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Monday, April 4, 2011

CATHOLIC NEWS WORLD: MON. APR. 4, 2011: Headlines-

VATICAN CITY, 3 APR 2011 (VIS REPORTS) - At noon today the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. (RADIO VATICANA REPORT)

"The Lenten path we are following is a time of particular grace, in which we may experience the Lord's grace toward us. This Sunday's liturgy... invites us to be glad and to rejoice", the Holy Father said.

He explained that the reason for this joy is related in the Gospel, in which Jesus cures a man blind since birth and asks him, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?". The blind man recognises the sign given by Jesus and passes from receiving the light in his eyes to the light of the faith: "Lord, I believe". This shows how a simple and sincere person may gradually undertake a path to faith: he first encounters Jesus as a "man" among others, then considers Him a "prophet", then finally opens his eyes and proclaims Him "Lord".

"We too, because of Adam's sin, are born 'blind', but at the baptismal font we are illuminated by Christ's grace", continued the Holy Father. "Sin brought harm to humanity, condemning it to obscurity and death, but the newness of life and the true end to which we are called are resplendent in Christ. In Him, reinvigorated by the Holy Spirit, we receive the strength to overcome evil and to do good. In fact, Christian life is a continual conformation to Christ, the image of the new man, in order to reach full communion with God. The Lord Jesus is 'the light of the world', as 'the light of the knowledge of the glory of God' shines in Him, and continues to reveal the meaning of human existence in the complex fabric of history".

Following the Angelus, Benedict XVI recalled that 2 April was the sixth anniversary of the death of John Paul II. "Due to his forthcoming beatification, I have not celebrated the traditional Mass of suffrage for him, but I have remembered him with affection in prayer, as I think you have all done. While, along the Lenten path, we prepare for Easter, we also approach with joy the day on which we will be able to venerate as Blessed this great Pontiff and witness of Christ, and to trust ever more in his intercession".

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VATICAN CITY, 2 APR 2011 (VIS) - Today, during a private audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorised the congregation to promulgate the following decrees:

- Venerable Servant of God Serafino Morazzone, Italian diocesan priest (1747-1822).

- Venerable Servant of God Clemente Vismara, Italian professed priest of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (1897-1988).

- Venerable Servant of God Elena Aiello, Italian foundress of the Minim Sisters of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1895-1961).

- Venerable Servant of God Maria Catalina Irigoyen Echegaray (Sr. Maria Desposorios), Spanish professed nun of the Congregation of Servants of Mary, Ministers of the Sick (1848-1918).

- Venerable Servant of God Enrica Alfieri (nee Maria Angela), Italian professed nun of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret (1891-1951).

- Servant of God Peter Adrian Toulorge, French professed priest of the Premonstratensian Regular Canons, killed in hatred of the faith at Coutances, France (1757-1793).

- Servants of God Francisco Esteban Lacal, Spanish professed priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and twenty-one companions, and Candido Castan San Jose, Spanish layman, killed in hatred of the faith in Spain in 1936.

- Servant of God Thomas Kurialacherry, Indian, first bishop of Changanacherry and founder of the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (1873-1925).

- Servant of God Adolphe Chatillon (Br. Theophanius-Leo), Canadian professed religious of the Brothers of Christian Schools (1871-1929).

- Servant of God Maria Chiara of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus (nee Vincenza Damato), Italian professed nun of the Order of St. Clare (1909-1948).

- Servant of God Maria Dolores Inglese (nee Maria Libera Italia), Italian professed nun of the Congregation of Sisters Servants of Mary Reparatrix (1866-1928).

- Servant of God Irene Stefani (nee Aurelia), Italian professed nun of the Institute of Missionary Sisters of the Consolata (1891-1930).

- Servant of God Bernhard Lehner, German layman (1930-1944).

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VATICAN CITY, 2 APR 2011 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today published the following English-language communique:

"On 1 January 2011, after the Angelus, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he wished to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the historic meeting that took place in Assisi on 27 October 1986, at the wish of the Venerable Servant of God John Paul II. On the day of the anniversary, 27 October this year, the Holy Father intends to hold a 'Day of reflection, dialogue and prayer for peace and justice in the world', making a pilgrimage to the home of St. Francis and inviting fellow Christians from different denominations, representatives of the world's religious traditions and, in some sense, all men and women of good will, to join him once again on this journey.

"The Day will take as its theme: 'Pilgrims of truth, pilgrims of peace'. Every human being is ultimately a pilgrim in search of truth and goodness. Believers too are constantly journeying towards God: hence the possibility, indeed the necessity, of speaking and entering into dialogue with everyone, believers and unbelievers alike, without sacrificing one's own identity or indulging in forms of syncretism. To the extent that the pilgrimage of truth is authentically lived, it opens the path to dialogue with the other, it excludes no-one and it commits everyone to be a builder of fraternity and peace. These are the elements that the Holy Father wishes to place at the centre of reflection.

