United States Catholic Mission Association

From the Columbans

2012-01-11T12:42:00.001-08:00

MEDIA RELEASE FROMTHE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF ST. COLUMBAN

COLUMBAN FATHERPATRICK O’DONOGHUE SENDS AND UPDATE FROM THE FLOOD RAVAGED PHILIPPINES

January 9, 2012

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kate Kenny

Communications Director

Missionary Society of St. Columban, U.S. Region

877/299-1920

kkenny@columban.org

ST.COLUMBANS, Neb.— Columban father Patrick O’donoghue sendsand update from the flood ravaged Philippines

I arrived inCagayan de Oro in the early afternoon of Monday, January 2. The signs of the calamity were visible fromthe air as we approached the airport, but the full extent of the damage hitsyou when you stand on the river bank or visit those places where whole neighborhoodswere simply washed away.

The damage to thewater system was such that most of Cagayan still did not have running waterwhen I arrived. On the way from theairport we saw groups of people surrounding trucks or fire hydrants where waterwas being dispensed while others were coming and going with all kinds of water containers– the innovative spirit of people once more shining through the difficulties. Drinking water was also being dispensed atpoints set up by the Red Cross and others who had large water purifyingmachines. The lack of water leads tomany difficulties one of which is the difficulty people have in doing any kindof cleaning up. Water was restored to the western side of Cagayan by Thursday,January 5, a big help.

Holy RosaryParish, which is served by the Columbans, was affected but, when compared to otherparts of Cagayan and Iligan, only relatively so. Fr. Paul Finlayson estimates about 100families are affected with about 30 homes destroyed. Food and other immediate necessities havebeen provided for these families. At ameeting on Tuesday, January 3, attended by most Columbans in Mindanao, it wasagreed that we will continue to cooperate with the Archdiocese of Cagayan whoare doing a very good job of coordinating the relief operations, withoutprejudice to the specific needs of the parish.

What is the morepressing need now is that of rehabilitation, which must include relocation formost of those affected. There is littlepoint in rebuilding homes in those areas that could be hit again in theimmediate future. Getting this right andutilizing all the help that has been promised by the Government, foreigngovernments, aid agencies and private individuals is both a priority and achallenge. In the meanwhile, there is a need for some kind of intermediate accommodationso that people can get back to some normality. We will continue to provide anyfurther “immediate” aid where it is seen to be genuinely needed.

The effort now is to get people out of the evacuation centers which are mostlyschools and churches and into temporary accommodation. Archbishop Ledesma in his pastoral letterjust before Christmas urged those who were not affected to “adopt” a family andcare for them not only during Christmas but also in the coming months untilthat family can go to a more permanent home. Of course, relatives are already doing this for their own families, butone of the fears that some people have is that if they leave the evacuationcenters now they might lose their status as genuine claimants on the aid thatis promised. There are a number of tentcommunities being set up also to give each family some way of being together.

There is a lot ofpain not only for those directly affected but also for those who heard thecries of others for help and were unable to do anything. I’m not sure that timewill heal all this, but certainly God can and the faith of many of these peopleis both challenging and humbling. Oneeight year old boy who lost his mother and two of his siblings had found aphoto of her and would look at it and say, “I will see you in Heaven Mommy.”

There are the happystories too: the child who was saved by riding on the back of a neighbor’sLabrador retriever dog. The owners ofthe dog were not at home when the tragedy struck. Or my little friend Cedric, who is all offour years old, who clung to a floating refrigerator when he got separated fromhis parents. He was found by fishermenseveral miles away later that morning still astride the fridge.

There is much morethat could be added to this, but I simply want to give you some snapshots ofthe situation as I experienced it. Intruth it reduced me to silence, or more accurately perhaps, it called tosilence. In so many ways it isoverwhelming and yet people do what they can and many have sent help. At times I felt like an intruder, but as Ilistened to the stories and simply held a hand or embraced the person, I wasglad I was there and privileged to be with such people.

I want to thankall those who have sent in money to our fund and to assure you that we willcontinue to monitor the situation in both Cagayan and Iligan so as to best usethe money we have received. As Imentioned above, we see the greater need now to be that of rehabilitation andthat is probably where we will use most of the money left in the fund and anythat will get added to it. I hope thatthis is acceptable to all of you.

Finally, on thisFeast of the Epiphany, may Jesus show His face to all those who are stillsuffering so terribly. May He also show Hisface to those who, by the help they send, the prayers they make or their work onthe ground, have become that face of Christ for others.

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About the Columbans:The Missionary Society of St. Columban, also known as the Columban Fathers, isa Catholic missionary society that was founded in 1918 to proclaim and witnessto the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Society seeks to establish the CatholicChurch where the Gospel has not been preached, help local churches evangelizetheir laity, promote dialogue with other faiths, and foster among all baptizedpeople an awareness of their missionary responsibility.

The Society’s U.S. headquarters are based in Bellevue, Neb.,which is south of Omaha.

December 23 crucial day for the DRC?

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - "Military presence in Kinshasa is massive. So far there have not been major clashes, but the tension is evident", said local Church sources to Fides contacted in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the confrontation between President Joseph Kabila and the leader of the opposition Etienne Tshisekedi does not seem to calm down. The latter yesterday said he considers himself the "elected President", despite the Supreme Court has confirmed Kabila's victory at the presidential elections which were held on 28 November.
"Tomorrow, December 20, Kabila should take possession of the Presidency, while Tshisekedi announced that on Friday, December 23 he will appoint himself as President, and has given orders to arrest Kabila" the sources told Fides. "And this is the crucial day, when one will be able to understand the dimension of the problem and conflict, given the strong military presence. One will see then, on the one hand, Tshisekedi’s capacity to mobilize society and provoke a popular backlash that could undermine the government, and secondly, what the reaction of the army will be".
In this delicate stage of the DRC’s life, the missionaries Network "Peace for Congo," launch an alarm about the future of the country. "Demonstrations of the opposition, the heavy hand of the military forces of the State to repress opponents, deaths among civilians, the resurgence of old tensions between province supporters of either candidate (Katanga and Kasai), statements of associations and national and international institutions on the voting and counting procedures, individual positions taken ... time passes, while the people’s mood is restless", is what is stated in a document sent to Agenzia Fides. "In these days, especially the heavy hand of those in power seems to dominate, with a police force that, in many cases acted brutally, causing the murder of civilians. Increasing risk of installing a dictatorship with violent means, in the guise of a democracy?"
"It is important, more than ever in this period, to keep ones eyes open on the DRC, civil society asks us, the entire population asks us. We must bring these people as part of our interest, our solidarity, and, for those who believe, in our prayer", conclude the missionaries. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 19/12/2011)

The Korean bishops: "The death of Kim Jong-il may be the beginning of a turning point, for reunification"

2011-12-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - "The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il may be the beginning of a turning point for the path of reunification of the Koreas. We hope that the Lord gives light and strength to the North Korean brothers so that there is a return for a policy focused on dialogue, peace, reconciliation": this is what was said to Fides by His Exc. Mgr. Peter Kang, Bishop of Cheju and President of the Episcopal Conference of South Korea, commenting on the death of dictator Kim Jong-il, replaced by the designated successor, his 30-year-old son Kim Jong-un.
Mgr. Peter Kang explains to Fides: "We did not expect such an event. We hope that this will become a reason to develop a path of reunification. We do not know in detail the current political situation in North Korea. There is also the possibility that there is a settling time, before having a defined stability, because the new leader Kim Jong-un is very young, only 30 years old, he has no political experience and does not seem to have the Korean people’s confidence". The Bishop continues: "No one knows him. He is a leader who has suddenly appeared. Our hopes are always towards the beginning of a journey of peace and reconciliation. This event could be a sign that the Lord wants a fundamental transformation in the country".
According to rev. Kim Tea Sung, Deputy Secretary General of the "Korean Conference of Religion for Peace" (KCRP), "the country's future is a very delicate issue now." "The death of the dear leader - Rev. Kim explains to Fides. - could leave a void and create very serious problems at a social and political level. We hope that in the North there is no conflict, which would bring further suffering to the people".
Rev. Kim hopes to continue the relationship of exchange and dialogue between religious leaders of the North and South: "We have no official reaction yet from the North or the South. We have scheduled a meeting, most probably to be held on December 22 in North Korea, to prepare the arrival in the south of a delegation of religious leaders from the North. The trip should take place next year, as part of a path of bilateral meetings, after the visit of the religious leaders from the South, who went to Pyongynag in September 2011. Our hope is that this exchange process continues, even with the new political leadership in the North, to reinforce a climate of cordiality and friendship between North and South Korea". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 19/12/2011)

NEW EVANGELISATION IS NOT AN ABSTRACT CONCEPT

2011-12-19T06:56:00.001-08:00

VATICAN CITY,17 DEC 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received prelatesfrom the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and the ConferentiaEpiscopalis Pacifici, who have just completed their "ad limina"visit.

In hisaddress to the group, the Pope spoke of the challenges "which are commonto all of you, in spite of the many social, economic and cultural contexts inwhich you work". In particular, he mentioned secularism and its"significant impact on the understanding and practice of the Catholicfaith. This is seen specifically in a weakened appreciation for the sacrednature of Christian marriage and the stability of the family", he said.

"Ultimately, Christian faith provides a surer basis for life than thesecular vision. ... Thus, the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisationwas recently established. Since the Christian faith is founded on the Word madeflesh, Jesus Christ, the new evangelisation is not an abstract concept but arenewal of authentic Christian living based on the teachings of the Church.You, as bishops and pastors, are called to be protagonists in formulating thisresponse according to local needs and circumstances in your various countriesand among your peoples".

Benedict XVI then reminded the prelates of the importance of caring for theirpriests, "especially those who are experiencing difficulties and those whohave little contact with their brother priests. ... In our day young peopleneed more assistance with spiritual discernment so that they may know theLord's will. In a world affected by a 'profound crisis of faith', ensure toothat your seminarians receive a well-rounded formation". The Pope alsoacknowledged the "significant contribution" made by religious to thework of evangelisation, and the contribution of the lay faithful.

"I have had this opportunity to discuss with you the new evangelisation, Ido so mindful of the recently proclaimed Year of Faith, which 'is intended togive a fresh impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead human beingsout of the wilderness in which they find themselves'. May this privileged timeserve as an inspiration as you join the entire Church in the ongoing efforts ofthe new evangelisation, for although you are spread among many islands and weare separated by great distances, together we profess 'one Lord, one faith, onebaptism, one God and Father of us all'".

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USCMA Mission Conference makes Vatican News!

2011-12-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

Miami (Agenzia Fides) - "The USCMA Annual Mission Conference is probably the only national Conference that brings together missionaries (religious men and women, lay people, diocesan directors and clergy) together in the same room, to dialogue about mission, deepen their mission perspectives and to promote collaboration and networking":This is what Fr. Michael Montoya, MJ, USCMA Executive Director states, in a note sent to Fides on the recent Conference held in Miami, from October 28 to 30, to celebrate USCMAs 30th Anniversary (see Fides 02/09/2011) .

To celebrate its anniversary, USCMA treated the participants with a narrative of the colourful beginnings of USCMA and then highlighting all Mission Conferencesorganized by USCMA for the past 30 years, reminding participants of the themes and the Mission Awardees for each year. "What rich history USCMA! And what privilege to be part of such a dynamic group", underlined Mrs. Teresita Gonzalez de la Maza, current President of the USCMAs, who said: "The conference was wonderful! It allowed for the embodiment of all gathered to recall their baptism, their mission identity. The missioners who gathered came with joy and open hearts!"There were three keynotes that called for each participant to recall the life of a missioner. Fr. Steven Bevans, SVD, world renowned mission scholar and noted professor of missiology from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago reflected on the theme "Blessings and Challenges of Communion and Missionary Discipleship"; Sister Madge Karecki, SSJ-TOSF, a theologian and currently working as the Executive Director of the Office of Mission Education and Animation of the Archdiocese of Chicago who presented an exegesis of Luke 5, 1-11 from the missionary perspective of "let down the nets for a catch ..."; the United States Ambassador to the Holy See Miguel H. Diaz, known for his work as a theologian and his commitment to the formation of future ministers in the Church, shared his insights on the theme "Missionary Activity, Diplomacy, and Common Good."

Conference participants took part in the Eucharistic celebration in the local Haitian church, dedicated to Notre Dame d’Haiti, presided by the Archbishop of Miami, His Exc. Mgr.Thomas Wenski, who in his homily warned the missionaries "Do not go to the missions with the 'messiah complex': there is only one Messiah, and he is not you." (SL) (Agenzia Fides 07/11/2011)

Cardinal Foley has died

2011-12-14T11:01:00.001-08:00

Cardinal John Foley, who for 25 years was the voice for American viewers of the Vatican's Christmas Midnight Mass and who led an ancient Catholic order in the Holy Land, died Sunday. He was 76.

Foley died at the Villa St. Joseph in suburban Darby, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said. The cause of death was not given.
In 1984, Foley was appointed to lead the Pontifical Council of Social Communications, which spearheaded Vatican initiatives under the media-savvy Pope John Paul II to get out the Church's message through the media.

In a world of prelates who were often ill at ease when speaking with journalists, or who used convoluted phrases to express a concept, Foley's down-to-earth, straightforward manner of engaging with the public was a refreshing departure.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi described Foley as being a man “truly of great spiritual level.”

