The Illustrated Rosary can be found in bookstores and on line.  Simply go to Chick G’s website to learn more about how to order.  What a great gift for students, candidates for Confirmation, RCIA participants, graduates, and anyone who desires to grow closer to Christ!

Chicks A and B

Looking for a unique gift for the lady in your life? With Mother’s Day and graduation just around the corner, you need to check out Catholic Bling, a jewelry company started by four industrious Holy Spirit mother-daughter pairs. Not only does this start-up have eight co-founders with an entrepreneurial spirit, the company has a greater purpose as well.

Catholic Bling was founded early this year by four mother-daughter pairs who became acquainted through Holy Spirit parish and school. All the girls are currently freshman at the high school and have been friends through the years. The group includes Marie McCarthy and her daughter, Lily; April Nagel and daughter Mary Ruth; Mary Voss and daughter Mia; and Lori Reinstein and her daughter, Ries.

The inspiration for the company began at a bracelet making party hosted by co-founder April Nagel. “April invited us over for evening of fun, fellowship and bracelet making,” said Mary Voss. “We had so much fun creating beautiful pieces together we started brainstorming about the idea of forming a business and selling the jewelry. April came up with the name, we registered it and it just snowballed from there.”

Not only are the girls learning how to design and produce beautiful one of a kind pieces, they are gaining valuable business experience. All of the mothers hope this business venture instills in them a strong work ethic and creative thinking skills.

According to Mary, the four girls have been involved in every step of the start-up business venture. They met with the attorney to set up the legal entity, they review banking statements, assist with purchasing decisions and photograph all the pieces for the website as well as handle details and logistics for trunk shows and special events.

“The daughters of Catholic Bling have been friends since they started school – they have experienced life together from their First Communion to their first high school dance this year, so it seemed fitting that they work in this venture together as well,” she said.

In addition to invaluable business experience, the mothers have a greater purpose in mind also. “All of us strongly desire to pass along our Catholic faith to our daughters. In reality, that is the greatest gift that we can give our children,” Mary said. “Our business is an expression of our love for each other and a celebration of the lives of the saints and the Holy Family. The business is also a vehicle in which we can evangelize our faith to the world in a beautiful way.”

The girls are currently working on some fundraising projects with Holy Spirit Preparatory School where some of the proceeds from the sales will benefit the school’s service and mission projects.

Upcoming plans are include several trunk shows. Catholic Bling will also have a booth at the Eucharistic Congress in June. For more information and to view their beautiful jewelry, visit their website or check out the creative You Tube video entitled “Catholic Bling” to view their selections.

Chick A

Susan, a Catholic convert of 20 years, was first exposed to international mission work through her parents, who participated in medical mission trips abroad with their Presbyterian church.  About 8 years ago the opportunity came up for her to accompany her father on a trip to Brazil, so off they went.  Susan describes that trip as an amazing experience, one in which she felt so much happiness.   “I was doing the thing that I was so scared that God might want me to do, and yet I was so happy,” she says.  Susan enjoyed the experience so much that she decided to join her dad the following year for another trip.

Several years later, Susan’s husband John arranged for her to go to Nicaragua with Mustard Seed Ministries.  For Mustard Seed trips, you have to do your own fund-raising, which John graciously handled for Susan as well as taking care of all the logistics of the children while she was gone.  The mission involved spending time at an orphanage where all (yes, all) of the children were handicapped.  Needless to say, Susan had to ease her way into learning how to interact with the children, but by the end of the trip she was on fire for more.  After returning home to Atlanta, she decided to volunteer to lead a trip through her parish Christ the King and contacted Mustard Seed.  They suggested the Dominican Republic, and the rest is history.  Since her “yes” to God, Susan has been blessed to lead 5 adult trips to the Dominican Republic and is in the midst of planning her next trip slated for February of 2011.

Susan and her collection of antique religious medals

We just love hearing Susan talk about her experiences on these trips.  In fact, last night we were at her house throwing a small party to help her raise funds for the upcoming mission.  In addition to her love for leading this Dominican Republic trip, Susan sells beautiful antique religious medals to help raise money for the travel abroad.  If you live in the Atlanta area, you might see her at some holiday craft fairs over the next few weeks.  More importantly, though, perhaps the Lord is calling you to this kind of outreach for Him and you need to consider contacting Susan to find out more about joining her in February.  Just last night Susan said,” People often think that they are going to crack if they do something like this for God.  You know, sometimes that can be a good thing.”

