Letter from the President

Dear Friends,

I am excited about working with you all the next two years as president of the Religion and Spirituality Division! I have enjoyed the opportunities for learning and relationships through my membership, which have richly enhanced my ministry as director for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. I hope and pray that I may do justice to the legacy of those before me.

Dear Friends,

I am excited about working with you all the next two years as president of the Religion and Spirituality Division! I have enjoyed the opportunities for learning and relationships through my membership, which have richly enhanced my ministry as director for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. I hope and pray that I may do justice to the legacy of those before me.

Our diverse membership allows great opportunities for interfaith collaboration and I am really looking forward to working with Shelly Christensen, our new Vice President. Shelly brings great experience to the division.

You will read minutes from the Forum below. We missed those of you who were not able to attend, yet understand that travel and budget constraints are a reality we all face. However, all are enhanced when we are able to gather and share. As a division we are fortunate to have so many talented people committed to affirming the spirituality and faith life of individuals with I/DD. I hope many of you will be able to attend next year’s conference in Pittsburgh PA, June 3-6, 2013. Have an idea for a presentation? Call for papers will be available in the fall.

There are also other ways of “gathering” made possible via technologies that are available today that would be good to consider. Perhaps you have some ideas? Please don’t hesitate to pass them on.

A BRIEF survey is included in this edition of the newsletter seeking input from you so that we may may better serve your needs of the division. There is also space to include ideas for topics and methods of sharing information (okay, so you might want to be mulling this part over before you begin the survey – the rest is quite straight forward. Please take the few minutes it will take to respond, your input is really important.

Other items of note:

• Spiritual Support Certification process is available on the division website. The application form will be available there shortly, but until then, all interested individuals should contact me.
• Henry Nouwen Award: this is a wonderful way to honor the good work of individuals affirming and supporting the spirituality and active participation of individuals with I/DD in faith communities. Nominations go to Jeff McNair as past president. See website for details.
• Moments of Grace: This is a section we hope to add to the newsletter in the future, examples of transformation within congregation life. Be thinking of examples you wish to share. Would you like to coordinate this section? If yes, contact me.

God’s Peace,

Anne Masters

masteran@rcan.org