ASIA: VIETNAM: ROSARY PRAYED FOR PEACE IN WORLD
AMERICA: CANADA: NEW ARCHBISHOP FOR GATINEAU
AFRICA: KENYA: PRIEST CALLS FOR PROMOTION OF GOSPEL MUSIC
EUROPE: GERMANY: MISSIONARY MEETING WITH 21 COUNTRY PARTICIPATION
AUSTRALIA: MOURNING FOR COPTIC COMMUNITY
TODAY'S SAINT: OCT. 11: ST. TARACHUS
TODAY'S GOSPEL: OCT. 11: LUKE 11: 37-41
CARITAS ORGANISES A WEEK OF SOLIDARITY INROME
VATICAN CITY, 11 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This week diocesan Caritas inRome will celebrate a series of initiatives under the title of "Capitale solidale". The aim is "to analyse difficulties, discern changes, share experiences and create a network of relationships between people for the common good" in the diocese of which the Pope is bishop. (IMAGE RADIO VATICANA)
Over the course of the week a number of places symbolic of solidarity, such as Caritas canteens and shelters, will host lectures, roundtable discussions, book presentations, concerts, theatrical performances, exhibitions, etc. "A series of events addressed at different sectors of the public with the aim of spreading a culture of solidarity in which concern for those in greatest need is real and authentic", according to a communique from Msgr. Enrico Feroci, director of Caritas in Rome.
"The theme chosen this year is 'Faces and Narratives from a United City' and the participants will be the users of Caritas centres, volunteers, social workers and service providers. The intention is to make people aware of the daily efforts of solidarity made by thousands of people, efforts which often pass unobserved, precisely because they are 'ordinary' in their extraordinariness", Msgr. Feroci says.
Today at the Caritas centre of Villa Glori a discussion will be held on the "rights of refugees and of people under international protection", while tomorrow a photographic exhibition entitled "The Face and Gaze of the Poor" will be inaugurated at the Capitol, dedicated to Fr. Luigi Di Liegro, founder of Roman Caritas. A Mass for Fr. Di Liegro will be celebrated at 6 p.m. this evening in the Roman basilica of the Holy Apostles. On Thursday 13 October, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the Pope's vicar general for the diocese of Rome, will preside at a missionary vigil in the basilica of St. John Lateran.
On Friday 14 October, the headquarters of Rome's provincial administration will host a discussion entitled: "From Problems to People: encountering man in order to reanimate politics; possible routes to a shared society". Among the participants will be Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and Claudio Cecchini, provincial councillor for social policies, the family and institutional relations. On the afternoon of Saturday 15 October, young people from the diocese of Rome will meet with the Pope in St. Peter's Square. The week will end on Sunday 16 October with a meeting to be held at the Caritas centre of Santa Giacinta, under the title: "Recount and Resist. This unknown territory, voices and narratives from a united city", followed by a performance entitled: "Voices and Music for an Evening of Solidarity".
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PUBLICATION OF 74TH EDITION OF THE MISSIONARY BIBLIOGRAPHY
VATICAN CITY, 11 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Library of the Pontifical Urban University has published the seventy-fourth volume of its "Missionary Bibliography" for the year 2010. The work, which appears annually, is a compendium of information concerning the missions taken from 800 publications worldwide, The text is in English, while quotes from other works remain in their original language.
The latest edition contains 4,480 articles and essays on twenty-three subjects including the theology and history of missions, their current state and future prospects, missionary institutions, ecumenical dialogue and the mission, religions, missions and atheism, and the situation of the mission on various continents. It also includes reviews of forty-five books on missionary topics.
ASIA: VIETNAM: ROSARY PRAYED FOR PEACE IN WORLD
The faithful of Ho Chi Minh City welcome message from Benedict XVI’s in Vietnamese and dedicated to Assisi Word Day. Redemptorist Priest: Prayer is the means to contribute to peace. Christian activist: social work through the proclamation of the Good News.
Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - In the month dedicated to the Rosary, Vietnamese Catholics are praying to Our Lady for peace in the country and the world. The intentions of the faithful follow the indications given by Pope Benedict XVI - in a message in Vietnamese - recently read in all parishes of the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City and dedicated to the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, scheduled for October 27. Under the spirit of communion, the local community has initiated charitable and social activities, meetings devoted to promoting inter-religious dialogue between and organized joint activities among Catholics, government officials and citizens of other religions or atheists.This year marks the 25th World Day of Prayer, celebrated for the first time in 1986 by Pope John Paul II. On the occasion of the anniversary, Pope Benedict will hold a special meeting to be attended by some representatives of major world religions. To meet the expectations of Benedict XVI, Vietnamese Catholics - priests and laity – are reciting the rosary with a special intention for peace and social justice in the country and around the world.
Speaking to AsiaNews Fr Vincent Pham Trung Thanh, Redemptorist provincial superior of the Ho Chi Minh City, said that "prayer is the means to contribute to peace and to lead us on the path of righteousness." Through prayer, the priest continues, it is possible to "strengthen the faith" and "bring peace to the world." "The love of God – he says - is the support of our spiritual strength. Prayer will help in the dialogue with our brothers and sisters. " And he concludes: "we can make our appeal for peace and justice in many ways," including "serving others, especially the poor."
Mrs. Grace a Christian active in social work, is committed to helping "street vendors, the disabled, elderly and poor." The woman, of U.S. origin, points out that by "loving one another, we may witness the Good News" because "one of the best ways to evangelize is to integrate with the Vietnamese culture." In recent days, a Buddhist nun named Thích nữ Hương Nhủ held a meeting at the Pastoral Center of the former Saigon, which was attended by 200 Catholics. The woman spoke richness of heart as an element that enhances everyone's life, a spiritual treasure, she added, that "is totally different from material goods."
AMERICA: CANADA: NEW ARCHBISHOP FOR GATINEAU
CCCB –
He entered
Archbishop Ébacher was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Amos on May 27, 1961. Holding a doctorate in philosophy, he first worked in education at the Collège d’Amos. He was Vicar General of the Diocese of Amos when in June 1979 he was named Bishop of Baie-Comeau (at that time Hauterive). On April 6, 1988, he was named Bishop of Gatineau (at that time Gatineau-Hull), and became its first Archbishop in October 1990. Over the course of his 32 years as Bishop, Archbishop Ébacher served a number of terms on the CCCB Permanent Council between 1987 and 2007, in addition to being a member of a number of CCCB Commissions and Ad Hoc Committees. He was also a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1985 to 1993.
The Archdiocese of Gatineau has 53 parishes and missions, with a Catholic population of 256,800, which is served by 45 diocesan priests, 25 priests who are members of religious communities, 183 Religious Sisters and Brothers, one permanent deacon and 18 lay pastoral assistants.
http://www.cccb.ca/site/eng/media-room/3173-appointment-of-new-archbishop-for-gatineau
AFRICA: KENYA: PRIEST CALLS FOR PROMOTION OF GOSPEL MUSIC
He said although some of the Christians were gifted in this field, the Church in some quarters continued to suffer from lack of serious singing for the sake of God’s praise.
Rev Fr Henry Kiritu, in charge of Liturgy at Nairobi’s Holy Family Basilica made the remarks when he welcomed a visiting Catholic Church choir, Saint Agnes, from Makindye Parish in the Archdiocese of Kampala, Uganda.
“Those of us gifted in the gospel singing should move in to join either existing church choirs or volunteer to train others in the music,” he said.
“The two choirs that exist at the Basilica currently lack enough members and technical know-how, which some of our Christians understand,” he added.
“There is need for those of us gifted in one way or the other in this area to step in and assist,” he further said.
He added that effective inter-country visits among the Catholic Church choirs within the East African community, would assist towards team-building among choirs in the region.
On his part, the director of the visiting Church choir, Mr Alex Ssendyowa, thanked the Basilica’s Saint Michael Choir, which had invited them to the country.
