| (IMAGE
SOURCE GOOGLE) A RELIC OF JOHN PAUL II WILL BE TAKEN TO LOURDES
Vatican City, 19 October 2012 (VIS) - A relic of Blessed John Paul II will be transported to the French shrine of Lourdes during a pilgrimage organised by UNITALSI (Italian National Union for Transport of the Sick to Lourdes and International Shrines). The pilgrimage is to take place from 21 to 27 October. Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, has granted UNITALSI permission to take a reliquary containing blood of John Paul II, so that it can be seen and venerated by pilgrims from all over the world. Speaking on Vatican Radio Salvatore Pagliuccia, president of UNITALSI, noted that we currently are in the Year of Faith, and the Synod of Bishops is meeting to examine the question of new evangelisation, "a theme very close to John Paul II's heart". That Pope's "influence is still felt in the Church and among the faithful", he said. Thus, "the presence of the reliquary of the blessed on the pilgrimage is a very significant sign, because it represents the presence of his ideas and his sentiments, above all the presence of the love which, as man and as pastor, he gave to people, to the faithful, and in particular to the sick and those with disabilities". |
| INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL OF SACRED MUSIC AND ART TO BE DEDICATED TO THE YEAR OF FAITH
Vatican City, 19 October 2012 (VIS) - The eleventh edition of the International Festival of Sacred Music and Art - which takes place during the autumn in Rome's patriarchal basilicas and in the Vatican - is to be dedicated to the Year of Faith. The festival serves to promote the activities of the "Fondazione pro Musica e Arte Sacra", an organisation presided by Hans-Albert Courtial which has the mission of restoring the artistic treasures contained in the patriarchal basilicas, and ensuring that sacred music continues to be played there. This year's programme includes seven concerts due to take place between 2 and 13 November. The first will be the Requiem Mass of Giovanni Sgambati to be performed by the Roman "Sinfonietta" Orchestra in the basilica of St. Ignatius of Loyola. In the same basilica on Wednesday 7 November the Orchestra of Rome's "Teatro dell'Opera" will play Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7. On 11 November a private concert will take place in the Vatican at which the Sistine Chapel Choir will sing the "Missa Anno Santo", composed by the Pope's brother Msgr. Georg Ratzinger. On the same day in the basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, the Johann-Rosenmuller-Ensemble will perform Claudio Monteverdi's "Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary". On 12 November a concert will take place in the papal basilica of St. Mary Major with a performance of "Polyphony of the Roman School" by the Sistine Chapel Choir, and "Six Centuries of Catholic Choral Music from the British Isles" by the Westminster Cathedral Choir. On 13 November, the Westminster Cathedral Choir conducted by Martin Baker will sing during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Comastri. Also on 13 November, the festival will come to an end with a concert at the papal basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls at which the Wiener Philharmoniker Chamber Orchestra will play a programme of music by Mozart. Commenting on the coming festival Cardinal Comastri, who is honorary president of the "Fondazione pro Musica e Arte Sacra", said: "This a music born of the faith, and thus a music which also attracts to the faith. All art in the Church is, in fact, nothing other than an expression of inner beauty translated into exterior forms". |
| AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 19 October 2012 (VIS) - This evening the Holy Father is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. |
AMERICA : ADOPTION OF ORPHANS FROM CHINA - LITTLE FLOWER
LITTLE FLOWER RELEASE:
Recognizing the beauty and dignity of each and every
individual person, China Little Flower works to build a culture of life by
reaching out to those who are rejected, abandoned, deemed as useless, and who
have no voice. Whether by direct care, support, or education, we seek to show
the value of each human life and build a culture that respects, protects, loves
and serves life!
Our Work
Our Projects Include:1. Hospice care for orphans
2. Group educational foster care
3. Special Care for infants
4. Long-term care for severely disabled children
5. Special causes
Hospice: In our hospice program we provide comfort, love, and care to orphaned children who are dying. Although it is difficult to watch little ones suffer and die, we consider it a privilege to be able to care for these children and to fill their short lives with love and happiness.