Chick A donated one of her paintings, The Lord's Prayer in French, and it sold right away

Donated homemade, signature tea and goodies

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) was founded in 1910 “to bring about a sense of solidarity” among those in charitable ministries. Since 1910, CCUSA has encouraged professional social work practice, provided opportunities for training and networking, and served as a national voice and expert on poverty issues. The Centennial is a time to reflect on past accomplishments and renew the commitment to serve those in need.

Catholic Charities Atlanta will join with other Catholic Charities agencies across the country to celebrate National Catholic Charities Sunday on September 26^th, 2010.  This day, designated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will coincide with this 100 year anniversary of the founding of Catholic Charities USA.   The occasion will be used to honor the entire Catholic Charities network for its century of commitment and service to millions of people in need each year.  Catholic Charities Atlanta is a member agency of the CCUSA national social service network and celebrates its 57^th anniversary in service this year.

The ninety-nine parishes and missions throughout the Archdiocese of Atlanta are being invited to participate in the national event, whose goal is to share the story of the Catholic Charities movement and call others to work for justice and help reduce poverty in America.  Whether or not your parish takes part, we thank you for offering up a special prayer on September 26^th for the work of Catholic Charities’ agencies all over our country.

For more information about CC USA’s Centennial activities, visit http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/centennial.  In honor of the centennial, CCUSA kicked off a significant Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America.  This campaign which focuses on the areas of food, healthcare, housing, education, and economic security, strives to cut poverty in the U.S. by 50% by the year 2020.  For more information about the campaign, please visit http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/Page.aspx?pid=897.

Chick “C”  aka Catherine Fuss

From time to time we hear great stories about teenagers that reach out in their community and make a difference.  We were so impressed by Southern Catholic Chick Emily, her three friends, and their endeavor to reach out to underprivileged teenage girls that we wanted to share it with you!

Our friend Emily and three members of her Girl Scout troop are opening a clothing closet boutique at Holy Spirit’s Hispanic Mission, Centro Catolico del Espiritu Santo, geared just for teenage girls.  The group was inspired to begin this project on a Girl Scout trip to Mexico where they participated in a leadership program and worked in underprivileged areas.  The “take away” from the trip was that the girl scouts noticed many of the same problems that plague teenage girls in Mexico are the same issues girls have right here in our own community.

Emily and the group also observed that many of these teenage girls were wearing out-of-style and poor fitting clothes.  And, one thing that most girls know intuitively is that when you look your best, you feel better and this increases self confidence.  So, armed with their observations and this knowledge, the group set out to address this issue in their community.

As part of the Girl Scout Gold Award project, the girls are opening “Inside Out” boutique for teenage girls who are members at Centro Catolico. The boutique will offer gently used, stylish, modest, high quality clothing for teenage girls.  Each girl will start with a bank of 50 points, and they can earn additional points to spend on clothes by earning good grades on report cards, getting a library card, doing community service and participating in programs at Centro Catolico.

While the team of four girl scouts worked together on all the planning, they have divided areas of focus.  “I handle clothing donations, Clara is in charge of the public relations and marketing, Elizabeth will oversee the point system and Rachel has been in charge of the interior design of the boutique,” said Emily.  “We have been working very hard and are excited to be opening Inside Out in September.”

This summer Rachel decorated the space which included fixing walls, painting and acquiring shop fixtures such as mirrors and clothing racks.  The grand opening date is scheduled for Sunday, September 12^th from 10:30 to 1:30 PM.  Hours of operation will be on the second and fourth Sundays of the month from 10:00 to 11:30.

Inside Out is currently in need of donations of stylish, good quality clothing including shirts, pants, dresses, shorts, skirts, accessories and shoes from girl’s size 12 to women’s size 12.  So if you are in the Atlanta area and would like to help, donations may be dropped off at Centro Catolico, 120 Northwood Drive in Sandy Springs.  For questions and more information, e-mail insideout6@yahoo.com.