"For this reason, as well as representatives of Christian communities and of the principal religious traditions, some figures from the world of culture and science will be invited to share the journey - people who, while not professing to be religious, regard themselves as seekers of the truth and are conscious of a shared responsibility for the cause of justice and peace in this world of ours".

The communique affirms that "the delegations will set off from Rome by train on the morning of 27 October, together with the Holy Father. Upon arrival in Assisi, they will make their way to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where the previous meetings will be recalled and the theme of the Day will be explored in greater depth. Leaders of some of the delegations present will make speeches and the Holy Father will likewise deliver an address".

There will then be a simple lunch, followed by a moment of silence for individual reflection and prayer. Later, all those present in Assisi will make a "pilgrimage" to the Basilica of Saint Francis, "in silence, leaving room for personal meditation and prayer". The final part of the Day will include "a solemn renewal of the joint commitment to peace".

"In preparation for this Day, Pope Benedict XVI will preside over a prayer vigil at St. Peter's the previous evening, together with the faithful of the diocese of Rome. Particular Churches and communities throughout the world are invited to organise similar times of prayer".

The communique concludes by highlighting that "the Pope asks the Catholic faithful to join him in praying for the celebration of this important event and he is grateful to all those who will be able to be present in St. Francis' home town to share this spiritual pilgrimage".

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VATICAN CITY, 4 APR 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Germany.

- Msgr. Franz-Josef Overbeck, bishop of Essen, Germany.

- Msgr. Carlo Maria Vigano, secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

- Msgr. Pauly Kannookadan, bishop of Irinjalakuda of the Syro-Malabars, India, on his ad limina visit, accompanied by the bishop emeritus James Pazhayattil.

- Msgr. Jacob Manathodath, bishop of Palghat of the Syro-Malabars, India, on his ad limina visit.

- Msgr. Paul Alappatt, bishop of Ramanathapuram of the Syro-Malabars, India, on his ad limina visit.

- Msgr. John Vadakel C.M.I., bishop of Bijnor of the Syro-Malabars, India, on his ad limina visit.

- Msgr. Thomas Thuruthimattam C.S.T., bishop of Gorakhpur of the Syro-Malabars, India, on his ad limina visit.

On Saturday 2 April he received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

- Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, apostolic nuncio to the Russian Federation.

- Br. Alois, prior of the Community of Taize.

- Rudolf Voderholzer, director of the "Institut Papst Benedikt XVI", Regensburg, Germany.

- Cardinal Mark Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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VATICAN CITY, 4 APR 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed William Wright of the clergy of the archdiocese of Sydney, Australia, as Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle (area 33,757, population 648,000, Catholics 157,000, priests 70, permanent deacons 9, religious 236), Australia. The bishop-elect was born in Washington DC, USA in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1977. He succeeds Msgr. Michael John Malone, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

On Saturday 2 April it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Appointed Msgr. Francois Fonlupt, episcopal vicar of the archdiocese of Clermont, France as Bishop of Rodez (area 8,743, population 273,377, Catholics 260,000, priests 196, permanent deacons 11, religious 807), France. The bishop-elect was born in Allegre, France in 1954, and ordained a priest in 1979. He succeeds Bishop Bellino Ghirard, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Archbishop Santos Abril y Castello, vice chamberlain of Holy Roman Church, as a member of the Congregation for Bishops.

- Tonya Roque and her four children are looking forward to Easter, a holy day that will hold special significance for them as they and nearly 2,000 others enter the Catholic Church in North Georgia at the close of this Lenten season.

On Sunday, March 13, the Roques joined the thousands who filled the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center for the Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion, a celebration led by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory and Atlanta Auxiliary Bishop Luis R. Zarama.

This Easter in its parishes and missions, the archdiocese anticipates baptizing 647 catechumens, those who have never been initiated before into a Christian community. Another 1,265 candidates, those previously baptized in the Christian faith, will be initiated into the Catholic sacraments of Eucharist and confirmation.

It was an exciting time for the Roque family, who, as new Catholics, will be entering the faith of their husband and father, Fernando. They were seated with the other candidates and catechumens from St. Philip Benizi Church, the Catholic community in Jonesboro where the family will become parishioners.

Tonya Roque did not grow up in a Christian family, but said she has attended all types of Christian services during her life. But when she first started seeking more information about the Catholic Church, she felt confirmed that she was heading in the right direction.

“There is a difference when you walk into a Catholic church,” she said. “Everyone is so welcoming. It felt like a family.”

Her husband’s family in Texas is Catholic and first exposed her to the faith. She remembers attending celebrations with the family during a visit at Christmas 2009. She attended Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration reflecting the nine months Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Each night was spent at a different home where reenactments of Mary and Joseph’s journey and search for shelter took place. The sense of community among the faithful was inspiring to her and she felt called to try and foster the same closeness within her own family.

‘It Was Time To Make A Change’

Her journey to the Catholic Church officially began last year when Roque and her children began attending RCIA classes at St. Philip Benizi. It has been several months of prayer, learning and discernment, which eventually led her to the Rite of Election this past Sunday. They are catechumens.

