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Thursday, July 30, 2009

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: JULY 31, 2009


CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS JULY 31: HEADLINES:
*HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTION: AUGUST*
*BENEDICT XVI TO RELEASE MUSIC ALBUM*
*RESIGNATION OF ENGLISH BISHOP*
*EUROPE : ENGLAND: GIRL NOW CHOOSES LIFE OVER DEATH *
*ASIA: PAKISTAN: CHRISTIAN VILLAGE DESTROYED BY SECT *
*AFRICA: MUSLIM SECT CONDEMNED BY THE CHURCHAMERICA*
*AMERICA: CARDINAL RIGALI ADVOCATES PRO-LIFE HEALTH CARE*

*AUSTRALIA: RIGHTS CHARTER DISPUTE*



HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTION: AUGUST

Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for August is: "That public opinion may be more aware of the problems of millions of displaced persons and refugees, and that concrete solutions may be found for their often tragic situation". His mission intention is: "That those Christians who are discriminated against and persecuted in many countries because of the name of Christ may have their human rights, equality and religious freedom recognised, in order to be able to live and profess their own faith freely".(SOURCE: VIS 090731 (100)


BENEDICT XVI TO RELEASE MUSIC ALBUM

The Pope will release an album with Marian prayers. The album by Geffen/Universal will in clude classical music. The Choir of the Philharmonic Academy of Rome will be featured, recorded in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Also the original compositions are performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at London's Abbey Road studios. The Multimedia San Paolo, an Italian Catholic media group is involved with this album. Funds raised will go to support the education of poor children. Nov. 30 is the release date for the album. The Pope will be featured singing litanies and chants, and saying prayers in Latin, Italian, Portuguese, French and German.





RESIGNATION OF ENGLISH BISHOP

The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Birmingham, England, presented by Bishop Philip Pargeter, upon having reached the age limit. (SOURCE:VIS 090731 (40)





EUROPE
ENGLAND: GIRL NOW CHOOSES LIFE OVER DEATH

CNA reports that a British girl who fought last Fall for her ‘right to die,’ has changed her mind and chosen to continue her treatments, including a heart transplant.
In November 2008, Hannah Jones (14 years old) made headlines when medics took the then 13-year old girl to court after she refused a heart transplant, which was weakened by her treatment for leukemia. It was a decision her parents supported.
“Obviously we want to have Hannah with us as long as possible, but we are not going to force her to do something that she doesn’t want to do at this time,” her father, Andrew Jones told The Daily Mail.
Hannah explained that her treatments were getting to be too exhausting and difficult. “I don’t like to be like this but I live with it,” she said.
In response to her refusal, administrators at the Herefordshire Primary Care Trust in Hereford, England decided to seek temporary custody of the child in order to “force” her to undergo the surgery. However, after several court hearings and a report from a child protection officer, the hospital withdrew its legal action.
Pro-euthanasia groups praised the girl, while pro-life groups charged that the teen was being manipulated by “death with dignity” rhetoric.
When a heart became available, she was transferred to London and underwent a six-and-a-half-hour surgery. Jones’ operation was a success, but she is still recuperating in intensive care.(Edited from: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16716


ASIA
PAKISTAN: CHRISTIAN VILLAGE DESTROYED BY SECT



UCAN reports that the Christian village of Korian in Punjab province on July 31 after it was completely destroyed in a violent raid the previous night by thousands of Muslims.

A Christian house set ablaze by Muslims
Korian was home to about 100 Christian families, most of them laborers, who all fled the area in the wake of the attack. No one died in the incident.
The village in Faisalabad diocese was attacked after Muslims accused a family there of blasphemy. In all, 60 houses and two churches belonging to the Church of Pakistan and the New Apostolic Church were destroyed and livestock stolen.
"They have left nothing. My horse, my only source of income, has also been taken," said Shubaan Masih, a local Christian.
The mob also blockaded the road leading to the village for several hours refusing entry to police or firefighters.
"They used trucks to break the walls and petrol to start the fires," he said. "We saved our lives only by hiding in the fields until three in the morning, when relatives arrived with vehicles to collect us. The children cried all night," Masih said.
Tension between the Christian and Muslim communities in the area arose after pages containing Islamic inscriptions were found in front of a Christian home on July 26 following a wedding.
A group of Muslims then interrogated those who attended the wedding party, and accused the family of desecrating the Qur'an. The family says it has no knowledge of the offence but nevertheless apologized on July 30, saying that children who did not know what they were doing could have been responsible.
Local Muslims have filed charges against the family according to the country's blasphemy laws. They are accusing the family of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad, which carries a mandatory death sentence in Pakistan. They also accuse the family of blasphemy against the Qur'an, which is punishable with life imprisonment.

"One cannot but weep upon seeing the trail of destruction left behind," said Father Aftab James Paul, director of Faisalabad diocese's Commission for Interfaith Dialogue.
"It is yet another example of a feud being given a religious color. We shall visit the police station and demand the arrest of the instigators of this terrorism," he said. (Edited from:
http://www.ucanews.com/2009/07/31/christians-flee-after-muslims-destroy-village/




AFRICA
MUSLIM SECT CONDEMNED BY THE CHURCH


CISA reports that the Catholic Church has condemned a militant Muslim sect whose confrontation with security forces this week caused deaths and destruction. Calm has reportedly returned to the affected region after a heavy military crackdown in which several members of the Boko Haram movement, including the leader Mohammed Yusuf, were killed.A statement signed by Fr Louis Odudu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, reminded Boko Haram of the need for tolerance.“We, therefore, call on the leaders of the Boko Haram movement (translated as Western education is sin), currently causing hardship for innocent ordinary citizens in the northern parts of the country, to adopt a creative approach to their religious practice in order to give honour and glory to Almighty God.”The church said that the underlying pillars of any religion include the principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.“Modern education and modern civilizations do not preclude ardent religious devotion. In fact, it should be underlined that Islam, as a religious practice, from places like Al-Azhar, carried the light of learning through so many centuries and paved the way for Europe’s renaissance and enlightenment.”Muslim communities have contributed to the development of the order of algebra, magnetic compass and tools for navigation, the mastery of pens and printing, mastery of the knowledge of diseases and healing technologies, timeless poetry and cherished music, and calligraphy, the church stated.“We therefore condemn any religious movement that would subvert the progress that has been made in education and technology in Nigeria and at the same time thwart law and order. We condemn a descent to religious fanaticism that would destroy our national peace and stability.”The church also accused Nigerian government of condoning the growth of the Boko Haram movement and called for urgent efforts to control the upsurge of religious militancy in the country. The government should also ensure that the perpetrators of the violence face the full weight of the law.The church attributed the cause of the Boko Haram uprising and other forms of violence to widespread poverty and urged the government to urgently address the problem. (Edited from http://www.cisanewsafrica.org/story.asp?ID=4054

