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presentation ministries newsletter, vol. 6, issue 3
October 1, 2003
Presentation Ministries Newsletter
Vol. 6, Issue 3, Fall 2003
 The headstone marking Fr. Lauer's grave. |
Directors' Note to Newsletter Readers
New Resident at the Ministry Center
News From the Indiana Network
Building Communities in Dayton
Word Gifts Ministry for PM
The First Year Anniversary of Father Al Lauer's Death
Guadalupe Bible College News
Discipleship Center Retreats & Events
Media Ministries
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
DIRECTORS' NOTE TO NEWSLETTER READERS
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Praise Jesus, our Lord and Savior!
George Schmidl, Mark Schuerman and I want to thank each of you for your continued prayers for us and for Presentation Ministries (PM). Please pray for the intercession of our past leaders, especially Fr. Al and Mary Holtke who have died this last year. As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Fr. Al's death (Oct 13), I ask you for your continued commitment and focus on the vision as stated in PM's Pastoral Plan, sometimes known as our Summit Document of April 7-8, 2000. Please open that document and reread it. Our focus continues on these five elements:
- "Communio" HBCs are the heart of the Church and we want them to multiply.
- Lay Leadership Development We need your steadfast labor in the vineyard to develop lay leadership. We need your recommitment to Our Lady of Guadalupe Bible College, the Bible Institute, the Discipleship Retreats, and to our new Outreach Ministry (Life in the Spirit Seminars, etc).
- Youth Ministry We need to continue to give priority to equipping our youth to become disciples for Jesus, to bring them into full leadership positions in PM through apprenticeship programs.
- Social Justice We need to build on a relationship of service with our brothers and sisters in another part of America and we are called to reach out more extensively to Hispanics in the USA.
- Evangelization and Technology We are called to use the Internet, newsprint, radio, tapes, videos, and every form of communication to spread the Gospel of Jesus to the world.
Your recommitment to sacrifice is vital to PM. Fr. Al taught us that nothing worthwhile is ever accomplished without sacrifice. Look at the crucified Jesus! Our recommitment Mass is on Friday, November 21 at St. Leo the Great parish church (in Cincinnati). Please continue to pray for:
- Prophecy Without prophecy, the people will perish (Proverbs 29:18)
- Unity Unity with one another under the Body of Christ (John 17:20-21)
- More workers for the harvest (Matthew 9:37)
May God continue to bless you and your family abundantly. Thanks for all you do for Jesus and His Church!
Jerry Cappel (Director)
NEW RESIDENT AT THE MINISTRY CENTER
 Dan Hunt is the new resident at PM's Ministry Center on McHenry Ave in Cincinnati, Ohio. |
For the last few months, Bro. Dennis Dooley and Bro. Patrick Hunt have been taking concrete steps to legally dissolve The Brothers and Fathers of Pentecost. During their meeting with Archbishop Pilarczyk earlier in the year, they came to understand that canonically they could not continue because their statutes could not be implemented, due to the death of Fr. Al Lauer.
This past Winter Bro James Wartman had discerned to continue following his vocation as a religious brother by joining an established order, the Franciscans of Primitive Observance, based in New Bedford, Massachusettes. Bro Dennis continues to pray and discern his next step. Originally from Evansville, Indiana, he will travel back and forth between there and Cincinnati while he tackles all the details of dissolving the order. One necessary decision concerns the house owned by The Brothers and Fathers of Pentecost. They hope to put it into the hands of a group who will use it for a Pro-Life cause.
Meanwhile, Bro. Patrick who will now revert to the use of his first name, Dancontinues working toward his college education. With that he plans to apply to a seminary to follow a call to the priesthood.
Please keep each of these three men in your prayers.
NEWS FROM THE INDIANA NETWORK
by Darlene Davis
 Indiana HBC members enjoy a summer picnic together, August 24. |
5th Sundays are being reserved for pitch-in, praise, rosary, teaching and fellowship for the Indiana Communities. The meeting place is Our Lady of the Apostles Family Center in Greenfield, Indiana. All Indiana community members and their guests are welcome and encouraged to participate. We would love to see some Ohio community members there! The next 5th Sunday Gathering is November 30, 5:30 PM. Call Wayne or Darlene 317-462-5010 for directions.
The Indiana Network Communities Retreat is scheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2004 at Our Lady of the Apostles Family Center. A team from Cincinnati will present the all day retreat.
Members of the five Indiana Network Communities had a great afternoon of fun, music, food and entertainment at the Second Annual Indiana Network Communities Picnic, August 24. Many thanks to the Holy Family Home-based Community for again hosting this event.