Group Educational Foster Homes: These homes allow physically disabled school age orphans to live in a supportive family environment while attending school and acquiring life skills that will allow them to one day live independently. We accept children with a wide range of physical disabilities including spina bifida, cerebral palsy, limb deformities, speech difficulties, deafness and visual impairment.
Special Care for Infants: Our infant homes provide intensive care to babies who are abandoned with complex medical needs. We focus on caring for babies born prematurely, those with club feet, and babies with birth defects or illness requiring skilled nursing care. These babies stay with us until they are strong enough to join families of their own.
Long Term Care: In this program we care for older disabled orphans with severe mental and physical impairment. These are children who have no hope of ever being adopted or living independently as adults. This work is not for the faint-hearted and the rewards are subtle--but in some ways that is what makes this work the most profoundly human. These kids teach us so much about love!
Special Causes: We are often approached for help in special situations. These are orphans, children at high risk for abandonment or impoverished families with a particular financial need. Special causes include requests for life saving surgery, school tuitions, and foster care for children with pending adoptions etc. These kinds of needs--and many others--cross our path often.
Adoptions: Learn more about adoptions here.
China Little Flower
PO Box 1235
Kearney, NE 68848
China Little Flower is recognized in the US as
a 501(c) (3) organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent
allowed by law.
Please pray for our ministry and those who
serve with us!
SHARED FROM CHINA LITTLE FLOWER
AFRICA : TANZANIA : UNREST IN ZANZIBAR DUE TO ARREST OF MUSLIM LEADER
CISA REPORT
ZANZIBAR, October 19,2012 (CISA) -The arrest of a top member of a Muslim community, Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda, has sparked unrest in Dar es Salaam and the city of Zanzibar.
Sheikh Ponda, the Secretary of the Council of Muslims’ Organizations, was arrested for inciting religious hatred that lead to Friday’s attacks against churches, says Father Vic Missiaen, Secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Bishops Conference.
Sheikh Ponda was later arraigned in court together with his supporters and charged with incitement which he denied. The case was set for mention on November 1.
The Sheikh said he only sensitized people and nothing else. He denied having incited anyone, saying the placards contained sentiments from Muslims, and pointed that he had no idea on who wrote them.
“The peak of tension coincided with a rally of youths demanding the release of Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda”, said Fr Missiaen.
Fr Missiaen called the Council an extremist organization that doesn’t represent the large majority of the Muslim community. According to him, the Council is linked to the Uamsho, a radical Islamic group whose name, when translated to English, means Reawakening.
This comes after an almost similar unrest, mainly concentrated in the Mbagala neighbourhood, took place last week.
In the Mbagala unrest, hundreds of people stormed an Anglican church, a Lutheran church and an Evangelical church after a clash among youths triggered an act against a copy of the Koran.
Police intervention impeded the youths from reaching the Catholic Church in Mbagala.
Mbagala neighbiourhood is among the poorest areas of Dar es Salaam, inhabited mainly by Muslims.
SHARED FROM CISA NEWS
ZANZIBAR, October 19,2012 (CISA) -The arrest of a top member of a Muslim community, Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda, has sparked unrest in Dar es Salaam and the city of Zanzibar.
Sheikh Ponda, the Secretary of the Council of Muslims’ Organizations, was arrested for inciting religious hatred that lead to Friday’s attacks against churches, says Father Vic Missiaen, Secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Bishops Conference.
Sheikh Ponda was later arraigned in court together with his supporters and charged with incitement which he denied. The case was set for mention on November 1.
The Sheikh said he only sensitized people and nothing else. He denied having incited anyone, saying the placards contained sentiments from Muslims, and pointed that he had no idea on who wrote them.
“The peak of tension coincided with a rally of youths demanding the release of Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda”, said Fr Missiaen.
