nova community april chair notes……. w · nova newsletter 3 april 2013 we remember in prayer…....

Chair Notes…….

hat a month this has been…….

March 3rd – an evening that will be

remembered for a long time. Men

Who Cook does not begin to explain all the

planning, preparation, and execution of a totally

pleasant evening enjoyed by so many, and

serving to raise more than seven thousand

dollars toward our El Salvador annual project.

About the same time the small group

discussions were beginning to be formed so that

we might study Elizabeth Johnson’s book,

Quest of the Living God. These are still

happening in a half dozen NOVA households.

(Call Kopp Michelotti 703-241-0789, if you want

to join a group).

Then, perhaps the greatest surprise of the last

40 years, Pope Francis was chosen to lead the

Catholic Church. A Jesuit, a Jesuit who chooses

to take the name Francis from Francis of

Assisi. A seemingly authentically humble man

who understands what Christ worked so hard to

teach us- “Love God, and love one another as

yourself”.

Another important day in March – the 23rd when

30 NOVA members met to review our $100,000

budget for the year. This seems rather

outstanding to me, considering that we have

fewer than 50 households actively involved in

the NOVA community. We reviewed the 30+

projects we currently support to the tune of over

$65,000. After much discussion, we added two

additional projects and added to the monthly

allotment for two others, bringing the total to well

over $70,000 per year. But the most significant

part of the evening to me came after these

decisions were made. A discussion ensued

about how to meet our budget in the coming

year knowing that we need more than $30,000

for rents, retreat, stipends, and miscellaneous

needs that arise. The wheels started turning as

several people talked about how we might just

increase our weekly donations a little and what a

difference that will make for so many people

who are a part of these projects from the

Bolivian orphanage, to the fresh fruit and

veggies distributed weekly at Gunston, to the

DREAM Project, the Haiti Scholarship program,

the homeless prevention assistance program

and on and on. Then one person said this, and it

was echoed by others, “We need to give from

our substance, not from our surplus.”

e moved into Holy Week with quite

a meaningful Palm Sunday

celebration, followed by our Holy

Thursday Supper with the washing of the

feet, the Good Friday remembrance and

finally our Easter vigil.

And so, we will walk out of the Lenten desert,

hopefully, walking in simplicity, walking in

humility, and walking on new sacred ground.

~ Cece Michelotti

W

W

www.novacommunity.info

NOVA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY APRIL 2013

http://www.novacommunity.info/

_______________________________________________________________________________________________ NOVA NEWSLETTER 2 APRIL 2013

Blessing those off to the Climate Change Rally

Communion Ministers

NOVA Catholic Community www.novacommunity.info

NOVA Photos: http://www.novacommunity.weebly.com

NOVA Message Line...... (703) 852-7907

Chairpersons Cece Michelotti

Meg Tuccillo

Treasurer Joe Formoso

Community Life Coordinator

Marlene Shade

Liturgy Coordinator Gloria Mog

Padre Cadre Coordinator John Mooney

Music Coordinator Victoria Robinson

Peace & Justice Coordinators

Dianne Carroll

Marie Keefe

Christ House Coordinator

Kopp Michelotti

Facilities John Tarrant

Announcements Coordinator

Linda Christie

Directory, Yahoo Group, Webmaster

Ken Chaison

Newsletter Editor

E-mail Address………

Scott Schnier

Ken Chaison

[email protected]

THE NOVA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY INVITES YOU TO

CELEBRATE THE EUCHARISTIC LITURGY WITH US ON

SUNDAYS IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.

KENMORE… Winter Months… Liturgy begins at 10:15 am—Gather at 10:00 am

During the winter months, our Liturgy is usually celebrated at Kenmore Middle School, Arlington Blvd. and Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA.

LACEY WOODS…Summer Months… Liturgies begin at 9:30 am—Gather at 9:15 am

Beginning Memorial Day Weekend up to our Fall Retreat weekend, we celebrate at Lacey Woods Park, George Mason Drive near Washington Blvd.

The schedule changes for Holidays and special occasions. Please call the Message Line, or check the NOVA website, both mentioned above, for the latest information.

