EUROPE: GREAT BRITAIN: EUROPEAN SHRINE DIRECTORS
CONFERENCE
ASIA: THAILAND: BISHOP CALLS LAITY TO MISSIONARY WORK
AFRICA: SOUTH SUDAN: BISHOPS HOPE FOR MORE VOCATIONS
AUSTRALIA: CATHOLIC YOUTH CAMP IN PARRAMATTA
AMERICA: CHILE: 1ST MISSIONARY CONGRESS ON HIGHER EDUCATION
TODAY'S SAINT: OCT. 22: BL. POPE JOHN PAUL IITODAY'S GOSPEL: OCT. 22: LUKE 13: 1 - 9
Philippa Hitchen caught up with the Californian conductor just before the concert to find out about his musical selection, about his feelings ahead of this first performance in the Vatican and about why he's so committed to working with young musicians.....
Listen:
"The combination of a deep musical training with an involvement in the society... it gave me such a sense of optimism that the next generation is really coming forward with a very serious commitment to the arts..."
"(The Te Deum) is a very challenging work for all voices, so challenging in fact that it's not often one has a chance to hear it performed.....but I think that we're all very positive that what we bring now to the Vatican will be something special."
"I've never been here before but ...the Vatican is a symbol and not just tied to one religion...it stands for much more...including history, tradition, art and spirituality....and for all these reasons it's a great honour"
EUROPE: GREAT BRITAIN: EUROPEAN SHRINE DIRECTORS CONFERENCE
CATHOLIC HERALD REPORT: Shrine directors from Germany, Slovenia, Romania, England, Poland, France, Ireland, Portugal and other countries attended the conference in Norfolk
By STAFF REPORTER on Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Archbishop McDonald pictured with the shrine directors (Graham Howard 2011/catholicchurch.org.uk)
Those responsible for some of the Catholic Church’s most famous and well-visited shrines in Europe gathered in England for a historic meeting at the end of last month.
Shrine directors from Germany, Slovenia, Romania, England, Poland, France, Ireland, Portugal and other countries, attended the conference in Norfolk and discussed why it is that shrines seem more popular than ever in the present age.
The theme of the gathering was “Evangelisation and gestures of popular piety” and it was hosted at one of England’s oldest shrines to Mary the Mother of God in Walsingham.
This year the shrine is celebrating its 950th anniversary and has had one of its busiest pilgrimage seasons ever, having received approximately 100,000 pilgrims. The number of pilgrims to Walsingham has risen for the past three years running.
An important part of life at Walsingham is the complementarity of the Anglican and Catholic shrines in the village. To that end, Bishop Lindsay Urwin, administrator of the Anglican shrine, joined the conference and the delegates to part in Evensong at the Anglican cathedral in Norwich.
The chairman of the gathering was Bishop Jacques Perrier of Tarbes and Lourdes, which receives millions of pilgrims each year. Archbishop Kevin McDonald also attended part of the conference, representing
the Bishops of England and Wales.
ASIA: THAILAND: BISHOP CALLS LAITY TO MISSIONARY WORK
Tomorrow we will celebrate World Mission. The message of Msgr. Chusak Sirisut, bishop of the diocese of Nakhon Ratchasima and chairman of the Committees on Education and the Mission of the Thai Catholic Bishops' Conference.
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Bangkok (AsiaNews) - "Jesus Christ transmitted his mission of salvation to his disciples, who have spread throughout the world. All Catholics, priests and laity, must consider missionary work a priority and a constant duty, to be achieved through constantly announcing the Good News with all their abilities. "On the occasion of World Mission Sunday tomorrow, Msgr. Chusak Sirisut, bishop of the diocese of Nakhon Ratchasima and chairman of the Committees on Education and the Catholic Mission of the Episcopal Conference of Thailand, called on all Catholics to understand that everyone has to be a missionary."In the past - the bishop said in a message - the Catholics believed that the evangelization of Christianity in Siam (now Thailand) was the role of foreign missionary, priests and religious... The laity had nothing to do with the mission". However, in Mgr. Sirisut this is correct only in part, because " over the past two thousand years the evangelization of the Good News begins from all – both by Jesus’ disciple and Catholics wherever they are, they proclaim the Good News."
"Today - adds the bishop - the missionaries are decreasing. For this reason we must make it clear to all Catholics that everyone has a role in evangelization, just like those who founded the Church in ancient times. "
Msgr. Sirisut concludes by asking: "How can we awaken and encourage the laity to evangelize side by side with the missionaries, priests and religious? Many have the answer within them. Many can understand the importance of their mission. "
AUSTRALIA: CATHOLIC YOUTH CAMP IN PARRAMATTA
WITHOUT CHRIST I AM NOTHING
DIOCESE OF PARRAMATTA REPORT: The Catholic Youth Parramatta Diocesan Youth Camp is back for 2011, with a weekend of spiritual revival, prayer, talks, activities, music and fun on offer for young people in the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta aged 16 to 35.
This year's camp, titled 'Without Christ I am Nothing' will be held at Naamaroo Uniting Venues in Chatswood from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 November.
Registrations are due by Monday 7 November.
Visit Catholic Youth ParramattaThe Catholic Youth Parramatta Diocesan Youth Camp is back for 2011!