Chick A

When you read scripture or discuss it with close friends, have you ever wondered how Jesus’ message of love really translates into the modern world?  Do you ever struggle with living out your Catholic faith when confronted with today’s issues? Catholic Charities offers a local program that allows you to answer those questions AND put Jesus’ teachings into practical action.

JustFAITH is a national Catholic educational program that creates a community dedicated to actively addressing social justice concerns in a spirit guided by Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching.  The thirty week program is given on the parish level.  It brings together a group of interested adults who share experiences, interact with knowledgeable speakers, read timely materials on issues of faith and justice, and discuss what they are learning.  Upon completion, members are well-informed about our faith’s call to do justice, and they become active in serving others.

If you want to know more about JustFAITH and live in metro Atlanta, you are invited to come see the program’s founder, Jack Jezreel on August 28^th from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Benizi’s Parish Hall, 591 Flint River Road, Jonesboro, GA 30328.  If you are interested, please register at www.catholiccharitiesatlanta.org/jf .

For further information on Just FAITH groups, contact Heidi Tauscher (htauscher@archatl.com or  404.885.7208) or Augusto Michael Trujillo (amtrujillo@archatl.com or 404.885.7472) with Catholic Charities Atlanta’s Parish & Social Justice Ministries.  While JustFAITH groups typically hold evening meetings, new groups may be able to schedule sessions to meet a variety of participants’ needs.

Chick “C”  (Guest blogger Catherine Fuss, Catholic Charities Atlanta)

Last summer a friend challenged my Bible study group to read “The Hole in our Gospel” by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision.  After reading the brief summary posted on the back of the book,

“What does God expect of us?  Is our faith about just going to Church, studying the Bible and avoiding the most serious sin – or does God expect more?  Have we embraced the whole gospel or a gospel with a hole in it?  Ten years ago Rich Stearns came face-to face with that question as he sat in a mud hut in Rakai, Uganda, listening to the heartbreaking story of an orphaned child.  Steans’ journey there took much more than a long flight to Africa.  It took answering God’s call on his life, a call that tore him out of his corner office at one of America’s most prestigious corporations – to walk with the poorest of poor in the world.”

I am ashamed to say that I opted out of that challenge.  But God apparently intended for me to read that book.  So, due to my friend’s persistence throughout the year, the book was number one on my reading list for this summer,  and shortly I was engrossed by the testimony of the author and the plight of millions of children around the world.  I can assure you that it wasn’t light, happy summer reading.  However, I highly recommend the book as it truly opened my eyes and is prompting change within me and my family.

“Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now”

St. Teresa of Avila

One of the reasons that I was attracted to the Catholic Church was the Church’s preferential option for the poor and caring for the least and the lost.  However, when it came to time to sign up for ministry activities in my parish and in previous churches, I always found myself drawn towards activities within the Church such as teaching Sunday school, facilitating Bible studies and working on the welcome committee.  While all these are worthy endeavors, I realized that serving the poor was left off the list.

Although I was familiar with Christ’s words in the passage of Matthew 25:31-46 where He tells about the final judgment, I don’t think I personalized this message as I should have.  What have I done to feed the hungry?  What have I done to give water to the thirsty?  What have I done to help a stranger?  What have I done to clothe the naked? What have I done to look after the sick?  What have I done to visit those in prison?

The book, the scripture, the truth in Christ’s words culminated in a very uncomfortable conviction for me.  I had been blessed to be a blessing to others– but I was allowing God’s blessing in my life to stop with me.  As you know when you reach the “aha” moment, it can be a little overwhelming.  How can I implement a life style of service into my already busy life? Mother Teresa’s words provided the answer and direction in which to begin – start small.

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

Mother Teresa

Armed with that advice and some free days this summer, several of us have identified a few organizations in our hometown of Atlanta where you can serve on a moment’s notice.  That flexibility is helpful when you also have to navigate the family schedule filled with children’s activities, summer doctor appointments and trips.

While I haven’t personally served in all these ministries, someone in our Bible study group has.  Here is a list of groups that are in need of volunteers throughout the summer.  In most cases you can simply call the day before, reserve a spot to serve,  and/or make a commitment to bring food to a drop off location.

