Spread the Word to End the Word, RU

Click here for Description of video and Source Credits with links.

Catholic New Media Advent Calendar with Daniel Smrokowski

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:17 — 14.9MB)

Today we have two advent calendar treats for you on the Catholic New Media Advent Calendar. Click here to read an advent reflection by Tammy Kasperki.

Daniel Smrokowski aka Podman Dan is a Catholic University Student in Chicago. He hosts the
Special Chronicles Podcast and the
RUInspired radio show on WRBC: The Blaze at Roosevelt University-Chicago from 3-4 pm on Fridays. Today's advent reflections first appeared on the RUInspired radio show on December 3.

Links:

Catholic.com: Catholic Answers about Advent
AmericanCatholic.org: Fr. Greg Friedman, O.F.M. from Franciscan Communications, about the advent wreath:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je4V1Hl4H-E

The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva: Click Here to purchase this single volume edition at The Catholic Company.

Music Credits:

"O Come O Come Emmanuel" by Benjamin Shafer and Jared Smith - Courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network at music.mevio.com

"Given" -Courtesy of Popple, www.popple.us

To send Dan feedback: Call his Voice Feedback Line at: +1-630-384-9137 or e-mail him at daniel@dansmrokowski.com.

Join us tomorrow for more reflections produced by great Catholic New Media personalities as we journey through the advent.

1. 
   
   Send me your feedback on the blog at catholicroundup.com by email at catholicroundup.com pan>catholicroundup@gmail.com or by calling 206-666-7374.
   .
2. Go to the Catholic New Media Advent Calendar

Join us tomorrow for more reflections produced by great Catholic New Media personalities as we journey through the advent.

1. Send me your feedback on the blog at catholicroundup.com by email at catholicroundup.com pan>catholicroundup@gmail.com or by calling 206-666-7374.
   .
2. Go to the Catholic New Media Advent Calendar

Subscribe to CNMR (RSS).

Subscribe on the Itunes Music Store

Dateline NBC: "WINDS OF WAR: George Cloonly in Sudan"

•  CAPTIVATING, INTERESTING, INSPIRING
• According to TV Guide on At&T: next up: Dateline NBC: "WINDS OF WAR: George Cloonly in Sudan" ; "actor and activist George Cloonly travels with Ann Curry to the tumultuous region of southern Sudan it prepares for possible secession and world leaders watch..." POWERFUL NEWS REPORT.  
• I paraphrase:  George says an in interview says he wants to change lives.
• His dad says that George has heart.
• started as a TV Reporter as "Tim Cloonly
• then went into actors
• moral awakening
• son of newsman
• Cloonly almost well known for activism
• on location -- film set her war zone
• used celebrity to help others
• Suddan is his life mission
• father and son; journey to durthfor
• dad says his son helps people
• new war - victims
• wow

Help Support SQPN Continue another year!

Have YOU helped SQPN yet? The Star Quest Production Network "creates engaging media that serves the Church, evangelizes the world, and forms authentic community"

Please join me in praying and financially supporting SQPN continue another year! 


Support SQPN with your monthly or one-time gift at http://sqpn.com/donate  
(Your gift is tax-deductible.)

If you are new to the community, I invite you to check out many great Catholic shows at http://sqpn.com/ 

Discover SQPN shows in iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sqpn/id354061769

A new show on SQPN is "Catholic Discovery"; this is a show is for those who want to discover the Catholic Faith or for those who'd like to rediscover our Catholic faith- find it at http://catholicdiscovery.sqpn.com/

The flagship program is "The Break With Fr. Roderick" - Do you need to take a break from your daily work? Listen to "The Break" - this program is usually 58 minutes in length.

Catholic Moments - this is interview-talk format show that Lisa Hendey from CatholicMom.com produces.

Lino At Large -- this is a face paced podcast geared for young adults that Lino Rulli hosts; this show is brought to us by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; and made available at SQPN.com

Catholic Foodie -- "where food meets faith"; Jeff Young produces this podcast; such a great show- go to CatholicFoodie.com for more delicious content.