AMERICA
CARDINAL RIGALI ADVOCATES PRO-LIFE HEALTH CARE




The USCCB reports that Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, wrote on July 29 to the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging them to amend “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act” (H.R. 3200) to retain longstanding government policies on abortion and conscience rights.Cardinal Rigali reiterated criteria for “genuine health care reform” set forth by Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Policy, in his letter to Congress on July 17. He described health care as “a basic right belonging to all human beings, from conception to natural death” and said that “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is working to ensure that needed health reform is not undermined by abandoning longstanding and widely supported policies against abortion funding and mandates and in favor of conscience protection.”


http://www.usccb.org/








AUSTRALIA
RIGHTS CHARTER DISPUTE

CathNews Australia reports that human rights campaigner Fr Frank Brennan has rejected the former Treasurer Peter Costello's assertions that the national human rights charter would in effect curtail religious conscience or practice.
"As a Catholic priest who abhors trendy laws aimed at curtailing religious conscience or peaceful religious practice, I beg to differ," Fr Brennan .
Fr Brennan suggests the "misunderstanting" that has arisen in Victoria, surrounding its human rights charter, could be due to a number of reasons.
"First, the over broad religious vilification law. Passed before the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities was enacted, it would be unlikely to pass muster under that charter," he wrote.
"Second, the compulsory referral clause in last year's abortion law, which would never be judged compatible with the charter had the politicians bothered to seek and table a statement of compatibility, as the charter requires.
"Third, the 30 year review of exemptions (including those for religious schools) from discrimination laws, a timely review whether or not there was a charter.
"The Victorian charter has not caused any of these problems, uncertainties or disputes for religious Victorians. Its application might even help to protect the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, which is included in the charter." (Edited from: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15489







TODAY'S SAINT


St. Ignatius of Loyola
FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS
Feast Day:
July 31
Born:
December 24, 1491, Loyola (Azpeitia), Basque province of Guipúzcoa, Spain
Died:
July 31, 1556, Rome
Canonized:
March 12, 1622, Rome by Pope Gregory XV
Patron of:
provinces of Vizcaya (Biscay) & Gipuzkoa, Spain, Military Ordinariate of the Philippines, Society of Jesus, soldiers.

Youngest son of Don Beltrán Yañez de Oñez y Loyola and Marina Saenz de Lieona y Balda ), b. in 1491 at the castle of Loyola above Azpeitia in Guipuscoa; d. at Rome, 31 July, 1556. The saint was baptized Inigo, after St. Enecus (Innicus): the name Ignatius was assumed in later years. In 1521, while in the army, a cannon ball, passing between Ignatius' legs, tore open the left calf. and broke the right shin. During his convalencense, "he saw clearly the image of Our Lady with the Holy Child Jesus". He made a general confession at the famous sanctuary of Montserrat; his sword and dagger he suspended at Our Lady's altar, and passed the night watching before them. In 1537, he founded "The Company of Jesus", "Societas Jesu" or Jesuits.

SAINTLY QUOTE

On the question of relating to our fellowman - our neighbor’s spiritual need transcends every commandment. Everything else we do is a means to an end. But love is an end already, since God is love. St. Edith Stein

TODAY'S GOSPEL

Matthew 13: 54 - 58
and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."
And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: JULY 30, 2009


CATHOLIC NEWS: JULY 30: HEADLINES
POPE RETURNS TO CASTELGANDOLFO VATICAN CITY
AFRICA: KENYA: CATHOLIC MISSION WORKER KILLED
AMERICA: USA: 7 YEAR OLD STEALS CAR TO AVOID CHURCH
EUROPE: DUTCH NUN DIES: SERVED POOR IN INDIA FOR 50 YEARS
ASIA: INDIA: PRIEST FOUND DEAD ON ROAD
AUSTRALIA: NEW VIDEO: FOR NATIONAL VOCATIONS WEEK


POPE RETURNS TO CASTELGANDOLFO VATICAN CITY
VIS reports that Benedict XVI's two-week holiday at Les Combes came to an end yesterday with a ceremony held at midday in which he bid farewell to the police, fire service and Italian civil protection for their help and vigilance during his stay. "You have been like angels", the Pope told them. "Angels are invisible but also efficient. So you too have been. You were invisible to me, but always efficient". "Unfortunately", he joked, "my own guardian angel did not prevent my accident. ... Perhaps the Lord wished to teach me greater patience and humility, to give me more time for prayer and meditation". In the afternoon, having bid farewell to Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi of Aosta and the local and regional authorities, the Holy Father travelled by helicopter to the northern Italian city of Turin where he boarded his flight for Rome. Having landed at Rome's Ciampino airport, he continued his journey by car to his summer residence of Castelgandolfo. (With files from:VIS 090730 (180)
LATEST PICTURES FROM POPES VACATION:

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AFRICA
KENYA: CATHOLIC MISSION WORKER KILLED
CISA reports that a driver and mechanic working for a Catholic parish in North Eastern Kenya was shot dead by suspected Merile raiders from Ethiopia on Friday.Lucas Baraza who worked for Our Lady Queen of Peace Todonyang Mission was repairing the mission wind-pump at Lake Turkana when raiders hiding in the reeds shot him on the head, killing him on the spot, Catholic Radio Akicha reported.The killing has raised tension among people in the area, many of who have been camping in the church compound for more than three months fearing attacks. According to Radio Akicha, the killing of Baraza could cause workers at the mission to leave due to insecurity.Since December 2008, at least 54 people, mostly Turkana, have been killed by suspected Merile raiders.
(Edited from: http://www.cisanewsafrica.org/story.asp?ID=4048)

AMERICA


USA: 7 YEAR OLD STEALS CAR TO AVOID CHURCH


CNN reports that a 7-year-old boy from Utah tried to avoid going to church on Sunday by stealing his parents car. Authorities were called after the boy ran a stop sign and nearly hit another motorist. Sheriffs deputies caught up to the car and attempted to block it, but the 7-year-old driver turned down another street."Instead of stopping the car, this white Intrepid turned down another street."Deputies say the boy pulled into Fremont High School, where he drove around the parking lot a bit before getting back onto 4700 West. The boy finally drove home, parked in the driveway and ran inside to hide. The boy's father approached his son at home and asked him what happened. The boy admitted that he stole the car for a joy ride.Anderson said when the boy's father later confronted him, the boy said he did not want to go to church. Weber County said the boy is too young to prosecute and no charges will be filed.



EUROPE
DUTCH NUN DIES: SERVED POOR IN INDIA FOR 50 YEARS

UCAN reports that Sister Baptista Simons, who founded an indigenous Religious congregation that works among the destitute, died on July 28 at Uden in the Netherlands at the age of 91. The elderly nun, whom local people here fondly called "Mamma", had been ill for some years.
Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal of Indore said that Sister Simons had "done marvelous work, particularly for the poor and aged" from her base in Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh state.
The prelate told UCA News the deceased nun had provided houses at nominal cost to the homeless from all religions. "Her concern for leprosy patients is evident" from three colonies she set up for them.
Sister Johanni Ekka, superior general of the Sant Joseph Sevika Sanstha (Saint Joseph servants' society), the congregation Sister Simons founded in 1965.
Sister Simons left India for her home country in 1999 due to ill health. She was born at Maasniel, a village near Roermond in the south of Holland in 1918. She joined the Sisters Servant of the Holy Spirit in 1939 and traveled to India in 1953. She first worked as a teacher at St. Raphael's School in Indore.
Soon after, she and a few other women started the "Mata Maria Samiti" (Mother Mary's forum) and in 1965, at the request of the then Indore bishop, she founded her diocesan congregation.
Sant Joseph Sevika Sanstha now has 170 members and 12 novices in four Indian states.
Deepika Pathak, a former orphan cared for by Sister Simons, says no one can replace Sister Simons. "It is very difficult for us to bear Mamma's death," said the 23-year-old woman who is now attending a master's course in nursing. "What I am today is because of her, otherwise I would have perished," she told UCA News.
Deepti Varghese, another orphan, says she is alive today because of Sister Simons. "I was suffering from heart disease and Mamma took me to Holland for major surgery when I was three," said the mother of two.