NEWSLETTER CONTENTS……

ARTICLE PAGE

Chair Notes 1

NOVA Coordinators 2

Remembering in Prayer 3

Birthdays 3

Upcoming Events 3

Liturgy Schedule 4

Gunston 5

Oral Re-hydration Project 5

St. Clements Winter Shelter 5

Christ House 6

Lions Eyeglass Recycling 6

Men Who Cook – Good Time! 7

MS Walk 2013 8

Mosaic Harmony 8

Annual Peace & Social Justice Meeting 9

2013-14 Project Parameters 10

NOVA Projects 11

La Nueva Esperanza 12

Loyola Jesuit Secondary School 13

Peace & Social Justice Legislative Activities 14

Immigration Reform Action Report 15

Immigration Reform 10 Next Steps 16

Isaiah Prison Ministry 17

Photos – Holy Week 18


http://www.novacommunity.weebly.com/

mailto:[email protected]


We Remember In Prayer…. Michael Iskander, as he continues to recover after

an accident.

Sonja Donahue, who appreciates a card, a call or a visit at Goodwin House, Alexandria

Margaret and Tom Hayes, Anne Houck, Joe Bonsignore, who we do not see most Sundays because of mobility and other issues.

John Haughey and the priests of the Woodstock Center

Ferdinand (Ferd) Spenner (1919-2013), husband to Pauline Spenner and father of Mary Chaison (1950-2002), and the family & friends who miss him, since his death on March 16.

Please remember these and any other NOVA members and their friends and family who are in need of prayer.

2 Chris Egbulum 3 John Marron 5 David Meyer Steve Michelotti 7 Archer Heinzen 10 Victoria Robinson 12 Meg Tuccillo 13 Maureen Flood Tom Hayes 14 Chris Massey Scott Schnier Timothy Showalter 18 Jim Weber 25 Kopp Michelotti 27 Jason Powell 28 Emilia Formoso

Please send your birth date (month & day only) to the Newsletter Editor, [email protected], if you would like it to appear here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 10 Immigration Rally, West Lawn of Capitol Building (see http://www.citizenship-now.org/) for details, 3:30 p.m.

April 14 MS Walk, Reston, 9 a.m.

April 28 Pre Calling Forth meeting after liturgy

April 28 Mosaic Harmony, 4 p.m. - see page 8, below

May 11 Peace and Social Justice meeting to decide on annual project, Meg Tuccillo’s home, 5:30 p.m., pot-luck

May 18 Calling Forth Meeting at Meg Tuccillo's home, 5:30 p.m. pot-luck, meeting approx. 6:45

June 22 Women’s Ordination – hosted by Bishop Bridget Mary

September 13, 14, 15 NOVA Retreat, Shrine Mont


http://www.citizenship-now.org/


LITURGY SCHEDULE

Planners can find Inclusive Readings (Year C) and Music Selections in the NOVA Yahoo Group Files, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/novacommunity/files/. Sign on with the Yahoo ID you used to enroll. Please give all music selections to the Music Liaison the Sunday before your liturgy and print 65 copies of the liturgy program.

APRIL MUSIC LIAISON Tim White

MAY MUSIC LIAISON

Gloria Mog

April 7 – Second Sunday of Easter Priest: John Haughey, SJ Planners: Larry & Cathy Goldschmidt April 14 – Third Sunday of Easter Priest: Joe Kenna Planners: Christoffersons April 21 – Fourth Sunday of Easter Priest: Quinn Conners, O.Carm. Planner: Kate Doherty April 28 – Fifth Sunday of Easter Priest: John Haughey, SJ Planners: Ted & Carolyn Miller

May 5 – Sixth Sunday of Easter Priest: John Haughey, SJ Planner: Rosemarie Annunziata May 12 – Seventh Sunday of Easter Priest: Gerry Stockhausen, SJ Planners: Cece and Kopp Michelotti May 19 – Pentecost Priest: Joe Nangle, OFM Planners: Linda Rosenberg & Kathy Scheimer May 26 – Trinity Sunday Priest: Jim Coriden Planners: Betsy and Mike Marron First Sunday in Lacey Woods Park Liturgy begins at 9:30 a.m.

.

.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/novacommunity/files/


GUNSTON VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

NOVA volunteers distribute bags of non-perishable

food, cereal provided by NOVA, perishable (eggs,

milk, meat, etc) items picked up at the Arlington Food

Assistance Center warehouse on the night of

distribution and produce items

every other week picked up by

Eric Carroll at the produce markets

downtown(funded by the NOVA

Peace & Justice budget). The

distribution takes place at the

Gunston Middle School

Recreation Center in Arlington. Many volunteers

have been active in this project for a dozen years and

others are more recent. All love their work and would

love to teach new NOVA folks how it's done. So if you

would like to volunteer: send email to Dianne Carroll

[email protected] or call 703-536-2616

~Dianne

A big thanks to all the Gunston faithful volunteers!!