“There was a time when I knew myself that it was a time to make a change,” she said about her family life. “I wanted to show them the right way to live.”

She began calling around to different churches and eventually spoke to Mary Mauldin, director of faith formation at St. Philip Benizi.

“The first person I talked to was Mary and just talking to her over the phone about the Catholic religion, I knew that was the place I wanted to go,” she said.

Roque and her four children, Justino, 17, Leticia, 16, Lisa, 14, and Joshua, 11, all began to participate in RCIA shortly afterward. They have been learning about the richness and depth of Catholicism, which has led to family discussions about God, something for which Roque is grateful.

The same feeling of welcome that Roque experienced when she first sought information from St. Philip Benizi was echoed in the archbishop’s words at the Rite of Election.

“On the first Sunday of Lent, the church in North Georgia gathers to welcome catechumens and candidates for the Easter sacraments. We all want you to realize how joyfully we receive you,” Archbishop Gregory said. “We choose you and promise to journey with you during these few weeks before the great celebration of Easter. Christ himself has sanctified these days through his own glorious example of fidelity to the truth. We are called to do nothing less.”

'Does God Hear Me If I’m Praying?’

Through the classes at St. Philip Benizi, Roque has learned things about the Catholic faith that she never knew and now understands other aspects of the religion that she wasn’t sure about. The divine and human natures of Jesus and the place of Mary have been topics of special interest to Roque.

As her knowledge of the Catholic faith continues to grow, her prayer life has strengthened as well. Roque said she used to be unsure of how to pray or if she should even pray at all because she was not practicing any particular religion. Now when she prays, she can feel God’s presence with her.

“When I would try to sit and pray, I felt like there was a guilt. ‘Why am I praying? Does God hear me if I’m praying and I’m not going to church or trying to learn more about him?’” she would ask herself. “And now when I pray, I feel a peace like I know he is there, that he is listening to what I’m saying.”

At the Rite of Election, more than 60 parishes with candidates and catechumens preparing to join the Catholic Church were represented. The total of 1,912 new Catholics in North Georgia is slightly fewer than 2010’s historic number of 2,062, which was the largest the archdiocese has received at one time.

“The Rite of Election is the celebration of the impending growth of the Church and of the unity of all those who belong to Christ and are thus safe from the tricks of the one who works best alone, whether in garden or desert,” the archbishop said, referring to the day’s readings, which included the tempting of Eve in the Garden of Eden and the temptation of Jesus in the desert.

“Let us take great comfort in being sisters and brothers in Christ, who has victoriously banished the tempter from all those he calls his own,” Archbishop Gregory said.

ASIA NEWS REPORT: Security forces crack down hard on demonstrations. Deaths and wounded are reported in many cities. Some sources speak of a massacre in Damascus. Full of promises, Assad’s address to the nation is met with disappointment; example: the promise that the ruling party will set up a committee “to study” how to lift the state of emergency.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – More deaths and wounded were reported today in Syria, a day after the address to the nation by President Bashar al-Assad. His opponents called for demonstrations after the address as it fell far short, according to Western diplomats, of the expectations of those who want reform, freedom and democracy.

Opposition sources say that thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets today, which is a day of prayer. For the first time, the police cracked down around Abdul Karim al-Rifai Mosque in Damascus, causing a massacre according to protesters.

More demonstrations have been reported in Latakia and Deraa, scene of deadly clashes in previous days, as well as in Qameshli, Homs, Douma, Mouda, Hama and Baniyas. Almost everywhere, demonstrators report gunfire and violent crackdown by security forces.

Wednesday afternoon, following Assad’s address to a supportive parliament, opposition activists said, “People were furious after they watched Assad's speech and they came on to the streets to peacefully vent their anger”. However, “they came under fire from the security forces and from unidentified people in passing cars. We are still trying to establish the death toll”.

As evidence of the broad disappointment generated by the presidential speech, Syria’s official news agency SANA announced that “Under a directive by President Bashar al-Assad,” the ruling Ba‘ath party (the only one allowed in the country) is setting up “a committee of legal experts [. . .] to study new laws on national security and counter-terrorism, in order to pave the way for ending the state of emergency”.

Effectively, this means an end to change on the short run. It also signals a rejection of those who expected an immediate end to the 48-year emergency rule, which gives police the right to arrest and detain people without due process. It also dashes all hope for press freedom and an end to the one-party state.

Likewise, SANA reported that the president “directed the Head of the High Judicial Council to form a special judiciary committee to launch immediate investigations into all the incidents which claimed the lives of a number of civilians and military personnel in Daraa (Deraa) and Latakia.”

In his speech, the president blamed the incidents on foreigners and enemies of Syria. (PD),-so-does-repression-21192.html

Priest takes 'leap of faith' for SVP | Fr Clive Lee, skydive, SVP

Fr Clive in freefall
Fr Clive Lee, parish priest at St Thomas More's Church in Manor House, north London, finally did his tandem skydive from 12,000 feet, on 24 February, to raise funds for the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP).