“We are here as part of our team-building capacity and we hope our counterpart here, Saint Michael Choir, will reciprocate in future”, he explained.
EUROPE: GERMANY: MISSIONARY MEETING WITH 21 COUNTRY PARTICIPATION
The reflection was carried out by Professor Fr. Luigi Sabbarese, a Scalabrini missionary, professor at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. His speech, titled "The catholicity of the Church in the world today. What mission for each Christian?" highlighted the universality as a fundamental note which belongs right from the beginning to the Church of Christ and that also qualifies the identity and mission of every baptized person. Prof. Sabbarese applied this aspect to the migration context. The migrant becomes for the Church and for every Christian a positive "pro-vocation" to make visible at a local level the Catholic dimension of Christian faith, able not only to incarnate itself in all cultures and different human realities, but also to create communion among the diversities it embraces.
Every Christian, immigrant or native, is sent, therefore, to live the mission of contributing to the realization of God's plan: the birth of a new humanity always more and more united in the valorisation of legitimate diversities. Of this humanity, the Church is called to anticipate with her testimony. Through the different phases of the Scalabrini-Fest, the participants tried to identify together the new steps to live the mission of Catholicism in their daily lives, in the trust that the Eucharist is already transforming us in the only Body of Christ. (LD) (Agenzia Fides 12/10/2011)
AUSTRALIA: MOURNING FOR COPTIC COMMUNITY
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese report
11 Oct 2011
Egyptian Coptic Christians protested
against burning of their churches
More than 1000 members of Sydney's Egyptian community together with religious leaders from Catholic and Protestant churches as well as other faiths, will gather at St Mary and St Mina's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Bexley tonight to mourn the 26 killed and more than 200 injured in the violence that erupted in Cairo at the weekend.
Today, Tuesday 11 October, will also mark the beginning of three days of fasting and prayer for 16 million Copts worldwide and the 12 million Copts in Egypt, in memory of those killed and injured in Cairo's weekend of bloody violence.
The bloodshed occurred on Sunday night when Islamist extremist thugs attacked a non-violent demonstration by the nation's Coptic Christian minority protesting the burning of their churches and the failure of Egypt's military council to implement reforms to protect them and their houses of worship.
The Bishop of the Sydney Orthodox Coptic Diocese and its Affiliated Regions, His Grace Bishop Daniel is currently in Egypt and as the violence in Cairo continues, has been in constant touch with his diocese here in Australia as well as with His Grace, Bishop Anba Suriel, the Melbourne-based leader of Australia's 100,000-plus Coptic Christians.
Non violent protest by Egypt's Christian minority
became a night of terror
"Bishop Daniel has been monitoring events and we talk regularly by phone about events as they unfold," says the Reverend Father Suriel Hanna of Sydney's St Antonius and St Paul's Coptic Orthodox Church, Guilford.
In the wake of Sunday's violence and the brutal crackdown by Egypt's military, Fr Suriel fully endorses the call made this morning by His Grace Bishop Anba Suriel for the expulsion of the Egyptian Ambassador in Australia and the Egyptian Consuls based in Sydney and Melbourne.
"We have lost confidence in them," Fr Suriel says and expresses his frustration with these officials who have shown no concern, sympathy or taken any action in the face of the worsening attacks against Coptic Christians across Egypt.
What began as a peaceful unarmed demonstration in Cairo on Sunday night, 10 October, turned ugly after Muslim extremist thugs clashed with the unarmed Christian protestors. But it was the arrival of the military that led to the bloody rampage that saw so many dead and injured. With no regard for civilians or their lives, the Egyptian army drove large tanks and armoured personnel carriers at high speed into the crowds, killing and injuring some and scattering terrified men, women and children.
St Mary & St Mina's Orthodox Coptic Cathedral
where Memorial Service will take place tonight
"The Coptic protest was non-violent. No one had weapons. Permission for the march had been given by the minister of the military. The demonstration was simply a way for Copts in Egypt to ask for basic human rights and to protest the burning of our churches and attacks on our people by hardliners. It was also a protest against Egypt's ruling military council's inaction in protecting Coptic Christians or their churches," Fr Suriel says.