“He incarnated, in the best way, the friendly, open, attentive relationship, of the Church in the world of social communications, not so much as an `impersonal' world, but as a world of persons,” Lombardi told Vatican Radio.

“He understood and encouraged our work with all his heart,” said Lombardi, who also directs Vatican Radio.

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Foley the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. The order supports schools, health institutions and serves basic needs for the poorest people of all faiths in the region.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Cardinal John Foley,” said Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput. “Cardinal Foley was a man of great apostolic energy. Anyone who met him was immediately aware of his intense love for the church and his zeal for communicating the Gospel. By the sheer force of his personality, he drew people to the faith and to himself.”

Foley was born in Darby. From there, he went to St. Joseph's College, graduating in 1957, and then to seminary. He was ordained in 1962. He also earned a master's degree in journalism at Columbia University.

When he returned to Philadelphia in 1966, he was named assistant pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish and was part of the faculty at Cardinal Dougherty High School from 1967 to 1984.

Foley was admired for his media expertise. He served as the assistant editor and Vatican correspondent for Philadelphia's archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Standard & Times, and was its editor-in-chief from 1970 to 1984. He also co-produced and co-hosted the Philadelphia Catholic Hour on WFIL radio.

“I was pleased that he was able to come home during the final months of his life,” Chaput said. “No matter where he lived or how he served the Church over the years, he always considered Philadelphia his home.”

Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, who replaced Foley this year as leader of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, called Foley a man dedicated to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church and to helping people understand it.

“He was a gifted evangelizer, explaining Catholic teaching and practice clearly and thoroughly and often with a self-deprecating humor,” O'Brien said. “He has long been regarded as the patriarch of the American Catholic press.”

He also was a member of the Broadcast Pioneers.

Most Religious Believers Favor International Efforts To Curb Climate Change, Nuclear Risks, Poverty

2011-12-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

December 6, 2011: A majority of Americans professing a belief inGod, favor cooperative international efforts to combat climate change,environmental degradation, and the spread of nuclear weapons - branding them amoral obligation - says a new public opinion poll conducted jointly by theUniversity of Maryland's Center for International and SecurityStudies at Maryland (CISSM) and its Program on International Policy Attitudes(PIPA).

The nearly 1,500 Americans surveyed include large numbers ofCatholics and Evangelicals.
The study, Faithand Global Policy Challenges: How Spiritual Values Shape Views on Poverty,Nuclear Risks, and Environmental Degradation, also finds that amajority of "believers" consider addressing global poverty a"spiritual obligation," and think that the United States should workcooperatively with other nations to reduce it.

"This research challenges common political stereotypes thatpigeonhole religious Americans as liberal or conservative on environmental andnuclear proliferation issues," says University of Maryland Public PolicyProfessor and study co-author John Steinbruner, who directs CISSM.

"These findings demonstrate the public's strong moral impulseto address global policy challenges -- an impulse that if applied properlycould break the current impasse on these issues," Steinbruner adds.

Though most believers in the study do not consider addressingenvironmental and nuclear risks to be spiritual obligations, they do understandthese issues as a part of "good stewardship," the study finds.

"While for many believers there is a tenuous connectionbetween their spiritual values and issues related to the environment and therisk of nuclear war, they are nonetheless very responsive to the idea thatthere is an obligation to protect God's creation, or to be good stewards of theearth," explains study co-author Steven Kull, director of PIPA.

[Read the Full Report (PDF).]

THE MARKET MUST NEVER NEGLECT SOLIDARITY

2011-12-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

VATICAN CITY,10 DEC 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI receivedrepresentatives from the Confederation of Italian Cooperatives, and from theItalian Federation of Cooperative Credit Banks, who were accompanied by theirecclesiastical assistant Msgr. Adriano Vincenzi.

In hisremarks to them the Pope dwelt on the importance Catholic cooperatives have hadin Italy since their emergence in the wake of Leo XIII's Encyclical "Rerumnovarum". That document, the 120th anniversary of which falls this year,"favoured the fruitful presence of Catholics in Italian society through thepromotion of cooperative and mutual societies, the development of socialenterprises and many other public works characterised by various forms ofparticipation and self-management. The purpose of such activity has always beento provide material support for people and constant attention to families,drawing inspiration from the Magisterium of the Church", he said.

"The heart of cooperative efforts has always lain in the search forharmony between the individual and community dimensions. This is a concreteexpression of the complementarity and subsidiarity which Church social doctrinehas always sought to promote between citizens and the State, a balance betweensafeguarding the rights of the individual and promoting the common good, inorder to develop a local economy capable of responding to community needs.Cooperative activities are likewise characterised by their great concern forsolidarity, while still respecting the due autonomy of the individual".

"In a period of great change, of persistent economic uncertainty, and ofdifficulties in the world of work, the Church feels the need to announceChrist's message with renewed vigour. ... And you, dear friends, must be awarethat Catholic cooperatives have an important role to play in this field",the Holy Father told his audience.

Benedict XVI invited members of cooperatives to make their specificcontribution "to ensure that the economy and the market never neglectsolidarity", in order "to promote a culture of life and the family,and to favour the creation of new families with access to dignified work whichrespects the creation that God has entrusted to our responsibility andcare". He also invited them "to value man in his entirety,irrespective of any difference in race, language or religion".

Finally, the Pope recalled how Catholic cooperatives are characterised by their"Christian inspiration, which must constantly guide them", because"for Christians loving others is not mere philanthropy but an expressionof the love of God. ... Never forget the importance of developing thisspiritual dimension as you seek to respond to contemporary challenges andsocial emergencies, in order to continue to work in the logic of gratuitousnessand responsibility, promoting wise and sober consumption".

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2011-12-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

US Bishops Write Letter toHispanic Immigrants

Recall That 'Authorized' orNot, All Humans Have Dignity

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, DEC. 12, 2011 (Zenit.org).- A letter to migrants dated today,the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, was signed by 33 Hispanic Catholic bishops inthe United States. In it they expressed their solidarity with the many illegalimmigrants living in the country.

"We recognize that every human being, authorized or not, isan image of God and therefore possesses infinite value and dignity," theletter stated.

The bishops expressed their concern for the difficulties beingexperienced by immigrants due to the economic downturn. In some cases peoplehave even blamed them for the problems, the bishops noted.

"In your suffering faces we see the true face of JesusChrist." The letter called for greater solidarity between all workers andall who live in the United States.

Revitalizing

The bishops explained how the Catholic Church has testified beforeCongress calling for changes to immigration laws. Among the points they raisedwas the need for the law to respect family unity and to enable illegalimmigrants to regularize their situation.

"Immigrants are a revitalizing force for our country,"the letter declared. "The lack of a just, humane and effective reform ofimmigration laws negatively affects the common good of the entire UnitedStates."

The bishops promised they would continue to press for changes tothe law and lamented the fact that many Catholics have not supported theirefforts on this matter. The letter went on to say that they are not going to wait for thelaw to change to say that illegal immigrants are welcome in churches. Thebishops offered them spiritual nourishment through the sacraments and thepromise to help their children through religious education programs.

Jesus migrated from heaven to earth, the bishops noted, and onearth he migrated to Egypt, then to Galilee and then to Jerusalem to die on thecross. "Today, he continues to journey and to accompany all migrants onpilgrimage throughout the world in search of food, work, dignity, security andopportunities for the welfare of their families."

USCMA: a rich missionary history of study, dialogue and collaboration

2011-11-07T06:39:00.001-08:00

Miami (Agenzia Fides) - "The USCMA Annual Mission Conference is probably the only national Conference that brings together missionaries (religious men and women, lay people, diocesan directors and clergy) together in the same room, to dialogue about mission, deepen their mission perspectives and to promote collaboration and networking":This is what Fr. Michael Montoya, MJ, USCMA Executive Director states, in a note sent to Fides on the recent Conference held in Miami, from October 28 to 30, to celebrate USCMAs 30th Anniversary (see Fides 02/09/2011) .

To celebrate its anniversary, USCMA treated the participants with a narrative of the colourful beginnings of USCMA and then highlighting all Mission Conferencesorganized by USCMA for the past 30 years, reminding participants of the themes and the Mission Awardees for each year. "What rich history USCMA! And what privilege to be part of such a dynamic group", underlined Mrs. Teresita Gonzalez de la Maza, current President of the USCMAs, who said: "The conference was wonderful! It allowed for the embodiment of all gathered to recall their baptism, their mission identity. The missioners who gathered came with joy and open hearts!"

There were three keynotes that called for each participant to recall the life of a missioner. Fr. Steven Bevans, SVD, world renowned mission scholar and noted professor of missiology from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago reflected on the theme "Blessings and Challenges of Communion and Missionary Discipleship"; Sister Madge Karecki, SSJ-TOSF, a theologian and currently working as the Executive Director of the Office of Mission Education and Animation of the Archdiocese of Chicago who presented an exegesis of Luke 5, 1-11 from the missionary perspective of "let down the nets for a catch ..."; the United States Ambassador to the Holy See Miguel H. Diaz, known for his work as a theologian and his commitment to the formation of future ministers in the Church, shared his insights on the theme "Missionary Activity, Diplomacy, and Common Good."

Conference participants took part in the Eucharistic celebration in the local Haitian church, dedicated to Notre Dame d’Haiti, presided by the Archbishop of Miami, His Exc. Mgr.Thomas Wenski, who in his homily warned the missionaries "Do not go to the missions with the 'messiah complex': there is only one Messiah, and he is not you." (SL) (Agenzia Fides 07/11/2011)

EVANGELISATION AND INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IN AMERICA

2011-11-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

Friday, November 4, 2011

VATICAN CITY, 4 NOV 2011 (VIS) - The Special Council for America of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops celebrated its sixteenth meeting from 27 to 28 October. According to a note published today, the meeting reflected upon such themes as the new evangelisation, inter-religious dialogue and the situation of the Church and society in various parts of the continent, in the light of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in America".

"'Ecclesia in America' reformulates for the continent of America the criteria used to evaluate non-Christian religions, as expressed by Vatican Council II Declaration 'Nostra Aetate'", the note reads. According to those criteria "the Catholic Church, while affirming the specific originality of Christianity, does not reject anything that is true and holy in non-Christian religions".

"In the field of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, there is sometimes a certain level of interference by States which, while proclaiming themselves as secular, to all intents and purposes tend to consider the Catholic Church as just one among many other religious denominations. In this way they ignore her true nature and the incontestable historical role she played in the first evangelisation of the continent, and in the formation of the identity of individual nations. This strategy followed by the civil authorities means that ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue comes to be replaced by the generic concept of 'inter-religious relations'. Thus, not only are all religions considered as spiritual phenomena of equal status, but there is a tendency to see religion as a tool at the service of political life. Nonetheless, the Church in America is determined to continue her ecumenical and inter-religious activities, following the pastoral guidelines laid down by Vatican Council II and subsequent Magisterium".

The note also highlights the good relations that exist with other Christian confessions, and with non-Christians, especially Jews and Muslims. On the subject of the indigenous religions which existed before the arrival of Christianity, the note explains how "the Catholic Church seeks to discover elements which are compatible with the Gospel, to purify them and integrate them appropriately into the life of local ecclesial communities". The sects, however, represent "the true challenge for the Church in the process of new evangelisation", because, "through energetic proselytisation they spread rapidly in the big cities and wherever the Church's presence is weak".

Poverty, violence and the spread of values that fail to respect human life remain a concern. They are seen as being "the negative outcome of the process of secularisation which is extending from north to south". The effects of the earthquake in Haiti still persist, made worse by illness and difficult social conditions. It is to be hoped that concrete solidarity will be forthcoming from governments, international institutions and Church organisations.

Another phenomenon of vast proportions which affects the entire continent is migration. "In this field", the note explains, "the Church is involved in promoting social programmes and religious assistance to migrants, with the aim of favouring cultural integration and social peace. Although it is true that illegal migrants face serious difficulties, there are positive aspects to the phenomenon of migration, which can favour greater integration among different peoples and the unity of the continent".

The note expresses satisfaction at the increased number of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life among men, but highlights that in some areas female religious life is diminishing. However, "there is great readiness to welcome the faith on the part of the new generations".

The note concludes by referring to the positive results of the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean, which took place in the Brazilian city of Aparecida in 2007, "raising awareness that the entire Church on the continent must be in a state of mission". It also mentions the positive reception accorded to the "Lineamenta" of the Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is due to be held in the Vatican in October 2012 on the theme: "The new evangelisation for the transmission of the Christian faith".
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ASSISI: MAY RELIGIONS BRING JUSTICE AND PEACE UPON THE EARTH

2011-11-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2011 (VIS) - Shortly before 4p.m. yesterday, the Holy Father and the heads of delegation left the convent ofSanta Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, and walked in procession across the squarein front of the building. They then boarded minibuses which took them to PiazzaSan Francesco for the closing event of the Day of reflection, dialogue andprayer for peace and justice in the world.

The ceremony began with some remarks fromCardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council forInter-religious Dialogue. He affirmed that the hope for peace had been revivedby the Assisi meeting and exhorted everyone to be witnesses and messengers ofpeace. The other participants, speaking in turn, then solemnly renewed theirown commitment to peace: His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch ofConstantinople, was followed by representatives of the World Lutheran Council,Sikhism, the Patriarchate of Moscow, the Baptist World Alliance, Islam, theSyro-Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, Taoism, Buddhism, Shintoism, theInternational Jewish Committee on Inter-religious Consultations, the WorldCommunion of Reformed Churches, and non-believers.

