and foster spirituality in Catholic Aid young people. The panel will assist councils in strengthening relationships with youth.
The panel will consist of 8-10 young adults or youth ministers. Members of the panel will be compensated for their time.
Locations for panels: St. Cloud, MN & St. Paul, MN

Eligibility:
The nominee should be available to meet 2-3 times per year.
The nominee should be between the ages of 17 and 30, or a Catholic youth minister.

Deadline:
Nominations for this panel will be accepted in the Fraternal Department until May 1st, 2009.

To request a nomination form, or if you have questions or comments, please contact:
Heather Vargo, Youth Fraternal Liaison
3499 Lexington Avenue North
Saint Paul, MN 55126
hvargo@catholicaid.org

Catholic Aid Council Youth Liaisons

What’s a good way to involve the youth and young adults of your parish in Council events? Recruit a Youth Liaison. This position is not required, but recommended for every council. This person maintains a connection with the parish youth group, confirmation class, school and religious education coordinator. The person in this position also has a hand recruiting project team leaders, and acts as the liaison between youth project teams and local council officers.

The Youth Liaison does NOT have to be an officer or a member of Catholic Aid. The youth liaison can be a young leader who is in high school or college. Also, the youth liaison can be an older individual, perhaps a youth minister, or confirmation class teacher. We encourage you to choose a Youth Liaison who is a younger person in touch with the younger members of the council and parish. If you need help recruiting for this position, give me a call. I’d love to help.

Here are some ways we can connect:
-Let me know about your council events that are focused on youth and young adults, because I’d really like to come and connect with your young leaders.
-If you are meeting with a priest or a school principal, I’d be happy to come along to explain our youth programs to them.
-If you are interested in adding a council youth liaison to your council, I’d be glad to talk with your council and the potential youth liaison to increase understanding of the council position.

CAA on YouTube!

Check out Catholic Aid's all new YouTube channel here.

Reflections on World Youth Day

Alisha Hafner of the St. Jude of the Lake Council in Mahtomedi, Minn. said, “World Youth Day was simply AMAZING! Words cannot describe how I felt from the enthusiasm of all the pilgrims around me. It was such a moving experience to see so many young people gathered together for the same reason.”

“The most valuable lesson I learned at World Youth Day was to just take a step back from everything going on and remember the reason I was there… It was so easy to get caught up in the excitement of everyone that sometimes I forgot the reason for everyone's excitement. Being in such a beautiful place, such as Sydney, added so much to World Youth Day, while at the same time sometimes distracted pilgrims from the message of World Youth Day. Overall, World Youth Day was a spiritual growing experience for every pilgrim present.” - Alisha Hafner

Here is a photo Alisha submitted of her group. This is the Saint Helena WYD Group, Minneapolis, Minn.

Alisha Hafner and her tour guide, Simon.

Reflections on World Youth Day

Jacqueline Noggle of the Saint Helena group says that “Adoration at the vigil was my most favorite moment because I could feel the holy spirit more powerfully then I have ever felt Him before. I felt this overwhelming sense of joy and hope I couldn’t stop smiling.” Above is a photo of Jackie's World Youth Day group from Saint Helena's Parish in Minneapolis, Minn.

Reflections on World Youth Day

Matt Kuettel of St. Anthony and Maria-Hilf Council in Saint Paul, Minn. said, "While seeing the Pope was an experience that will not be forgotten, I think that hearing his words has affected me more. The Pope is a very holy man, and while he is the vicar of Christ, he is not Christ. His words, however, are more important because he has been given the authority to speak for the Church, and under the guidance of the Spirit, his words are never wrong."

Matt says that his favorite moment of World Youth Day "was praying in front of Christ in the Eucharist at our Catechesis site. There was a real peace and beauty in the church and prayer was easy. Listening to Christopher West and other speakers were also great opportunities to continue my conversion to Christ."

"I am very grateful to Catholic Aid for all they did to help me go to Australia. Their financial support helped me acquire the funds necessary to make the lengthy trip and I am a better person because of it; thank you Catholic Aid." - Matt Kuettel

Reflections on World Youth Day

Kelsey Schlichting of the St. Joseph in Miesville, Minn. said, "Upon arriving in Sydney, the excitement grew more and more with each new country flag I saw. We finally came to Olympic Park which was the location which would be our home for the next week and a half. It wasn’t just our home, but also the home of 5,000 others from around the world. The dome we stayed in housed people from all around the world -- All the way from the unfamiliar country of Togo, all the way to our neighboring state of Wisconsin. This was a defining point of the trip for me. Walking into this dome, (it resembled an air plane hanger), and see sleeping bags and air mattresses, and rows and rows and rows of people upon more rows of people. To realize that this was only a small fraction of how many people were attending this event, and I was part of it. I was part of it all. Every night when we came 'home' to the dome, there was a relief that flooded over me kind of, to see all the other people there, knowing that I wasn't alone in this. I wasn't the only other person on this pilgrimage to strengthen my faith. I wasn't alone."

Kelsey talked, too, of her faith being strengthened, "My faith was strengthened immensely on this trip. I didn't realize during the trip itself, but afterward, I realized how much closer the trip and its excursions had brought me to Jesus Christ himself. The priest we traveled with preached to us one day about getting closer to Jesus and knowing Him. He told us that Jesus knew us so well, and he loved us so much… we don't know him like he knows us. Once the priest had said this, my eyes opened a little bit wider to everything. I brainstormed ways for me to gain a closer relationship with Jesus. This is only one of the ways my faith was strengthened in this journey I took."

Volleyball and Theology of the Body

Heather Vargo went to visit a great group of young people in Cold Spring, MN. Gabriel Walz lead Theology of the Body for Teens and his family welcomes up to 80 young people to their home every week during the summer for volleyball.

The Theology of the Body for Teens presents the teachings of John Paul II to teens in a way that is relevant, easy-to-follow, and entertaining. It follows the 12 segments presented in the Theology of the Body for Teens DVD Set and Leader's Guide.

This group received an abstinence and chastity grant from the Catholic Aid Foundation to purchase the textbooks. The Catholic Aid Association Foundation was founded in December of 1977 by the Catholic Aid Association (CAA) to assist individuals with their charitable giving. In our complicated and fast-paced lives, it is often difficult to believe, we, individually, have the power to deeply affect the world around us. However, we can have a profound effect by working together.

To contact Heather about other youth events, please email her at hvargo@catholicaid.org.

Youth Grant Program

Catholic Aid Association offers a Youth Grant Program for local youth programs. Has your council organized one yet? If not, let's work on it together! Do you have any ideas on fund raisers? There's some examples below - What fundraisers does your parish do?

Youth Grant Program for Catholic Aid:

Purpose: Fund Raiser for local youth programs

Benefits:
1.) Catholic Aid Association provides $25.00 seed money to help raise funds for the youth programs.
2.) Catholic Aid Association provides 20% bonus on monies raised (minus the $25.00 seed money) up to $100.00 maximum per council.
3.) Four $100.00 prizes will be awarded to councils just for participating.

Guidelines:
1.) $100.00 prize in a random drawing of all the participating Local Councils.
2.) $100.00 prize in a random drawing in each of three participating councils (Small, Medium, and Large)
3.) For payment: Fill out the Fund Raiser Completion form and send it to the Fraternal Department.

Examples:
Grow and Sell Vegetables, Bake Sale, Silent Auction, Mother’s Day Brunch, Fill M & M Tubes with Quarters, Plastic Easter Egg Sale, Raffle, Valentine Card Sale, Soup or Chili Supper, Holiday Bingo, Pie Sale, Brat Stand, Sell Ice Cream at a Parade.