Catholic Pilot-- "podcasting on a wing and a prayer"; Capt. Jeff Nielsen produces this podcast about flying and living our Catholic faith in the workplace.  Have questions about flying? Head on over to CatholicPilot.com or catholicpilot.sqpn.com and ask Capt. Jeff! Are you traveling during the Thanksgiving Holiday? Check out episode #30 entitled " Full-Body Scanner Controversy"--he discusses this and traveling around the holiday time. tons of great tips!

Health and Holiness (formally called Healthy Catholic): Fr. Roderick produces this podcast; a half hour in length- join Fr. Roderick on a walk in the Netherlands as he discusses ways to get healthier both spiritually and physically.

Catholic Family -- this is a podcast hosted by David and Allyson Sweeney from Texas, as they raise their children (forgot how many children they have, but I believe that have at least 2 boys and 3 girls-- I think??) Anyways, listen to this show and hear about some great topics of "living simply within your means"

iPadre-- Fr. Jay Finalli produces this podcast; go to ipadre.net and check out the podcast for "All Things Catholic And then Some"

Catholic In a Small Town: hosted by Mac and Katherine Barron. 3 simple words to describe this funny show: Faith. Family. Fun. Scandalous.  Go to http://catholicinasmalltown.com/

Catholic Weekend: a weekly show hosted by Capt. Jeff, Maria, sometimes Mac and other guests. They discuss news in the Catholic Church and other important news as well and topics of interest. Usually record on Saturday mornings at http://live.sqpn.com and released the following day.

Among Women: this show is geared for women, hosted by Pat Gohn, go to http://amongwomenpodcast.com for more information or find it on SQPN.com

Secrets of...: explore the secrets of movies, books, and games from a Catholic-Christian perspective. Go to http://secrets.sqpn.com/ to find a listing of all these shows.

In Between Sundays: hosted by Nick and Pat Padley; this is a podcast for young adults. go to http://www.inbetweensundays.com/ to find out more-and listen- to this podcast

Catholic: Under The Hood -- hosted by a Franscian priest (I believe) who is a professor at Franciscan University; this show discusses Catholic history and theology from a Franciscan perspective; find this podcast at http://catholicunderthehood.sqpn.com/  or http://catholicunderthehood.com/

SaintCast: hosted by Dr. Paul Camerata; who is a surgeon (I believe); anyways this is a show about the lives of the Saints. Go to http://saintcast.org/  or find it on sqpn.com

As you can see there are tons of great Catholic podcasts to listen to and so little time...

some other podcasts that are not on SQPN- as of now include:
Catholic Family Journal http://catholicfamilyjournal.com/

Catholic Vitamins http://catholicvitamins.com/

Just A Catholic Dad http://justacatholicdad.wordpress.com/

Live Out Loud from Live WTL ministries http://www.livewtl.com/

Pauls Men http://www.paulsmen.com/

Busted Halo Cast (have a question about our faith? Call in or e-mail your question) http://www.bustedhalo.com/category/bustedhalocast



Until the next time that I blog...


Take Care and God Bless,
-Daniel

R U Inspired?: Recommended Spiritual Books by St. Josemaria Escriva

R U Inspired?: Recommended Spiritual Books by St. Josemaria Escri...: "Image Credit: The Catholic CompanyToday I would like to recommend three spiritual books by St. Josemaria Escriva. These are: The Way, Furro..."

Catholic New Media Celebration 2010

The Catholic New Media Celebration is coming to Boston, MA on August 7, 2010. I will be there, will you? Want to know more information about the CNMC-MMX, listen to the informational podcast below and watch the video promo.

Here is a short informational podcast about the Catholic New Media Celebration that is on Aug. 7th in Boston:
Here is a video promo for the CNMC in Boston on August 7th:

"I Thirst" - The Passion of Jesus Christ

"I Thirst" - The Passion of Jesus Christ

a reported reflection by Daniel S.