Benedict XVI then pronounced the words:"Violence never again! War never again! Terrorism never again! In the nameof God, may every religion bring upon the earth Justice and Peace, Forgivenessand Life, Love".

Following a few moments of silence, a group ofyoung people gave lighted lamps to the heads of delegation and to otherspresent in the square; the flames of the lamps flickering in the wind wereintended to represent peace, which has to be protected and conserved. CardinalKurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,then invited participants to exchange a sign of peace in order to seal thecommitment they had just pronounced.

Following the exchange of the sign of peace thePope concluded by thanking the organisers of the Assisi meeting. He also madespecific mention of "the many young people who have made the pilgrimage toSanta Maria degli Angeli on foot, proof of the fact that many members of thenew generations are committed to overcoming violence and discord, and topromoting justice and peace".

"Today's event is an image of how thespiritual dimension is a key element in the building of peace. Through thisunique pilgrimage we have been able to engage in fraternal dialogue, to deepenour friendship, and to come together in silence and prayer. After renewing ourcommitment to peace and exchanging with one another a sign of peace, we feeleven more profoundly involved, together with all the men and women from thecommunities that we represent, in our common human journey. We are not beingseparated; we will continue to meet, we will continue to be united in thisjourney, in dialogue, in the daily building of peace and in our commitment to abetter world, a world in which every man and woman, and every people, can livein accordance with their own legitimate aspirations. From my heart I thank allof you here present for having accepted my invitation to come to Assisi aspilgrims of truth and peace and I greet each one of you in St. Francis' ownwords: May the Lord grant you peace.

During the closing hymn the Pope and the delegationsdescended from the podium and entered the lower basilica of St. Francis wherethey remained in silence over the saint's tomb. The Pontiff then greeted theFranciscan community and, accompanied by the heads of delegation, travelled byminibus to the railway station of Assisi where he boarded a train for hisreturn to the Vatican.

PV-ITALY/ VIS 20111028 (610)

THE ASSISI MEETING WAS A SIGN OF FRIENDSHIP ANDFRATERNITY

VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This morning in theVatican, the Holy Father received representatives of various religions, and ofnon-believers, who yesterday participated in the Day of reflection, dialogueand prayer for peace and justice in the world, celebrated in the Italian townof Assisi under the theme: "Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace".

Addressing the group in English he thanked themfor having taken part in yesterday's event. "In a certain sense", hesaid, "this gathering is representative of the billions of men and womenthroughout our world who are actively engaged in promoting justice and peace.It is also a sign of the friendship and fraternity which has flourished as thefruit of the efforts of so many pioneers in this kind of dialogue. May thisfriendship continue to grow among all the followers of the world's religionsand with men and women of good will everywhere".

"Looking back, we can appreciate theforesight of the late Pope John Paul II in convening the first Assisi meeting.... Meetings of this sort are necessarily exceptional and infrequent, yet theyare a vivid expression of the fact that every day, throughout our world, peopleof different religious traditions live and work together in harmony. It issurely significant for the cause of peace that so many men and women, inspiredby their deepest convictions, are committed to working for the good of thehuman family.

"In this way", Benedict XVI added,"I am sure that yesterday's meeting has given us a sense of how genuine isour desire to contribute to the good of all our fellow human beings and howmuch we have to share with one another.

"As we go our separate ways, let us drawstrength from this experience and, wherever we may be, let us continuerefreshed on the journey that leads to truth, the pilgrimage that leads topeace. I thank all of you from my heart".

AC/ VIS 20111028 (340)

Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of Global Public Authority

2011-11-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

click here to read the whole document

Preface

“The world situation requires the concerted effort of everyone, a thorough examination of every facet of the problem – social, economic, cultural and spiritual. The Church, which has long experience in human affairs and has no desire to be involved in the political activities of any nation, ‘seeks but one goal: to carry forward the work of Christ under the lead of the befriending Spirit. And Christ entered this world to give witness to the truth; to save, not to judge; to serve, not to be served.’”

With these words, in the prophetic and always relevant Encyclical Populorum Progressio of 1967, Pope Paul VI outlined in a clear way “the trajectories” of the Church’s close relation with the world. These trajectories or perspectives intersect with the perspectives of others outside the Church in the profound value of human dignity and the quest for the common good, which make people responsible and free to act according to their highest aspirations.

The economic and financial crisis which the world is going through summons everyone, as individuals and peoples, to examine in depth the principles and the cultural and moral values that underlie social coexistence. What is more, the crisis engages private actors and competent public authorities on the national, regional and international level in serious reflection on causes and on solutions of a political, economic and technical nature.

In this perspective, as Pope Benedict XVI teaches, the crisis “obliges us to re-plan our journey, to set ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment, to build on positive experiences and to reject negative ones. The crisis thus becomes an opportunity for discernment, in which to shape a new vision for the future. In this spirit, with confidence rather than resignation, it is appropriate to address the difficulties of the present time.”

The G20 leaders themselves said in the Statement they adopted in Pittsburgh in 2009: “The economic crisis demonstrates the importance of ushering in a new era of sustainable global economic activity grounded in responsibility.”

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace now responds to the Holy Father’s appeal, while making the concerns of everyone our own, especially the concerns of those who pay most dearly for the current situation. With due respect for the competent civil and political authorities, the Council hereby offers and shares its reflection: Towards reforming the international financial and monetary systems in the context of global public authority.

We hope that world leaders and all people of good will find this reflection helpful. It is an exercise of responsibility not only towards the current but above all towards future generations, so that hope for a better future and confidence in human dignity and capacity for good may never be extinguished.

Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson
President

Mario Toso
Secretary

From our friends at the Catholic Alliance for the Common Good

2011-10-26T08:23:00.001-07:00

The Vatican’s Breathtakingly Good Statement on Economicsby Professor Steve Schneck, CACG Board Member

The Church, which has long experience in human affairs and has no desire to be involved in the political activities of any nation, “seeks but one goal: to carry forward the work of Christ under the lead of the befriending Spirit. And Christ entered this world to give witness to the truth; to save, not to judge; to serve, not to be served.

This quotation from Paul VI’s encyclical Populorum Progressio prefaced Monday’s release of an extraordinary document in Rome. Authored by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace it’s a breath-taking analysis of the moral failing behind the current economic crisis. Even more—signed by the Council’s head, Cardinal Peter Turkson, and by its secretary, Bishop Mario Toso—the document charts what might be called a “Catholic way forward” from the present morass.

The analysis of the intrinsic moral failing of modern economic life is particularly compelling. For while the authors detail how the economic crisis of our day “has revealed behaviours like selfishness, collective greed and the hoarding of goods on a great scale,” it is not the greedy sinfulness of individuals that is emphasized. Instead, analysis here focuses on certain structural aspects of contemporary civilization that have abetted and facilitated such greed. Greed no doubt is an endemic temptation for our fallen nature, as it were, but special failings of current institutions, practices, and ideology corrupt the process of human formation in a fundamental way.

What practices and ideologies are to blame? “First and foremost,” we’re told is “an economic liberalism that spurns rules and controls,” an “approach unsympathetic towards public intervention in the market.” The European terminology might confuse American readers (who’d likely call such ideology “conservative,” not “liberal”). But, this is what Blessed John Paul II once called the idolatry of the market, which is described in Monday’s release as a “system of thought, a form of ‘economic apriorism’ that purports to derive laws for how markets function from theory, these being laws of capitalistic development.”

Such thinking is neither radical nor new. Radical as it might seem to Americans, this analysis from the Pontifical Council fits comfortably within magisterial traditions. From the 19th century onward encyclicals and other Church teachings—including the writings of Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI—have preached that unregulated market forces endanger the common good. Valuable as they are for economic development, without moral safeguards markets are perceived to foment attitudes toward others and toward the community that not only oppose Christian values but also are unsustainable for an enduring and just social and political order. Market operations incline us to valorize the self and self-interests and to do so in opposition to and competition with others. In individual moral terms, the worry is selfishness, greed, and pride. We’re nudged by market forces, as the document puts it, to live like a wolf among our fellow men and women. Understood more broadly, the Church’s long-standing argument is that the unregulated market’s “invisible hands” erode caritas and concern for others (especially concern for those Jesus called “the least of these”) and militate against the primary purpose of our public life as citizens which is the common good of the whole community in light of salvation.

Monday’s release from Rome draws from the writings of Benedict XVI pointedly in making this case, noting that “In his social encyclical [Caritas in Veritate], Benedict XVI precisely identified the roots of a crisis that is not only economic and financial but above all moral in nature. In fact, as the Pontiff notes, to function correctly the economy needs ethics; and not just any kind but one that is people-centered.” Being should have primacy over having. Ethics should precede economics. Persons are irreducible: they are not merely commodities, consumers, or producers. Thus, a moral appreciation of the utter dignity of the person, the solidarity of the human community, and concern for others must be empowered in public life to guide and regulate the dynamism of economic markets to support the fullness of the Christian vision for the common good. The economic miseries of our time trace to our generation’s failure in this regard.

The Pontifical Council’s analysis is powerful, and it resonates poignantly within our world’s current atmosphere of frustration and despair over out-of-control economic forces that seem to be shredding the fabric of our lives and livelihoods. The remedies that the Council proposes are similarly appealing. Needed, we are told, are morally inspired laws, regulations, and institutions to guide market forces toward the common good and to assure that markets serve humankind rather than the reverse. Specifically, the Council advocates for a supra-national network of laws and an international authority to regulate globalized markets. No fantasizing about black IMF or United Nations helicopters hovering over Wall Street, however. In keeping with the principle of subsidiarity, the Council would empower such authority to intervene only where local and national efforts to regulate for the common good proved ineffective.

American Catholic conservatives are in a tizzy, naturally. “Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish,” George Weigel writes, shouting for all who’ll listen that the Pontifical Council does not speak with papal authority and not only can its teachings be ignored, but they should be. Samuel Greg of the Acton Institute (echoing the American Tea Party’s shrilling that wrongheaded intervention by the “authority” of the Federal Reserve and the national government actually precipitated the crisis) complains that the Pontifical Council offers only “an uncritical assimilation of the views of many of the very same individuals and institutions that helped generate the world’s most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression.” As if anticipating such dismissals, Bishop Toso at the release of the document in Rome reminded the assembled journalists that the Council took its inspiration from Benedict XVI himself who, in Caritas in Veritate, proposed that some form of world authority was needed in the present age to bring order to emerging global economic forces.

Cardinal Turkson came to Washington earlier this year where he delivered a powerful defense of Catholic Social Teaching at an event commemorating the 120th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, the seminal papal encyclical to confront issues of economic justice. He is hardly a radical. It is a measure of how distorted the American political landscape has become that his analysis sounds so fresh and so different from the norm in contemporary debates about the economy. In this new document, he invites all Catholics to look at the financial crisis as Catholics first and political partisans second. It is an invitation we should all accept.

MIGRATIONS AND NEW EVANGELISATION

2011-10-19T10:29:00.001-07:00

VATICAN CITY, 19 OCT 2011 (VIS) - "Migrations and NewEvangelisation" is the theme chosen by Benedict XVI for the World Day ofMigrants and Refugees 2012, which will be celebrated on 15 January 2012.Extracts from the English-language edition of the text are given below:

"Proclaiming Jesus Christ the one Saviour of theworld 'constitutes the essential mission of the Church. It is a task andmission which the vast and profound changes of present-day society make all themore urgent'. Indeed, today we feel the urgent need to give a fresh impetus andnew approaches to the work of evangelisation in a world in which the breakingdown of frontiers and the new processes of globalisation are bringing peopleand peoples even closer. This is both because of the development of the meansof social communication and because of the frequency and ease with which individualsand groups can move about today".

"'Migrations and New Evangelisation' is thetheme I have chosen this year for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Itoriginates from the aforesaid situation. The present time, in fact, calls uponthe Church to embark on a new evangelisation also in the vast and complexphenomenon of human mobility. This calls for an intensification of hermissionary activity both in the regions where the Gospel is proclaimed for thefirst time and in countries with a Christian tradition".

"Internal or international migration, in fact,as an opening in search of better living conditions or to flee from the threatof persecution, war, violence, hunger or natural disasters, has led to anunprecedented mingling of persons and peoples, with new problems not only fromthe human standpoint but also from the ethical, religious and spiritualviewpoints. The current and obvious consequences of secularisation, theemergence of new sectarian movements, widespread insensitivity to the Christianfaith and a marked tendency to fragmentation are obstacles to focusing on aunifying reference that would encourage the formation of 'one family ofbrothers and sisters in societies that are becoming ever more multiethnic andintercultural, where also people of various religions are urged to take part indialogue, so that a serene and fruitful coexistence with respect for legitimatedifferences may be found'. ... Our time is marked by endeavours to efface Godand the Church's teaching from the horizon of life, while doubt, scepticism andindifference are creeping in, seeking to eliminate all the social and symbolicvisibility of the Christian faith.

"In this context migrants who have known andwelcomed Christ are not infrequently constrained to consider Him no longerrelevant to their lives, to lose the meaning of their faith, no longer torecognise themselves as members of the Church, and often lead a life no longermarked by Christ and His Gospel. Having grown up among peoples characterised bytheir Christian faith they often emigrate to countries in which Christians area minority or where the ancient tradition of faith, no longer a personalconviction or a community religion, has been reduced to a cultural fact. Herethe Church is faced with the challenge of helping migrants keep their faithfirm even when they are deprived of the cultural support that existed in theircountry of origin, and of identifying new pastoral approaches, as well asmethods and expressions, for an ever vital reception of the Word of God".