Fr Missiaen called the Council an extremist organization that doesn’t represent the large majority of the Muslim community. According to him, the Council is linked to the Uamsho, a radical Islamic group whose name, when translated to English, means Reawakening.
This comes after an almost similar unrest, mainly concentrated in the Mbagala neighbourhood, took place last week.
In the Mbagala unrest, hundreds of people stormed an Anglican church, a Lutheran church and an Evangelical church after a clash among youths triggered an act against a copy of the Koran.
Police intervention impeded the youths from reaching the Catholic Church in Mbagala.
Mbagala neighbiourhood is among the poorest areas of Dar es Salaam, inhabited mainly by Muslims.
SHARED FROM CISA NEWS
AUSTRALIA : KNIGHTS PLEDGE TO RESTORE CATHEDRAL
ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH REPORT
Knights of the Southern Cross Fulfil Pledge to Cathedral Restoration and Completion
10 Oct 2012
In 2006, the Knights of the Southern Cross
pledged $1 million to the restoration and completion of St Mary’s Cathedral,
specifying it was to be used for the restoration and enhancement of the Dodd
Organ.
Last week, 3 October,
current State Chairman of the Knights of the Southern Cross, Mr George Sekulla
and State Executive Officer, Mr Rod McAtee, met Monsignor Keating at St Mary’s
Cathedral to present a cheque for $100,000, the final portion to be paid of the
pledge of $1 million dollars.
In presenting the cheque
to Monsignor Keating, Mr Sekulla said: “This was a significant undertaking by
the members of our Order and we are truly delighted, as the ‘Bishop’s Men’, to
have been a part of such a magnificent project. Just look at what has been
achieved – we have helped to achieve the dream of completing St Mary’s Cathedral
and what a magnificent Cathedral it is.”
“As a lay Order of
substance with a significant role to play in today’s Church, our members were
absolutely committed to honouring our pledge, an opportunity for us to
demonstrate leadership to the Catholic and wider community.”
“When men and women of
Faith work together, there is nothing that cannot be achieved.”
In response, Monsignor
Keating said: “As Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral and Chairman of the Cathedral
Appeal, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to every member of the Knights of
the Southern Cross for their wonderful support.”
“There is no question
that your collective leadership and generosity, at the very start of our appeal
journey, provided the inspiration which encouraged many others to be equally as
supportive and generous. You are to be congratulated, one and all.”
ASIA : INDONESIA : HOUSE OF THE ANGEL - CARES FOR MENTALLY ILL
ASIA NEWS REPORT
by Mathias Hariyadi
In Indonesia, people with mental health problems are isolated, kept in "cages", abused. Illness is seen as a scourge, and the patient, someone to be isolated. Since 2008, a Catholic woman has initiated aid and assistance projects. A work that follows Christ's teaching and example, and for which she has received a government recognition.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - For the majority of Indonesians, mental illness is still a stigma, a social disgrace, a problem to be kept hidden at home, in a cage or in a clinic which, in reality, is more like a prison. Schizophrenia, depression, and disorders resulting from abandonment lead the subject to a progressive alienation from family, work, and everyday life, which is then transformed into deprivation, lack of feelings and ties, abandonment. Struck by the extent of the problem, which even the government purposely ignores, a Catholic woman with some medical training has decided to open a "House of Angel", which has now also become a foundation. A place where people with mental disorders, psychiatric illnesses or abandoned to their fate, with no one willing to take care of them, can find shelter, a bed, a hot meal restore their strength.
According to an unofficial report - in this area the numbers remain uncertain - from April 2009, in Indonesia the people with disorders or mental illness were more than six million, or about 3% of the total. A number that surely has grown since then, just as the population has grown, passing from 200 to the current 250 million. For Dr. Surjo Dharmono, a specialist in psychiatry at a hospital in central Jakarta, the number of people with problems "has surpassed six million." The majority of the cases are to be found in the big cities; stress, social tensions, traffic, crime, unemployment and lack of green spaces and public services are critical factors that increase the risk of psyche-related diseases.