"I Thirst" - what does this mean and what does this have to do with "The Passion of Jesus Christ?" This is something that many maybe wondering. In today's post, I would like to talk about this passion presentation that parishioners at my church, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, presented to our parish last night.

On Friday, March 26, from approximately 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., a petite cast and crew presented the passion of our lord, Jesus Christ, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Our youth minister, Dr. P, and myself were in charge of the lighting while 3 of the high school youth were changing the set. Their were also a small band of musicians and cast members whom realistically portrayed the Passion of Jesus Christ. And you don't worry, I haven't forgotten our faithful director, Larry L., who is the music minster at our parish- his preparation was very good and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all his hard work and all the hard work of all the cast and crew of this presentation of love.

I recall that after the musical-presentation was completed, our pastor had some closing remarks. One of which that I recall is for everyone to remember that God shows us his love through the Passion of Jesus Christ.

Another point that I would like to mention is Larry telling us, the cast and some of the crew, about why he chose the title "I Thirst" and that is that he got these words from Mother Therese. If you know what he exactly means by this, could you add a comment below and let me know.

I enjoyed the music throughout this presentation. One lovely song that I'm not sure was included in the presentation or not is a song called "Love Never Fails" by Brandon Heath.

If you ever have seen the Passion of Jesus Christ presented or read about it in the Bible, then you can see just how much Jesus sacrificed for us and how because of all the pain that Jesus had dealt with in his final days or hours on Earth, it really has shown us just how much he loves us. I believe that this presentation of the Passion of Jesus Christ was a presentation of real Love. Finally, as we enter Holy Week and are preparing for Easter, let us remember that God shows us his love through the Passion of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to share your thoughts about the Passion of Jesus Christ, I welcome your comments below.

Take Care and God Bless,

~Daniel ✝

Speaking to Youth: Respect Message!

*Please note: the following news story is the property of this author and can only be published with his permission.

by: Daniel S.

Daniel Smrokowski, parishioner and student at Roosevelt University, spoke in Holy Family Hall at Holy Trinity Catholic Parish before a dozen high school students on Sunday, February 28, 2010. With experience from Special Olympics, Smrokowski talked about how everyone should respect those with intellectual disabilities. Dr. P, youth minster, knowing of Smrokowski's ambassadorship with Special Olympics, asked him to bring his message to the youth ministry.

Smrokowski spoke about a national campaign called "Spread the Word to End the Word" which is backed by both Special Olympics and Best Buddies International. In this campaign, everyone is encouraged to go to http://r-word.org/ to learn how to help in eliminating use of the word "retard(ed)" in everyday speech. It is hurtful to everyone with intellectual disabilities.

Smrokowski also talked about Special Olympics. He described his experiences as an athlete on the SEASPAR Special Olympics Swim Team, as well as its Slammers high school basketball team. Smrokowski is a Global Messenger (spokesperson) for Special Olympics Illinois. Trained in March 2009 as a Global Messenger, he speaks to community groups such as the Knights of Columbus.

Smrokowski encourages everyone to listen to his Special Chronicles Podcast, available online and by free subscription at http://specialchronicles.tk/.

The February presentation to Holy Trinity youth concluded with a quote from Albert Einstein. Einstein once said, "It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Smrokowski interprets this to mean that we all have gifts. What matters is how hard we try.

Ash Wednesday Reported Reflection

by: Daniel S.

CHICAGO-- The date was Wednesday, February 17, 2010 and it was Ash Wednesday. On the Roosevelt University campus in the Academic Success Center disability services office, I came in with my ashes on my forehead and it actually served as a vital reminder to other Catholics and even one friend who is Jewish asked me if he can go to a Catholic church to receive ashes. I also heard and saw some commuters on the train, after seeing my ashes, talking about Ash Wednesday and encouraging one young male Amtrak employee, who I discovered was Catholic, to head to Mass to receive ashes. I even recommended Old St. Patrick's Church which is a few blocks away from Union Station on Adams street near the highway (the name of the highway escapes me since I don't drive in the city).

