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NEXT WEBINAR:

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AS

PRIVILEGED PLACE FOR FORMATION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16 | 2pm EDT

PRESENTER: LIA SALINAS, M.A., ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE

The North American Forum for Small Christian Communities is proud to present a free "preview" webinar, as we launch our 2021-2022 Year.

The New Directory for Catechesis calls the Small Christian Communities a "privileged place of formation." This webinar will explore the ways that these communities are a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation, and evangelization.

Because of the importance of this webinar, we are offering this webinar for free as we kick off our 2021-2022 NAFSCC year.

And we also invite you to consider becoming a member for July 2021 - June 2022, if you have not done so already. Members will receive access to our webinar recording library (which we are currently updating), access for future webinars, and more.

You can become a member at the individual, parish, or diocesan/organizational level - and your membership helps sustain our organization. Become a member today, to join us for these webinars and to access our webinar library.

$25 individual Member | $100 Diocesan, Parish, Organizational Member

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: LIA SALINAS is the Director of Hispanic Ministry in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and she serves as vice-president of NCADDHM (National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry). Lia has worked in Catholic ministry for over twenty years, serving in the Archdioceses of Miami, Washington, Baltimore and the Diocese of Arlington. Among her areas of expertise include: catechesis, pastoral ministry, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and social doctrine, among others. In addition, she serves as chair of the episcopal regional IV for the process of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry, and as a consultant/speaker for Liturgy Training Publications and RCL Benziger, as well as the advisor to the comunidades eclesiales de base/small Christian communities (CEBs) in Baltimore.

Lia's leadership and service to the community has been recognized by Catholic Relief Services with the “2019 Hispanic Heritage Partner Award”. Originally from El Salvador, the mother of two teenagers, Lia received her bachelor's degree in theology and her master's degree in pastoral theology from Saint Joseph’s College in Maine. She earned a certificate from the Franciscan University in Steubenville as Director of Religious Education, completed a digital evangelization certification by the Juan Pablo II University of Costa Rica, and is currently a candidate for the Doctor in Ministry program at Fordham University, NY.

Past News:

March and April 2021: NAFSCC presented "Gathered and Sent as Disciples of Jesus," a two-part webinar focused on the inner life and public life of Small Christian Communities. It was led by Milissa Else of the Archdiocese of Newark and the recording will be available soon to members.

January 2021: NAFSCC presented "Small Christian Communities: An Evolving History" to launch our 2021 webinar series. A recording of this webinar will be available soon to members.

April-June 2020: NAFSCC responded to COVID-19 by offering "Faith Sharing Wednesdays" via Zoom with SCC participants throughout the country

February 2020: Sr. Donna L. Ciangio, O.P. offered a webinar on organizing Small Christian Communities.

December 2019: Sr. Nancy Fischer, SSJ, facilitated our online Advent Faith Sharing on December 12, 2019. Become a member for updates on upcoming events.

October 2019: Our Chairperson, Sr. Donna Ciangio OP, spoke at the Women of the Church Leadership Conference at St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, IL. Visit www.womenofthechurch.org for more information, as well as the Women of the Church Facebook page for photos and coverage of this event.

September 2019: We met our new members on a Meet and Greet webinar to kick off the new year.

January 2019: Our Chairperson, Sr. Donna Ciangio, OP spoke at Fordham University on January 15, 2019 about the Future of Women Deacons. Sr. Donna partnered with Dr. Phyllis Zagano to assist with her research into the subject over the past several months.

At the event, members of the Papal Study Commission on the Diaconate of Women spoke publicly for the first time since Pope Francis created the commission in 2016. They were joined by Sr. Donna Ciangio, an American woman religious who has done research on how women deacons would be received in U.S. parishes.

You can watch this panel discussion at the Fordham University Libraries Digital Collections Website.

Welcome to NAFSCC

Rejoice and Be Glad!

In his recent Apostolic letter Gaudete and Exsultate, Pope Francis asks us to hear the call to holiness and friendship with Jesus in our everyday lives. And, to rejoice and be glad about it.

In the early days of the church, all of the baptized were referred to as saints. That is what we are called to be. How do we do it? We walk with Jesus, trust in him, and live a life worthy of our belief in him.

Think of your own small faith community. As you listen to each person share their reflections, what does that do for you? Members are inspired by each other as they share their stories of joy, pain, and hardship, but with inspired faith and joy in the Lord. When dealing with difficulties, many people have said, “I don’t know what I would do without my faith and my small community!”

That’s what it is all about – walking together on the road and deepening our faith through prayer, the Scriptures, Mass and sacraments, community and service.

Pope Francis puts it this way: “This is a powerful summons to all of us. You need to see the entirety of your life as a mission. Try to do so by listening to God in prayer and recognizing the signs that he gives you. Always ask the Spirit what Jesus expects from you at every moment of your life and in every decision you must make, so as to discern its place in the mission you have received. Allow the Spirit to forge in you the personal mystery that can reflect Jesus Christ in today’s world.” Amen

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