The jump was originally planned for December, but the weather was so bad, it had to be cancelled several times. On one occasion Fr Clive got to the aerodrome but was told at the last moment that it was too dangerous to jump. When he did eventually leap out of the plane, he said he felt terrified. "Some people say they enjoy the experience once they have jumped out of the plane - but I must say I didn't! I was very glad to be on the ground again."

The SVP works around the year to fight against poverty. With 10,000 members across the UK, last year they provided household goods to 6,729 beneficiaries. SVP Soup Runs bring food to more than 32,000 homeless people each year.

The charity runs 32 community shops in areas of high deprivation, which provide work experience and training to unemployed people. Other work includes visiting care homes, hostels and prisons; debt advice, and providing holidays for children and families.

To sponsor Fr Clive's skydive for the SVP visit:

Agenzia Fides REPORT - “There haven't been any bombs in Tripoli for two days. The situation is dire due to the lack of food and petrol but at least things are a bit calmer. Perhaps they realised that however much they try to hit military targets with precision, it is impossible not to hit civilians. I understand the intentions of the bombing, but that's not how you solve the crisis,” Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli, tells Fides.
“I think that the will to negotiate is strengthening, although there are still several obstacles to overcome. I appeal once more to the African Union and also to Europe to step up peace efforts. The people are tired of war and the bombings,” says Bishop Martinelli. In the past few days, some emissaries from the Libyan regime travelled to some European capitals to seek a political solution to the crisis.
Bishop Martinelli recounts two episodes which, in his view, demonstrate the willingness of the Libyans to find a peaceful solution: “Two women, who spoke excellent Italian because they had studied in a Catholic school, came to me saying that the Church must help to reconcile the Libyan people.” The Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli also says he learned “from a religious sister working in Yafran, that the rebel forces would withdraw after having reached a local agreement of reconciliation.”
Bishop Martinelli expresses his concern about the areas in Libya which are still marked by fighting, particularly Misurata “where there is fighting and we don't know how the Filipino Catholic community there is holding up. Communications are also difficult with Bengasi. In Tripoli the life of the Church continues despite many problems. Yesterday 2 April, we celebrated two Masses which were well attended by the faithful.”
According to Bishop Martinelli, the 70 Eritrean castaways found dead on the beach in Tripoli “after they were brought to the city morgue, were buried in the Christian cemetery. The morgue is full of the bodies of people killed in the fighting and bombing. It was decided to bury those poor people as quickly as possible.”

CATH NEWS REPORT: A nursing home in Victoria run by former Labor aged care minister Peter Staples has been criticised by the industrial tribunal for its ''unsound, indefensible and unfounded'' sacking of its Catholic priest last year, reports The Age.

The Sunday Age reported last October on the sacking of Father Andrea Bellia from the Assisi Aged Care Centre in Rosanna. In a scathing judgment by Fair Work Australia commissioner John Ryan last week, the priest was fully vindicated and the nursing home witnesses castigated, the newspaper said.

The home's latest financial report for the year ended June 2010 set aside $200,000 in legal costs to ''vigorously defend'' Father Bellia's case. Father Bellia had sought reinstatement to the home but ''I have no confidence the board would act professionally or fairly'', Commissioner Ryan said. Instead he ordered $95,000 compensation, subjected to reduction for various reasons, so only $2500 would to be paid to the priest.But last week the Assisi centre lost that case, with the evidence of Mr Staples, the home's executive manager, being described as ''unhelpful and unreliable'' by Commissioner Ryan. Father Bellia's account of events was deemed preferable in all respects to the witnesses from the centre.

St. Isidore of Seville

Feast: April 4

Feast Day:April 4
Born:560 at Cartagena, Spain
Died:4 April 636 at Seville, Spain
Canonized:1598, Rome by Pope Clement VIII
Patron of:computer technicians, computer users, computers, the Internet, schoolchildren, students

Born at Cartagena, Spain, about 560; died 4 April, 636.

Isidore was the son of Severianus and Theodora. His elder brother Leander was his immediate predecessor in the Metropolitan See of Seville; whilst a younger brother St. Fulgentius presided over the Bishopric of Astigi. His sister Florentina was a nun, and is said to have ruled over forty convents and one thousand religious.

Isidore received his elementary education in the Cathedral school of Seville. In this institution, which was the first of its kind in Spain, the trivium and quadrivium were taught by a body of learned men, among whom was the archbishop, Leander. With such diligence did he apply himself to study that in a remarkably short time mastered Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Whether Isidore ever embraced monastic life or not is still an open question, but though he himself may never have been affiliated with any of the religious orders, he esteemed them highly. On his elevation to the episcopate he immediately constituted himself protector of the monks. In 619 he pronounced anathema against any ecclesiastic who should in any way molest the monasteries.