April 4: Eric, Alicia, Jack April 11: Tim & Jerry April 18: Glen & Syd April 25: Michael/Mikaela Kane,

Routine: (usually)

Perishable pickup at AFAC warehouse at 6:00 p.m.

Distribution at Gunston 6:30-7:30

Clean up and return list to AFAC

Note: An activity where the more hands, the

merrier.

Children at Offertory

ORAL RE-HYDRATION PROJECT

The Re-Hydration Project April 7, 2013

9:00 am - 3:00 pm. NOVA has joined the Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill and the Bethel Hebrew Congregation several times at the synagogue, 3830 Seminary Road in Alexandria, to help with this very worthy project. We follow several simple steps to combine the needed ingredients and seal them in packets which are sent for use in the developing world to rehydrate infants and other seriously ill patients. NOVA participants usually go straight from Liturgy to the synagogue and help with the last three hours. Often, we finish early. Not sure yet where the packets will be sent this year. In the past they have often gone to countries in Africa. For any further information, the synagogue's number is: 703-370-9400.

~ Carolyn Miller

ST. CLEMENTS OVERFLOW

WINTER SHELTER Winter has come to a close, we hope. During the coldest moments some Nova folks were volunteering at St. Clements Episcopal Church in Alexandria where homeless guests spend the night in a warm and quiet environment. These volunteers were on duty from 7pm-7am making sure that the guests were comfortable. Those who participated this year get a big thank you!

Thanks to: Joe Annunziata, Jerry Barrett, Eric Carroll, Clyde Christofferson, Michael & Joe Kane, Kopp Michelotti, Ted Miller, David Mog, Jason Powell

~Dianne Carroll



CHRIST HOUSE GIVE KEN A HAND AND A PAN!

(Of Meatloaf!) Ken Chaison will be chief cook and bottle washer when NOVA next serves dinner at the Christ House shelter in Alexandria, on April 15. NOVA will prepare and serve meatloaf and scalloped potatoes to the hungry clients at Christ House. Please mark your calendars to remember to bring your meatloaves and spuds to liturgy on April 14. Ken will be Meatloaf Meister this month. He will have several large coolers to collect meat & potatoes at the Sunday liturgy. The option of leaving your culinary creations on the Michelottis' porch is not available this month--ya gotta bring 'em to Sunday liturgy!

If you'd like to get involved in the kitchen, please call or e-mail Ken Chaison. We start food prep around 4 PM. (Meat & potatoes have to be in the ovens several hours before that, however.)

And mark your calendars now--here are NOVA's Christ House dates for the rest of 2013:

June 17 October 21 August 19 December 16

~ Kopp MIchelotti

LIONS EYEGLASS RECYCLING

PROJECT

[Photos by Ted Miller]

About 20 Nova volunteers took the challenge to offer their help where they’ve never been before during Lent. Roy Davis, Director of the Regional Lions Eyeglass Recycling project, put two groups of Nova folks to work for 3 hours on two different occasions. He showed us a 10 minute film about the project which has been distributing eyeglasses to men, women and children throughout the world since the

Lions Club began at the turn of the last century. Roy has overseen the operation in Northern VA for the past 12 years and he is very proud of the fact that he has directed the processing of over one million pairs of glasses. He has also been on a mission trip to Senegal working with volunteer doctors and other health care workers reaching into the most remote parts of the country to literally bring sight to many who have never been able to see beyond their hut.

His stories are wonderful – of children screaming with delight and dancing down the street with their new “vision; of a grandmother who only wanted to at least see the ocean once from the hill she lives on a mile away from the water. Roy encouraged Nova to organize a mission trip group or for individuals to volunteer to go overseas for a couple weeks and see up close and personal what this work was all about. As we washed and sorted, packed and crated, read prescriptions and exchanged the news with one another, there was a deep sense of participating in the work of God. Roy welcomes all volunteers at the Center on Carlin Springs, Mon-Sat for any time you have to offer. Give him a call if you’d like to go check it out or if any of the volunteers who went would like to go back and give some more time, 703-671-1919. They always have thousands of donated glasses to process.