Someone else even told me that they saw ashes being distributed at the train station-- this sparked a question: is it okay for clergymen to distribute ashes at the train station or on the street?

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"Lent Is Here" blog post from the college radio program that I host

May you all a blessed and holy season of Lent!

God Bless,

~Daniel

Online Friends Vs. Reality Friends

We all have friends--but do we have more friends in reality or just in virtual reality, online? This is the question that I would like to ponder today. I was recently thinking about how many friends I have ... in real life compared to all of my online friends on social networking sites such as Facebook or the SQPN Community that I have never actually personally met compared to all "few," but still good friends that I have in real life. This is a growing aspect in our 21st century, online-driven society, as more and more people are using the Internet to communicate through Facebook, Twitter, or even online community sites such as SQPN Connect, the place where the SQPN Community meets! Now, before I continue I would like to take this moment to tell you about what SQPN is.

SQPN is the Star Quest Production Network, in which they are a new media network of free Catholic programming. At SQPN.com, you will find many awesome, interesting, and some just humorous Catholic podcasts! There are even some podcasts that are not even geared for Catholics, but are geared for everyone in society...so please do not let the term, "Catholic," turn you away, but instead let the "SQPN" network invite you to new possibilities of inspiration! I can promise you that once you listen to one show, you will want to listen to many others, and I can tell you that you will learn something new about the world, about the faith, technology, movies, TV Shows, or culture!

It is through networks like SQPN that I have many new "social" friends online. In reality, I can honestly say that it is because of the Special Olympics that I have made some more friends ... and friends that you can actually see! So, is this a good or bad thing to have more friends online or in reality? Well, I would let you decide for yourself and come to your own conclusion.

Please prayerfully consider helping the Star Quest Production Network this year with a donation during their 2010 Giving Campaign. Along with donating either a one-time donation (which is what I did), you can also make a monthly donation. But, there is another way to support SQPN and that is through your purchases on Amazon! On SQPN.com, there is an Amazon store link where you can purchase the same awesome items at the same low price and if you buy through the Amazon link on SQPN.com, a portion of the profits will go to and help SQPN!

Click here to donate to SQPN.

Shop at Amazon and Support SQPN: US Store! ~ Don't live in the US? Don't worry, Have no fear! You can also go to the SQPN Store: Canadian Store, Canadian Store, German Store, French Store. So, the next time that you make a purchase at Amazon, please consider going to the SQPN Amazon store link first!

Thanks and have a great day!

God Bless,

Daniel

A Very Special Birthday Greetings Today!

Hello everyone,

Today in honor of my birthday today, I am posting another post on my blog. This post is going to be that along, just a quick post to celebrate my birthday. Today is a pretty big birthday... is an age where there are more adult responsibilities. I don't really feel that much older--at least right now. But, I can say that it feels good to be one more than twenty years old. What else do I say? I think I need to rethink the whole blogging thing-- what do you blog about? I do enjoy podcasting. As you know from my previous post, I have started a new podcast - "Special Chronicles." I am excited for a couple of presents that I have asked about and these include: a Behringer Podcastudio Bundle; as well as some headphones that cover your whole ears that are noise cancellation. For more information later. And, keep a look out for episode #2 of my new podcast coming out within the next couple of days... as soon as I learn how to use the podcastudio bundle and record another episode! And, thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday on facebook, in person, and any other birthday greetings!

Thanks,

Daniel

COMING TO A PODCAST NEAR YOU: Special Chronicles Podcast

I would like to share with you my new podcast that I am starting. I will begin recording soon. I'm just waiting for approval to use this one song as my theme song, and hopefully will hear back within the next day or so.

Check out my website and leave feedback:

Call my Voice Feedback #: (630) 384-9137

email: specialchronicles@dansmrokowski.com

Podcast website: Special Chronicles Podcast

I look forward to hearing from you!

-Daniel