On the death of Leander, Isidore succeeded to the See of Seville. His long incumbency to this office was spent in a period of disintegration and transition. The ancient institutions and classic learning of the Roman Empire were fast disappearing. In Spain a new civilization was beginning to evolve itself from the blending racial elements that made up its population. For almost two centuries the Goths had been in full control of Spain, and their barbarous manners and contempt of learning threatened greatly to put back her progress in civilization. Realizing that the spiritual as well as the material well-being of the nation depended on the full assimilation of the foreign elements, St. Isidore set himself to the task of welding into a homogeneous nation the various peoples who made up the Hispano-Gothic kingdom. To this end he availed himself of all the resources of religion and education. His efforts were attended with complete success. Arianism, which had taken deep root among the Visigoths, was eradicated, and the new heresy of Acephales was completely stifled at the very outset; religious discipline was everywhere strengthened. Like Leander, he took a most prominent part in the Councils of Toledo and Seville. In all justice it may be said that it was in a great measure due to the enlightened statecraft of these two illustrious brothers the Visigothic legislation, which emanated from these councils, is regarded by modern historians as exercising a most important influence on the beginnings of representative government. Isidore presided over the Second Council of Seville, begun 13 November, 619, in the reign of Sisebut. But it was the Fourth National Council of Toledo that afforded him the opportunity of being of the greatest service to his county. At this council, begun 5 December, 633, all the bishops of Spain were in attendance. St. Isidore, though far advanced in years, presided over its deliberations, and was the originator of most of its enactments. It was at this council and through his influence that a decree was promulgated commanding all bishops to establish seminaries in their Cathedral Cities, along the lines of the school already existing at Seville. Within his own jurisdiction he had availed himself of the resources of education to counteract the growing influence of Gothic barbarism. His was the quickening spirit that animated the educational movement of which Seville was the centre. The study of Greek and Hebrew as well as the liberal arts, was prescribed. Interest in law and medicine was also encouraged. Through the authority of the fourth council this policy of education was made obligatory upon all the bishops of the kingdom. Long before the Arabs had awakened to an appreciation of Greek Philosophy, he had introduced Aristotle to his countrymen. He was the first Christian writer to essay the task of compiling for his co-religionists a summa of universal knowledge. This encyclopedia epitomized all learning, ancient as well as modern. In it many fragments of classical learning are preserved which otherwise had been hopelessly lost. The fame of this work imparted a new impetus to encyclopedic writing, which bore abundant fruit in the subsequent centuries of the Middle Ages. His style, though simple and lucid, cannot be said to be classical. It discloses most of the imperfections peculiar to all ages of transition. It particularly reveals a growing Visigothic influence. Arévalo counts in all Isidore's writing 1640 Spanish words.

Isidore was the last of the ancient Christian Philosophers, as he was the last of the great Latin Fathers. He was undoubtedly the most learned man of his age and exercised a far-reaching and immeasurable influence on the educational life of the Middle Ages. His contemporary and friend, Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa, regarded him as a man raised up by God to save the Spanish people from the tidal wave of barbarism that threatened to inundate the ancient civilization of Spain, The Eighth Council of Toledo (653) recorded its admiration of his character in these glowing terms: "The extraordinary doctor, the latest ornament of the Catholic Church, the most learned man of the latter ages, always to be named with reverence, Isidore". This tribute was endorsed by the Fifteenth Council of Toledo, held in 688.

John 4: 43 - 54
43After the two days he departed to Galilee.44For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.45So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast.46So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Caper'na-um there was an official whose son was ill.47When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.48Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."49The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."50Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way.51As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living.52So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."53The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live"; and he himself believed, and all his household.54This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.


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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Vatican City, 31 March 2014 (VIS) - Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for April is: "That governments may foster the protection of creation and the just distribution of natural resources".
His intention for evangelisation is: "That the Risen Lord may fill with hope the hearts of those who are being tested by pain and sickness" .

POPE FRANCIS "Grace accomplishes everything.”

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass on Tuesday morning in the chapel of the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta guesthouse. In his remarks following the readings of the day, the Holy Father focused on the need for Christians to be really committed to discipleship, and prepared to take risks for the cause of the Gospel.

Concentrating on the passage proclaimed at the Gospel reading of the day, in which Jesus heals a paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda on a Sabbath day, Pope Francis addressed both the spiritual malaise of the sick man, whom he healed, and of the Pharisees, who began to persecute and plot against Him because he healed the man on the Sabbath:

“I think of many Christians, of many Catholics: yes, they are Catholics, but without enthusiasm, even embittered. 'Yes, life is what it is, but the Church – I go to Mass every Sunday, but better not get mixed up in things – I have faith for my health, I do not feel the need to give it to another...’. Each in his own house, the quiet life: but, you do something and then they criticize you: ‘No, leave it alone [It. è meglio così], don’t chance it.’ This is the disease of sloth, the acedia of Christians. This attitude that is crippling the apostolic zeal, which makes Christian people stand still and at ease, but not in the good sense of the word: they do not bother to go out to proclaim the Gospel! They are anesthetized.”