~ Gloria Mog


EL CENTRO CAMPESINA MEN WHO COOK


MS Walk – 2013

Dianne Carroll

The WALK is April 14 and I am planning to walk as

much as I can. This is fundraising week for the

team and if you can support me that would be

great!! Whatever you can do is appreciated

including your encouragement, your prayers, your

love and donations of any size! And pray for good

weather & if you already signed up or donated -

THANKS!!

DONATE

ONLINE http://tinyurl.com/dianne13

OR send a check (2739 N Yucatan St, Arl 22213)

payable to: National Multiple Sclerosis Society

OR if you want to join the team and walk and raise

funds you can do that online:

http://tinyurl.com/momteam13

MOSAIC HARMONY SUNDAY, APRIL 28 - 3:15 p.m. Silent Auction - 4 p.m. Concert, ending about 5:30 p.m Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, VA 22124

"JOY" themed Spring fundraiser will provide happy inspirational lyrics, good music and good company -- plus the knowledge that your support enables this multi-cultural, multi-faith, community choir to continue our "Service thru Song" mission. See Victoria for tickets ($25/person; kids under 12 are free.) Tickets are

also available @ (www.mosaicharmony.org), but the fee is $27/person (covers PayPal fee).

http://tinyurl.com/dianne13

http://tinyurl.com/momteam13

http://www.mosaicharmony.org/


ANNUAL PEACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE MEETING REPORT

March 23, 2013

This was the time in which the community looks over its efforts for the past year and has a chance to decide the trajectory of its efforts for the coming year. It is not limited to how we spend our money, but includes how we want to use our energy and what needs we perceive. We always review our projects and get updated on activities. We look at them in light of international and domestic efforts as well. This year the Prison Project has ended, but there was an increase in funds for The Butterfly Project. The Haiti Project requested we increase the number of scholarships to girls at St. Gabriel’s to 10. The coordinator for the Escuela Bolivia Project asked us to transfer some of the allotted funds to the Dream Project. After much discussion, all three measures were agreed upon. Two new projects were brought to us: The Homeless Retreat Project and the Street Sense Internship. Tom Clarkson, Rich Rosenberg and John Mooney and 3 others run 3 Ignatian Spirituality retreats annually for homeless men, many of whom have been incarcerated. They also have monthly days of recollection and follow up prayer groups. We agreed to help pay part of the cost of rental for the retreats. We also agreed to partially fund a paid internship for a homeless youth to be trained by news staff for the Street Sense newspaper which would help launch a path to education. The intern would be chosen and supervised by the director, Brian Carome. Throughout, we discussed whether we were satisfied with the current way of doing our social justice program and how to improve it. One of the topics was the difficulty of discerning and labeling whether something was considered charity or social change, scholarships for example fit into both categories. Another was helping newcomers understand that we give of our substance so that we can do the maximum good with our resources as social action is an important element of NOVA. Teddi Ahrens and Richard Urban provided updates on gun legislation and immigration reforms respectively. The community discussion followed and we were reminded to keep on advocating for climate change issues. Kopp Michelotti reviewed the process and timelines for submitting proposals for our Big Project. The application form is included in this newsletter, below.

Class in Management Techniques Young Women Learning to Sew

Ilobasco, El Salvador


2013-14 ANNUAL PROJECT PARAMETERS

Agreed upon in 2011 Who can apply? Any member of NOVA

What? A 1-time, no longer than 1-year project.

How? Write a brief proposal and email to Joe Annunziata

What funding? $8,000-12,000 range

When? Proposals due April 20

NOVA Decision Meeting May 11

Proposed Process 1. solicit brief proposals (1,000 words)

2. distribute the proposals to the community (hard copy or via e-mail)

3. community selects a project at a general meeting

4. if needed, proposer of the selected project expands upon and refines the details of the project with

assistance from the community

5. community decides what actions to take to carry out/fund the project (this step can occur any time

after step 3.)

Project Proposal Application

Name of Project:

One-line Description: A project to do________________________________________

Proposed By:

Funding request ($8,000-$12,000)______________ Annual budget of organization.___________

In 1000 words or fewer, please write a few paragraphs

What is the need and purpose this project addresses?

Who will be served by this project? (# of people and characteristics, if relevant)

What are the steps and timeline for carrying out the project and the goals to be met at the end of one

year ?

What is the sponsor's connection to and involvement in the project.

What is the cost and who will manage the money, be accountable??