"Today's migration phenomenon is also aprovidential opportunity for the proclamation of the Gospel in the contemporaryworld. Men and women from various regions of the earth who have not yetencountered Jesus Christ or know Him only partially, ask to be received incountries with an ancient Christian tradition. It is necessary to find adequateways for them to meet and to become acquainted with Jesus Christ and toexperience the invaluable gift of salvation which, for everyone, is a source of'life in abundance'".

"Pastoral workers - priests, religious and laypeople - play a crucial role in the demanding itinerary of the newevangelisation in the context of migration. They work increasingly in apluralist context: in communion with their ordinaries, drawing on the Church'sMagisterium. I invite them to seek ways of fraternal sharing and respectfulproclamation, overcoming opposition and nationalism. For their part, theChurches of origin, of transit and those that welcome the migration flowsshould find ways to increase their cooperation for the benefit both of thosewho depart and those who arrive, and, in any case, of those who, on theirjourney, stand in need of encountering the merciful face of Christ in thewelcome given to the neighbour".

"Asylum seekers, who fled from persecution,violence and situations that put their life at risk, stand in need of ourunderstanding and welcome, of respect for their human dignity and rights, aswell as awareness of their duties. Their suffering pleads with individual Statesand the international community to adopt attitudes of reciprocal acceptance,overcoming fears and avoiding forms of discrimination, and to make provisionsfor concrete solidarity also through appropriate structures for hospitality andresettlement programmes. All this entails mutual help between the sufferingregions and those which, already for years, have accepted a large number offleeing people, as well as a greater sharing of responsibilities among States.

"The press and the other media have an importantrole in making known, correctly, objectively and honestly, the situation ofthose who have been forced to leave their homeland and their loved ones andwant to start building a new life.

"Christian communities are to pay specialattention to migrant workers and their families by accompanying them withprayer, solidarity and Christian charity, by enhancing what is reciprocallyenriching, as well as by fostering new political, economic and social planningthat promotes respect for the dignity of every human person, the safeguard ofthe family, access to dignified housing, to work and to welfare".

"Lastly, I would like to call to mind thesituation of numerous international students who are facing problems ofintegration, bureaucratic difficulties, hardship in the search for housing andwelcome structures. Christian communities are to be especially sensitive to themany young men and women who, precisely because of their youth, need referencepoints in addition to cultural growth, and have in their hearts a profoundthirst for truth and the desire to encounter God. Universities of Christianinspiration are to be, in a special way, places of witness and of diffusion ofthe new evangelisation, seriously committed to contributing to social, culturaland human progress in the academic milieu. They are also to promoteinter-cultural dialogue and enhance the contribution that internationalstudents can give".

MESS/ VIS 20111019 (1120)

New Nuncio to the US is Named

2011-10-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, 70, to be the new nuncio to the United States.

In his most recent position, the Italian archbishop had served for two years as secretary-general of the commission governing Vatican City. He succeeds the late Archbishop Pietro Sambi in Washington.

To read the full story from the Catholic News Service, click here

Jesuit who replaced slain Salvadoran priests dies

2011-10-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

From the National Catholic Reporter

Father Dean Brackley spent decades fostering solidarity across nations

Oct. 17, 2011

By Patrick Marrin

Jesuit Father Dean Brackley, who volunteered in 1989 to help replace faculty members slain at the Jesuit University in El Salvador during its bloody civil war, died Sunday in San Salvador. He was 65.

Brackley, a member of the New York Province of Jesuits when he relocated to San Salvador, served at Central American University from 1990 until his death. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer four months ago.

In a July 1 email to friends, Brackley told of the cancer diagnosis, his hopes for more time to continue his work, but also of his surrender to God's will:

"The faith factor is decisive, as you know. When I ask you and Monseñor Romero to pray, I mean: Let us pool our faith. Mine is weak enough, but with all of us, that is another matter. God wants to give life more than we want life. St. Ignatius wrote to Francisco Borja: I consider myself wholly an obstacle to God's work in me. In other words, the exercise of faith, our fundamental human challenge, gets us out of the way of God's work. So, let us pray.

"I cherish your friendship now more than ever. Un fuerte abrazo. Dean"

On Aug. 29, when treatment options in California proved ineffective, Brackley returned to El Salvador. He died shortly after 11 a.m. Oct. 16, surrounded by his Jesuit brothers and close friends.

Click here to read more.

The formation of the youth for a life of authentic faith

2011-10-05T06:17:00.001-07:00

Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - On the basis of experience in the field of youth formation in the last two years, from 2009 to 2011, the Commission for the Youth Pastoral in the diocese of Hong Kong has concluded that youth formation is intellectual knowledge and experience put together, we must also enhance the role of youth in the community. According to reports from the Kong Ko Bao (the Chinese version of the diocesan bulletin), during the work meeting of the Commission, held recently, the participants highlighted what the fundamental elements of the formation of Catholic youth for the future are. They also did a review of the work carried out over the past two years, as the organization of the participation of young people in Hong Kong to World Youth Day in Madrid; youth activities of parishes, deaneries, base ecclesial communities ..., the other initiatives "to help young people deepen their faith and reaffirm their Christian identity. "It was pointed out that participation in the life of the Church "will also help young people to find their sense of belonging in the Church, striving to be consistent in practice with their lives of faith, to live an authentic faith". (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 05/10/2011)

LXXIV volume of "Bibliographia Missionary" has been published for the year 2010t title

2011-10-05T06:16:00.001-07:00

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Library of the Pontifical Urban University has published the LXXIV volume of " Bibliographia Missionaria" for the year 2010. This work is unique in its kind, it offers vast documentation on books and articles about the world of missionary activity and its various aspects, both historical and contemporary: religious orders, missionary congregations, mission territories, methodology of mission, interreligious dialogue, ecumenism, new religious Movements... Each year it presents an exhaustive panorama of about 4000-5000 signals on what has been published on the subject of mission in more than 800 periodicals all over the world. Each volume also presents 30/40 book reviews prepared by experts in missiology.
The volume is in English, and the citations from books and articles are in the original language: English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish and Scandinavian. Bibliographia Missionaria was founded in 1925 by Fr. Johannes Rommerskirchen, OMI, and the publication was interrupted only during World War II. In these 76 years it has seen a remarkable evolution and substantial changes have been introduced in its content and structure: from 80 pages in the first volume, there are now 568. Since 1978 Bibliographia Missionaria is joined together with the Library of the Pontifical Urban University. The current editor is Fr. Rostrowski Marek, OMI, a librarian.
Volume LXXIV, last to be published in the year 2010, signals 4,480 articles, essays and publications on 23 topics including: the theology of mission, mission history, current and future status of the mission, missionary institutions, ecumenical dialogue and mission, religions, mission and atheism, mission and culture, situation of the mission in different continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the United States and Canada, Australia and Oceania. It also includes reviews on 45 books on missionary subjects. The book is completed with two ample indexes - the authors and people, topics - and the list of magazines consulted. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 05/10/2011)

PONTIFF CALLS FOR "MISSIONARY AUDACITY"

2011-10-05T06:05:00.001-07:00

Evangelization Isn't Just for the Fallen-Away, Clarify Bishops

TIRANA, Albania, OCT. 4, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is asking European bishops to be audacious in thinking of new ways to spread the Gospel message.

The Pope asked bishops of Europe to "identify new ways of evangelization with missionary audacity," and he particularly stressed the need that young people have of the Gospel.

This exhortation came in a papal message sent by the Holy Father's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to the Plenary Assembly of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE). The four-day conference, held in Tirana, Albania, concluded Sunday.

The Pontiff's message included the call to "continue the work of this valuable structure of union among the European episcopates [the CCEE], which for 40 years has promoted fruitful collaboration in pastoral and ecumenical activities."

Opportunity

Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, addressed the meeting.

He pointed out that many Europeans today no longer know anything about Christianity. However, the prelate said, more than a "crisis" this is an opportunity for growth.

"The new evangelization is an opportunity given to us to read and interpret the current historical moment in order that the Church's work might become extraordinary," he said. "In other words, we are called to live, in an extraordinary way, the ordinary event in the life of the Church, which is evangelization."

It's under way!

A CCEE statement today affirmed that the "new evangelization is a major concern for European bishops."

Each bishops' conference of the CCEE prepared for the assembly with a survey on the issue, which showed that many efforts in the new evangelization are already under way.

"Evangelization is the manifestation of the Church's life and vitality. It should not be understood simply as a pastoral activity, but as the manifestation of its very nature and mission," the statement noted.

The prelates clarified that a "new evangelization" is not just for fallen-away Christians, but for everyone.

"It seeks to proclaim Christ, true God and true man, crucified to bear every human grief, raised from the dead that we might have life," they stated. "Through their baptism, all believers are called to take part in the new evangelization: families; young people who are generally the most open to being missionaries; but also parishes, the movements, and new communities.

"Places of catechesis and Catholic schools must also be and become ever more places of evangelization. (...) There is also question of seeking new ways to evangelize, such as, for example, new technology, the Internet, and social networking sites. But all this is only possible if, following the example of the Christians of the Acts of the Apostles, we open ourselves up in a new way to the Holy Spirit: 'There will be no new evangelization without a new Pentecost!'"

Associates embrace orders' charisms from NCR Online

2011-09-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Read a great article from our friends at the National Catholic Reporter.

http://ncronline.org/news/women-religious/associates-embrace-orders-charisms

It focuses on the charisms of lay associates in religious communities. Let us know what you think.

Archbishop Dolan Asks Nation’s Clergy To Preach On Poverty, Educate And Advocate For Poor And Jobless

2011-09-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

September 19, 2011

One in four children living in poverty

African-Americans, Hispanics have higher rates of poverty, unemployment

Catholicism calls for giving priority concern to poor, vulnerable in society

WASHINGTON—Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), urged bishops and other Catholic clergy nationwide to bring the issue of poverty into their homilies.
He also underscored the need for educational and advocacy efforts on behalf of the poor and jobless.
Archbishop Dolan made the appeal in a September 15 letter to the nation’s bishops at the urging of the USCCB Administrative Committee. The Committee oversees USCCB work between plenary sessions and met in Washington, September 13-14.
“Widespread unemployment, underemployment and pervasive poverty are diminishing human lives, undermining human dignity, and hurting children and families,” he wrote. “I hope we can use our opportunities as pastors, teachers, and leaders to focus public attention and priority on the scandal of so much poverty and so many without work in our society.” The entire letter can be found at http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/economic-justice-economy/letter-to-bishops-on-economic-situation.cfm
Archbishop Dolan added, “Sixteen million of our children (almost one out of four) are growing up poor.”
“It is especially disheartening that African-Americans and Hispanics live with unemployment and poverty at far higher rates than others. Immigrant workers are especially vulnerable to exploitation and unfair treatment. These realities contradict our national pledge of ‘liberty and justice for all,’” he said. “They also contradict the consistent teaching of our Church. Our Catholic tradition begins with respect for life and the dignity of all, requires a priority concern for poor and vulnerable people, reflects the ties and bonds of solidarity, respects the mutual relationships of subsidiarity, and promotes the dignity of work and protection for workers.”

Benedict XVI's Address to Muslim Leaders "We Believers Have a Special Contribution to Make Toward Building a Better World"

2011-09-26T10:25:00.001-07:00

BERLIN, SEPT. 23, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation ofthe address Benedict XVI delivered today when meeting with Muslim communitiesin the reception room of the apostolic nunciature in Berlin.

* * *

Dear Muslim Friends,

I am glad to be able to welcome you here, as the representativesof different Muslim communities in Germany. I thank Professor MouhanadKhorchide most sincerely for his kind greetings and for the profoundreflections that he shared with us. His words illustrate what a climate ofrespect and trust has grown up between the Catholic Church and the Muslimcommunities in Germany and how the convictions we share are becoming visible.

Berlin is a good place for a meeting like this, not only becausethe oldest mosque in Germany is located here, but also because Berlin has thelargest Muslim population of all the cities in Germany.

From the 1970s onwards, the presence of numerous Muslim familieshas increasingly become a distinguishing mark of this country. Constant effortis needed in order to foster better mutual acquaintance and understanding. Notonly is this important for peaceful coexistence, but also for the contributionthat each can make towards building up the common good in this society.

Many Muslims attribute great importance to the religious dimensionof life. At times this is thought provocative in a society that tends tomarginalize religion or at most to assign it a place among the individual’sprivate choices.

The Catholic Church firmly advocates that due recognition be givento the public dimension of religious adherence. In an overwhelmingly pluralistsociety, this demand is not unimportant. In the process, care must be taken toguarantee that the other is always treated with respect. This mutual respectgrows only on the basis of agreement on certain inalienable values that areproper to human nature, in particular the inviolable dignity of every singleperson as created by God. Such agreement does not limit the expression ofindividual religions; on the contrary, it allows each person to bear witnessexplicitly to what he believes, not avoiding comparison with others.

In Germany – as in many other countries, not only Western ones –this common frame of reference is articulated by the Constitution, whosejuridical content is binding on every citizen, whether he belong to a faithcommunity or not.

Naturally, discussion over the best formulation of principles likefreedom of public worship is vast and open-ended, yet it is significant thatthe German Basic Law expresses them in a way that is still valid today at adistance of over sixty years (cf. Art. 4:2). In this law we find above all thecommon ethos that lies at the heart of human coexistence and that also in acertain way pervades the apparently formal rules of operation of theinstitutions of democratic life.