BUILDING COMMUNITIES IN DAYTON
by Chris Jasek
The first annual Presentation Ministries Dayton Small Christian Communities retreat was held on August 23rd at Our Lady of Good Hope parish in Miamisburg, OH. Members of Living Hope, Living Stones, and another Dayton area community in formation came together to celebrate Mass, listen to teachings about community, and pray. The children also enjoyed planned crafts and activities including a talk by a priest on vocations and sharing by some members of PM's St. John Bosco Youth Group. It was great to get the larger group of Dayton area communities together. The Holy Spirit was acting that day to encourage us and build community among us. We thank the Lord for what he has done.
The Dayton Home-based Communities
come together for their first annual retreat.
WORD GIFTS MINISTRY FOR PM
Prophesies Submitted During the Bible Institute, 2003
#1 You are in the midst of a raging war. Stand firm! Times are urgent; compelling. Move forward in defense of the truth. (quote from Johnette Benkovic)
#3 "Lift high the lintels of your heart and raise your expectations. Do not limit Me!
I have more than you can expect or imagine. Be open!
Submitted by Evelyn Kozminski
#4 "Men of Corinth, we have spoken to you frankly, opening our hearts wide to you.
There is no lack of room for you in us; the narrowness is in you. In fair exchange,
then (I speak as a father to his children), open wide your hearts! (2 Corinthians 6:11-13)
Submitted by Mary Handermann
#5 "I will go before you and level the mountains, bronze doors I will shatter,
and iron bars I will snap. I will give you treasures out of the darkness, and riches
that have been hidden away, that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel,
Who calls you by your name" (Isaiah 45:2-3).
Submitted by Bob Olson
#6 "Thus says the Lord: the heavens are My throne, the earth My footstool. What
kind of house can you build for Me: what is to be My resting place? My hand made
all these things when all of them came to be, says the Lord. This is the one whom I
approve; the lowly and afflicted man who trembles at My word" (Isaiah 66:1-2).
Submitted by Bob Olson
#7 I saw a vine that was Presentation Ministries. It covered the ground, and everywhere it spread, it sent down roots. Each of these new roots sprouted new plants. The roots were the kind that reached 12 feet into the ground and the vine could not be stopped. It reached up to the heavens. Whenever anyone tried to uproot it, it grew stronger and sent out more shoots. It blanketed the earth.
"Thus says the Lord of hosts: here is a man whose name is Shoot, and where he is he
shall sprout, and he shall build the temple of the Lord" (Zechariah 6:12).
Submitted by Helen Steele
Prophecy for August Communities Mass, 8/29/2003
See Isaiah 44:3-5 (Submitted by Vivian Jansen)
See also Exodus 17:9-13 (Submitted by Mary Handermann)
THE FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF FATHER AL LAUER'S DEATH
October 13, 2003 marks the first year anniversary of Father Al Lauer's Death.
The metal plate inscription attached to the upper right corner of the headstone is here enlarged.
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Even though Fr. Al's middle name was Ervin, he took his confirmation name, Joseph, when he became fully professed as a Father of Pentecost.
GUADALUPE BIBLE COLLEGE NEWS
This year as we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Presentation Ministries, we recall the 2002 Presentation Ministries Bible Institute, when Fr. Al Lauer invited us to "put out into the deep" for a great catch (Luke 5:4).
 A print of a painting by James Coulter of a Madonna and Child which hangs at a Poor Clare Monastery. James prays the rosary daily for PM and also prays when he goes to Mass. |
Fr. Al challenged the leadership of GBC to grow the college and make disciples who live, read, teach, and proclaim the Word of God. This year, in an effort to increase the visibility of GBC, and to stress that the Bible College stretches beyond the Cincinnati communities, the 2003 graduates of Guadalupe Bible College, received their certificates of graduation at the Bible Institute. The Bible College administration wishes to again acknowledge Nancy Kenny and Geraldine Finkel, the 2003 Guadalupe Bible College graduates.
In answer to Fr. Al's challenge, the leadership of the Bible College has developed the following goals:
- Promote student progress
- Promote discipleship and community within Presentation Ministries
- Recruit new teachers for home-study students
- Develop the residential Bible College program in conjunction with the Paul Jansen Discipleship Center
- Develop branches of Guadalupe Bible College
- Revise existing courses and develop new courses for recently released papal documents
- Develop an internet resource library with reference links
- Promote the development of sample Bible study courses on the PM website.