Must Ministries – is a faith based non profit charitable organization dedicated to providing services to persons and families in crisis while maintaining their dignity.  Must has several areas in which to serve.  The summer lunch program serves 2,000 plus lunches to children everyday totaling nearly 100,000 lunches per summer.  The ministry needs volunteers to provide lunches to be distributed at one of their service centers.  Instructions and guidelines can be found on their website at www.mustministries.org.

City of Refuge – offers both life saving resources and life building tools to individuals and families in Atlanta who are living on the margin.  There are also multiple opportunities here to serve.  One ministry within City of Refuge is called Meals on the Street.  Individuals or groups of 10 or less serve dinner on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 6 PM and breakfast on Sundays from 8:45 to 10 AM to homeless men and women on the streets.  For more information and/or to make reservations to serve, visit www.cityofrefugeinc.com.

7 Bridges to Recovery is a non-profit ministry rescuing the last, the lost and the least from the streets of Atlanta.  There are several opportunities here to serve including a street ministry where teams of volunteers go into the street and under bridges to bring food and needed items to the homeless and pray with them.  The ministry also operates a shelter called The Garden.  Volunteers can provide food items for dinner and/or assist with serving dinner at the shelter every night.  For more information on how to become involved, visit www.7bridgestorecovery.org.

Saint Francis Table –is a ministry of The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  The ministry feeds over 500 people every Saturday.  Volunteers are needed beginning at 7:00 AM on Saturday mornings to prepare sandwiches.  Groups and individuals can donate sandwiches and food items.  For more information visit the website www.catholicshrineatlanta.org

So whether you are a seasoned volunteer who is looking for a new opportunity in which serve this summer or you are just starting small like me, there are plenty of places in which to get involved.

Chick A

Carolina Chick “B”

A Coca-Cola at about 4:00 in the afternoon

A quiet reading night by the fire with my family

Unloading a full dishwasher – the result of my family being at home

An interesting book

The smell of fresh cut grass in the springtime

A great after-dinner discussion around the kitchen table

Pimiento cheese

Grandparents

Living in the South

All three of my aunts

A funny card

Dogs and cats, mostly dogs

My blue truck – Ramses Maria

Chocolate – (Doesn’t it make every list?  God is so good!!)

Inside family jokes

Old hymns

Sweet tea with mint and lots of ice

A stranger’s smile on a crowded busy street

The smell of fall in the air

Silly songs and poems

A text message from one of my children

Lessons learned in hard times

Steaks on the grill

An enthusiastic greeting from a big, furry golden retriever

Rainy day money when the rainy day has arrived

A priest who always begins his homilies with a good clean religious joke

A beautiful painting

Fried chicken

The band playing at a college football game

Pecan pie

Being members of the Tiber Swim Team

Big waves on a sunny day at the beach

God’s grace in accepting my middle aged lumps, bumps and rolls

Scented candles

A crow in his nest

Daily mass

Uncles Jimmy who gets in his pajamas early

Laughter

Silent retreats

Being Southern

Chicks A and B

Dear Friends of the Chicks:

While sippin’ some sweet tea on the front porch, we were reflecting on all the wonderful people that God has brought into our lives during our journey into the Church and since our confirmation.  We are grateful for the acquaintances and friends that have encouraged us in our faith, and we want to express our thanks to you.

In true Southern style, we are sending you a little token of our appreciation to enjoy during this month of family, feasting, and fellowship.  We Southerners like to cook, and sharing good food is a sure sign of friendship.  So, we thought you might like a slice of “Bygone Days Buttermilk Chess Pie” with your Thanksgiving dinner. SInce we can’t send the pie, the recipe will have to do.

Y’all enjoy, and God bless.

“Bygone Days Buttermilk Chess Pie”

from the kitchen of the Southern Catholic Chicks

Ingredients

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

3 rounded Tbs. all purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

dash of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together sugar and butter.  Add flour and eggs; beat well.  Add buttermilk and flavorings.  Mix well.  Pour into 2 unbaked 9” pie shells.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and feels “set.”

Makes 2 regular 9” pies.

Chicks A and B