We could ask ourselves how such a text – drawn up in a radicallydifferent historical epoch, that is to say in an almost uniformly Christiancultural situation – is also suited to present-day Germany, situated as it iswithin a globalized world and marked as it is by a remarkable degree of pluralismin the area of religious belief.

The reason for this seems to me to lie in the fact that thefathers of the Basic Law at that important moment were fully conscious of theneed to find truly solid ground with which all citizens would be able toidentify and which could serve as the supporting foundation for everyone,irrespective of their differences. In seeking this, mindful of human dignityand responsibility before God, they did not prescind from their own religiousbeliefs; indeed for many of them, the real source of inspiration was theChristian vision of man. But they knew that everyone has to engage with thefollowers of other religions and none: common ground for all was found in therecognition of some inalienable rights that are proper to human nature andprecede every positive formulation.

In this way, a society which at that time was essentiallyhomogenous laid the foundations that we today may consider valid for a markedlypluralistic era, foundations that actually point out the evident limits ofpluralism: it is inconceivable, in fact, that a society could survive in thelong term without consensus on fundamental ethical values.

Dear friends, on the basis of what I have outlined here, it seemsto me that there can be fruitful collaboration between Christians and Muslims.In the process, we help to build a society that differs in many respects fromwhat we brought with us from the past. As believers, setting out from ourrespective convictions, we can offer an important witness in many key areas oflife in society. I am thinking, for example, of the protection of the familybased on marriage, respect for life in every phase of its natural course or thepromotion of greater social justice.

This is another reason why I think it important to hold a day ofreflection, dialogue and prayer for peace and justice in the world, which asyou know we plan to do on 27 October next in Assisi, twenty-five years afterthe historic meeting there led by my predecessor, Blessed Pope John Paul II.Through this gathering, we wish to express, with simplicity, that we believershave a special contribution to make towards building a better world, whileacknowledging that if our actions are to be effective, we need to grow indialogue and mutual esteem.

With these sentiments I renew my sincere greetings and I thank youfor this meeting, which for me has been a great enrichment of my visit to myhomeland. Thank you for your attention!

Police detain Mexican priest, two migrants

2011-09-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Sep. 19, 2011

By David Agren, Catholic News Service

MEXICO CITY -- A Catholic priest in southeastern Mexico -- known for his outspoken defense of undocumented Central Americans arriving from neighboring Guatemala -- was detained for several hours and threatened by soldiers and state police.

Father Tomas Gonzalez, pastor of the Crucified Christ Parish in Tenosique, near the lawless Peten region of Guatemala, told Catholic News Service that soldiers pulled over his vehicle -- also carrying two migrants and an Amnesty International activist -- and "surrounded us for three-and-a-half hours," after he refused to allow them to search his vehicle Sept. 17. The soldiers called in Tabasco state police, whom Father Gonzalez said found nothing in his vehicle.
Father Gonzalez was traveling at the time with two migrants and Ruben Figueroa, an activist with Amnesty International.

A state police officer struck Figueroa and told him, "We're going to teach you to respect," Amnesty International said in statement.

Another official arriving at the scene in an unmarked vehicle and wearing military clothing called Father Gonzalez "Devious Indian," and said, "There are no witnesses here and I'm going to bust this guy's head," the statement said.

Father Gonzalez confirmed the details of the statement.
"This happens all the time with the Mexican authorities, above all, with the army and state police officers," he said. The arrest marked the latest hostility directed toward migrant shelters and priests, whose ministries focus on serving undocumented Central Americans transiting Mexico. Previously, incidents this year have occurred in locations stretching across Mexico, including Tenosique and Oaxaca in the South and Piedras Negras and Saltillo in the North.

Father Gonzalez received a threatening call at his parish Sept. 9, warning "something is going to happen to you," local media reported. The call came from a local prison, and the caller identified himself as the relative of a National Immigration Institute employee. Father Gonzalez has denounced migration officials through the Usumacinta Human Rights Center, which he directs.

The priest said he is currently helping with more than 90 Guatemalan families, who fled across the border to escape violence in northern Guatemala. Father Gonzalez previously has received threats at his migrant shelter, "La 72," named for the 72 undocumented migrants massacred last year by Los Zetas on a ranch in Tamaulipas state.

Organized criminal groups such as Los Zetas -- sometimes working with corrupt police and government officials -- kidnap migrants and demand ransoms of up to $7,000 from relatives already living in the United States.

Catholic Priest in War-Torn Sudanese State Repeatedly Detained Previously tortured clergyman threatened with death if he returns to area of South Kordofan.

2011-09-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

|Mon, Sep. 19 2011 02:26 PM EDT

By Compass Direct News

KHARTOUM, Sudan – A Roman Catholic priest of Kadugli parish in Sudan’s embattled South Kordofan is in hiding after being detained three times in the past three months.

Authorities tortured the Rev. Abraham Lual on two of those occasions with accusations that as a Christian he opposes northern forces’ military campaign in the disputed region, he told Compass by phone.
Detained at 10:20 a.m. on Sept. 6 and interrogated for five hours at the security unit’s head office in El-Obied, Lual told Compass that authorities are monitoring his movements and those of other church leaders on the assumption that they are supported by Western Christians opposed to Islam and the north’s military push for territory in South Kordofan.

He was also detained for two days in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, on Aug. 28, and the torture he suffered left him with injuries to his left leg, he said. Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) agents had also arrested him on June 8, accusing him of preaching that people should oppose the Islamic government, he said; authorities tortured him for two days at that time as well.

Lual’s church building had been gutted by fire in the fighting, and during the Aug.28 interrogation authorities threatened to kill him if he returned to visit the burned structure in the war-torn town, he said.
“You are preaching against Islamic government and opposing its teaching and rules,” they said as they beat him, he said.

Lual said it will take him a long time to recover from the trauma of the Aug. 28 mistreatment.
“I am totally traumatized as a result of what they did to me and members of my congregation,” he said. “They have badly mistreated me. I ask God to help me remain strong in faith as well as my displaced members and all Christian communities who are facing persecution.”
Armed conflict in Kadugli broke out between southern and northern militaries on June 6 after northern forces seized Abyei in May.

Christian sources said Sudanese authorities in the Muslim-majority north are targeting Christians in the battle for South Kordofan because officials seek to rid Sudan of Christianity, which they perceive as anti-Islam and pro-West, Christian sources said. Lual said he has become the target of security forces because he is a church leader.

“On my arrival there, they were already monitoring my movements without my knowledge,” he said. “They also asked about who the church is getting money from and who are supporting the missionary activities.”
Lual said he went to Kadugli to see the remnants of the church buildings that were destroyed three months ago, when forces loyal to the Sudan government and supported by Islamic militias “killed Christians and destroyed churches.”
“Most of the congregation members have been displaced, and some of them were even shot dead,” he told Compass by phone. “They are now like sheep without a shepherd.”
Christian sources in South Kordofan have confirmed that SAF and Islamic militias in Kadugli burned church schools and church buildings, he said.

“They burned the Catholic church and looted everything, as well as other churches in Kadugli such as the Sudanese Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the Sudan Presbyterian Church of Sudan,” Lual said.

The military forces burned a Catholic guest house in Kadugli and the church’s Comboni School, he added.
“My main concern is my scattered congregation, most of whom have become displaced in their own home land,” he said, “and the Islamic government continues to refuse aid agencies seeking to provide assistance to the stricken displaced, saying that this will give room to Christian organizations to step in and Christianize the region.”

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir told media on Aug. 23 that the government did not want any relief assistance unless humanitarian organizations first handed it over to officials to distribute. Al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur, asserted last year that after the July 9 separation from South Sudan, (north) Sudan would be based on sharia (Islamic law) and Islamic culture, with Arabic as the official language.

Pope Calls Families to New Evangelization

2011-09-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, SEPT. 18, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Families who are living for Christare among the protagonists in the Church's mission to bring about a newevangelization, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope affirmed this today before praying the middayAngelus with crowds gathered at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

Reflecting on the passage from Philippians in today'sliturgy, the Holy Father noted how the letter was written around the year 50A.D., and therein was already a complete synthesis of the mystery of Christ:"incarnation, 'kenosis,' that is, humiliation unto death on the cross, andglorification."

"This mystery itself became one with the life of theApostle Paul, who wrote this letter while he was in prison, awaiting a sentenceof life or death," the Holy Father explained. "He writes: 'For me tolive is Christ and die is gain.' It is a new sense of life, of human existence,that consists in living communion with the living Jesus Christ."

This communion, the Pontiff said, is not with a merehistorical figure, "but with a man in whom God dwells personally."

"His death and resurrection are the Good News that,starting from Jerusalem, is destined to reach all people and nations, and totransform all cultures from within, opening them to the fundamental truth: Godis love; he became man in Jesus and with his sacrifice he ransomed humanityfrom slavery to evil, giving it a trustworthy hope."

Benedict XVI proposed that today "we live in an epochof new evangelization."

"The protagonists of this mission," he said,"are the men and women who, like St. Paul, can say: 'For me to live isChrist' -- persons, families, communities, who decide to work in the vineyardof the Lord, according to the image of this Sunday's Gospel. Humble andgenerous workers, who do not ask any other recompense than participating in themission of Jesus and the Church."

Immigration and the "Next America" "Our Father in Heaven Does Not Make Some Nationalities or Racial Groups to Be 'Inferior'"

2011-09-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

ROME, SEPT. 17, 2011 (Zenit.org).-Here is an adapted version of an address given by Archbishop José Gomez of LosAngeles on July 28 at the Napa Institute. L'Osservatore Romano published thisversion Aug. 11.

* * *

Our political debate about immigration in America frustrates me.Often I think we are just talking around the edges of the real issues. Bothsides of this argument are inspired by a beautiful, patriotic idea of America'shistory and values. But lately I've been starting to wonder: What America arewe really talking about?

America is changing and it has been changing for a long time. Theforces of globalization are changing our economy and forcing us to rethink thescope and purpose of our government. Threats from outside enemies are changingour sense of national sovereignty. America is changing on the inside, too.

Our culture is changing. We have a legal structure that allows,and even pays for, the killing of babies in the womb. Our courts andlegislatures are redefining the natural institutions of marriage and thefamily. We have an elite culture -- in government, the media and academia --that is openly hostile to religious faith.

America is becoming a fundamentally different country. It is timefor all of us to recognize this -- no matter what our position is on thepolitical issue of immigration. We need to recognize that immigration is partof a larger set of questions about our national identity and destiny. What isAmerica? What does it mean to be an American? Who are we as a people, and whereare we heading as a country? What will the "next America" look like?

As Catholics who are faithful citizens in America we have toanswer these questions within a larger frame of reference. As Catholics, wehave to always remember that there is more to the life of any nation than thedemands of the moment in politics, economics and culture. We have to considerall of those demands and the debates about them in light of God's plan for thenations.

This is a big challenge for us in this culture. Our culture pushesus to "privatize" our faith, to separate our faith from our life insociety. We always have to resist that temptation. We are called to live ourfaith in our businesses, homes and communities, and in our participation inpublic life. That means we have to bring a Catholic faith perspective to thisdebate about immigration. We cannot just think about this issue as Democrats orRepublicans or as liberals or conservatives.

I think we all know the teachings of our Church on immigration.What we need to understand better is how to see immigration in light ofAmerica's history and purposes, as seen through the perspective of our Catholicfaith. When we understand immigration from this perspective we can see thatimmigration is not a problem for America. It's an opportunity. Immigration is akey to our American renewal.

One of the problems we have today is that we have lost the senseof America's national "story." If our people know our history at all,what they know is incomplete. And when we don't know the whole story, we end upwith the wrong assumptions about American identity and culture.

The American story that most of us know is set in New England. Itis the story of the pilgrims and the Mayflower, the first Thanksgiving, andJohn Winthrop's sermon about a "city upon a hill."

It is the story of great men like Washington, Jefferson andMadison. It's the story of great documents like the Declaration of Independenceand the Bill of Rights. It is a beautiful story. It is also true. EveryAmerican should know these characters and the ideals and principles they foughtfor. From this story we learn that our American identity and culture are rootedin essentially Christian beliefs about the dignity of the human person.

But the story of the founding fathers and the truths they held tobe self-evident is not the whole story about America. The rest of the storystarts more than a century before the pilgrims. It starts in the 1520s inFlorida and in the 1540s here in California.

It is the story not of colonial settlement and political andeconomic opportunity. It is the story of exploration and evangelization. Thisstory is not Anglo-Protestant but Hispanic-Catholic. It is centered, not in NewEngland but in Nueva España -- New Spain -- at opposite corners of thecontinent.

From this story we learn that before this land had a name itsinhabitants were being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The people of thisland were called Christians before they were called Americans. And they werecalled this name in the Spanish, French and English tongues.

From this history, we learn that long before the Boston Tea Party,Catholic missionaries were celebrating the holy Mass on the soil of thiscontinent. Catholics founded America's oldest settlement, in St. Augustine,Florida, in 1565. Immigrant missionaries were naming this continent's riversand mountains and territories for saints, sacraments and articles of the faith.

We take these names for granted now. But our American geographytestifies that our nation was born from the encounter with Jesus Christ.Sacramento ("Holy Sacrament"). Las Cruces ("the Cross").Corpus Christi ("Body of Christ"). Even the Sangre de CristoMountains, named for the precious blood of Christ.