A weekend full of spiritual revival, prayer, great talks, activities, music, fun & heaps more!
When
Friday 25 to Sunday 27 November
Ages
16-35
Place
Naamaroo Uniting Venues
Lady Game Dr
Chatswood
Price
$110
Registration
Due by Monday 7 November
Mark the dates in your diary, invite your friends and be sure to get in early as places are limited.
Dowload Camp PosterAFRICA: SOUTH SUDAN: BISHOPS HOPE FOR MORE VOCATIONS
Speaking during the recently concluded Church Symposium in Juba, Bishop Rudolf Deng Majak of the Catholic Diocese of Wau said the rate at which some priests and the religious were abandoning their pastoral duties is alarming.
According to Radio Good News, Bishop Deng warned the delegates at the National Symposium that history is going to judge this generation severely if the trend did not stop, especially at a time when people are direly in need of the Good News of Christ.
Meanwhile, Thomas Arik, a long serving catechist in the Diocese of Rumbek concurred with the bishop. He said the Diocese of Rumbek has been sending young people to major seminaries but very few have been ordained to priesthood. He wondered whether this was due to poor formation at the seminaries or lack of interest in priesthood among the young people.
Arik decried the low number of local priests in the Diocese of Rumbek, arguing that this was hindering evangelization. The diocese has a handful of diocesan priests with the rest being from various missionary religious congregations serving in its twelve parishes.
AMERICA: CHILE: 1ST MISSIONARY CONGRESS ON HIGHER EDUCATION
The first call to the New Evangelization was by Pope John Paul II and with this Congress the Catholic University wants to provide an initial response to this invitation, which was re-launched by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, to see how Higher Education manages to take its first steps towards the new evangelization.
The idea of the conference is to face the current missionary reality in Chile, and seek common ground between the various higher education projects, with the ability to draw a few lines of joint work for the development of missionary projects. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 21/10/2011)
TODAY'S SAINT: OCT. 22: BL. POPE JOHN PAUL II
Blessed Pope John Paul II was born and named Karol Jozef Wojtyla on May 18, 1920. He died on April 2, 2005 at the age of 84 years. He reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from October 16, 1978 until his death. He was the only Polish Pontiff to reign.
He was influencial in the downfall of Communism. He traveled more than any other Pope in history, visiting 129 countries. He spoke many languages including: Polish, Italian, Spanish, German, English, Portuguese, Russian, French, Croatian and Latin. He beatified 1, 340 people and canonised 483 Saints.
He was beatified on May 1, 2011 and his memorial is celebrated on Oct. 22.
(image source: hoteldesartistes.com)He was born in Poland in Wadowice. He was the youngest of 3 children to Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska. When Karol was 8 years old his mother(April 13, 1929) died. Olga, Karol's elder sister died in infancy. His only remaining sibling, a brother Edmund, was a physician. Edmund, 14 years older than Karol, died from scarlet fever. (image source:
In 1938, Karol and his father moved to Krakow. He then studied at Jagiellonian University. Here he engaged in theatrical works and hard labour. His father died of a heart attack in 1941. He began priestly studies in 1942 at an underground seminary. He was ordained a priest on November 1, 1946 by Archbishop Cardinal Sapieha.
He then went to Rome to study at the Pontifical International Athenaeum Angelicum. Here he received a licentiate and a doctorate in Sacred Theology. In 1948, he returned to Poland and was head of a local Parish.
He began to teach ethics at the Jagiellonian University. In 1954, he received another doctorate in philosophy. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958.
Bishop Wojtyla was an active participant of the Second Vatican Council, which occurred in 1962-1965. In 1964, Karol was appointed Archbishop of Krakow. In 1967, Karol was promoted to Cardinal. He was inaugurated Pontiff on October, 22, 1978. Karol took the name John Paul II after the preceding Pope John Paul I who died early in his reign.
He became the 264th Pope to reign at the age of 58. He wrote 14 Papal Encyclicals. He took the mottoTotus Tuus in reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He had a special devotion to the Mother of God.
As Pope, John Paul established "World Youth Days", these gathered young Catholics from around the world for a week of prayer and activities. The largest gathering of people, in history, occurred in Manila, Phillipines at the World Youth Day with JPII. Here around 5 million gathered to celebrate the Catholic Faith.
On May 13, 1981 JPII was shot and wounded by Mehmet Ali Agca. This was an assassination attempt by this Turkish man as a member of a fascist group. He underwent extensive surgery and narrowly survived. He thanked Our Lady of Fatima for his survival. In 1983, JPII visited his assassin in prison. (image sources: google)
He was very influential in ecumenism and met with many religious and political leaders. He is thought to have aided in the fall of Communism.
"True holiness does not mean a flight from the world; rather, it lies in the effort to incarnate the Gospel in everyday life, in the family, at school and at work, and in social and political involvement." Blessed Pope John Paul II..TODAY'S GOSPEL: OCT. 22: LUKE 13: 1 - 9
| Luke 13: 1 - 9 | |
| 1 | There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. |
| 2 | And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? |
| 3 | I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. |
| 4 | Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo'am fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? |
| 5 | I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." |
| 6 | And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. |
| 7 | And he said to the vinedresser, `Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?' |
| 8 | And he answered him, `Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. |
| 9 | And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'" |