ASIA

INDIA: PRIEST FOUND DEAD ON ROAD

UCAN reports that a Catholic priest was found murdered in a remote area near Mangalore, southern India.

Father James Mukalel, 39
The naked body of Father James Mukalel, 39, was found on a roadside in the morning of July 30. The priest worked in Belthangady diocese, a Syro-Malabar diocese, with its headquarters near Mangalore, in Karnataka state. He was returning home from a funeral.
Father Mukalel belonged to Tellicherry archdiocese in the neighboring state of Kerala, but worked in Belthangady, serving in Kutrapady parish at the time of his death.
Some parishioners found the body on the roadside at around 7 a.m. the next day and informed the diocesan officials. Police investigations are underway.
Father Kannankal claims the priest's death is "a clear (case of) murder as his body was found far from his motorbike." He added, "The body did not bear wounds except (for) signs of suffocation."
Belthangady diocese had reported some violence against Christians in the past year and police are enquiring into them, the priest said.
(Edited from:http://www.ucanews.com/2009/07/30/priests-naked-body-found-on-roadside/

AUSTRALIA

NEW VOCATIONS VIDEO: FOR NATIONAL VOCATIONS WEEK



CathNews Austalia reports that a video featuring Archbishop Mark Coleridge, seminarians, Missionaries of God's Love sisters, a novice Marist brother and a married couple talking about their vocations has been produced to mark National Vocations Awareness Week.
It provides a snapshot of Catholics from the Archdiocese exploring life choices that resonate with their faith.
Archbishop Coleridge said he did not always think becoming a priest was a good idea.
"I remember thinking, what will my mates think," he said.
"Eventually it wouldn't go away so I decided to give it a go to get the monkey off my back. The secret is just to say yes to what you're being asked to do."
National Vocations Awareness Week will run from August 2 to 9.
(Edited from: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15491
TODAY'S SAINT

St. Peter Chrysologus
BISHOP
Feast Day:
July 30
Born:
406 at Imola, Italy
Died:
2 December 450 at Imola, Italy

He was baptised, educated, and ordained deacon by Cornelius, Bishop of Imola, and was elevated to the Bishopric of Ravenna in 433.

SAINTLY QUOTE

Love tends to union with the object loved. Now Jesus Christ loves a soul that is in a state of grace with an immense love; He ardently desires to unite Himself with it. This is what Holy Communion does. St. Alphonsus Liguori

TODAY'S GOSPEL

Matthew 8: 23 - 27
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.
And they went and woke him, saying, "Save, Lord; we are perishing."
And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

CATHOLIC NEWS: WED. JULY 29, 2009

CATHOLIC NEWS: WED. JULY, 29, 2009. HEADLINES
POPE'S HOLIDAYS END & WITH AN ANGELIC LESSON LEARNED
THEME FOR WORLD DAY OF PEACE
UKRANIAN CHURCH (USA) RESIGNATION
MONKS FROM AUSTRIA OPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
ASIA
INDIA 5 SENT TO PRISON FOR VIOLENCE IN ORISSAA
NEPAL JESUIT PRIEST KNIFED, HOSPITALIZED
AFRICA: NIGERIA: 150 DIE IN VIOLENCE
AUSTRALIA:CHURCH HELPS NATIVES FLEEING DUE TO CLIMATE
CANADA: RECESSION HITS CHURCHES
SEMINARIAN STORY: SPECIAL FOR YEAR OF THE PRIEST




POPE'S HOLIDAYS END & WITH AN ANGELIC LESSON LEARNED
Pope Benedict XVI said his angel was “certainly following superior orders” in order to use the accident to teach him humility and to provide him with more time for prayer, with his recent wrist fracture.
The Pope thanked law enforcement officials for being “like angels” helping him.
"Unfortunately, my own guardian angel did not prevent my injury, certainly following superior orders," Pope Benedict said, according to the Associated Press.
“Perhaps the Lord wanted to teach me more patience and humility, give me more time for prayer and meditation,” he continued.
VIS - Benedict XVI is due to leave his holiday residence today travelling by helicopter to Caselle airport near the northern Italian city of Turin. From there he will fly by plane to Rome's Ciampino airport. From Ciampino he will be taken by car to the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, where he will spend the rest of the summer and continue treatment of his right wrist which he broke in a fall on 17 July. On Saturday 1 August he is scheduled to receive around 100 athletes who are currently participating in the world swimming championships in Rome. On Sunday 2 August he will pray the Angelus from the balcony overlooking the central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo. Weekly general audiences will resume from Wednesday 5 August. (Edited from: VIS 090729 (200)

THEME FOR THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE 2010
VIS reports that the Pope chose a theme for World Day of Peace 2010 - "If you want to cultivate peace, protect the creation" for 43rd World Day of Peace, which will be celebrated on 1 January 2010. "The theme", says a communique made public today, "aims to raise awareness about the strong bond that exists in our globalised and interconnected world between protecting the creation and cultivating peace. "This close and intimate tie", the communique adds, "is further accentuated by the many problems concerning man's natural environment, such as the use of resources, climate change, the application and use of biotechnology, and demographic growth. If the human family is unable to face these new challenges with a renewed sense of social justice and equity, and of international solidarity, we run the risk of sowing seeds of violence among peoples, and between current generations and those to come". The communique goes on: "Following the precious guidelines contained in paragraphs 48 to 51 of the Encyclical 'Caritas in veritate', the papal Massage will make it clear that the protection of the environment is a challenge for all humankind. It is shared and universal duty to respect a collective asset destined for everyone". The communique concludes by noting that "ecological questions must be faced, not just because of the dreadful prospects that environmental degradation presages; they must be translated, above all, into a strong motivation to cultivate peace". (Source: VIS 090729 (250)

UKRANIAN CHURCH (USA) RESIGNATION
(VIS) - The Holy Father: - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma of the Ukrainians, U.S.A, presented by Bishop Robert Mikhail Moskal, in accordance with canon 210 para. 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. - Appointed Bishop John Bura, auxiliary of the archieparchy of Philadelphia of the Ukrainians, U.S.A., as apostolic administrator "sede vacante" of St. Josaphat in Parma of the Ukrainians, U.S.A. (Source: VIS 090729 (90)