The 19th-century historian John Gilmary Shea said it beautifully.Before there were houses in this land, there were altars: "Mass was saidto hallow the land and draw down the blessing of heaven before the first stepwas taken to rear a human habitation. The altar was older than thehearth."

This is the missing piece of American history. And today more thanever, we need to know this heritage of holiness and service -- especially asAmerican Catholics. Along with Washington and Jefferson, we need to know thestories of these great apostles of America. We need to know the Frenchmissionaries like Mother Joseph and the Jesuits St. Isaac Jogues and FatherJacques Marquette, who came down from Canada to bring the faith to the northernhalf of our country. We need to know the Hispanic missionaries like theFranciscan Magin Catalá and the Jesuit Father Eusebio Kino, who came up from Mexicoto evangelize the Southwest and the Northwest territories.

We should know the stories of people like Venerable AntonioMargil. He was a Franciscan priest and is one of my favorite figures from thefirst evangelization of America. Venerable Antonio left his homeland in Spainto come to the New World in 1683. He told his mother he was coming here --because "millions of souls [were] lost for want of priests to dispel thedarkness of unbelief."

People used to call him "the Flying Padre." He traveled40 or 50 miles every day, walking barefoot. Fray Antonio had a trulycontinental sense of mission. He established churches in Texas and Louisiana,and also in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico.

He was a priest of great courage and love. He escaped death manytimes at the hands of the native peoples he came to evangelize. Once he faced afiring squad of a dozen Indians armed with bows and arrows. Another time he wasalmost burned alive at the stake.

I came to know about Fray Antonio when I was the Archbishop of SanAntonio. He preached there in 1719-1720 and founded the San José Mission there.He used to talk about San Antonio as the center of the evangelization ofAmerica. He said: "San Antonio … will be the headquarters of all themissions which God our Lord will establish … that in his good time all of thisNew World may be converted to his holy Catholic faith."

This is the real reason for America, when we consider our historyin light of God's plan for the nations. America is intended to be a place ofencounter with the living Jesus Christ. This was the motivation of themissionaries who came here first. America's national character and spirit aredeeply marked by the Gospel values they brought to this land. These values arewhat make the founding documents of our government so special.

Although founded by Christians, America has become home to anamazing diversity of cultures, religions and ways of life. This diversityflourishes precisely because our nation's founders had a Christian vision ofthe human person, freedom, and truth.

G. K. Chesterton said famously that "America is the onlynation in the world that is founded on a creed." And that"creed," as he recognized, is fundamentally Christian. It is thebasic American belief that all men and women are created equal -- withGod-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Every other nation in history has been established on the basis ofcommon territory and ethnicity -- the ties of land and kinship. America insteadis based on this Christian ideal, on this creed that reflects the amazinguniversalism of the Gospel. As a result, we have always been a nation ofnationalities. E pluribus unum. One people made from peoples of many nations,races, and creeds.

Throughout our history, problems have always arisen when we havetaken this American creed for granted. Or when we have tried to limit it insome way. That's why it is essential that today we remember the missionaryhistory of America -- and rededicate ourselves to the vision of America'sfounding "creed."

When we forget our country's roots in the Hispanic-Catholicmission to the new world, we end up with distorted ideas about our nationalidentity. We end up with an idea that Americans are descended from only whiteEuropeans and that our culture is based only on the individualism, work ethicand rule of law that we inherited from our Anglo-Protestant forebears.

When that has happened in the past it has led to those episodes inour history that we are least proud of -- the mistreatment of Native Americans;slavery; the recurring outbreaks of nativism and anti-Catholicism; theinternment of Japanese Americans during World War ii; the misadventures of"manifest destiny."

There are, of course, far more complicated causes behind thesemoments in our history. But at the root, I think we can see a common factor --a wrong-headed notion that "real Americans" are of some particularrace, class, religion or ethnic background.

I worry that in today's political debates over immigration we areentering into a new period of nativism. The intellectual justification for thisnew nativism was set out a few years ago in an influential book by the lateSamuel Huntington of Harvard, called "Who Are We?". He made a lot ofsophisticated-sounding arguments, but his basic argument was that Americanidentity and culture are threatened by Mexican immigration.

Authentic American identity "was the product of the distinctAnglo-Protestant culture of the founding settlers of America in the 17th and18th centuries," according to Huntington. By contrast, Mexicans' valuesare rooted in a fundamentally incompatible "culture of Catholicism"which, Huntington argued, does not value self-initiative or the work ethic, andinstead encourages passivity and an acceptance of poverty.

These are old and familiar nativist claims, and they are easy todiscredit. One could point to the glorious legacy of Hispanic literature andart, or to Mexican-Americans' and Hispanic-Americans' accomplishments inbusiness, government, medicine and other areas. Unfortunately, today we hearideas like Huntington's being repeated on cable TV and talk radio -- andsometimes even by some of our political leaders.

There is no denying significant differences betweenHispanic-Catholic and Anglo-Protestant cultural assumptions. This kind ofbigoted thinking stems from an incomplete understanding of American history.Historically, both cultures have a rightful claim to a place in our national"story" -- and in the formation of an authentic American identity andnational character.

I believe American Catholics have a special duty today to be theguardians of the truth about the American spirit and our national identity. Ibelieve it falls to us to be witnesses to a new kind of American patriotism.

We are called to bring out all that is noble in the Americanspirit. We are also called to challenge those who would diminish or"downsize" America's true identity. Since I came to California, Ihave been thinking a lot about Blessed Junípero Serra, the Franciscan immigrantwho came from Spain via Mexico to evangelize this great state.

Blessed Junípero loved the native peoples of this continent. Helearned their local languages, customs and beliefs. He translated the Gospeland the prayers and teachings of the faith so that everyone could hear themighty works of God in their own native tongue! He used to trace the sign ofthe cross on people's foreheads and say to them, Amar a Dios! Love God!

This is a good way to understand our duty as Catholics in ourculture today. We need to find a way to "translate" the Gospel oflove for the people of our times. We need to remind our brothers and sisters ofthe truths taught by Blessed Junípero and his brother missionaries. That we areall children of the same Father in heaven. That our Father in heaven does notmake some nationalities or racial groups to be "inferior" or lessworthy of his blessings.

Catholics need to lead our country to a new spirit of empathy. Weneed to help our brothers and sisters to start seeing the strangers among usfor who they truly are -- and not according to political or ideologicalcategories or definitions rooted in our own fears.

This is difficult, I know. I know it is a particular challenge tosee the humanity of those immigrants who are here illegally. But the truth isthat very few people "choose" to leave their homelands. Emigration isalmost always forced upon people by the dire conditions they face in their lives.

Most of the men and women who are living in America without properdocumentation have traveled hundreds, even thousands of miles. They have lefteverything behind, risked their safety and their lives. They have done this,not for their own comfort or selfish interests. They have done this to feedtheir loved ones. To be good mothers and fathers. To be loving sons anddaughters.

These immigrants -- no matter how they came here -- are people ofenergy and aspiration. They are people who are not afraid of hard work orsacrifice. They are nothing like the people Prof. Huntington and others aredescribing! These men and women have courage and the other virtues. The vastmajority of them believe in Jesus Christ and love our Catholic Church. Theyshare traditional American values of faith, family and community.

This is why I believe our immigrant brothers and sisters are thekey to American renewal. And we all know that America is in need of renewal --economic and political, but also spiritual, moral and cultural renewal. Ibelieve these men and women who are coming to this country will bring a new,youthful entrepreneurial spirit of hard work to our economy. I also believethey will help renew the soul of America.

In his last book, "Memory and Identity," written the yearhe died, Blessed John Paul II said: "The history of all nations is calledto take its place in the history of salvation." We must look atimmigration in the context of America's need for renewal. And we need toconsider both immigration and American renewal in light of God's plan forsalvation and the history of the nations.

The promise of America is that we can be one nation where men andwomen from every race, creed and national background may live as brothers andsisters. Each one of us is a child of that promise. If we trace the genealogiesof almost everyone in America, the lines of descent will lead us out beyond ourborders to some foreign land where each of our ancestors originally came from.

This inheritance comes to American Catholics now as a gift and asa duty. We are called to make our own contributions to this nation -- throughthe way we live our faith in Jesus Christ as citizens. Our history shows usthat America was born from the Church's mission to the nations. The "nextAmerica" will be determined by the choices we make as Christian disciplesand as American citizens. By our attitudes and actions, by the decisions wemake, we are writing the next chapters of our American story.

May Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mother of the Americas, obtain forus the courage we need to do what our good Lord requires.

Archbishop Nichols on Interreligious Relations

2011-09-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

BIRMINGHAM, England, SEPT. 17, 2011 (Zenit.org).-Here is an address by Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president ofthe Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, at a conference on thetheme "The Future for Inter-Faith Relations."

The conference was held at the University of Birmingham lastMonday.

* * *

Good Afternoon

I am very pleased to be back here in Birmingham and to have theopportunity of addressing this meeting on the subject of the future forinter-faith relations.

I am particularly pleased to be here on 12 September. How well Iremember this day 10 years ago, which, effectively, was my introduction to thework of inter-faith relations here in Birmingham.

On this morning, ten years ago, a phone-call was received inArchbishop’s House asking if I could go, more or less straight away, to theCentral Mosque were there was to be a show of public solidarity, by the faithleaders in the City, for the Muslim community. I was not able to do so, but myPrivate Secretary, Fr Timothy Menezes went on my behalf.

The Start of Meaningful Dialogue

This public gathering, on the steps of the Mosque, was theinitiative of the late Rabbi Lionel Tann who had learned that the Mosque hadreceived a number of threatening and abusive phone calls in the aftermath ofthe terrorist hijacking of three airliners and the terrible destruction theywreaked. He was determined that the Muslim community should not be left alone.The gathering was an important one because it gave impetus to the meetings ofthe Faith Leaders Group here in Birmingham, giving them shape, character andfocus. It started, and it remained, a group based on personal relationships,building personal and communal solidarity and growing in its capacity torespond to difficult and sensitive moments.

Achievements

I rejoiced to be part of it. I treasure those memories. I saluteits on-going achievements.

I remember well, for example, our shared efforts to promoteReligious Education, both within this Education Authority and at a nationallevel, too.

I remember our difficult discussions and moments when controversysurrounded the performance of a play by a Sikh author which gave offence tothat community.

I remember our efforts to establish an inter-faith fund for thebenefit of children in Iraq in the aftermath of the invasion. What a symboliceffort that was, drawing in the generosity of Christian, Jew and Muslim.

I remember the difficulties and discussions we had when world-widecontroversy broke out about a small part of the speech given by Pope Benedictin Regensburg. It was a fruit of our relationships that in Birmingham notrouble ensued, rather a respectful acknowledgment of the Pope’s right to speakas he thought best and an attempt, rather better than elsewhere, to lookcarefully at what he actually said.

I remember with deep emotion an event in the Singer’s HillSynagogue when I was able to present a precious Torah Scroll and in which I wasinvited to address the Congregation. I also recall a memorable visit to theCentral Mosque for Friday Prayers and lunch. And there was an outstandingseminar on spiritual themes in the Sikh Gudwara on the Soho Road.

I remember with particular satisfaction the remarkable partnershipbetween the Faith Leaders’ Group, Birmingham University and the City authoritiesin staging a three sided exploration of the role of faith in the modern city.This remains a pioneering venture.

These are precious memories and, I believe, point to a brightfuture for inter-faith relations not only here in Birmingham but also elsewhere,even in places where such foundations are not in place, and such rich memoriesare not shared.

The Visit of Pope Benedict XVI during September 2010

Another source of hope for me rises from the Visit of PopeBenedict XVI to the United Kingdom just one year ago. This source gives rise totwo springs.

The first concerns the role of religious faith in our society; thesecond is more particular to the inter-faith agenda itself.

The Role of Religious Faith in our Society:

You may recall that before the Papal Visit there was a period ofrather virulent criticism not only of the Pope in particular but also of thewhole project of faith in God. In contrast to that public and often mockingattack, a single, consistent theme was put forward, as being the basic theme ofthe Pope’s visit. It was this: that faith in God is not a problem to be solvedbut a gift to be discovered afresh.

My view is that, one year after the Visit, there is much wideracceptance of that proposition than there was at that time. I believe there isa shift in public opinion, recognition that belief in God, and all that itbrings, is enrichment and not an illusion, a contributor to society and notsimply a problem.

There are, I think, two reasons for this. The first is the cry ofnecessity; the second the clarity of argument.

Strengthen our Core Values

In recent months there have been moments and events which havesuggested strongly that as a society we need to be clearer and more robust inthe key values we wish to uphold. Institutions have been seen in their weakness– and there are no institutions which are without weaknesses. And that weaknessis seen in the weaknesses of their members. We have seen the weakness of someMembers of Parliament, of some professionals in the Media, of some members ofthe Police and of some people in our cities who chose to create and exploit amoment of chaos for personal gain. The illegality and immorality of all theseactions are shocking. They have given rise to that cry of necessity: we can dobetter than this; we have to find and strengthen our core values.

Along with this experience there have been many words spoken,urging us all to think more deeply about those key values and virtues and howwe educate young people into responsible citizens.