The Sydney's Coptic community is shocked and saddened by the rising toll of injured and dead, he says and points out that the Copts at the demonstration in Cairo were not only unarmed but were carrying large crucifixes and white banners as well as wearing white arm bands as a symbol of peace. But with the arrival of Islamist extremists wielding batons, sticks, swords, petrol bombs and firearms, followed by the military in their tanks and personnel carriers, the event quickly got out of hand and deteriorated into bloody mayhem.
In the horrific aftermath the wide street near a Coptic hospital was littered with burned cars, smashed glass and bloodied pavements where people lay dead or injured. As grieving relatives rushed to find family members, a Coptic priest told a British reporter he had seen five people killed after being mowed down by a speeding army vehicle.
Fr Suriel Hanna says Australia's
Coptic community has lost confidence
in the Egyptian Embassy
and Consulates
Last night, His Holiness, Pope Shenouda III, the spiritual leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church called an emergency meeting of the Holy Synod. After his meeting with 70 of the Church's senior bishops, he released a statement in which His Holiness accused Egypt's security forces of failing to stop anti-Christian agitators from turning what started out as a peaceful demonstration against church attacks into a sectarian riot in which at least 26 people, mostly Christians, were killed.
"Strangers got in the middle of our sons and committed mistakes to be blamed on our sons," his statement read with the Holy Synod expressing fears that the violence against Copts would continue to be repeated and those responsible would yet again go unpunished.
"We all know that the military council is trying to sow religious strife to stay in power and extend emergency law to prevent the democratic elections which are due to be held next month," Maha Adel Qasim, a 28-year-old Muslim who joined the Christians in their demonstration in a show of solidarity, told America's CBS news.
Copts have long been a target of discrimination and persecution in their native Egypt. Dating their conversion to Christianity back to the fourth and fifth centuries, the Copts trace their ancestry from the time of the ancient Pharaohs. Today they are the dominant Christian faith among Egypt's 8 million Christians in a country of 85 million. However since former president, Hosni Mubarak's outsted in February this year, the attacks and terror against them and their churches have dramatically increased.
"We have been persecuted for 1400 years. We are a church built on the blood of martyrs. We are a strong church and we will remain strong. All we are asking for are basic human rights and to practice our religion in freedom and without fear," Fr Suriel says. "We strongly believe in the power of prayer and fasting and at the end of the day, we are 100% sure the Lord will prevail and bring justice, if we remain strong in our faith.
Tonight's memorial service at St Mary & St Mina Cathedral, Guildford will begin at 7 pm and be presided over by the Vicar General of the Sydney Coptic Orthodox Diocese, the Very Reverend Father Tadros Samaan. All are welcome
http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/news/latest_news/2011/20111011_1350.shtml
TODAY'S SAINT: OCT. 11: ST. TARACHUS
Feast: October 11
Information:
Feast Day:
October 11
IN the year 304, Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus, differing in age and nationality, but united in the bonds of faith, being denounced as Christians to Numerian, Governor of Cilicia, were arrested at Pompeiopolis, and conducted to Tharsis. They underwent a first examination in that town, after which their limbs were torn with iron hooks, and they were taken back to prison covered with wounds. Being afterwards led to Mopsuestia, they were submitted to a second examination, ending in a manner equally cruel as the first. They underwent a third examination at Anazarbis, followed by greater torments still. The governor, unable to shake their constancy, had them kept imprisoned that he might torture them further at the approaching games. They were borne to the amphitheatre, but the most ferocious animals, on being let loose on them, came crouching to their feet and licked their wounds. The judge, reproaching the jailers with connivance, ordered the martyrs to be despatched by the gladiators.
(Taken from Catholic Encyclopedia)
TODAY'S GOSPEL: OCT. 11: LUKE 11: 37-41
37While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table.38The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.39And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness.40You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?41But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.
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