Anesthesia, Pope Francis went on to say, “is a negative experience.” It is that “not meddling” that becomes “spiritual sloth,” which, he said, is a very sad thing, indeed. “These Christians are sad,” said Pope Francis, “they are people without light – real downers [It. persone negative], and this is a disease of us Christians.” We go to Mass every Sunday, though we say, “Please do not disturb.” These Christians “without apostolic zeal,” he warned, “are not useful, they do not do the Church well. And how many Christians are like this?” he asked, “selfish, out for themselves.” This, he said, is “the sin of sloth, which is a sin against apostolic zeal, against the desire to give the news of Jesus to others, that newness, which was given to me for free.” The Holy Father went on to say that in the day’s Gospel passage, there is also another sin when we see that Jesus is criticized because he healed the sick on the Sabbath: the sin of formalism. “Christians,” he said, “who do not leave space for the grace of God – and the Christian life, the life of these people, consists in having all the paperwork, all the certificates, in order.”:

“Christian hypocrites, like these, only interested in their formalities. It was a Sabbath? No, you cannot do miracles on the Sabbath, the grace of God cannot work on Sabbath days. They close the door to the grace of God. We have so many in the Church, we have many! It is another sin. The first, those who have the sin of sloth, are not able to go forward with their apostolic zeal, because they have decided to stand firm in themselves, in their sorrows, their resentments, in all of that. Such as these are not capable of bringing salvation because they close the door to salvation.”
“Only the formalities” matter to them, he said. “It is not possible: this is the phrase they have most often to hand.” We meet these people, too, explained the Holy Father, “We ourselves have often been taken by this acedia, or have been many times like the Pharisees: hypocrites.” Pope Francis went on to explain that, because temptations to these sins will inevitably come, “We must learn to defend ourselves.” Faced with these temptations, before, "that field hospital there, which was a symbol of the Church,” in front of “a lot of hurting people,” Jesus approaches them and asks only one thing: “Do you want to be healed?” Then, “He gives the [paralytic man]. Grace accomplishes everything.” And then, when he meets the paralytic again, he tells him, “Sin no more.”:

“The two Christian words: do you want to be healed? Sin no more. First He heals [the paralytic], then [He says], ‘sin no more.’ – words spoken with tenderness, with love – and this is the Christian way, the way of apostolic zeal: to get close to many people who are injured and in this field hospital, often people whose wounds were inflicted by men and women of the Church. It is a word of a brother and of a sister: do you want to be healed? Then, when He goes on, ‘Ah, do not sin any more, it is not good for you.’ Much better: Jesus’ two words are more beautiful than the attitude of sloth or the attitude of hypocrisy.”

Text from Vatican Radio website

POPE JOHN PAUL II Canonization Events announced by Vatican - Latest

(Vatican Radio) A youth gathering on April 22 at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and a prayer vigil in all of Rome’s parishes on the eve of the highly anticipated canonizations Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. These are two of the major events leading up to the April 27 canonizations of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II.

At a press conference held at the Vatican Monday, the Holy See unveiled some of the events in view of the April 27 canonizations of these much loved Popes. The upcoming canonizations were described as “a true festival of faith” and a “festival of holiness”.

Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, urged Christians to live this time in preparation in a more spiritually intense way.

Monsignor Giulio Dellavite, secretary general of the Curia of Bergamo, Pope John XXIII’s home diocese, said the Diocese of Bergamo has set up some charitable projects in Haiti, Albania and Bergamo to mark the canonization. As well, the 900 priests of the diocese have made donations to create a fund for unemployed persons.

Several media projects have also been set up for the event, namely a website -- – and a twitter account -- @2popesaints. A Facebook and YouTube account will be set up. And an app – Santo Subito – will also be up and running in the coming days.

Father Federico Lombardi told reporters that the Vatican does not know the number of faithful who will attend the canonization and repeated that tickets are not necessary for the event, which will be held in St. Peter’s Square.

However, about 1,000 clerics, including cardinals, bishops and priests will concelebrate. About 700 priests will distribute Communion in the square. He told reporters the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, may attend, though his presence will depend on how the retired pontiff is feeling in more than one month’s time from now.

On the Monday following the canonizations, a mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. Cardinal Angelo Comastri will preside.