Address by Pope Benedict in Westminster Hall, Palace ofWestminster

These, of course, were the very questions put by Pope Benedict inhis Address in Westminster Hall one year ago. He urged us to recognise the needto hold onto objective moral values as the foundation even for our democracyitself. He argued that reasoned discussion can help us to formulate suchprinciples and values. And he demonstrated how important in this task is thepartnership between reason and faith. I quote:

'The Catholic tradition maintains that the objective normsgoverning right action are accessible to reason, prescinding from the contentof revelation. According to this understanding, the role of religion inpolitical debate is not so much to supply these norms, as if they could not beknown by non-believers – still less to propose concrete political solutions,which would lie altogether outside the competence of religion – but rather tohelp purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery ofobjective moral principles. This ‘corrective’ role of religion vis-à-vis reasonis not always welcomed, though, partly because distorted forms of religions,such as sectarianism and fundamentalism, can be seen to create serious socialproblems themselves. And, in their turn, these distortions of religion arisewhen insufficient attention is given to the purifying and structuring role ofreason within religion. Without the corrective supplied by religion, though,reason too can fall prey to distortions, as when it is manipulated by ideology,or applied in a partial way that fails to take full account of the dignity ofthe human person. Such misuse of reason, after all, was what gave rise to theslave trade in the first place and to many other social evils, not least thetotalitarian ideologies of the 20th century. This is why I would suggest thatthe world of reason and the world of faith – the world of secular rationalityand the world of religious belief – need one another and should not be afraidto enter into a profound and ongoing dialogue, for the good of ourcivilisation.’

This, to me, is a huge encouragement and guidance for widerrecognition of the role that faith communities can place in fashioning a morestable, principled, just and compassionate society.

But this somewhat abstract statement has been eloquentlyillustrated in events.

Faith in Action

During the riots in August, for example, there were many momentsin which the richness of the faith communities delivered vital correctives andaction. Clergy were on the streets trying to calm and correct. I heard of onepriest who was able to direct young boys back home, preventing them frompicking up looted goods lying on the street and thereby risking life-changingarrest and prosecution. Churches and religious centres acted as focal pointsfor those who wished to express their desire and determination for peace andsolidarity with the victims of damage. And here in Birmingham was the mostwell-known example of all: the words and actions of Mr Tariq Jahan.

As we all know, in the very heart of a grievous family tragedy, hewas able, on the basis of his faith, to summon and express great concern forothers. Rather than express an understandable anger his appeal was eloquent andeffective: ‘Today we stand here to call to all the youth to remain calm, forour communities to stay united. This is not a race issue’ he said. ‘Thefamilies have received messages of sympathy and support from all parts of thecommunities, from all faiths, all colours and backgrounds.’ His appeal wasdirect and passionate: ‘I have lost my son. If you want to lose yours stepforward, otherwise calm down and go home.’

This is faith in action, in its depth and dignity, a majorcontribution to our common good. And it has been seen and understood by somany. To Mr Jahan can be addressed the words of Pope Benedict, from a year ago,when he expressed the Catholic Church’s appreciation for ‘the important witnessthat you bear as spiritual men and women living at a time when religiousconvictions are not always understood or appreciated.’ The witness of Mr Jahan,and of many others, is becoming more readily appreciated. His virtue shows thatfaith in God is part of the solution, not part of the problem.

The full article can be found by clicking here.

2011-09-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Please take the time to read this well written article. It came to the USCMA from our friends at the Jesuit International Office.

A New Relationship

2011-09-16T11:25:00.001-07:00

This is a great read. Written by Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, DC.
Let us know what you think!

We need your help!

2011-09-13T09:23:00.001-07:00

ACTION ALERT

STOP SECTION 403 of the POSTALREFORM ACT

BACKGROUND

The USPostal Service is in financial crisis. Representative Issa (R-CA) hasintroduced HR 2309, the Postal Reform Act, designed to reduce costs andincrease revenue for the Postal Service. Although this is a reasonable goal,the bill contains section 403 which would eliminate the special reduced ratefor non-profit standard mail over several years. Nonprofits have counted on thereduced rates to make it possible to stay in contact with their benefactors,members and clients. The reduction is currently set at 40 percent. The increasecalled for by section 403 would be devastating to most non-profitorganizations, including the Columban Fathers.

ACTION REQUESTED

WRITE TO THE CHAIR OF THE OVERSIGHTCOMMITTEE

A sampleletter is printed below. Please send letters to Representative Darrel Issa(R-CA),the committee chairman and sponsor of the bill.

Fax theletter to: 202-225-3974

SAMPLE LETTER

Date

HonorableDarrell Issa

Chairman,Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

UnitedStates House of Representatives

Washington,DC 20515

Fax:202-225-3974

DearChairman Issa:

I amwriting to ask you to remove the non-profit postal increase contained in HR2309, the Postal Reform Act.

Non-profitorganizations have qualified for special reduced postage rates since 1951. Thediscount was introduced to demonstrate the country’s support for civil societyorganizations. Increasing the cost of postage would devastate non-profitorganizations, forcing them to cut costs elsewhere and would result in theelimination of many programs that benefit our society.

As a [member, benefactor, employee] of afaith-based nonprofit organization, I understand their need, in these difficultfinancial times, to use their income wisely. This bill will make that even moredifficult. Please reconsider this section of the bill and enable nonprofit organizationsto continue to do their works of charity.

Sincerely,

[your name]

CONTACT INFORMATION

MichelleMelcher Knight

mmknight@columban.org

2011-09-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a beautiful and heart warming story of Redepmtorist priest Fr. Larry who had served in Thailand for over 45 years. He died in 2011. He is missed by his friends and his communities!
Click here to view the video.

USCMA Celebrates 30 Years

2011-09-02T06:46:00.001-07:00

AMERICA/UNITED STATES-The United States Catholic Mission Association (USCMA) celebrates 30 years

Washington (Agenzia Fides) - The United States Catholic Mission Association celebrates 30 years of promoting mission and global solidarity. "The 30 years anniversary of USCMA is a celebration of loyalty and radical commitment to God's mission of all U.S. Catholic missionaries. We thank God for the invitation to participate in his mission and we pray that we may continue to be open to the Holy Spirit promptings as we respond to the ever changing realities of mission," says Fr. Michael Montoya, MJ, Executive Director of USCMA, in a statement sent to Fides.
The anniversary will be celebrated at the annual Mission Conference to be held in Miami, from October 28 to 30. Over the past 30 years these conferences have been venues for missionaries to gather, share and deepen their mission perspectives, as well as, strengthen collaboration and partnership in the mission world.
When USCMA started in 1981, the membership of the new mission association was composed of the mission committees of both the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). "We have come a long way since that initial beginning as an association - says Fr. Montoya -. And now we even have a lay missionary as President of the Board". The Executive Director of USCMA also points out that, moving around the country and meeting other missionary groups, is always amazing to realize all the many wonderful initiatives in mission coming out of conversations initiated by the USCMA. The USCMA stands in a direct line to two national mission agencies: the Mission Secretariat (1949-1969) and the U.S. Catholic Mission Council (1969-1980). (SL) (Agenzia Fides 02/09/2011)

For more information

USCMA member, Sr. Mary Whited, CPPS has passed away

2011-08-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Michael and USCMA members

It is with deep sadness that we share with you the news that MaryWhited, CPPS died this morning around 1:00 am. She died peacefully in hersleep.

Mary served in the presidency of the LCWR during 2006-2009. Shewas very much a part of both the Apostolic Visitation and the DoctrinalAssessment. Most recently she has been serving as a member of the LCWRContemporary Religious Life Committee. Many of you may have seen Mary at the2011 national assembly. She made it a priority in her last days to gather withher LCWR sisters!

Mary's wisdom and quiet, gentle presence among us is a loss. Herability to laugh at some of the foolishness that surrounded us at times is agift that will linger in our memories of her. We send our deepest sympathy andpromise of prayers to her congregational leaders, to all of the sisters withwhom she shared life, to her friends and to her family. Mary is now with theGod to whom she gave her life. We offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving thatthe LCWR was blessed to share in that life.

Arrangements are: September2, 2010, 4:00 PM: Wake - 7:00 PM: Prayer Service

September3, 2010, 11:00 AM: Funeral

All services will be held at the at the CPPSchapel in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Labor Day is coming!

2011-08-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

Labor day is quickly approaching! How will you honor the workers in your life? To read Bishop Blaire's statement on Labor, Click here.
Please remember to honor the people in your life who help to promote justice in the workplace and remember to pray for those seeking dignity in the workplace!

Mission Conference 2011

2011-08-23T12:14:00.001-07:00

Contact: Rev. Michael Montoya, MJ

United States Catholic MissionAssociation, Executive Director

mmontoya@uscatholicmission.org

202-832-3112 (office)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 23, 2011

The United States Catholic Mission Association Celebrates30 Years

This year, the United States Catholic Mission Association (USCMA)celebrates its 30 years of promoting mission and global solidarity. “The 30years anniversary of USCMA is a celebration of all US Catholic missionaries intheir faithfulness and radical commitment to God’s mission. We thank God forthe invitation to participate in his mission and we pray that we may continueto be open to the Holy Spirit promptings as we respond to the ever changingrealities of mission.” says Fr. Michael Montoya, MJ, Executive Director ofUSCMA.

“We invite everyone to come and join us at our annual missionconference in Miami on October 28-30 to celebrate the 30 years of God’sblessings to the association,” invites Fr. Montoya. For the past 30years, the Annual Mission Conferences have been venues for missionaries togather, share and deepen their mission perspectives, as well as, strengthencollaboration and partnership in the mission world.

The theme for this year’s mission conference is “Push out intothe deep… Communion and Missionary Discipleship.” Speakers include AmbassadorMiguel Diaz (US Ambassador to the Holy See); Rev. Steve Bevans, SVD, Sr. MadgeKarecki, SSJ-TOSF, Rev. Allan Figueroa Deck, SJ, Dr. Alicia Marill, Sr. FranCunningham, Vic Doucette, Rev. Robert Mosher, SSC, Sr. Jane Ann Slater, CDP,Anthony Vinciguerra, Alphonse Quesnel, SMM (from Haiti), Alisa Macksey, and Dr.Andy Thompson. For more information and to register online, go to www.uscatholicmission.org orcall 202-832-3112.

“We cannot emphasize enough the relevance and urgency of the message ofUSCMA” says Teresita Gonzalez de la Maza, the first Hispanic woman President ofthe Board of USCMA. She reminds us that in his historic visit to the US, PopeBenedict XVI challenged the US Church saying, “The need for global solidarityis as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of theirdignity – as brothers and sisters dwelling in the same house and around thattable which God’s bounty has set for all his children.”

“When it started in 1981, the membership of the new mission associationwas composed of the mission committees of both the Conference of MajorSuperiors of Men (CMSM) and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR).We have come a long way since that initial beginning as an association. Andnow, we even have a lay missionary as President of the Board. And as I movearound the country and meet with other mission-oriented groups, it is amazingto realize all the wonderful initiatives in mission coming out of conversationsinitiated by the USCMA.” says Fr. Montoya.

USCMA stands in a direct line to two national mission agencies – theMission Secretariat (1949-1969) and the U.S. Catholic Mission Council(1969-1980).

Sisters of Saint Joseph collaborate with St. Louis Hotel and ECPAT to address Human Trafficking

2011-07-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

(St. Louis, MO): Human Trafficking is among the many serious issues in need of healing both in St. Louis and throughout the world. While many call it a hidden crime, it exists not only in the St. Louis area, but in virtually every city and town in our country.

After months of collaborative conversation and planning, the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph (CSSJ) is excited that the Millennium Hotel St. Louis is taking the steps necessary to sign and implement the six-point ECPAT-USA Code of Conduct. By signing this code the Millennium Hotel St. Louis will take a stand against the sexual exploitation of children by helping ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes) fight child sex tourism. The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, developed by ECPAT, sets a standard of responsible business practices that effectively crack down on child sexual exploitation.

Discussions with the hotel about the complex issue of human trafficking began when the Sisters of Saint Joseph first contracted with the Millennium for their national event. In speaking of the process that will culminate in the signing of the ECPAT Code of Conduct, Sister Kathleen McCluskey, CSJ, Executive Director of the Federation says, “As Jesus taught us,it’s all about building relationships of healing in our world. We wanted to host our national Event at a hotel that supports this mission and spirituality. From the moment they became aware of the horror of human slavery and the role that hotels can play in combating it, the management at the Millennium has been eager to learn and take action.

The Sisters of St. Joseph are pleased to have been partners in a collaboration with the Millennium, ECPAT, and Nix Conference and Meeting Management that has brought us to this important moment. In signing the ECPAT Code, developing policies and procedures for the prevention of trafficking, and educating every person on the staff, the Millennium St. Louis demonstrates a true concern for people, surely for their guests, but also for the world we all live in. They are taking concrete steps to combat a degrading and horrible abuse that threatens the whole human community.”

Of this collaboration, Nix says, “Nix Conference & Meeting Management is thankful for the opportunity to work with the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Millennium Hotel St. Louis on this venture. We support the commitment of Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and ECPAT to combat human trafficking. We stand firm in our resolve to protect all children and will unite with others in the industry to bring awareness to the human trafficking issue.”

Dominic Smart, General Manager of the Millennium Hotel St. Louis comments, “It is important for all of us to join together to fight human trafficking. Everyone in our hotel will take part in the ECPAT training and be vigilant in helping to keep human trafficking and exploitation of children out of our hotel and our community. Having the Sisters of St. Joseph gather in our hotel brought this issue more clearly to our attention and everyone in the hotel has strong beliefs about it. As a father of three, like any parent, I am sensitive to this cause and feel that every child has a righto a healthy and happy childhood.”