NOVA PROJECTS - 2013-2014 MONTHLY AMOUNTS

Each project has a Nova person as its coordinator. He/she has an active relationship with the project and serves as an objective advocate for

the project including monitoring how adequately NOVA is fulfilling its commitment to the project. This NOVA Coordinator writes a brief end of

year report informing the community of the current status of the project. The dollar amounts are per month except where stated. All project

monies come from general funds. Nova donates @65% of its annual budget to Peace and Justice projects. You can read about each of the

projects on our website: http://www.novacommunity.info

Project Amount Coordinator

AACH (Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless) $200 Kopp Michelotti

ACTION AFRICA $250 Marie Keefe

AFAC (Arlington Food Assistance Center) $100 Dianne Carroll

ASPAN (Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network) $100 Meg Tuccillo

CAMBONI SISTERS (Sudan) $100 Carolyn Miller

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH SUDAN, Michael Schultheis, SJ

$100 Eric Carroll

CENTER OF CONCERN $75 Rosemarie Annunziata/Mike Timpane

CO-PARTNERS OF CAMPESINAS (El Salvador/Guatemala) $125 Archer Heinzen

+DREAM PROJECT $150 Emma Violand-Sanchez

-EDU-FUTURO –Empowering Latino Families through Education

$50 Emma Violand-Sanchez

+EVE BIRCH RENTAL ASSISTANCE $200 Teddi Ahrens

GREENWELL $100 John Tarrant

HANDICAPPED ENCOUNTER CHRIST $75 Bill Meyer

+HAITI SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT $250 Richard Urban

HOLY CROSS ABBEY $25 Mike Timpane/Marie Pinho

HOMELESS PREVENTION/RENTAL ASSISTANCE $200 Dianne Carroll (Jenny Carroll, administrator)

*HOMELESS RETREAT PROJECT $200 Rich Rosenberg

JOHN XXIII INSTITUTE (Nicaragua) $200 John Mooney

MALAWI JESUIT SECONDARY SCHOOL, Peter Henriot, SJ $100 Eric Carroll

NEW COMMUNITY CHURCH $50 Jim Weber

SALOMON KLEIN ORPHANAGE BOLIVIA $175 Emma Violand-Sanchez

*STREET SENSE $200 Brian Carome

UGANDA POST GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROJECT $150 John Veldhuis

NOVA FOOD PROJECT $500 Eric Carroll

VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL $25 Bernie Byrne

WOMEN’S GLOBAL EDUCATION PROJECT 50 Rosemarie Annunziata

WOC (Womens Ordination Conference) $50 Nancy Veldhuis

BREAD FOR THE WORLD $150/year Peggy Meyer

ARLINGTON INTERFAITH $200/year Kopp Michelotti

COMMUNITIES OF FAITH UNITED FOR HOUSING $100/yr Helen Michie

V.O.I.C.E. $1000/yr 2012 (based on 1 % of

budget) Nancy and John Veldhuis

CHRIST HOUSE @200/year reimbursement for food Kopp Michelotti



LA NUEVA ESPERANZA

El Centro Campesina Project

NOVA members sent messages with a community photo to the women in El Salvador

of La Nueva Esperanza in Ilobasco. Archer and Jim returned from the visit with a

photo of the women and several messages for the NOVA community. Below are some

of the greetings received, translated from Spanish:

Hi thank you everyone and thank you to all the people who are striving to work hard for us

to go forward in our learning.

Thank you very much for your greetings and for helping us. I am a young person learning a

lot at La Nueva Esperanza to better myself. I have faith that I will succeed.

A very special greeting for Nova that our Father and our sainted mother bless you for your

generosity and help. I am thankful for the people who formed this group and I am currently

teaching dressmaking.

Affectionate Greetings to the NOVA and all the people that helped us I hope you are well

and God bless you good-hearted people who help us.

Thank you for your help to everyone we see in the photo.

Hello friends. I want to thank you for all the support that you give us to La Nueva

Esperanza. I have learned to cut and sew and now I make uniforms for the children in our

community school.

~ Dianne Carroll


LOCAL LABOUR FOR LOYOLA JESUIT SECONDARY SCHOOL, KASUNGU, MALAWI

Despite heavy rains falling in January, construction continues apace on site of Loyola Secondary School (LJSS), Kasungu Malawi.

But looking at photos of recent construction progress posted on the blogs of our website, www.loyola-malawi.org, people have been wondering where all the heavy construction machinery is. Well, the answer is simple: it’s not there! Instead, we are using local labour to get the job done.

Providing much-needed employment to the local area, especially among the less-developed area of Juma Village beside the LJSS site, our project is currently employing 150 workers, almost all from the immediate neighbourhood.