EUROPE
MONKS FROM AUSTRIA OPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
Kath.net reports that in Rome the Cistercian monks of pen Holy Cross open this year with their Gregorian hymns the VIII. Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra in Rome. In the year 2009 non-profit Roman Foundation organized "Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra"their special Kirchenmusik Festival with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra "in residence"in the Papal basilicas."" This has now become one of the main church musical events of the eternal city. Special concerts are 18-22 days. Scheduled November 2009 and serve the institutional activities of Foundation, namely the restoration sacrid art.
Heiligenkreuzer monks who give no concerts and go on tour, sing in their monasteries in Austria to the praises of God and stürmten quite incidentally with their CD "Chant - Music for paradise"the charts."" Impressively and moving the Heiligenkreuzer monks celebrate the ancient Christian meditation form of Gregorian Chorals in the evening before in the Lateran Basilica (18.11.).
For more information on this festival see: http://www.festivalmusicaeartesacra.net/en/index.php
ASIA
INDIA 5 SENT TO PRISON FOR VIOLENCE IN ORISSA

UCAN reports that Church leaders have welcomed the prison sentences a fast-track court has handed to five people it convicted of taking part in anti-Christian violence last year in Orissa state.
“It is a good development. It will go a long way in meting out justice to our people,” said Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. The court sentenced Disara Kanhar, Durbasa Kanhar, Gupteswar Kanhar, Rabindra Kanhar and Naresh Kanhar to six years of “rigorous imprisonment” each and also ordered each to pay a fine of 5,000 rupees (US$105), special public prosecutor Bijoy Krishna Pattnaik told reporters.
Archbishop Cheenath said. “The convictions and punishment will embolden our people to go back to the villages and start life."
Unrest began there the day after Maoists gunned down a Hindu religious leader.
Hindu radicals blamed Christians for the murder and destroyed houses, churches and convents in retaliation. About 90 people died and about 50,000 were displaced, mostly Christians, according to Church leaders.
Investigating officials have arrested around 680 people, accusing them of planning, abetting and executing violence.

NEPAL JESUIT PRIEST KNIFED, HOSPITALIZED

UCAN news reports that a Catholic priest was injured in an attack in northern Kathmandu on the night of July 27.
Jesuit Father Sanjay Ekka, pastor of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in the Baniyatar area, sustained injuries on his head, hand and hip. He was taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
The priest is in stable condition, according to Father Lawrence Maniyar, the Jesuit superior in Nepal.
"Though the details are sketchy at the moment, we believe boys of the hostel we run in Baniyatar were involved in the attack," Father Maniyar said.
The Jesuits run Loyola Students Home, for poor boys, and Laligurans, a day-care center for small children in Baniyatar.
According to the Nepal Catholic Directory, the home has 34 residents, all Catholics.
According to Father Maniyar, police have detained "a boy from the hostel" for interrogation.
An official at the Maharajgunj police station, which has jurisdiction over Baniyatar, said a 13-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the attack.
(Edited from :http://www.ucanews.com/2009/07/28/jesuit-priest-knifed-hospitalized/




AFRICA
NIGERIA: 150 DIE IN VIOLENCE
AllAfrica reports that security forces yesterday raided the enclave of the radical Boko Haram sect in Maiduguri, in an all-out attempt to crush the group whose supporters ignited violence in five states in which more than 150 persons including security personnel died.
The army moved in six light armoured war tanks and deployed hundreds of heavily armed soldiers, mobile policemen and regular policemen around Maiduguri to destroy the residence of the sect leader, Malam Muhammad Yusuf, which also serves as the group's headquarters.
The security forces also cordoned off old Maiduguri, Galadima, Kasuwan Shanu and Low Cost areas, which have been under the control of the sect members since Sunday night when the crises began.
The military action came a day after more than 100 people were killed in Borno, Yobe and Kano states in gun battles between the sect's followers and security forces. Earlier on Sunday, more than 50 persons were killed in Bauchi, following at attack on a police station by the sect's followers in retaliation for the arrests of their leaders. Most of the dead were members of the sect, while many police, soldiers and prison personnel also died in the clashes. Yesterday, the violence spread to Katsina State, where the sect's followers attacked a police station in Danja injuring a policeman.
Yesterday's offensive in Maiduguri, which started in evening, was being led by the GOC, 3 Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, Major General Saleh Maina. It is coming on the orders of President Umaru Yar'adua, who said yesterday in Abuja that his administration would no longer tolerate any armed insurrection in any part of the country.
The military ordered residents to evacuate.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said over 4,000 persons took refuge at different military and police quarters. Assistant Zonal Coordinator of the agency in the Northeast Apollos Jediel said of the displaced residents, 3,000 persons were taking refuge at the Maimalari Military Barracks, 600 were at the state police headquarters while 19 were at the Giwa Military Barracks.
He said the agency ordered release of relief materials, mostly food items and beddings, which he handed over to the Borno State Government for distribution to the victims.
(Edited from http://allafrica.com/stories/200907290012.html
AUSTRALIA
CHURCH HELPS NATIVES FLEEING DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

CathNews Australia reports that Islanders from the tiny coral atolls of the Carteret Islands in the Pacific have begun to evacuate to neighbouring Bougainville. Their decision to relocate followed years of storm surges and tides that infected the fresh water supply and ruined their crops.
Fearing worse is to come, more frequent floods are expected to be the most visible signs of rising sea levels due to global warming, the islanders secured three blocks of coastal land. Five men moved earlier this year to build houses and plant crops, the first step in a five year relocation.
The Catholic Church is helping by providing land for the climate refugees.
The relocation is being headed by Ursula Rakova, an islander who set up Tulele Peisa, an organisation that raises money and campaigns for social justice on behalf of her people.
"We have a feeling of anxiety, a feeling of uncertainty because we know that we will be losing our homes. It is our identity. It is our whole culture at stake," she was quoted saying by the newspaper.
Climate scientists warn the future for atolls like the Carterets is bleak but the extent to which climate change is responsible for their predicament is unclear. (With files from: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15435com/article.aspx?aeid=15435

AMERICA
CANADA: RECESSION HITS CHURCHES
CBC Canada reports that religious institutions and faith-based organizations across Canada are praying for an end to a recession that is forcing the hardest-hit to consider radical rescue plans, including selling houses of worship.
Churches, synagogues, mosques, and gurudwaras (Sikh temples) depend largely on donations to pay the bills and finance day schools, camps, and other faith-oriented programs.
Religious orders also routinely use investment income from private trusts to finance building repairs and other projects.
But, this year, religious groups are being forced to do more with less, and in some cases are projecting the closure of churches in the wake of the economic recession.
According to the most recent data from Statistics Canada, many Canadians consider themselves to be affiliated with a religious group.
In the 2001 census, respondents were asked what religion, if any, they belonged to. Here's how they answered:
Roman Catholic 43.2%
United Church 16.2%
Anglican 6.9%
Christian (not included elsewhere) 2.6%
Baptist 2.5%
Lutheran 2.0%
Muslim 2.0%
Protestant (not included elsewhere) 1.9%
Presbyterian 1.4%
Pentecostal 1.2%
Jewish 1.1%
Buddhist 1.0%
Hindu 1.0%
Sikh 0.9%
Greek Orthodox 0.7%
Mennonite 0.6%
No religion 16.2%
Vatican Radio, the voice of the Roman Catholic Church, has also begun airing advertisements for the first time in its 80-year history. It hopes the ads will raise about $250,000 US this year.
Religious orders in Canada appear to be resisting such steps, at least so far.
(Edited from http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/07/22/f-religion-recession-sell-churches.html)
A SEMINARIAN STORY: SPECIAL FOR YEAR OF THE PRIEST


TODAY'S SAINT





Born: Palaestina (modern-day Israel)
Died:80, Tarascon, Gaul (modern-day France) or Cyprus
Patron of:
butlers; cooks; dietitians; domestic servants; homemakers; hotel-keepers; housemaids; housewives; innkeepers; laundry workers; maids; manservants; servants; servers; single laywomen; travellers.