The psychiatrist confirms that in the capital and in nearby Bogor, more than 30% of his patients suffer from mental disorders, which often are not even diagnosed due to the lack of adequate controls. Under the provisions of the 1945 Constitution, the state has the responsibility to care for the needy, including the poor, the marginalized and those with mental disorders. However, the reality is quite different: the cultural heritage, social problems and the lack of adequate facilities deprive patients of treatment and care. And in many cases, to this emarginalization are added violence and abuse, better known as "pasung" in Indonesian. This practice - common in villages and poor areas - involves confining the patient in a kind of bamboo cage, with their ankles tied.
To respond to the crisis, private citizens have started centers or institutions that take care of people with mental health problems. Among them is the Catholic Dorothea Angelic Dolly Pudjowati, originally from Purwokerto, central Java, with medical studies - though she never graduated - and a long experience in social work behind her. She's grown to become the example of how the Church and its social doctrine can find practical application in helping one's neighbor. At first she helped the homeless, providing them with shelter and food. In 2008 she formed a group with whom she founded the "house of grace", opening the door to poor and marginalized people. The parish of St. Anthony started a project to assist the homeless in East Jakarta, focusing on those who had psychiatric disorders, who were then conveyed to a counseling center called "House of Love"; at the same time, in a mobile clinic she offered free consultations. Those who have received aid and assistance have defined the work of the Catholic volunteer "holy speeches without words."
Her most ambitious project found fulfillment in 2009, with the birth of the "House of Angel" and of the the foundation of the same name, in the district of Bekasi, about thirty miles east of Jakarta. According to the philosophy of "seek and find", the center doesn't expected the sick or those in need to seek help; the activists are the ones who travel the streets, among families or in meeting points such as public parks, train or bus stations, looking for people in need of assistance and help. Like the first patient Dorothea took care of in 2008, named Ucok, found in a state of confusion on board a large truck at the depot station. "I want to help those in need of assistance", the woman told AsiaNews, "as Jesus Christ has always taught us." Commitment and passion for the other, which have earned her a special recognition from the government - an award for a Catholic woman in the most populous Muslim country in the world - because such commitment is based on the values of altruism and solidarity.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
by Mathias Hariyadi
In Indonesia, people with mental health problems are isolated, kept in "cages", abused. Illness is seen as a scourge, and the patient, someone to be isolated. Since 2008, a Catholic woman has initiated aid and assistance projects. A work that follows Christ's teaching and example, and for which she has received a government recognition.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - For the majority of Indonesians, mental illness is still a stigma, a social disgrace, a problem to be kept hidden at home, in a cage or in a clinic which, in reality, is more like a prison. Schizophrenia, depression, and disorders resulting from abandonment lead the subject to a progressive alienation from family, work, and everyday life, which is then transformed into deprivation, lack of feelings and ties, abandonment. Struck by the extent of the problem, which even the government purposely ignores, a Catholic woman with some medical training has decided to open a "House of Angel", which has now also become a foundation. A place where people with mental disorders, psychiatric illnesses or abandoned to their fate, with no one willing to take care of them, can find shelter, a bed, a hot meal restore their strength.
According to an unofficial report - in this area the numbers remain uncertain - from April 2009, in Indonesia the people with disorders or mental illness were more than six million, or about 3% of the total. A number that surely has grown since then, just as the population has grown, passing from 200 to the current 250 million. For Dr. Surjo Dharmono, a specialist in psychiatry at a hospital in central Jakarta, the number of people with problems "has surpassed six million." The majority of the cases are to be found in the big cities; stress, social tensions, traffic, crime, unemployment and lack of green spaces and public services are critical factors that increase the risk of psyche-related diseases.
