VATICAN: POPE: 50,000 EURO TO AFRICA- CALLS ON NATIONS TO HELP
AUSTRALIA: REST IN PEACE FR. GERARD RYAN- AGE 97
VATICAN: POPE: 50,000 EURO TO AFRICA- CALLS ON NATIONS TO HELP
AID FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE HORN OF AFRICA
VATICAN CITY, 19 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" today released the following communique:
"As the Holy Father Benedict XVI recalled in an appeal he made following the Angelus on Sunday 17 July, the famine caused by a drought in the Horn of Africa is provoking a critical humanitarian emergency. Around ten million people are suffering, and hundreds of thousands of refugees risk dying because of a lack of basic necessities. Somalia and northern Kenya are the worst struck areas. (IMAGE SOURCE: RADIO VATICANA)
"As a sign of his closeness and concern the Pope has, via the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum', sent the sum of euro 50,000 to Bishop Giorgio Bertin O.F.M., apostolic administrator of Mogadishu, who is directly involved in bringing assistance to the people affected".
CON-CU/
VATICAN CITY, 19 JUL 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, as a counsellor of the Pontifical Commission forLatin America.
- Appointed as members of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America: Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, archbishop emeritus of Santiago de Chile, Chile; Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval C.SS.R., archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia; Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga S.D.B., archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru, and Cardinal Hummes O.F.M., prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy.
- Appointed Joseph F. X. Zahra, a member of the governing council of the "Centesimus Annus-Pro Pontefice" Foundation, as international reviser of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See.
- Appointed as members of the Academic Council of the Holy See's Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Universities and Ecclesiastical Faculties (AVEPRO): Fr. Gabino Uribarri Bilbao S.J., dean of the faculty of theology at the Pontifical University of "Comillias" in Madrid, Spain; Pascal Mueller-Jourdan, professor of theology at the faculty of theology in the "Universtie Catholique de l'Ouest", Angers, France, and Sigrid Muller, vice dean of the "Katholisch-Theologische Fakultat" at the University of Vienna, Austria.
- Appointed Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. Cap. of Denver, U.S.A., as archbishop ofPhiladelphia (area 5,652, population 3,892,194, Catholics 1,464,938, priests 988, permanent deacons 234, religious 3,244), U.S.A. He succeeds Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Fr. Gregory John Hartmayer O.F.M. Conv., pastor of the parish of St. John Vianney at Lithia Springs in the archdiocese of Atlanta, U.S.A., as bishop of Savannah (area 95,928, population 2,904,000, Catholics 84,500, priests 104, permanent deacons 56, religious 114), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born inBuffalo, U.S.A. in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1979. He succeeds Bishop John Kevin Boland, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
AMERICA: USA: CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE FOUNDER DIES- AGE 79- WARREN CARROLL
CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE RELEASE: Warren H. Carroll, Founding and First President of Christendom College and Chairman of its History Department for its first twenty-five years, died on Sunday, July 17. Aged 79, he received last rites prior to his death in his home. Carroll was in a weakened condition having suffered several strokes in the last several years and was recovering from pneumonia. Cardiopulmonary failure was the official cause of death.
A native of Maine, Carroll was a summa cum laudehistory graduate of Bates College, achieved an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Columbia University, and attended law school in 1962-64. Between 1955 and 1961 he served two years with the U.S. Army Signal Corps, worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, and worked as an assistant command historian for the Second Air Force, Strategic Air Command. In 1967-70 he was a member of the California State Senate staff, and in 1970-72 worked as a staff member for the U.S. Congress.
A convert to Catholicism, Carroll saw what was wrong in modern education a long time before he saw what was right about Christianity. He maintained that the people teaching in the university did not care whether truth existed or not, and it didn’t matter to them. But to him, it mattered a great deal. In 1968, precisely when “everyone” was leaving, Carroll converted to the Catholic Church under the influence of his wife, Anne.
In 1973, he joined the staff of Triumph, a monthly Catholic journal of opinion founded by L. Brent Bozell. When Triumph and its summer program came to an end, Carroll determined to perpetuate its vision by founding a college. In September, 1977, Christendom College opened its doors in Triangle, Virginia, from which it has since moved to its permanent location in Front Royal, Virginia. Carroll founded Christendom as a co-educational liberal arts undergraduate college in response to the Second Vatican Council’s call for the formation of lay apostles. He served as the College’s president from its opening until 1985 and then as the chairman of its History Department until his retirement in 2002.
His explanations of the historic D-Day invasions; the complications of Watergate and the Vietnam War; the Battle of Lepanto; the Crusades; the Inquisition; Henry II kneeling for three days in the snow before Gregory VII; the story of Charles the Fat and Charles the Bald; the missionary work of Matteo Ricci; the great theological battle over “homoousios vs homoiousios;” and the Robber Council of Ephesus could never be surpassed. And then there are the memorable phrases: “History can be summed up in five words: Truth exists. The Incarnation happened,” “You can never bribe a pope,” and “One man can make a difference.”