In St. John Gospel we find "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus" (xi, 5).








SAINTLY QUOTE




Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.
-- St Clare of Assisi




TODAY'S GOSPEL




Matthew 13: 44 - 46

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,
who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: JULY 28, 2009

Catholic World News July 28: Headlines:
HOLY FATHER TO BE HONORARY CITIZEN
POPE TO VISIT SHROUD OF TURIN IN 2010
BERTONE PROMOTES CARITAS IN VERITATE
KENYA: FAMINE CONTINUES
ASIA:CHINESE BISHOP DIES
AMERICA: PERPETUAL ADORATION RETURNS TO BOSTON AUSTRALIA:DEACONS CONFERENCE
HOLY FATHER TO BE HONORARY CITIZEN

(VIS) - Benedict XVI is to be granted honorary citizenship of Introd, Aosta. The announcement was made by Osvaldo Naudin, mayor of Introd, who explained that the decision was taken unanimously at a meeting of the town council held last week. The Holy Father has visited the region many times.



POPE TO VISIT SHROUD OF TURIN IN 2010

It was announced on that the Pope has confirmed his intention to attend the exposition of the Shroud of Turin, due to take place in that Italian city in the spring of 2010. The Holy Father thus accepts the invitation of Cardinal Severino Poletto, archbishop of Turin with whom he had lunch last Sunday, although the exact date of the trip has not yet been settled...(With files from:VIS 090728 (220)


EUROPE:

BERTONE PROMOTES CARITAS IN VERITATE

Cardinal Bertone spoke to the Italian Senate. He clarified aspects of the text. Bertone showed that the Pope highlighted "the affirmation of the profound reasons behind the dignity of individuals and their rights", and marriage and the family as elements that have forged European identity. The Secretary of State expressed the view that "over and above differences in formation and in personal convictions", the representatives of the Italian people will "find in the Pope's words an exalted and profound source of inspiration when carrying out their mission, and so be able to respond adequately to the ethical, cultural and social challenges of today".(With files from:VIS 090728 (200)


AFRICA

KENYA: FAMINE CONTINUES


The government declared the famine early this year; afflicting 10 million people a national disaster, but the evidence months later indicates that the problem has worsened.This week, the ministers for water and irrigation, agriculture, special programmes, livestock and energy briefed President Mwai Kibaki on the food, water, and energy crisis and discussed measures to address the shortages.Water and Irrigation Minister Charity Ngilu said the government will drill 250 water boreholes across the country, 50 of which will be in Nairobi, to address the acute water shortage. http://www.cisanewsafrica.org/story.asp?ID=4040


ASIA:

CHINESE BISHOP DIES


UCAN reports that retired Bishop Domingos Lam Ka-tseung of Macau, the first Chinese bishop of the 433-year-old diocese, died on July 27. He was 81.

Bishop Lam fell ill in March and was later diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. He had been hospitalized since May.
Bishop Lam led the diocese, created in 1576 as the first Catholic diocese in the Far East, through Macau's political transition from Portuguese to Chinese rule in 1999. The prelate's funeral is scheduled for July 31. His body will be placed in the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady for people to pay their last respects in the morning, followed by a funeral Mass. Burial will take place at St. Michael the Archangel's cemetery in the afternoon.
Under the leadership of Bishop Lam, Macau diocese has served refugees from East Timor, also a former Portuguese colony, and Filipino workers as well as local Chinese Catholics, and also evangelized new migrants from mainland China.
Bishop Lam, ordained coadjutor bishop of Macau in 1987, the diocese's 22nd bishop the next year. John Paul II accepted Bishop Lam's resignation in 2003, when he turned 75, the age at which canon law requires a bishop to request retirement. Bishop Lai, born in Macau, was appointed the diocese's second Chinese bishop.
Bishop Lam, born in Hong Kong in 1928. He graduated from St. Joseph's Seminary here and was ordained a priest in 1953, after which he managed a parish and taught in a Catholic school and the seminary.
Macau diocese currently has 22 diocesan priests and 40 Religious priests, serving about 20,000 Catholics. It runs a university, 39 schools, 27 social service institutions and 21 other institutions.
(Edited from: http://www.ucanews.com/2009/07/28/first-chinese-bishop-of-macau-dies/


AMERICA

PERPETUAL ADORATION RETURNS TO BOSTON

Perpetual adoration has returned to Boston after a 40-year absence. St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine on Boylston Street will mark the start of adoration with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley on Aug. 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption.
From then on, the Eucharist will be exposed in a monstrance every day, apart from regularly scheduled Mass times. “Anytime the Lord is present 24-hours a day, seven days a week, people are changed,” said a member of St. Clement. “This is a way to build spiritually and bring people together in prayer.”

Cardinal Richard Cushing made St. Clement into a eucharistic shrine, staffed by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, in 1945. The sisters maintained perpetual adoration from 1945 to the late 1960s. The Oblates of the Virgin Mary began staffing the shrine in 1976.
The effort to bring perpetual adoration back to Boston is a direct response to the call of Pope Benedict XVI to have spaces dedicated to prayers for vocations and the sanctity of priests during the Year for Priests which began in June and runs to June 2010. St. Clement’s will be the designated site in the Central Region of the archdiocese.
For more information, to download a sign-up sheet or to donate to the effort, visit the Web site at http://www.adorationboston.org/.