But how do these people feel about the job? Certainly it’s hard work, with added difficulty now we have entered the rainy season. But for the local people of Kasungu there is a dual motivation: the blessing of employment; and the desire to see LJSS finally rise into the school they have been dreaming of – a good school nearby where soon their children and eventually grandchildren might have a chance of attending.

Please help us make the dream of Loyola Jesuit Secondary School become a reality by donating to keep these local labourers busy and our plans on time for First Year enrolment in September 2014. Go to www.loyola-jesuit.org to make that donation! And contact us at [email protected] . Thank you! Peter J. Henriot, S.J. Director of Development Loyola Jesuit Secondary School, Kasungu

http://www.loyola-malawi.org/

http://www.loyola-jesuit.org/



PEACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES IN APRIL

There is a lot of legislative activity going on right now in areas that NOVA has committed to supporting: gun safety and immigration reform. The Peace and Social Justice Team is trying to simplify all the different information and actions requested by advocacy groups so that NOVA can do one doable thing a week that will carry the biggest

impact. Marie Keefe will funnel information for common sense gun legislation and Richard Urban will do the same for immigration reform. We hope to make that information available on the website.

Common Sense Gun Legislation Action

As we have seen, just before they left for Easter recess, the Congress added riders to the Budget Extension Act that make permanent legislation approved by the NRA that continues to cripple the ATF and enforcement of gun laws. Opponents to gun regulation are banking on citizen voices not being raised or heard.

This week we ask each individual to write letters to your senators and representatives. Make them personal as well as cover these:

Require every gun buyer to pass a criminal background check Get military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets and Make gun trafficking a federal crime

Get friends as well as folks in book clubs, neighborhood associations, social media, anywhere you naturally encounter them to understand the urgency of action and to write.

Send Fax or email to Congress. You can also call and say the contents of your letter. Contact info for Virginia Representatives and Senators is shown below. Information for Congress persons in other states may be found at the website, http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm.

Residents of Virginia are represented in Congress by 2 Senators and 11 Rep.s.

Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Contact Form

Sen. Mark R. Warner (D- VA) 202-224-2023 202-224-6295 http://www.warner.senate.gov/public//index.cfm?p=Cont …

Sen. Tim M. Kaine (D- VA) 202-224-4024 202-228-6363 http://www.kaine.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Rep. Rob Wittman (R - 01) 202-225-4261 202-225-4382 https://forms.house.gov/wittman/webforms/webforms/iss

Rep. Scott Rigell (R - 02) 202-225-4215 202-225-4218 http://rigell.house.gov/contact/

Rep. Bobby Scott (D - 03) 202-225-8351 202-225-8354 https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R - 04) 202-225-6365 202-226-1170 http://forbes.house.gov/contact/zipauth.htm

Rep. Robert Hurt (R - 05) 202-225-4711 202-225-5681 https://hurt.house.gov/index.cfm/email-me

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R - 06) 202-225-5431 202-225-9681 http://goodlatte.house.gov/contacts/new

Rep. Eric Cantor (R - 07) 202-225-2815 202-225-0011 http://cantor.house.gov/contact/

Rep. Jim Moran (D - 08) 202-225-4376 202-225-0017 https://moran.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

Rep. Morgan Griffith (R - 09) 202-225-3861 202-225-0076 https://morgangriffith.house.gov/contact/contactform. …

Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R - 10) 202-225-5136 202-225-0437 https://wolfforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=383

Rep. Gerald E. (Gerry) Connolly (D - 11) 202-225-1492 202-225-3071 https://connollyforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=1 …

For more data about guns and safety: http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-data-repository/truth-about-guns.pdf If you wish to do more go to: http://momsdemandaction.org/take-action/ Locally: [email protected]

Immigration Action

April 10, 3:30 p.m. - Immigration Rally, West Lawn of Capitol Building (see http://www.citizenship-now.org/) for rally details.

