Dear ACRE Members and Friends,

We sincerely hope that Summer 2024 has been going well for you.  Welcome to another year of Catechetical ministry and to the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary!  We have many gatherings, events and ways to connect coming up.  Please read through and mark your calendars. 

ACRE Registration Information and Information to register for our Sept. 12^th event with Fr. Michael Joncas will be sent out SOON!  Know of someone in our ministry that has changed parishes and emails?  Please let us know!

SAVE THE DATES FOR ACRE EVENTS FOR 2024-2025!!

(August 27-28 Catechetical and Youth Ministry Leaders Orientation at the Archdiocese.  For all your new/newish staff… or for you!)

September 12, 2024- Fr. Michael Joncas: Celebrating and Catechizing on the Eucharist, St. Pascal Baylon, St. Paul… Following this event, you can travel a short distance and attend the Archdiocesan Catholic Center Happy Hour Open House!  Fr. Joncas will help us get inspired for our Year Two Pastoral Plan implementation as well as preside at Mass for us.

(September 15- Catechetical Sunday! Lord, when did we see you hungry?  Missionary Discipleship)

(October 15, 2024- Archdiocesan Staff Formation Day for all parish staff!)

Week of November 11, 2024- Drinks and Dialogue! ACRE will be hosting 5 gatherings- four in person and one virtual- to gather, share concerns, meet others, get ideas, etc. in all four quadrants of the metro area!  All are welcome- whether or not you belong to ACRE!  Plan to invite your catechetical friends!

November 19, 2024- ACRE ZOOM LUNCHES BEGIN!  Join us on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month beginning in November.  We’ll have a brief topic, sometimes a speaker, debrief on catechetical happenings, share information, and sometimes even have prizes!  The Zoom Link will be sent each month with information on the topic.  Noon-1 p.m.

(December 24, 2024 Year of Jubilee Begins- Pilgrims of Hope!  Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica to begin the Jubilee!)

(January 30, 2025- Archdiocesan Catechetical Leaders Retreat Day)

(February 27, 2025- Archdiocesan Conference on Emerging Questions in Catholic Formation)

March 2024- ACRE Lent Retreat- Date and Location TBA. Join us for our annual day of reflection and renewal.  This year’s retreat will center on the power of humility in our lives.

Thursday, April 24, 2025- Julianne Stanz Event!  Julianne, a regular representative at national and international Catholic evangelization committees and conferences, has joined Loyola Press. Stanz, is the author of several bestselling books including The Catholic Parents' Survival Guide: Straight Answers to your Kids' Toughest Questions, Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace, Start with Jesus: How Everyday Disciples Will Renew The Church and Developing Disciples of Christ.

May 15, 2025- Annual Appreciation Luncheon and Awards for Catechetical Leaders

OTHER NEWS AND RESOURCES:

DID YOU RECEIVE THE EMAIL?  Earlier this week, you should have received an email from Eric Pederson at the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education Department of Catechesis.  If you didn’t, you should email Eric at [email protected] to get on the list!  It details monthly office hours, monthly Catechetical “Institute” offerings, etc., etc.!

ACRE WEBSITE:  You can find out updates, check out resources and links and REGISTER for ACRE and our events on our website!  Just check it out: https://www.acremn.com/

CAUTION: WATCH OUT FOR COPYRIGHT ISSUES! A number of parishes have gotten caught on copyright violations- especially surrounding images and graphics.  ONLY use images you have taken yourself, or purchased the rights to, or from your Canva account or a verified free source.  Parishes are having to pay thousands of dollars in fees now that AI can search for images constantly.

CATECHETICAL SUNDAY 2024 for September- Free Resources and Details: https://www.usccb.org/committees/evangelization-catechesis/lord-when-did-we-see-you-hungry

NEW BOOK RESOURCE: NCCL (National Community of Catechetical Leaders) has a new book out- Guided by the Directory for Catechesis.  GET 25% OFF if you order by Sept. 15^th from Twenty-third Publications using the CODE: GDC25!  https://twentythirdpublications.com/products/guided-by-the-directory-for-catechesis

FREE SADLIER BOOKS TO A GOOD HOME!  St. Joe’s in New Hope has quite a number of Sadlier books that are FREE to anyone who is able to come pick them up.  Here is the list:

3 year-old "Discovering God's Child" (Pub. Date: 2000)

Activity Book: 4

Textbook: 6

4 year-old "Discovering God's Word" (Pub. Date: 2000)

Activity Book: 1 

Textbook: 1

5 year-old "Discovering God's Love" (Pub. Date: 2000)

Activity Book: 1

Textbook: 1 

"We Believe" Catechists Guides: (Pub. Date: 2011)

Kindergarten: 1 

First Grade: 1 (9780821555118) (Pub. Date: 2004)

First Grade: 3 (9780821564110) (Pub. Date: 2011)

Second Grade: 5 

Third Grade: 4 

Fourth Grade: 1

Fifth Grade: 1 

"We Believe" Textbooks: (Pub. Date: 2015)

First Grade: 21 

Second Grade: 11 

Third Grade: 6 

Fourth Grade: 15 

Fifth Grade: 21 

"We Believe" Family Books (Pub. Date: 2004)

Third Grade: 1 

Fourth Grade: 1 

Fifth Grade: 1

"We Believe" Leader's Guide (Pub. Date: 2015)

Kindergarten: 3 

First Grade: 4 

Third Grade: 1 

Fourth Grade: 1 

Fifth Grade: 1 

Misc.:

Music CDs (Pub. Date: 2004)

Second Grade Pre-Publication Sampler

2014 Religion Catalogue

Tote Bags

A thought for the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

"Mary, give me your Heart: so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate; your Heart so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life and love Him as you love Him and serve Him in the distressing guise of the poor."  - Saint Basil the Great 

As always, ACRE is here for you!  Please reach out if you need resources, ideas, to make connections with others or to give us your ideas!  We wish you many blessings!

The ACRE Board