AUSTRALIA

DEACONS CONFERENCE


Cath News Australia reports that more than 50 deacons from across Australia and New Zealand will gather in Pennant Hills, NSW for a National Deacons' Conference from August 6-9, focusing on a theme of "Word, Worship, Service". Among scheduled speakers are Liberal MP Tony Abbott and national living treasure, Fr Frank Brennan.
"The theme really encapsulates the vocation of the permanent deacon and will serve as a great focal point for our distinguished speakers and for our working sessions," said Deacon Peter Olsen, the Chairman of the National Committee of Deacons.
"The ministry of the deacon goes back to the earliest Church communities and we read in the Acts of the Apostles how the Apostles chose seven men as deacons to help them in their ministry of service," he said in a statement.
(Edited from http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15406


TODAY'S SAINT


St. Samson
BISHOP AND CONFESSOR
Feast: July 28
Born:
490 at south Wales
Died:
565

Bishop and confessor, born in South Wales; died 28 July, 565 (?). His parents were Amon of Dyfed and Anna of Gwynedd. He was ordained deacon and priest. He became an abbot. (With files from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/S/stsamson.asp

St. Victor I
POPE
Feast: July 28

(189-198 or 199), date of birth unknown. The "Liber Pontificalis" makes him a native of Africa and gives his father the name of Felix.He reigned as Pontiff from 186-197. (With files from:http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/V/stvictori.asp


SAINTLY QUOTE


O Jesus, if I but considered attentively your immense solicitude for me, how greatly should I not excel in every virtue? Pardon me, O Jesus, so much carelessness, pardon such great ignorance. My God, Jesus my Love, Increated Goodness, what would have become of me if you had not drawn me to yourself? Open your heart to me, open to me your sacramental breast; I open mine to you. St. Gemma Galgani


TODAY'S GOSPEL



Matthew 13: 36 - 43
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."
He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man;
the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one,
and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.
The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers,
and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Monday, July 27, 2009

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS JULY 27, 2009



CATHOLIC NEWS JULY 27: HEADLINES
POPE'S HOMILY: GOD'S POWER IS MERCY & FORGIVENESS
POPE APPOINTS VARIOUS NEW BISHOPS
AFRICA:MANY KILLED IN CLASH WITH RADICAL GROUP & POLICE

ASIA: CHURCH CENTERS FOR POOR CHILDREN BRING JOY
AUSTRALIA:YOUTH MINISTRY DOCUMENT FROM BISHOPS


POPE'S HOMILY: GOD'S POWER IS MERCY & FORGIVENESS

During the Pope's homily in Aosta, he said that if "our relationship with God is not living, if it is not lived, then none of our other relationships can take their correct form. And this also holds true for society, for humankind. Here too, if we do without God, if God is absent, we lack the compass ... to show us the path, the direction we must follow". "We must bring the truth of God back into the world, make Him known", he went on. "Evangelisation consists precisely in the distant God becoming close, in God no longer being far off but near, in this 'known-unknown' finally making Himself known and revealing His face. ... He shows us His face, He enters our world. There is no longer any need to use other powers because He is the true power, the Almighty". The Pope clarified "that God's omnipotence is not an arbitrary power, because God is Good, He is Truth. Hence God can do everything but He cannot act against goodness, He cannot act against truth, He cannot act against love and freedom, because He Himself is goodness, love and true freedom". "God is the custodian of our freedom, of love and of truth. This eye that looks down is not an evil eye watching over us, but the presence of a love that never abandons us". Benedict XVI showed that "the pinnacle of God's power is mercy and forgiveness. In our modern concept of what power is we think of people who possess great property", who can "influence the market. We think of those with great military power, who have the power to threaten. Stalin's question 'how many divisions does the Pope have?' continues to characterise the typical idea of power. Those who have power are dangerous, they can threaten and destroy". "But the Revelation tells us that this is not so. True power is the power of grace and mercy. In His mercy God shows true power". "God has suffered and in the Son suffers with us", said Pope Benedict. "Thus He shows true divine power. He wanted to suffer with us and for us. We are never abandoned in our sufferings". "Why was it necessary to suffer in order to save the world?" the Holy Father asked. "It was necessary because in the world there exists an ocean of evil, of injustice, of hatred and of violence, and the many victims of hatred and injustice have the right to see justice done. ... God must enter into this world and oppose the ocean of injustice with a greater ocean of goodness and love". .. (With files from VIS 090727 (590)

POPE APPOINTS VARIOUS NEW BISHOPS

VIS reports that the Pope appointed Bishop Joseph Vu Duy Thong, auxiliary of Thanh-Pho Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, as bishop of Phan Thiet (area 7,828, population 1,595,000, Catholics 155,287, priests 107, religious 482), Vietnam. He succeeds Bishop Paul Nguyen Thanh Hoan, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. -

Appointed Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van De S.D.B., auxiliary of Bui Chu, Vietnam, as bishop of Thai Binh (area 2,301, population 2,948,000, Catholics 121,500, priests 57, religious 123), Vietnam. He succeeds Bishop Francois X. Nguyen Van Sang, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit. -

Appointed Fr. Joseph Nguyen Nang, rector of the major seminary of Xuan Loc, Vietnam, as bishop of Phat Diem (area 1,787, population 980,987, Catholics 153,131, priests 54, religious 215), Vietnam. The bishop-elect was born in Phuc Nhac, Vietnam in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1990. -

Appointed Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo of Semarang, Indonesia, as coadjutor archbishop of Jakarta (area 2,988, population 11,957,000, Catholics 458,369, priests 281, religious 1,049), Indonesia. -

Appointed Fr. Thomas Vu Dinh Hieu, chancellor of Xuan Loc, Vietnam, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 5,955, population 2,386,744, Catholics 816,342, priests 343, religious 1,915). The bishop-elect was born in Ninh My, Vietnam in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1999. -(With files from: VIS 090727 (550)

APPOINTMENTS FOR THEOLOGICAL COMMISION

VIS reports that the Holy Father appointed as members of the International Theological Commission: Fr. Marco Doldi, professor of moral theology at the Faculty of Theology of Northern Italy in Genoa; Fr. Gilles Emery O.P., professor of systematic theology at the Faculty of Theology of Fribourg, Switzerland; Fr. Mario Angel Flores, professor of systematic theology at the Faculty of Theology of Mexico in Mexico City; Fr. Francis Gustilo S.D.B., professor of theology and spirituality at the Don Bosco Study Centre of Paranaque in Manila, Philippines; Fr. Javier Prades Lopez, professor of systematic theology at the Faculty of Theology of Madrid, Spain; Fr. Michael Schulz, professor of systematic theology at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Bonn, Germany; Fr. Pierangelo Sequeri, professor of fundamental theology at the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy in Milan; Fr. Philippe Vallin, professor of systematic theology at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Strasbourg, France, and Fr. Guillermo Zuleta professor of systematic theology and of canon law at the University of Medellin, Colombia - (With files from: VIS 090727 (550)

Appointed Cardinal Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the millennium of the archdiocese of Alba Julia, Romania, due to take place on 29 September. (With files from: VIS 090727 (550)


AMERICA
VIS reports that the Holy Father appointed Msgr. Luis R. Zarama, vicar general of the archdiocese of Atlanta, U.S.A., as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 55,521, population 6,455,000, Catholics 757,000, priests 279, permanent deacons 202, religious 189). The bishop-elect was born in Pasto, Colombia in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1993.
(With files from: VIS 090727 (550)
EUROPE
VIS reports that the Pope appointed Msgr. Charles Phillip Richard Moth, vicar general of the archdiocese of Southwark, England, as military ordinary for Great Britain. The bishop-elect was born in Chingola, Zambia in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1982. -

(With files from: VIS 090727 (550)

