Time to pause on PAUSE......
“Lord Jesus, use us to save souls, keep us always faithful to Your commandments, and
never let me be parted from you.”
Saint Michael’s Media is an effort to bring the new evangelization and the lay apostolate to the new media, and to embody the spiritual works of mercy of instructing the ignorant, admonishing the sinner, and teaching the Catholic faith. Our work is dedicated to saving our own souls by making ourselves available to Our Blessed Lord to be used to help save other souls. It is in this spirit that we want to share our apostolic work with young men (18-25 years of age, with minimum of a high school degree) still discerning how they might best serve Christ and His Church, as they seek to respond to the call of the Holy Spirit in their lives (emphasis on, but not limited to, former seminarians and those currently discerning).
So, we are embarking on a new endeavor we call PAUSE: a twelve-month program, structured roughly around a traditional academic calendar in which candidates learn deeply about the Catholic Faith by taking a “pause” from their current life circumstances and come to pray/discern/study/work/live with other like-minded individuals who desire to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, and how best to serve the Church.
The program is directed toward young men who feel a deep desire to be at the service of the Church in this current time of Her great need, but who may not have had the opportunity to discern exactly how they can best do this, whether through a religious vocation, a vocation to marriage, or a dedication to the life of lay consecrated celibacy.
This “pause” provides an opportunity for such reflection while also spending considerable time in study of the Faith, learning and doing the work of television production at the service of the Church, and most importantly, developing an established habit of prayer, both communal and private. All of this will be done while living together in a house of discernment.
PRAYER
Paramount in any discernment for a life in service to the Church is prayer. With an emphasis on frequent Mass, daily public recitation of the Divine Office, the Rosary, Angelus, mental prayer, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, spiritual direction, and days of reflection, discerners will encounter the art of “communication” with Our Lord. They will take what they have received in contemplation and distribute the fruits in media productions of St. Michael’s Media. Privately, traditional spiritual readings drawn from the Saints, Fathers, and Doctors of the Church will also be regular.
MATURITY
The Holy Spirit can only be heard in the ear that is trained and tested. Committing to one year of study, prayer, common life, and an intense sacramental life, the discerner will mature. He will obtain an invaluable year of experience working in and for the good of the Church.
STUDY
The current generation is suffering greatly from a lack of effectual catechesis and apologetics, former mainstays of the Faith. An integral part of the life of Faith is study and reflection. One cannot love what one does not know. With the goal of deepening love for the Church, and thereby Our Blessed Lord, catechesis and apologetics based on time-proven traditional sources such as Scripture, the Catechism, Church documents, and councils will be daily aspects of life.
SPIRITUAL WORK
In response to the Holy Father’s urgent and repeated calls for a New Evangelization,* and his desire that the tools of modern social communications be employed to their fullest, St. Michael’s Media has dedicated itself to a rigorous defense and promotion of the Holy Catholic Faith using precisely these means. All candidates will be very exposed to this work and undergo training for full incorporation into the daily public work in which we are engaged.
[*In his call for a New Evangelization, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI states that “we are searching for . . . a new evangelization, capable of being heard by that world that does not find access to 'classic' evangelization. . . . This is why we are obliged to look for new ways of bringing the Gospel to all.” Modern social communications are “marvels of technology which God has destined human genius to discover” (Inter Mirifica) and can be used for great good as well as great evil.]
LIVING
Because the work of discernment is accomplished both privately and in community, all candidates will live in the same house, which will be provided in exchange for their commitment to work. All other expenses incurred during the year are the responsibility of the candidate.
It is anticipated that transportation is the responsibility of the candidate, as well as car insurance and health insurance.
[It is very important to consider at this point that the PAUSE program, while having a very heavy work aspect to it, is not primarily a job for a year. It is an opportunity to discern how one can best spend his life in service to the Church.]
Discerners will live in close contact with laymen who have dedicated themselves to apostolic celibacy at the service of the apostolate and at the service of Holy Mother Church.
PRIESTLY ASSISTANCE
While the program is a lay initiative, discerners will be able to draw upon the pastoral care of priests who understand the Church's current struggles and are completely in conformity and juridical unity with the Roman Pontiff. These priests will be deeply involved and available for spiritual guidance and direction, Mass, and confession. Saint Michael’s Media is very committed to a holy priesthood and abundantly hopes many candidates will recognize a vocation to the priesthood in their own circumstances.
