Mary B

On this day we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus it is fitting to share the First Friday Devotion, which was the inspiration for scheduling the Carolina Catholic Professionals’ First Friday Fellowship and Networking Lunches.

FIRST FRIDAY DEVOTION

Nine consecutive Fridays in reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque (1647-1690), a French nun in the Visitation Order, and gave her the special task to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart at a time when religion was growing cold in the hearts of mankind.

He said to her:

“Behold this heart which, notwithstanding the burning love for men with which it is consumed and exhausted, meets with no other return from most Christians than sacrilege, contempt, indifference and ingratitude, even in the sacrament of my love [the Eucharist]. But what pierces my heart most deeply is that I am subjected to these insults by persons especially consecrated to my service.”

Jesus asked for special prayers and practices to make amends (reparation) for this great neglect to the proper reverence owed to God. For those who did this faithfully, he made what St. Margaret Mary referred to as the “Great Promise” which was the last and greatest of the Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“I promise you in the unfathomable mercy of my heart that my omnipotent love will procure the grace of final penitence for all those who receive communion on nine successive first Fridays of the month; they will not die in my disfavor [the grace of final repentance], or without having received the sacraments, since my divine heart will be their sure refuge in the last moments of their life.”

CONDITIONS TO FULFILL THE FIRST FRIDAY DEVOTION

The specific conditions to receive the Great Promise of the Sacred Heart of Jesus are:

1. Receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month (this assumes that the person is in a state of grace, having made a sacramental confession for any mortal sins prior to receiving communion).

2. Having the intention, at least implicitly, of making reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for all the sinfulness and ingratitude of men.
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We are suspending our First Friday lunches for the summer.  We will resume in September.  Our speaker will be Fred McKay, Principal of Charleston Catholic School.

Wishing you and your families the Lord’s blessing for a safe and pleasant summer.

Mary B 

Danny Kassis shares how his Catholic Faith has informed and guided his executive career in the gas and electric power generation and distribution industry.

Frank Dirks - Interesting Articles

The Institute for Family Studies May 2018 Research Brief:  Meaning in Modern America by Clay Routledge.

Click “Meaning in Modern America” to read the entire publication.

Mary B - CCP Event 

CCP will host a First Friday Networking and Fellowship Lunch at the Diocese Chancery Meeting Hall on Friday, June 1, 2018 from 11:45am to 1:15pm.  This event is open to both members and non-members.  Lunch will be $15 for members and $25 for non-members.  

Our speaker will be Daniel F. Kassis, Vice President of Customer Relations and Renewables for South Carolina Electric and Gas Company.  For more information on Mr. Kassis, click Kassis Bio (PDF).

Our theme for these lunches is how we engage the world in faith and bear witness to the Gospel in the way we live our lives.  With one foot in the Church and one in the world we are all on the same journey.  We ask our speakers to discuss their personal journey of faith and their work in the world and what they see to be meaningful trends and developments in our community, state, and nation.

Thank you to those who have already reserved a space!  For those who have not, please RSVP online today!

The Diocese Chancery Meeting Hall is at 901 Orange Grove Road Charleston, SC 29407.

Frank Dirks - Current Events 

A horrifying and heartbreaking cry of the desperate need for Christ’s Merciful Love in our very own state, for without Him, there is only darkness.

Inside an accused school shooter’s mind: A plot to kill ‘50 or 60. If I get lucky maybe 150.’  Article by John Woodrow Cox

Mary B 

Deacon Dan Powers shares his journey of faith and reminds us that we are called to open our hearts to those around us.

Mary B - CCP Event - Conor Gallagher 

Join us for an evening of Catholic Christian fellowship, faith, and ideas on October 25, 2018.  Mr. Conor Gallagher will share his lecture, “Still Amidst the Storm” followed by a dinner.

In Mark’s Gospel (4:37-41) we see the apostles trapped in a mighty storm and their fishing boats on the bring of capsizing. And Jesus slept. This confused, scared,
and even angered the apostles who could not fight back the storm. Author, CEO and father of twelve, Mr. Conor Gallagher, relates this short passage to the anxieties of modern life. The chaos of our lives and the demands of those with whom we live and work can leave us feeling as helpless as those apostles in the boat. The world, however, only offers fake solutions to these real problems: over-medication, spurts of carnal pleasure, and “time management” techniques that never suffice.

Conor Gallagher looks to three remedies that underlie all others: First, encountering God in the present moment while avoiding past resentment and future
anxiety; second, listening to the voice of God only found in exterior and interior silence amidst the constant drum of deafening noise; and third, resting in serene
stillness as the stir-crazy spirit of the world goes by.

Mr. Conor Gallagher earned both his Masters in Philosophy and Juris Doctoris from The Catholic University of America. He began his professional career as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert J. Conrad, Chief Judge of the Western District of North Carolina. He has been an adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Political Philosophy at Belmont Abbey College, and is currently the Executive Director of the Benedict Leadership Institute at Belmont Abbey College.  He is also Publisher of Saint Benedict Press and TAN Books.  He and his wife Ashley, are the proud parents of twelve wonderful children (all homeschooled!!).

Saint Benedict Press is a Catholic publisher that helps parishes, dioceses, and Catholic schools engage parishioners and lead them into a deeper and more active Catholic faith. Our products and programs are developed with one primary goal: to help people become saints. We publish Bibles, ministry resources, Sacramental and Catechist gifts, informative, entertaining, and state-of-the-art video programs from today’s Catholic experts on a variety of topics.

Our name pays tribute to the guiding influence of the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey, a short distance from our headquarters in Charlotte, NC. Our mission is to reflect the charisms of joy, spiritual development, zeal and fraternal charity.

Saint Benedict Press publishes under several imprints, including TAN Books.

Since its founding, TAN Books has been committed to the preservation and promotion of the spiritual, theological and liturgical traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. TAN Books publishes over 500 titles on Thomistic theology, traditional devotions, Church doctrine, history, lives of the saints, educational resources, and more. All designed to help you Become a Saint.

Visit us at SaintBenedictPress.com or TANBooks.com

Location: Chancery Meeting Hall

Time:  6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Tickets:  $50 per person (includes dinner and a one year membership to Carolina Catholic Professionals); students $25 with valid student ID

Jennifer Metts - New Programs 

Carolina Catholic Professionals is collaborating in this important initiative that will begin around three “anchor” institutions: Our Lady of Mercy Outreach-Neighborhood House; Saint Patrick’s Church; and Trinity Worldwide Outreach Ministries on the Peninsula of Charleston.  The anchor institutions will each host community meetings beginning in late April.

A faith-based initiative, in keeping with the Christian Spirit of unity and brotherhood we seek communion, not division while working within a framework of three Biblical concepts: Protection; Provision; and Hope.

Jennifer Metts - New Programs 

Carolina Catholic Professionals is joining in collaboration with Roper Saint Francis Mission to develop an advisor network in support of the Catholic Student Association at the College of Charleston. Visit the CSA Facebook page to see their activities.

Jennifer Metts - CCP Event 

Jenna Lee Wright shares her journey of Catholic faith from NFL cheerleader to wife, mother, and business owner. She offered a moving testimony to the power of prayer and God’s grace.