AFRICA

MANY KILLED IN CLASH WITH RADICAL GROUP & POLICE

Approximately 42 were were killed yesterday in fights between police and members of a radical Islamic sect in Bauchi. An armed team of the sect's followers attacked a police station in retaliation for the arrests of their leaders, hospital officials and security sources said.
"We have received a total of 42 bodies," Awwal Isa, a nurse at the Bauchi Specialist Hospital told AFP news agency by telephone. He said the corpses were of those involved in the fighting between the police and the radical sect.
A reporter for the Reuters news agency counted 32 bodies at two Bauchi police stations and said dozens were wounded among the more than 200 arrested.
This occurred after a gang of around 60 men armed with guns and hand grenades attacked the Dutsen Tanshi Police Station, but retreated after a gun battle with the police, spokesman for the Bauchi police command Mohammed Barau said.
The police raided the group's neighbourhoods and hideouts around the Bauchi Airstrip, arresting hundreds. Some of the items recovered from the group included army uniforms, boots, explosives and live ammunition.
Nigeria has a population of 137,260,000 and area of 910,768 km². Its major religions are: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%(many Catholics), indigenous beliefs 10%. Its languages are: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani. (With files from:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200907270532.html)

ASIA
CHURCH CENTERS FOR POOR CHILDREN BRING JOY


In parts of Bangladesh poverty is common place. The
St. Andrew Bobola Children Center provides assistance for 150 boys. "Over the last 70 years, the center has helped thousands of kids make a better life through academic and moral education," said Father Giovanni Gargano, an Italian Missioner from the Society of St. Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions. Another mission house cares for 50 children and is called the St. Aloysius Orphanage for girls. It is partially run by 10 Catholic widows who also live at the center. The orphanage was established in 1957 and is run by the Sisters of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, popularly known as Luigine Sisters. "These women whom we call Masi (maternal aunt) take care of us well and Sister Irene Cruze, the director, is like a mother to us" said a child. One child relates, "My stepmother didn't treat me well and forced me to come to this orphanage."

These two homes provide food, clothing and medical help. They offer religious classes conducted by priests and nuns. On completing their Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSC) they return to their parishes. Their parish priests then help them continue their education with financial support from benefactors. (With files & image from:
http://www.ucanews.com/2009/07/27/church-run-centers-give-hope-to-impoverished-kids/
AUSTRALIA
YOUTH MINISTRY DOCUMENT FROM BISHOPS
*The following is the exact text from the Media Release – July 26, 2009
Anointed and Sent: An Australian Vision for Catholic Youth Ministry, launched

Anointed and Sent: An Australian Vision for Catholic Youth Ministry has been hailed as “essential reading for those entering youth ministry” during its launch at the annual gathering of Lay Movements, held on the anniversary of Pope Benedict’s arrival in Sydney for World Youth Day.

Bishop Brian Heenan, who was a member of the former Bishops Committee for Laity which approved the project, said “this resource will be essential reading for those entering Youth Ministry and a useful guide for thinking about youth ministry into the future”.

The launch was included as part of the annual gathering of Lay Movements, an initiative of the Bishops Commission for Church Ministry, which this year took the focus of Church Ministry with Youth. In addressing the participants, Bishop Michael Malone, the Commission Chair, and fashionably dressed as a World Youth Day pilgrim encouraged all movements to celebrate “Youth as a gift to be shared not a problem to be solved.”

The gathering was facilitated by Mr Malcolm Hart, Senior Youth Ministry Project Officer for the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life, who shared his reflections on the three goals and eight focus areas of the document and recent developments in youth ministry from across Australia.

Mrs Karen Lunney, Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Sandhurst Diocese outlined the journey of many years towards a ratified and published national vision for youth ministry. Initiated by the Australian Network of Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinators (ANDYMC), the consultation process and subsequent writing of the document was the work of a team of people under the guidance of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life.

“I am so pleased to see the final printed document. It has been a marathon effort on behalf of all involved, and will hopefully provide a language with which we can negotiate the youth ministry terrain in a post WYD Australia,” she said.

Bishop Joseph Grech, the Bishops Delegate for Youth on the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life describes the importance of youth ministry in his introduction to Anointed and Sent.

“We are all in relationship with young people in some way, and each young person is important. Young people are a part of our community and we all need to be active in ministry with them to reflect this,” he said. “There are many strategies for youth ministry that link to this framework, from the national and diocesan level to youth ministry in parishes and schools. I encourage everyone to use Anointed and Sent as a resource for reflection and action, and find ways to meet the goals and the focus areas that fit your community.”

Representing the Bishops Commission for Church Ministry, Bishop Malone, Bishop Heenan and Bishop Finnigan were joined at the gathering by representatives of 16 Lay Movements and organisations including youth movements. A highlight of the gathering was hearing the realities and thoughts from three young people about how to understand and engage youth in the Church.

Anointed and Sent: An Australian Vision for Catholic Youth Ministry will be distributed to parishes and secondary schools around Australia. Additional copies can be can be purchased/ordered through
the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Youth Ministry website at www.youthministry.catholic.org.au.
Media Contact: Kimberly Davis on 02 6201 9867.Source: http://www.youthministry.catholic.org.au/

TODAY'S SAINT
St. Pantaleon
MARTYR
Feast: July 27
Patron of:
against consumption, against tuberculosis bachelors, doctors, physicians, torture victims

He was a martyr, and died about 305. He was the son of Eustorgius of Nicomedia, and had been instructed in Christianity by his Christian mother, Eubula. He abandoned the Faith, studied medicine and became physician to the Emperor Maximianus. The priest Hermolaus converted him back to Christianity.He was tortured under the Emperor Diocletian for his Faith. His name Panteleemon means the all-compassionate. A phial containing some of his blood has been preserved at Constantinople. On the feast day of the saint the blood is said to become fluid and to bubble. Relics of the saint are to be found at St. Denis at Paris; his head is venerated at Lyons. His feast day is 27 July, also 28 July, and 18 February.(With files from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/P/stpantaleon.asp)
TODAY'S SAINTLY QUOTE

To serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there, and to live under her commands is more than to govern. St. John Vianney

TODAY'S GOSPEL

Matthew 13: 31 - 35
Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field;
it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened."
All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable.
This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world."

Sunday, July 26, 2009

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: SUN. JULY 26, 2009


CATHOLIC NEWS JULY 26: HEADLINES
POPE OFFERS REFLECTION ON YEAR OF THE PRIEST
POPE ASKS FAITHFUL TO HONOUR GRANDPARENTS
INDIA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH LEADER PROGRAM
AFRICA: SEMINARIANS HELPED VICTIMS OF WAR
AUSTRALIA: SHOOTINGS IN PAPUA
ENGLAND: JOHN RYAN, CATHOLIC CARTOONIST DIES


POPE OFFERS REFLECTION ON YEAR OF THE PRIEST

The Pope offered a reflection on today's Gospel. He spoke in reference to the "year of the Priest". "The verb is ‘eucharistein’ and recalls directly the Last Supper, during which John does not refer to the institution of the Eucharist, but to the washing of feet."
During the Year for Priests, Pope Benedict said, "we priests especially can turn again to this text of John, where the Apostles say: Where will we be able to find bread for all these people? Reading of this anonymous boy who has five loaves and two fish, we too come to say spontaneously: But, what is this for such a crowd?"
"Who am I? How can I, with my limitations, help Jesus in His mission?" He continued: "The Lord’s response is that by placing in his ‘holy and venerable’ hands the little that they are, priests become instruments of salvation for many, for all!"