~ Marie Keefe

http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm

http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=VASR&site=congressmerge&address=&city=&state=VA&zipcode=&plusfour=

http://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactPage

http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=VAJR&site=congressmerge&address=&city=&state=VA&zipcode=&plusfour=

http://www.kaine.senate.gov/contact.cfm

http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=VA01&site=congressmerge&address=&city=&state=VA&zipcode=&plusfour=

https://forms.house.gov/wittman/webforms/webforms/iss


http://rigell.house.gov/contact/


https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml


http://forbes.house.gov/contact/zipauth.htm


https://hurt.house.gov/index.cfm/email-me


http://goodlatte.house.gov/contacts/new


http://cantor.house.gov/contact/


https://moran.house.gov/contact-me/email-me


https://morgangriffith.house.gov/contact/contactform.htm


https://wolfforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=383


https://connollyforms.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=132&sectiontree=3132

http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-data-repository/truth-about-guns.pdf

http://momsdemandaction.org/take-action/


http://www.citizenship-now.org/


IMMIGRATION REFORM ACTION REPORT

by Richard Urban

I was invited to spend an evening on immigration reform at St Charles Borromeo Church on March 16. More than 100 of us gathered to focus on understanding the immigration experience of individuals in the community and how that experience can lead to our actions on the Immigration Reform Process being debated in Congress now. The agenda for the evening was Dinner, Dialogue, Action. I felt motivated and committed to share the agenda with you: Dinner With interpreters present, we sat at pre-assigned places to assure diversity of experience and culture and dined on dishes from several cultures. Recognizing how they all came together on one plate and complemented each other was part of the experience. Dialogue Sharing our immigrant experiences: Each person shared their or their ancestors’ immigrant stories. While all new immigrants faced challenges, it was most touching to hear the stories of those whose lives were impacted by the current immigration system – not being able to see children for extended period because they were essentially trapped in the USA Identifying characteristics of a just and humane system: We all agreed that the U.S. immigration system today is broken and in need of major repair. As we discussed what must be done we came to agree with the priorities set out by U.S. Catholic bishops. Namely, to support immigration reform legislation that:

1. Keeps immigrant families together, 2. Adopts smart and humane enforcement policies, and 3. Ensures that immigrants without legal status register with the government

and 4. Have a path toward citizenship

Action After some discussion, we adopted the next steps, agreeing to make them a part of our lives and share what we learned with others, which was my mission at the most recent Nova P&J meeting. Here is my take:. Too often we find ourselves willing to commit to something because we believe it’s right but question what our little part in the process will accomplish and so we move on to something else. I found this mission compelling for the following reasons: 1. The next steps were down to earth, doable and made sense (below) 2. There is bipartisan support and the legislative time frame is months not years 3. If followed by enough of us, we will have a real impact on the legislative outcome

4. Which will in turn make a positive impact on millions of deserving brothers and sisters who live among us.


IMMIGRATION REFORM 10 NEXT STEPS

1. Send the electronic Justice for Immigrants (JFR) postcard – click on link (http://www.capwiz.com/justiceforimmigrants/issues/alert/?alertid=14503781&type=CO) You don’t need to know the names of your senators or representative; the JFR web site will find them for you. Save a copy of the e-post cards. They have the full names and contact information that you will need in steps 3 & 4 2. Pray for Comprehensive Immigration Reform daily at 9:30 PM (or whenever you can).

Daily prayer: short and sweet -- what ever you like – the key here is to bring to mind and be present to the Spirit and the issue each day. Holy Spirit, bless our efforts on immigration reform this day–

3. Write a personal letter to your Senators and Congressman. Use the contact information saved in step 1. The letter should include a short witness to an experience you have had or a friend has had with current system and then close with the 4 priorities. 4. Call your Senators and Congressman -- Congressional Switchboard # 202-224-3121.

– summarize your letter into a short (2 mim) phone call at the end emphasize 4 priorities 5. Contact people you know and ask them to write personal letters to their Senators and Congressman and to call or visit their offices.

Out reach to friends, family, and organizations. Use this material as a stepping-stone to convince them of the importance of this work– give them a copy of the 10 steps 6. Talk to decision-makers and influential people that you know personally.

Influential people – community leaders, organization leaders, shop owners, information spreaders (gossips) – you would be surprised who you know

7. Join people who care about immigration reform from all over the country in a march in

Washington, DC on April 10 at 3:30 pm.

(A group will leave from St. Charles at 1:30 pm by bus. Please reserve a seat by

contacting Elise Cleva, Social Justice Coordinator, at [email protected] or 703-

527-5500 ext. 36.)

8. Join us at St. Charles for an action meeting when the Senate bill is introduced. The meeting date and time will be posted on the St Charles website. If you can’t attend, find results

and recommendations on the St Charles website but remember building a movement takes community and face to face interaction.