The signing of the EPCAT Code of Conduct will take place on July 12, 2011 at the Millennium Hotel St. Louis during the 2011 Event of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph where close to 900 Sisters and Associates from across the nation and the world will be gathered. Roman Catholic women religious have been key leaders in the national and international movement to stop the demand for human trafficking.

More Great GLENMARY information

2011-07-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Call to Mission August 2011

It's been a very busy and news-filled past few months here at Glenmary, beginning on the last weekend of May when five men took the next steps on their Glenmary journeys at three Oath Masses. They, along with our other men in formation, represent the future of our home mission ministry. So, needless to say, it was a time of great celebration and thanksgiving.

Then in June, at Glenmary's General Chapter meeting, our new leadership was elected after much prayer and reflection. Father Chet Artysiewicz was elected president, and Father Neil Pezzulo and Brother Jack Henn were elected first and second vice presidents, respectively. (I was privileged to serve in both vice president positions over the last eight years while also serving as development director. Now I'm looking forward to focusing solely on my duties in the development office!)

And finally, in keeping with our charism, Glenmary is opening three new mission areas this summer in the Diocese of Knoxville (Tenn.). The three rural counties have never had a resident Catholic presence, and the people also have many other pressing needs. Five Glenmarians are looking forward to taking on these new challenges.

As our partners in mission, you are the ones who make it possible for us to continue our ministry through your prayers and generous ongoing support. Thank you so much for joining us in our work.

Father Dominic Duggins

Development Director

New Transitional Deacon Reflects on His Final Oath

Newly ordained transitional deacon Aaron Wessman took time to reflect on his Final Oath to Glenmary after the May 28 Oath ceremony. He said the experience was a humbling one when he realized that the graces he has received far outweigh those he could possibly earn through the work he will do in his life.

Aaron and Crispine Adongo were ordained transitional deacons on June 25 in preparation for their priestly ordination next year. See video and a slide show of the ordination that took place in Kenya.

Catholic Help Is Key
After Mission County Disasters

Tornadoes ripped through northeast Mississippi in the spring of 2011, bringing death, injury, destruction and trauma. In the wake of these natural disasters----and several others that have recently struck rural, isolated Glenmary counties in three states---- the caring Catholic presence and help have made a lasting difference.

Know the Art, Know the Man

M.B. Mayfield's art isn't well known outside of Mississippi and the folk art world. But Glenmarians who pastored the former mission in New Albany, Miss., where he was a member, knew him well as a man, Catholic convert, parishioner, and artist.

Father Charlie Hughes on American Catholic Radio

Listen to Glenmary Father Charlie Hughes' interview with American Catholic Radio, featured on the May 2, 2011, program. He talks about his ministry and how his hearing impairment affected that ministry.

New Glenmary DVD Available Free on Request

The Joy and Challenge of Mission, a DVD about the mission and ministry of Glenmary Home Missioners, is available free upon request. To receive a copy, please contact Mike Prym at 800-935-0975.

Glenmary Home Missioners

P.O. Box 465618

Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

513.874.8900

www.glenmary.org

partners@glenmary.org

If you do not want to receive future e-newsletters, see "SafeUnsubscribe" below.

USCCB Job Position

2011-07-28T12:01:00.001-07:00

AssistantDirector for Asian and Pacific Island Affairs

TheAssistant Director is a practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church,who under the supervision of the Executive Director of Cultural Diversity inthe Church assists the Executive Director in: coordinating and implementing theUS Bishops’ strategic plan for the Conference and the associated pastoralefforts and priorities among ethnic and culturally diverse communities in theUnited States, especially Asian and Pacific Catholics; and developing andstrengthening the implementation of approved committee and subcommittee goals,objectives and activities.

TheAssistant Director also assists in the preparation of committee reports;represents the USCCB, the CDC Committee and the Subcommittee on Asian andPacific Island Affairs in public forums; and serves as the voice of the USCCBwhen out in the field and as a strong in-house advocate for the communitiesserved by the department . Master’s Degree orcombination of Bachelor’s degree. Major Field/Specialty: Social Sciences,Pastoral Ministry and Formation, Education, Humanities or a related field. A minimum of 5-6 years experience with pastoral ministry in an arch/diocese, national Catholic organization or religiouscommunity. Proficiency in any Asian or Pacific language.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (CDC)

32114^th Street N.E.

Washington, D.C. 20017-1194

or FAX: 202/541-3412

orE-MAIL: resumes@usccb.org

EOE/M/F/D/V

No phonecalls, please

Glenmary Elects New Leadership

2011-07-28T07:29:00.001-07:00

Executive Council natives of Wilmington, Albany and Covington Dioceses

CINCINNATI (June 14, 2011)----Father Chet Artysiewicz was elected president of Glenmary Home Missioners during the first week of the community's 15th General Chapter being held June 6-17 in Charleston, W.Va. Also elected to Glenmary's executive council were Father Neil Pezzulo as first vice president and Brother Jack Henn as second vice president.

Glenmary priests, brothers, students and lay coworkers are currently participating in the every-four-year gathering. Following the Chapter of Elections held the first week, participants are now working----with the aid of an outside facilitator----to identify key issues facing Glenmary and set priorities for Glenmary to address over the next four years.

Glenmary's New Executive Council
Father Chet Artysiewicz, 66, a native of Wilmington, Del., has served as pastor of The Catholic Community of Bertie County (Windsor, N.C.) and St. Joan of Arc mission (Plymouth, N.C.) for the past year.

Father Artysiewicz took his First Oath as a Glenmary missioner in 1969 and his Final Oath in 1972. He was ordained in 1973. In his years of home mission ministry, Father Artysiewicz has served as associate pastor of Glenmary's mission in Morehead, Ky., and as pastor of missions in Waynesboro, Ga.; West Union, Ohio; Greensboro, Ga.; Swainsboro, Ga.; Monticello, Ark.; and Idabel, Okla. He has also served the community as vocation counselor and director of the post-novitiate program.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., and a Master of Divinity degree from St. Louis University. In his leisure time, Father Artysiewicz enjoys music, walking and sports, especially baseball.

Father Neil Pezzulo, 48, was born and raised in Schenectady, N.Y. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing from Elmira College in 1984. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C., prior to his ordination in 1999. Father Pezzulo made his First Oath to the Glenmary community in 1994 and his Final Oath in 1998.

While in formation with Glenmary, Father Pezzulo worked in mission areas in Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia.

Since ordination, Father Pezzulo has ministered to Glenmary missions in Arkansas. He served as associate pastor of the missions in Crossett and Hamburg from 2000 to 2003 and has pastored missions in Waldron and Danville since 2003. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities, especially skiing, hiking, camping and kayaking.

Brother Jack Henn, 62, a native of Bellevue, Ky., was first elected to leadership in 1995 as second vice president. Since 2007, he has helped provide outreach to those living in Bertie County, N.C., as a member of the Glenmary pastoral team serving The Catholic Community of Bertie County. In 2009, he was recognized as the Citizen of the Year by the Bertie County Chamber of Commerce for his contributions in caring for the county's elderly population and his other civic involvement.

Thirteen of Brother Jack's 35 years in Glenmary have been dedicated to vocation and formation ministry. He also served as a parish brother in Sylvania, Ga., and as an evangelization minister in Sautee, Ga. He completed a Master of Pastoral Studies degree at Loyola University (Chicago) in 1994.

Before entering Glenmary in 1974, Brother Henn completed a bachelor's degree in accounting at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Ky., and pitched for the college baseball team. Brother Henn still enjoys playing and watching sports for relaxation.

Assignments for mission positions that will be affected by the elections will be announced in the weeks to come.

Digital or hard-copy photos of these men are available by contacting Glenmary's Communications Office at 513-881-7491.

Arab Christians Are a Minority That Matters, Says Cardinal

2011-07-28T07:28:00.001-07:00

2-Day Interreligious Gathering inLondon Discusses Holy Land

LONDON, JULY 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Even though Arab Christiansconstitute a minority in the Middle East, they are a minority that matters,says the president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialouge.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran said this Tuesday at a two-dayconference on Christians in the Holy Land that took place this week at LambethPalace.

Jointly hosted by the Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams ofCanterbury and the Catholic Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, the conferenceexamined the challenging situation in which Christian communities in parts ofthe Holy Land find themselves.

Speaking as Benedict XVI's representative to the conference,Cardinal Tauran said it must be recognized that "the situation ofChristians in the Holy Land, like in other Middle East countries, is marked byprecariousness."

"We must remember that the political evolution of the last 50years has made the presence and the leadership of Christians fragile," hesaid. "Revolutions and wars have contributed to weaken the Christiancommunities and favored the emigration of many families.

"What we have to avoid is that the Holy Land becomes anarchaeological and historical site to be visited like the Coliseum inRome."

The cardinal continued: "For us Christians the Holy Land isthe land of God’s revelation, the place where Jesus lived, died and wasresurrected. We cannot even think that Bethlehem or the Holy Sepulcher shouldbecome museums with entrance tickets and guides who explain beautiful legends.

"For us the Holy Places, the shrines, are much more thanstones. The Holy Places are living testimonies which have around them apopulation, families with their schools, their cultural patrimony, theirlanguages, their folklore, their artisans, handicrafts as well as hospitals,etc."

Cardinal Tauran reiterated the fact that Christians in the HolyLand and in the Arab world constitute a minority, but that they are "aminority that matters."

A certain dignity

"Our Christian brothers and sisters of that part of the worldhave to realize that they have a certain peculiarity, I should say a certaindignity," the cardinal explained. "They all belong to apostolicchurches.

"Missionaries from Rome or Constantinople did not bring theChristian faith there. Those communities have been built on the faith of theapostles. They are apostolic communities in the deepest sense of the word.Their practice comes through the faith of the apostles; this is their identity.

"Their liturgical patrimony is of an exceptional value. (Letus mention by the way that in many Oriental Churches the Eucharistic Prayer issaid in the language spoken by Jesus.)"

Also, the cardinal noted that Christians in the Holy Land and inthe Middle East are Arabs, and that they have lived in the region "muchbefore the Muslims."

"They are not asking asylum," he said, "they arerather at home. Our Christian brothers and sisters speak Arabic and forexample, many Christians have contributed to the rebirth of Arabic literatureat the end of the 19th century."

The president of the interreligious dicastery said that ArabChristians are "a gift" to the Holy Land "because they bringcultural openness, a sense of the dignity of the human person and particularlyof women; a conception of freedom which harmonizes rights and privileges and aconception of political society which can lead to democracy."

"Christians have the vocation to be a bridge," he added."Then the question is not how the Christians are going to survive in theHoly Land and the Middle East, but how they are ready to be witnesses to theirfaith.

"I think that many Muslims are worried about the future ofChristians in that region, because they know that Christians can help them tounderstand modernity and how to reconcile diversity and unity."

Buzz words

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem spoke about the words mostassociated with the Holy Land: "occupation, terrorism, settlements, rocketattacks, home demolitions and security walls."

"All these are powerfully resonant, alarming, hotly debated,and politically-charged," he said. "But beyond the buzz words, arethe people and their lives in this Land called Holy."

"For too long," the patriarch said, "the people ofthis land have been mired in conflict. Many innocent people especially theyouth have suffered and continue to suffer."

He briefly recounted why conflict continues to fester in theregion, such as "missed opportunities and a lack of good politicaldetermination," as well as "external influential forces."

"Ultimately," the patriarch continued, "theIsraelis and Palestinians who live in the Holy Land must work out theirdifferences in a just and righteous manner and in ways that may require painfulcompromises."

He said that "both sides must abandon maximalist claims to alife in the land without the other, and reconcile themselves to the belief,that we live in a world, where proximate justice is the best we can hopefor."

Patriarch Twal also noted that external intervention would beneeded for various reasons, such as a "lack of trust" among theparties, the imbalances of power, and the historical nature of the conflict.

Position open with the Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach!

2011-07-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Outreach Associate
Location: Silver Spring, MD (Metro Washington, D.C.)
The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach is the Missionary Society of St. Columban’s national office for social justice advocacy and domestic and international service programs. We seek a creative individual who is able to multitask in a work environment that is community centered, and committed to social justice and inviting people to join us in mission.
Responsibilities:

Develop and implement yearly outreach plan which includes recruiting, vetting and placing prospective volunteers/interns and building relationships with volunteer and Catholic organizations as well as universities, parishes and community organizations
Develop and implement in collaboration with New Media Coordinator social networking and web-based outreach campaigns
Co-supervises interns and volunteers with an emphasis on preparing orientations, special events, closing celebrations, and web related projects
Develop and implement tools and systems for cultivating relationships with program alumni
Maintain up-to-date paper and electronic files on CCAO program inquiries, participants, and alumni
Assist with administrative tasks of the daily operations of CCAO.

Qualifications:

Minimum B.A.
Bilingual English-Spanish highly desired
Prefer 2 years minimum cross-cultural mission or volunteer experience
Ability to work nights/weekends and travel domestically
Ability to relate to a diverse population
Experience using social networking as a tool for awareness raising and outreach
Skill in computer programs such as Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, Movie Maker

Salary commensurate with experience including an excellent Benefits package
How to Apply:
Send résumé, cover letter, and two references with the subject “Outreach Associate“ to Amy Echeverria at: ccaoprograms@columban.org. No Phone Calls Please.
Deadline: Open until position filled
Anticipated Start Date: Immediately
The Missionary Society of St. Columban is an Equal Opportunity Employer.