POPE ASKS FAITHFUL TO HONOUR GRANDPARENTS
For the feast of St. Anne & Joachim, grandparents of Jesus, the Pope offered some reflections. He said grandparents "who in families are often the witnesses of the fundamental values of life."
"The educational role of grandparents is always very important and becomes even more so when, for various reasons, parents are unable to dedicate an adequate amount of time to their children. I entrust to the protection of St. Anne and St. Joachim all grandparents of the world, imparting a special blessing." He called the faithful to pray for their grandparents. (With files & images from: http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/index.asp)

ASIA
INDIA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH LEADER PROGRAM

India is hosting 50 Catholic youth leaders from 20 countries attending the bhaichara (brotherhood) program jointly organized by the Federation Internationale des Mouvements Catholiques d'Action Paroissale (FIMCAP) or International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements, and the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM).
The FIMCAP hosts camps every three years and this is the first time that India is hosting one. The ICYM is part of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India's youth commission.
The event took place in New Delhi on July 18 and stayed for three days.
The leaders will spend the next two weeks with tribal families in Assam and Meghalaya in northeastern India, and Kolkata in the east. They would teach children, take care of the sick and interact with local diocesan leaders.
"This is not just a tourism project but a fellowship meeting with the people from rural areas," said one of the priests involved.
FIMCAP director Father Albeiro Vaquez said that program participants are active in their local parishes and dioceses. The Indian exposure program, he said, would give them an opportunity to interact with people of other religions, traditions and cultures. It would also help them learn about youth groups in other countries.
(With files from: http://www.ucanews.com/2009/07/24/youth-leaders-hope-to-gain-from-international-program/)

AFRICA
SEMINARIANS HELPED VICTIMS OF WAR
In northern Uganda, a seminary is training pastoral workers to help many refugees who are traumatized by the civil war. Fr Cosmas Alule, rector of the Gulu seminary, said although the war is over, many people are deeply traumatised, having witnessed such horrors as their own mothers, sisters and wives being raped, children abducted and others murdered.
Future priests at the seminary who have also been scathed by the war, some born in refugee camps or had been among those abductees, are helping refugees re-build a new life for themselves as an entire generation has grown up not knowing a normal life.
"The refugee camp that had built up around the seminary during the time of the civil war is now becoming progressively emptier and around 80 per cent of the refugees have returned to their home villages," the rector said.
"Now these future priests are going into the villages, helping the returning refugees to build a new life for themselves. Many are teaching the children in the schools," Fr Alule said.
(With files from: http://allafrica.com/stories/200907240764.html)

AUSTRALIA
SHOOTINGS IN PAPUA
Police arrested 15 suspects after shootings in Papua, but a local priest said the real perpetrators of the crime are thought to be military-linked gunmen.
On Wednesday, gunmen targetted a convoy of buses carrying Freeport employees as they drove on the sole road from the coast to the highland mine, where a series of similar ambushes killed three people earlier this month, Radio New Zealand International reported.
Attacks near the Freeport McRoRan mines since July 11 has killed one Australian, a mine employee. Drew Grant, 29, of Melbourne, had just become a father nine weeks ago.
An Indonesian police spokesman said 15 people, all understood to be Papuans, have been arrested in relation to the killings on July 11 and 12, eight of whom are considered suspects, the Radio New Zealand International report said.
Fr Neles Tebay of the Catholic Peace and Justice Secretariat in Jayapura says it's widely believed that military linked gunmen are behind the shootings.
"But I think it will be difficult for the police to really publicise the real party responsible for the attack. I think at the end, Papuans will pay the price. Some Papuans, I think, will be blamed as being responsible for the attack."
(With files from: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15357)
EUROPE
JOHN RYAN, CATHOLIC CARTOONIST DIES

John Ryan cartoonist for the Catholic Herald has died at the age of 88. He died yesterday at Cottage Hospital in Rye, East Sussex. Luke Coppen, editor of The Catholic Herald, said: "There is great sadness in the office today. John was one of our longest-serving and best-loved contributors. He created a hilarious visual chronicle of the post-Vatican II Church. No other Catholic cartoonist, it is safe to say, depicted the period with such consistent wit and insight. He will be greatly missed." Ryan began to work for the Herald in 1964. Please pray for the repose of his soul & his family. (With files from: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000601.shtml)

AMERICA

DIVINE MERCY CONFERENCE

A Divine Mercy Conference entitled: "Jesus Our Healer and Strength" will take place
August 1, 2009 - 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Located in the Los Angeles Convention Center on
1201 S. Figueroa St.Los Angeles, California, United States
The price is
$25.00 (30.00 after July 19 and at the door) 10.00 for children 5-15 years old
Please contact
Frances Guerrero, Guadalupe Radio 87.7 FM
Email: mailto:fguerrero@guadaluperadio.com
Telephone: 626-444-4442 Ext 139
for additional information.
Doors open at 7am.Speakers:Father Fernando Suarez, CC- Complete trust in Jesus the HealerFather Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC and Marie Romagnano, RN- The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion for the Sick,Injured and DyingConcert/Testimony: Donna Lee - God is Rich in MercyMusic Ministry: Forever Grateful Charismatic CommunityCome and immerse yourself in: - the Sacrament of Confession- a Healing Mass with Father Fernando Suarez- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (5th decade of the Chaplet to be chanted by music ministry)(With files from: http://thedivinemercy.org/news/event.php?EID=299)

TODAY'S SAINTS

St. Anne
MOTHER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Feast: July 26
Patron of:
Housewives, women in labor, cabinet-makers, and miners

apocryphal literature, chiefly the Protoevangelium of James, second century. In this document we are told that Anne, wife of Joachim, an angel appeared and said to her, "Anne, the Lord hath heard thy prayer and thou shalt conceive and bring forth, and thy seed shall be spoken of in all the world." Anne replied, "As the Lord my God liveth, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the days of its life " Her emblem is a door. The name Anne derives from the Hebrew Hannah, meaning "grace."
(With files from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/A/stanne.asp)

St. Joachim
FATHER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Feast day: July 26
Patron of:
Fathers, Grandparents

Joachim (whose name means Yahweh prepares), was the father of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (With files from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjoachim.asp
TODAY'S SAINTLY QUOTE

Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray. St. Louis de Montfort

TODAY'S MASS READINGS

2 Kings 4: 42 - 44
A man came from Ba'al-shal'ishah, bringing the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Eli'sha said, "Give to the men, that they may eat."
But his servant said, "How am I to set this before a hundred men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, `They shall eat and have some left.'"
So he set it before them. And they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.




Psalms 145: 10 - 11, 15 - 18

All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O LORD, and all thy saints shall bless thee!
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power,
The eyes of all look to thee, and thou givest them their food in due season.
Thou openest thy hand, thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.


Ephesians 4: 1 - 6
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love,
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.

John 6: 1 - 15
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber'i-as.
And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased.
Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples.
Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?"
This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,
"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost."
So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.
When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!"
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.