The psychiatrist confirms that in the capital and in nearby Bogor, more than 30% of his patients suffer from mental disorders, which often are not even diagnosed due to the lack of adequate controls. Under the provisions of the 1945 Constitution, the state has the responsibility to care for the needy, including the poor, the marginalized and those with mental disorders. However, the reality is quite different: the cultural heritage, social problems and the lack of adequate facilities deprive patients of treatment and care. And in many cases, to this emarginalization are added violence and abuse, better known as "pasung" in Indonesian. This practice - common in villages and poor areas - involves confining the patient in a kind of bamboo cage, with their ankles tied.
To respond to the crisis, private citizens have started centers or institutions that take care of people with mental health problems. Among them is the Catholic Dorothea Angelic Dolly Pudjowati, originally from Purwokerto, central Java, with medical studies - though she never graduated - and a long experience in social work behind her. She's grown to become the example of how the Church and its social doctrine can find practical application in helping one's neighbor. At first she helped the homeless, providing them with shelter and food. In 2008 she formed a group with whom she founded the "house of grace", opening the door to poor and marginalized people. The parish of St. Anthony started a project to assist the homeless in East Jakarta, focusing on those who had psychiatric disorders, who were then conveyed to a counseling center called "House of Love"; at the same time, in a mobile clinic she offered free consultations. Those who have received aid and assistance have defined the work of the Catholic volunteer "holy speeches without words."
Her most ambitious project found fulfillment in 2009, with the birth of the "House of Angel" and of the the foundation of the same name, in the district of Bekasi, about thirty miles east of Jakarta. According to the philosophy of "seek and find", the center doesn't expected the sick or those in need to seek help; the activists are the ones who travel the streets, among families or in meeting points such as public parks, train or bus stations, looking for people in need of assistance and help. Like the first patient Dorothea took care of in 2008, named Ucok, found in a state of confusion on board a large truck at the depot station. "I want to help those in need of assistance", the woman told AsiaNews, "as Jesus Christ has always taught us." Commitment and passion for the other, which have earned her a special recognition from the government - an award for a Catholic woman in the most populous Muslim country in the world - because such commitment is based on the values of altruism and solidarity.
SHARED FROM ASIA NEWS IT
EUROPE : SPAIN : 14000 SPANISH MISSIONARIES
Agenzia Fides REPORT - World Mission Day is
celebrated on Sunday, October 21 also in the whole of Spain, known under the
name of "Domund." The National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies
(PMS) of Spain, Fr. Anastasio Gil, sent to Fides Agency a copy of the material
prepared for the occasion, which was distributed for the preparation and
celebration of Domund. Fr. Gil commends the important work carried out by the 69
delegates for the missions in the Spanish dioceses, which allow both direct
contact with the 14,000 Spanish missionaries who are devoting their lives to
proclaim the Gospel in the world, and with their families. Every summer there
are about 10,000 Spanish youth participating in one of the many experiences of
mission. Fr. Gil also points out that the missionaries are able to better manage
and with success the few possessions they receive: this was the inspiration for
the slogan of the campaign this year. The novelty of this campaign is the use of
multimedia. The first video, titled "Heroes do not exist," wants to spread
through social network a clear message about the real work of the missionary.
The second video, "The missionary replies," proposes some fundamental questions
about the life of the missionary through a fictional story that could be real.
Spain has sent into the world 14,000 missionaries who work in America (70.8%),
Africa (13.8%), Europe (8.9%), Asia (6.2%) and Oceania (0.2%) . (CE) (Agenzia
Fides 19/10/2012)
TODAY'S MASS ONLINE : FRI. OCT. 19, 2012
| Luke
12: 1 - 7
| |
| 1 | In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trod upon one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. |
| 2 | Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. |
| 3 | Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. |
| 4 | "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. |
| 5 | But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! |
| 6 | Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. |
| 7 | Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. |
TODAY'S SAINT: OCT. 19: ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS
St. Paul of the Cross
FOUNDER OF THE PASSIONIST FATHERS
Feast: October 19
Information:
Feast Day:
October 19
Born:
January 3, 1694, Ovada, Piedmont, Duchy of Savoy (now modern-day Italy)
Died:
October 18, 1775, Church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Rome
Canonized:
29 June 1867, Rome by Pope Pius IX
Major Shrine:
Church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Rome
Paul Francis Daneii, born at Ovada, Genoa, Italy, 3 January, 1694; died in Rome, 18 October, 1775.