His love of teaching history naturally spilled over into writing history: 1917: Red Banners White Mantle, Isabel of Spain, Our Lady of Guadalupe, The Rise and Fall of the Communist Revolution,The Last Crusade, and The Guillotine and the Cross.
Carroll is also known for his major work, the multi-volumeHistory of Christendom. Five volumes have been published to date; together they present a narrative account of European and Catholic history from antiquity through the year 1815. The series is noteworthy for its frank Catholic understanding of crucial historical events, from the Crusades to the French Revolution.
Carroll received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Christendom College in 1999 Additionally, he was awarded the college’s “Pro Deo et Patria Medal for Distinguished Service to God and Country,” and was the inaugural recipient of Christendom’s “Queen Isabel Catholic Vision of History Award,” both in 2007.
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| Carroll recives Christendom's "Queen Isabel Catholic Vision of History Award" from College President Dr. Tiimothy O'Donnell in 2007. |
It is through his teaching enterprise at Christendom College that Carroll was able to reveal and develop his extraordinary skills as a Catholic historian, teacher, and author. He has won a well-deserved reputation as one of the foremost Catholic historians of our time, perhaps the greatest of the 20th Century.
Carroll leaves behind his wife Anne, and his adopted children and grandchildren – the 2640 alumni of Christendom College, which includes 300 alumna-to-alumnus marriages (with 1000s of children), 63 priests, and 43 religious sisters and brothers.
Additionally, Carroll is survived by his sister, Sally Watson of South Berwick, Maine; his niece, Carolyn Jones of South Berwick; and his nephew James Watson of Virginia.
Eternal rest grant unto Dr. Warren Carroll, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.
EUROPE: HOLLAND: NOAH'S ARK- LIFE SIZE- NEAR COMPLETION
CATH NEWS REPORT: For three years, the quaint old city of Dordrecht has watched in amazement as a local businessman's dream of building a real-life Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, became a reality, says an AFP report in the Australian.
The enormous vessel stands at an abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65km south of Amsterdam.
Here, Johan Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees put the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence.
"We want to tell people about God," the deeply religious Dutchman answered when asked why he undertook the project. "We wanted to build something that can help explain the Bible in real terms."
His undertaking is all the more amazing as Huibers is building the replica according to ancient standards cited in the Book of Genesis, which say the boat was 300 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 50 cubits wide.The plan is to open what Huibers, who is in construction, calls "a Bible museum" by the end of the year, but he will allow local residents in on a one-day sneak preview later this month.
With a cubit estimated roughly as the distance between the elbow and fingertips, or a half-metre, this makes the ark's dimensions staggering - about 150m long (490 feet), roughly four storeys high and some 25m across. It weighs around 3000 tonnes, Huibers said.
A massive roof protects sprawling decks where Huibers plans to place life-sized replicas of some 1600 animal species to represent the Biblical tale of Noah, who was ordered by God to build the ark to save his family and animals of all species before the earth was swamped by a massive flood.
"The wood is Swedish pine, because that's the closest we think to the 'resin wood' God ordered Noah to use in the Bible. The animals are plastic and come from the Philippines," Huibers said.
On board there will be sleeping quarters, including Noah's bedroom, a theatre and stage, a fully equipped restaurant as well as conference facilities to seat 1500 people.
ASIA: TAIWAN: BISHOPS CALL ON YOUTH TO RENEW CHURCH
UCAN REPORT: A bishop is encouraging youths to spend less time surfing the Internet in order to talk with God and spread the Good News to their friends.
Young Catholics should be God’s living witnesses and attract their peers to Jesus, said Archbishop Peter Liu Cheng-chung of Kaohsiung at the closing Mass of the annual Taiwan Youth Day.
“We need the vigor of young Catholics to renew the Church,” the 60-year-old archbishop told the 600 participants.
This year’s event, hosted by Kaohsiung diocese, was held at Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages and St. Dominic High School, July 14-17. The theme was: “Love and communion — bring everything together under Christ.”
Heavy rain forced an open air concert outside the Kaohsiung Cultural Center on Saturday night indoors into the school hall. But it did not diminish the joyous atmosphere. Participants waved luminous sticks while singing and dancing together.
Other activities during the four-day program included a pilgrimage to eight historical churches to let the young people from all seven dioceses in Taiwan learn about the 150-year history of Kaohsiung diocese, as well as seminars on vocations and the Theology of the Body – the late Pope John Paul II’s integrated vision of the human person; namely their body, soul, and spirit.