Text from Vatican Radio website

St. Hugh of Grenoble
Feast: April 1

Feast Day:April 1
Born:1053 at Chateauneuf, Dauphiné, France
Died:1 April 1132
Canonized:1134 by Pope Innocent II
The first tincture of the mind is of the utmost importance to virtue; and it was the happiness of this saint to receive from his cradle the strongest impressions of piety by the example and care of his illustrious and holy parents. He was born at Chateau-neuf, in the territory of Valence, in Dauphine, in 1053. His father, Odilo, served his country in an honourable post in the army, in which he acquitted himself of his duty to his prince with so much the greater fidelity and velour, as he most ardently endeavoured to sanctify his profession, and all his actions, by a motive of religion. Being sensible that all authority which men receive over others is derived from God, with an obligation that they employ it, in the first place, for the advancement of the divine honour, he laboured, by all the means in his power, to make his soldiers faithful servants of their Creator, and by severe punishments to restrain vices, those especially of impurity and lying. By the advice of his son, St. Hugh, he afterwards became a Carthusian monk, when he was upwards of fourscore years old, and lived eighteen years in great humility and austerity  under St. Bruno and his successors, in the Great Chartreuse, where he died one hundred years old, having received extreme unction and the viaticum from the hands of his son. Our saint likewise assisted in her last moments his mother, who had for many years, under his direction, served God in her own house, by prayer, fasting, and plenteous alms-deeds. Hugh, from the cradle, appeared to be a child of benediction. He went through his studies with great applause, and his progress in piety always kept pace with his advancement in learning. Having chosen to serve God in an ecclesiastical state, that he might always dwell in his house and be occupied in his praises, he accepted a canonry in the cathedral of Valence. In this station, the sanctity of his life and his extraordinary talents rendered him the ornament of that church; and the gentleness and affability of his deportment won him the affection of all his colleagues. He was tall and very comely, but naturally exceeding bashful; and such was his modesty that for some time he found means to conceal his learning and eloquence; nevertheless, his humility served only to show afterwards those talents to more advantage and with greater lustre. For no virtue shines brighter with learning than modesty, as nothing renders scholars more odious or despicable than haughtiness and pride, which they discover by their obstinacy and clamours, by the contempt with which they treat those who dissent from them in opinion, and by their ostentatious pedantry in embracing every occasion of exhibiting their supposed superior wit and extraordinary parts.
Hugh, then Bishop of Die, but soon after Archbishop of Lyons, and also cardinal legate of the holy see, was so charmed at first sight of the saint when he happened to come to Valence that he would not be contented till he had taken the good man into his household. He employed him in extirpating simony, and in many other affairs of importance. In 1080, the Legate Hugh held a synod at Avignon, in which he took under consideration the desolate condition and the grievous disorders into which the church of Grenoble was sunk through the sloth and bad example of its late mercenary pastor. The eyes of the legate and of the whole council were fixed on St. Hugh as the person best qualified, by his virtue and prudence, to reform these abuses and restore the ancient glory of that church; and with them the voice of the whole city conspired. But his reluctance and fears were not to be overcome till he was compelled by the repeated commands of the legate and council. The legate took our newly appointed bishop with him to Rome, in order to his receiving the  episcopal consecration from the hands of Gregory VII, who then sat in the chair of St. Peter. The servant of God was glad of this opportunity of consulting the vicar of Christ concerning his own conscience; for during a great part of his life he had been extremely molested with troublesome temptations of importunate blasphemous thoughts against the divine providence. Pope Gregory, who was a man very well versed in the interior trial of souls, assured him that this angel of Satan was permitted by God, in his sweet mercy, to buffet him only for his trial and crown: which words exceedingly comforted the saint, and encouraged him to bear his cross with patience and joy. A devout soul. under this trial, which finds these suggestions always painful and disagreeable, ought not to lose courage; for by patience and perseverance she exceedingly multiplies her crowns, and glorifies God, who has laid it upon her shoulders, and who will, when he sees fit, scatter these mists, and on a sudden translate her from this state of bitterness and darkness into the region of light, Joy, and the sweetest peace. St. Hugh prayed earnestly to be freed from this enemy, but received for a long time the same answer with St. Paul.1 In the mean while, his patience and constancy were his victory and his crown: and assiduous meditation on the sufferings of our divine Redeemer, who was made for us a man of sorrows, was his comfort and support.
The pious Countess Maud would needs be at the whole charge of the ceremony of his consecration: she also gave him a crosier and other episcopal ornaments, with a small library of suitable books, earnestly desiring to be instructed by his good counsels and assisted by his prayers. St. Hugh, after his ordination, hastened to his flock; but being arrived at Grenoble, could not refrain his tears, and was exceedingly afflicted and terrified when he saw the diocese overrun with tares which the enemy had sown while the pastor slept. He found the people in general immersed in a profound ignorance of several essential duties of religion, and plunged in vice and immorality. Some sins seemed by custom to have lost their name, and men committed them without any scruple or sign of remorse. The negligence and backwardness of many in frequenting the sacraments indicated a total decay of piety, and could not fail introducing many spiritual disorders in their souls, especially a great lukewarmness in prayer and other religious duties. Simony and usury seemed, under specious disguises, to be accounted innocent, and to reign almost without control. Many lands belonging