In order to grow this ministry using "new technologies," more teachers and co-workers who have access to computers and are willing to interact with students via the computer must be recruited. The difficulty is not in finding students, but in finding teachers who are formed within Presentation Ministries and who have the time and willingness to say "yes" to this endeavor.
The Holy Spirit moves through the community of believers, therefore we are asking you to pray to the Holy Spirit and ask Him if you are called to become a co-worker in the college to help make these goals a reality.
DISCIPLESHIP CENTER RETREATES & EVENTS
 Families attending the 40 Hours Devotion in May, 2003 gather for a May Procession in Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel (still under construction). |
Nov 7-8 Proclaiming the Gospel of Life
Dec 5-6 Small Christian Communities To Change the World
Special Retreats/Events 2003
Oct 18 Workfest
Oct 25 Mothers / Daughters Retreat
Nov 22 Men's Retreat
Dec 5-6 Retreat for Widows
Discipleship 2003 takes place at the Paul Jansen Discipleship Center, in the Appalachian setting of rural Adams County, near Peebles, Ohio (75 miles east of Cincinnati, 100 miles south of Columbus). Eucharistic Liturgies, prayer, teaching and meals take place in the Discipleship Center which houses the little Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Other facilities include a farmhouse, rustic cabins for hardy campers, trailers with dormitories, and a limited number of RV hookups. Motels are located minutes away in nearby towns.
The new Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel is under construction and when completed it will include guest rooms and classroom facilities.
The costs for all retreats is a donation.
MEDIA MINISTRIES
Living Color
by Sue Weber
If you need a dynamic boost to your teaching order a video by Fr. Lauer. It is easy
to get excited about the Lord and His way when you follow someone who lived the way.
"I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through
Me." John 14:6
200 Teachings on the New Testament
by Sue Weber
Wow! Amazing! How could anyone except Fr. Lauer give two hundred 15-minute teachings
on the New Testament. What depth. What detail. All this available on audio tape in the
Bible study series #700 thru #739.
"Consecrate them by means of truth your word is truth." John 17:17
Evangelize!
by Dean Weber
The preeminent tool for evangelization in the united States is radio. Fr. Lauer was
leading the way for the last twenty years. He is still leading thanks to digital technology
that lets us recreate new programs from his past programs which we call "The Best of
Daily Bread." We offer the reflections on the readings of each day and comment on the
saint of that day, if applicable. As these are never the same it forms a new program
for each day.
If Fr. Lauer is not on the Catholic radio station in your area, call Dean Weber (513) 232-5482.
Fire On The Witness Stand
The video "Fire on the Witness Stand" is still available! This features the Youth Play
performed at the Bible Institute this past summer.
Send $15.00 with your name and address to:
Mary Hennessey
4760 Guerly Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45238
Various cast and crew from the Youth Play, "Fire on the Witness Stand" pose for the camera during the Bible Institute, July/August, 2003.
Bible Telephone Line
by Darlene Davis
We have had many requests for information lately. Cities that currently have requested
information: Gray, Georgia; Shafer, Minnesota; LaUnion, New Mexico; Jackson, Michigan;
Patchogue, New York; and Houston, Texas. If you live in or near one of these cities or
towns and would like to help get the Bible Line going in your area, please call or email
Wayne and Darlene Davis, (317)-462-5010, ljdarlene@msn.com.
If you live in the Cincinnati area and would like to assist the Bible Telephone Line by
retrieving prayer requests from the line each day and praying for them, call or email
Wayne or Darlene Davis.
HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION
by Sam Hennessey
In August, twenty St. John Bosco Youth Group members went on a mission trip to Louisa, Kentucky, near West Virginia. While there we helped Fr. Ralph Beiting and the Fr. Ralph Beiting Mission Foundation. Some of the projects we assisted him with were renovating a trailer for a family burned out of their home, cutting grass at the rectory and church, and organizing the warehouse and thrift store. We attended daily Mass and listened to Fr. Beiting's witness. For fun, we swam in the lake and jumped off a 20-foot rock into the lake.
Fr. Beiting, a priest from Newport, Kentucky, has worked for 50-plus years among the poor in Eastern Kentucky. He is known for his street preaching. Once he sailed up the Ohio River to Cincinnati preaching from the roof of his houseboat. He is the only priest in a large area. When he arrived there, only 1 person in 1,000 were Catholic. Now the ratio is 1 in 300. He is pastor of several parishes.
I'm really glad I chose to go on this awesome trip with the youth group and I hope to return again next year. Please pray for Fr. Beiting and his mission. If you would like a booklet on Fr. Ralph Beiting, please call Charlene Rack at 513-385-1278.
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