Organizer, Bishop Thomas Chung An-zu of Chiayi, told the young participants that this year’s theme was similar to that of World Youth Day next month. The gathering in Madrid August 16-21 bears the theme: “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith.”
The verbs “planted” and “built” means Jesus takes the initiative in planting, building and making firm His people’s faith, explained the director of the Catholic bishops’ youth desk at the opening Mass.
At the end of the gathering, Archbishop Liu also blessed the delegates who are to attend World Youth Day and wished them a smooth and safe journey.
BY: Margarita Chen, Kaohsiung
http://www.ucanews.com/2011/07/19/bishop-urges-young-to-renew-church/
AFRICA: EAST: CATASTROPHIC DROUGHT- GOVERNMENTS NEED TO HELP
AUSTRALIA: REST IN PEACE FR. GERARD RYAN- AGE 97
DIOCESE OF MELBOURNE RELEASE: Monday 18 July 2011
Fr Gerard Paul Ryan PE died at St Vincent’s Hospital, Fitzroy on Saturday 16 July.
Fr Ryan served the Church in a very positive and pastorally enriching manner, giving fine example to both his brother priests and the community for almost 72 years.
He was the founding parish priest of St Thomas the Apsotle Parish, Blackburn, and subsequently Parish Priest of St Kevin’s Parish, Ormond and St Brigid’s Parish, Greythorn. Fr Ryan was appointed Pastor Emeritus on 29 January 2008. Fr Ryan was in the 97th year of his age.
The Pontifical Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St Brigid’s Church, Greythorn on Friday 22 July 2011 at 10.30am. The burial will be held at the Priests’ Crypt, Melbourne General Cemetery.
http://www.cam.org.au/parish-school-news/vale-fr-gerard-paul-ryan-pe.html
TODAY'S SAINT: JULY 19: ST. ARSENIUS
St. Arsenius
CONFESSOR AND HERMIT ON THE NILE
Feast: July 19
Anchorite; born 354, at Rome; died 450, at Troe, in Egypt. Theodosius the Great having requested the Emperor Gratian and Pope Damasus to find him in the West a tutor for his son Arcadius, they made choice of Arsenius, a man well read in Greek literature, member of a noble Roman family, and said to have been a deacon of the Roman Church. He reached Constantinople in 383, and continued as tutor in the imperial family for eleven years, during the last three of which he also had charge of his pupil's brother Honorius. Coming one day to see his children at their studies, Theodosius found them sitting while Arsenius talked to them standing. This he would not tolerate, and caused the teacher to sit and the pupils to stand. On his arrival at court Arsenius had been given a splendid establishment, and probably because the Emperor so desired, he lived in great pomp, but all the time felt a growing inclination to renounce the world. After praying long to be enlightened as to what he should do, he heard a voice saying "Arsenius, flee the company of men, and thou shalt be saved." Thereupon he embarked secretly for Alexandria, and hastening to the desert of Scetis, asked to be admitted among the solitaries who dwelt there. St. John the Dwarf, to whose cell he was conducted, though previously warned of the quality of his visitor, took no notice of him and left him standing by himself while he invited the rest to sit down at table. When therepast was half finished he threw down some bread before him, bidding him with an air of indifference eat if he would. Arsenius meekly picked up the bread and ate, sitting on the ground. Satisfied with this proof of humility, St. John kept him under his direction. The new solitary was from the first most exemplary yet unwittingly retained certain of his old habits, such as sitting cross-legged or laying one foot over the other. Noticing this, the abbot requested some one to imitate Arsenius's posture at the next gathering of the brethren, and upon his doing so, forthwith rebuked him publicly. Arsenius took the hint and corrected himself. During the fifty-five years of his solitary life he was always the most meanly clad of all, thus punishing himself for his former seeming vanity in the world. In like manner, to atone for having used perfumes at court, he never changed the water in which he moistened the palm leaves of which he made mats, but only poured in fresh water upon it as it wasted, thus letting it become stenchy in the extreme. Even while engaged in manual labour he never relaxed in his application to prayer. At all times copious tears of devotion fell from his eyes. But what distinguished him most was his disinclination to all that might interrupt his union with God. When, after long search, his place of retreat was discovered, he not only refused to return to court and act as adviser to his former pupil the Emperor Arcadius, but he would not even be his almoner to the poor and the monasteries of the neighbourhood. He invariably denied himself to visitors, no matter what their rank and condition and left to his disciples the care of entertaining them. His contemporaries so admired him as to surname him "the Great". |
SOURCE: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/A/starsenius.asp#ixzz1SZOVdgs6
TODAY'S GOSPEL: JULY 19: Matthew 12: 46- 50
| Matthew 12: 46 - 50 | |
| 46 | While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. |
| 48 | But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" |
| 49 | And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! |
| 50 | For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother." |