9. Join us at St. Charles for an action meeting when the Senate bill passes and goes to the House of Representatives. (See step 8 for instructions.) 10. When Comprehensive Immigration Reform is passed, I - or my family and I - will work with another family or individual to help them navigate the path to citizenship.

-- you are not asked to be an expert or a problem solver but a listener -- to walk with, not lead.

~ Richard Urban

http://www.capwiz.com/justiceforimmigrants/issues/alert/?alertid=14503781&type=CO


ISAIAH PRISON MINISTRY

March 20, 2013 Dear Nova Friends, This letter comes to thank you for your generous contributions over so many years to Isaiah Prison Ministry and for your continuing prayers and support – I have appreciated it all more than I can say! Your funding over the years was essential to getting this ministry off the ground and to keeping it alive and growing. As we begin 2013 I am writing to thank you for all you have done to encourage this life-transforming work and to tell you about several changes that are taking place for prison ministry at York and for me personally. Concerning changes at York, after 33 years of inspired, dedicated service to the women of York, last August the Rev. Dr. Laurie Etter retired. Because we knew that no replace would be hired for her position as head chaplain, many of the spiritually based programs that existed “under her umbrella” had to be restructured, including the Chrysalis Program that I have led for the last nine years. Before she left, a group of us who had worked with her as volunteers created a new structure that could continue the vision and themes of Chrysalis and be supported by the remaining chaplains, York staff, and DOC Religious Services. The new progrm is called Daybreak. We started last August and completed the first semester in December with 6 Daybreak Graduates. In January we started a new semester with 9 women in the core curriculum and 7 Graduates in a Grad Support group. Following the model of Chrysalis, Daybreak seeks to provide the opportunity for women of all faiths living in Thompson Hall to deepen their spiritual lives and to develop “tools” for spiritual and emotional healing. It takes up the same themes as Chrysalis – meditation and prayer, spiritual identity/self-esteem, grief and loss, forgiveness of self and others, sexual abuse and domestic violence, spiritual values and money, and re-entry planning. Classes are now held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 pm, with Prayer Partners (spiritual mentors) meeting on Wednesday evenings. I am happy to report that I now have a good friend and colleague Laurie Blefeld as a teaching partner in this work. Daybreak participants do not live “in community” as in the past. However, the goal is that those involved will become the “leaven in the dough” as described in the Gospels. Through their own inner transformation, the women of Daybreak promote a spirit of loving kindness that can improve the quality of life for everyone in Thompson Hall. Over its 10 years of existence, the recidivism rate for Chrysalis was 11 %. It is our hope that the statistics for Daybreak will be the same. The second change I want to mention concerns the status of the Isaiah Prison Ministry account held at St. John’s and my situation as a volunteer at York. As the changes accompanying Rev. Etter’s retirement began to unfold last fall, it became apparent that if spiritually based programs such as Daybreak were to continue, those of us involved needed to go forward on a purely voluntary basis, without the stipends provided in the past by A Sacred Place – the 501c3 set up by Rev. Etter 10 years ago and the primary source of funding for the Isaiah Prison Ministry account. As a result of this change, December 2012 seemed to be the appropriate time to close out the Isaiah Prison Ministry account at St. John’s. My hope is to continue to do the work “inside,’ and to bring new volunteers into leadership roles. For this transition period, we need to focus on keeping the programs going and not on fundraising. Because there has never been any state support, all donations will go to purchase books and materials for the classes that we teach. As we move into this new era at York, we cling to the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Thus says the Lord…I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Is. 43:19 – heard last week for 5

th Sunday of Lent!) The hope of all

of us involved at York is to continue this life-transforming work with the financial support of those who have assisted us in the past and know the results. Right now we have sufficient funds for at least the next year. I will be in touch as we go forward, and if the need arises, I will let you know. Contributions could then go to A Sacred Place, P.O. Box 493, Old Saybrook, CT 06475. Thank you for all you have done to encourage me personally and to support prison ministry by contributing to the Isaiah Prison Ministry account. I am especially grateful to Dianne and Rosemarie who have been such gracious liaisons over the years. It has been a real honor and a joy to be associated with Nova in this way – a testimony to the power of a small community of committed individuals to be a great channel of blessing in the world. I am deeply grateful for your help over all these years. Please continue to hold us in your hearts and prayers as we see how the Spirit will move through us all in the year ahead! With love and gratitude, Valerie


HOLY WEEK PHOTOS by Dianne Carroll

nova community april chair notes……. w · nova newsletter 3 april 2013 we remember in prayer…....

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