THE CANDIDATE
Each candidate will be given the tools to grow in both love and understanding of his faith through means of prayer, study, work, and community life. The results for each participant will be determined by his personal motivation, beginning with a strong desire to learn and discern.
Requirements for well-suited candidates include:
a strong willingness to invest time and explore one's current life circumstances
a recognition that the Church needs exceptional commitments in these exceptional times
a strong desire to engage in the work of the New Evangelization
an expressed interest in media production, research, or public relations
an eagerness to embrace the joys and challenges of communal life
Applications will open Holy Week 2015 and will close Friday, June 5, 2015.
Application Process:
Phase I:
Initial online application/Inquiry (basic info/demographics/questionnaire)
Objective Statement / Submission of a simple video (Why am I interested? (100 words; 2 minutes)
Phase II:
Submit an essay (online): Choice of three topics provided by St. Michael's Media (no more than 500 words)
Phase III:
Skype interview with St. Michael’s Media
Phase IV:
OPTIONAL
Visit St. Michael’s Media in Ferndale, MI (at candidate’s own expense).
Phase V:
Final Selection
For those selected, the PAUSE program will begin Monday, July 6, 2015 and will end Thursday, June 30, 2016.
COSTS: Start-Up AND Monthly
The following projections are based on a pilot year of four male candidates. In the first year, we fully expect that St. Michael’s Media will undergo a learning process along with these young men as we implement PAUSE.
So with that in mind, in a desire to keep potential and foreseeable problems to a minimum, we think it best to keep the number low as well as restricted to a single gender. This makes potential problem areas more manageable.
So based on four men, working at the studios and sharing a house, with each receiving a weekly stipend of $100 for food, we calculate the following program costs—first the initial start-up costs, and then the monthly maintenance costs.
START-UP
Editing equipment -- $30,000
Four high-powered computer edit stations, equipped with state-of-the-art editing software, plus desks/chairs, printers, phones, etc.
Adobe Premiere: Media Encoder, After-Effects, Encore, Photoshop, Illustrator, Speed Grade, Audition, and Bridge.
Screen capturing program: I-Show-You HD
Audio/Music: Logic Pro 9
Drop Box Encoder: Fetch
House Furnishings/Kitchen Items -- $7,500
Furnish and equip house for occupancy by four men: beds, sheets, linens, house wares, kitchenware, living room, dining area furnishings.
TOTAL START-UP COSTS -- approx. $37,500
Screen capturing program: I-Show-You HD
Audio/Music: Logic Pro 9
Drop Box Encoder: Fetch
House Furnishings/Kitchen Items -- $7,500
Furnish and equip house for occupancy by four men: beds, sheets, linens, house wares, kitchenware, living room, dining area furnishings.
TOTAL START-UP COSTS -- approx. $37,500
REGULAR MONTHLY
Editing -- $700
Required editing software licenses. All programming airing on St. Michael’s Media/ChurchMilitant.TV is edited on industry-standard editing software programs; external hard drives, SD cards, SD card readers
ANNUALIZED EDITING -- $8,400
Rent and Utilities -- $ 2,000
Pause House monthly rent, taxes, utilities, upkeep, etc.
ANNUALIZED HOUSING -- $24,000
Total Monthly Maintenance Costs -- $2,700
TOTAL ANNUALIZED MONTHLY COSTS -- $32,400
BOTTOM LINE -- $70,000
$37,500 to start;
$2,700 per month to maintain.
Approximately $17,500 per man for the year.
Editing -- $700
Required editing software licenses. All programming airing on St. Michael’s Media/ChurchMilitant.TV is edited on industry-standard editing software programs; external hard drives, SD cards, SD card readers
ANNUALIZED EDITING -- $8,400
Rent and Utilities -- $ 2,000
Pause House monthly rent, taxes, utilities, upkeep, etc.
ANNUALIZED HOUSING -- $24,000
Total Monthly Maintenance Costs -- $2,700
TOTAL ANNUALIZED MONTHLY COSTS -- $32,400
BOTTOM LINE -- $70,000
$37,500 to start;
$2,700 per month to maintain.
Approximately $17,500 per man for the year.
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