His parents, Luke Danei and Anna Maria Massari, were exemplary Catholics. From his earliest years the crucifix was his book, and the Crucified his model. Paul received his early education from a priest who kept a school for boys, in Cremolino, Lombardy. He made great progress in study and virtue; spent much time m prayer, heard daily Mass, frequently received the Sacraments, faithfully attended to his school duties, and gave his spare time to reading good books and visiting the churches, where he s p e n t much time before the Blessed Sacrament, to which he had an ardent devotion. At the age of fifteen he left school and re turned to his home at Castellazzo, and from this time his life was full of trials. In early manhood he renounced the offer of an honorable marriage; also a good inheritance left him by an uncle who was a priest. He kept for himself only the priest's Breviary.
Inflamed with a desire for God's glory he formed the idea of instituting a religious order in of the Passion. Vested in a black tunic by the Bishop of Alessandria, his director, bearing the emblem of our Lord's Passion, barefooted, and bareheaded, he retired to a narrow cell where he drew up the Rules of the new congregation according to the plan made known to him in a vision, which he relates in the introduction to the original copy of the Rules. For the account of his ordination to the priesthood, of the foundation of the Congregation of the Passion, and the approbation of the Rules, see PASSIONISTS. After the approbation of the Rules and the institute the first general chapter was held at the Retreat of the Presentation on Mount Argentaro on 10 April, 1747. At this chapter, St. Paul, against his wishes, was unanimously elected first superior general, which office he held until the day of his death. In all virtues and in the observance of regular discipline, he became a model to his companions. "Although continually occupied with the cares of governing his religious society, and of founding everywhere new houses for it, yet he never left off preaching the word of God, burning as he did with a wondrous desire for the salvation of souls" (Brief of Pius IX for St. Paul's Beatification, 1 Oct., 1852). Sacred missions were instituted and numerous conversions were made. He was untiring in his Apostolic labours and never, even to his last hour, remitted anything of his austere manner of life, finally succumbing to a severe illness, worn out as much by his austerities as by old age.
Among the distinguished associates of St. Paul in the formation and extension of the congregation were: John Baptist, his younger brother and constant companion from childhood, who shared all his labours and sufferings and equaled him in the practice of virtue; Father Mark Aurelius (Pastorelli), Father Thomas Struzzieri (subsequently Bishop of Amelia and afterwards of Todi), and Father Fulgentius of Jesus, all remarkable for learning, piety, and missionary zeal; Venerable Strambi, Bishop of Macerata and Tolentino, his biographer. Constant personal union with the Cross and Passion of our Lord was the prominent feature of St. Paul's sanctity. But devotion to the Passion did not stand alone, for he carried to a heroic degree all the other virtues of a Christian life. Numerous miracles, besides those special ones brought forward at his beatification and canonization, attested the favour he enjoyed with God. Miracles of grace abounded, as witnessed in the conversion of sinners seemingly hardened and hopeless. For fifty years he prayed for the conversion of England, and left the devotion as a legacy to his sons. The body of St. Paul lies in the Basilica of SS. John and Paul, Rome. He was beatified on 1 October, 1852, and canonized on 29 June, 1867. His feast occurs on 28 April. The fame of his sanctity, which had spread far and wide in Italy during his life, increased after his death and spread into all countries. Great devotion to him is practiced by the faithful wherever Passionists are established.
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