to the church were usurped by laymen; and the revenues of the bishopric were dissipated, so that the saint, upon his arrival, found nothing either to enable him to assist the poor, or to supply his own necessities, unless he would have had recourse to unlawful contracts, as had been the common practice of many others, but which he justly deemed iniquitous; nor would he by any means defile his soul with them. He set himself in earnest to reprove vice and reform abuses. To this purpose he endeavoured by rigorous fasts, watchings, tears, sighs, and prayer to draw down the divine mercy on his flock; and so plentiful was the benediction of heaven upon his labours that he had the comfort to see the face of his diocese in a short time exceedingly changed. After two years, imitating therein the humility of some other saints, he privately resigned his bishopric, presuming on the tacit consent of the holy see; and, putting on the habit of St. Bennet, he entered upon a noviciate in the austere abbey of Chaise-Dieu, or Casa-Dei, in Auvergne, of the reformation of Cluni. There he lived a year a perfect model of all virtues to that house of saints, till Pope Gregory VII commanded him, in virtue of holy obedience, to resume his pastoral charge. Coming out of his solitude, like another Moses descending from the conversation of God on the mountain, he announced the divine law with greater zeal and success than ever. The author of his life assures us that he was an excellent and assiduous preacher.
St. Bruno and his six companions addressed themselves to him for his advice in their pious design of forsaking the world, and he appointed them a desert which was in his diocese, whither he conducted them in 1084. It is a frightful solitude, called the Chartreuse, or Carthusian Mountains, in Dauphine, which place gave name to the famous order St. Bruno founded there. The meek and pious behaviour of these servants of God took deep root in the heart of our holy pastor; and it was his delight frequently to visit them in their solitude, to join them in their exercises and austerities, and perform the meanest offices amongst them, as an outcast and one unworthy to bear them company. Sometimes the charms of contemplation detained him so long in this hermitage that St. Bruno was obliged to order him to go to his flock, and acquit himself of the duties which he owed them. He being determined to sell his horses for the benefit of the poor, thinking himself able to perform the visitation of his diocese on foot, St. Bruno, to whose advice he paid an implicit deference, opposed his design, urging that he had not strength for such an undertaking. For the last forty years of his life he was afflicted with almost continual headaches, and pains in the stomach; he also suffered the most severe interior temptations. Yet God did not leave him entirely destitute of comfort; but frequently visited his soul with heavenly sweetness and sensible spiritual consolations, which filled his heart under his afflictions with interior joy. The remembrance of the divine love, or of his own and others' spiritual miseries, frequently produced a flood of tears from his eyes, which way soever he turned them; nor was he able sometimes to check them in company or at table, especially whilst he heard the holy scriptures read. In hearing confessions, he frequently mingled his tears with those of his penitents, or first excited theirs by his own. At his sermons it was not unusual to see the whole audience melt into tears together; and some were so strongly affected that they confessed their sins publicly on the spot. After sermons, he was detained very long in hearing confession. He often cast himself at the feet of others, to entreat them to pardon injuries, or to make some necessary satisfaction to their neighbours. His love of heavenly things made all temporal affairs seem to him burdensome and tedious. Women he would never look in the face, so that ho knew not the public news or reports, for fear of detraction, or at least of dissipation. His constant pensioners and occasional alms (in the latter of which he was extremely bountiful) were very expensive to him: insomuch, that though, in order to relieve the poor, he had long denied himself every thing that seemed to have the least appearance of superfluity, still, for the extending his beneficent inclination, he even sold, in the time of famine, a gold chalice, and part of his episcopal ornaments, as gold rings and precious stones. And the happy consequence of St. Hugh's example this way was, that the rich were moved by it to bestow of their treasures to the necessitous, whereby the wants of all the poor of his diocese were supplied.
He earnestly solicited Pope Innocent II for leave to resign his bishopric, that he might die in solitude; but was never able to obtain his request. God was pleased to purify his soul by a lingering illness before he called him to himself. Some time before his death he lost his memory for everything but his prayers; the psalter and the Lord's prayer he recited with great devotion, almost without intermission; and he was said to have repeated the last three hundred times in one night. Being told that so constant an attention would increase his distemper, he said, "It is quite otherwise; by prayer I always find myself stronger." In the time of sickness, a certain forwardness and peevishness of disposition is what the best of us are too apt to give way to, through weakness of nature and a temptation of the enemy, who seeks to deprive a dying person of the most favorable advantages of penance and patience, and to feed and strengthen self-love in the soul while upon the very cross itself; and in the crucible in. which she is thrown by a singular mercy, in order to her coming forth refined and pure. In this fiery trial, the virtue of the saints shows itself genuine, and endued with a fortitude which renders it worthy its crown. By the same test is pretended virtue discovered: self-love can no longer disguise itself: it cries out, murmurs, frets, and repines: the mask which the hypocrite wore is here pulled off: saints, on the contrary, under every degree of torture cruelty can invent, preserve a happy patience and serenity of soul. Hence the devil would not allow the virtue of Job to be sincere before it had been approved under sickness and bodily pain.2 St. Hugh left us by his invincible patience a proof of the fervour of kits charity. Under the sharpest pains, he never let fall one word of complaint nor mentioned what he suffered; his whole concern seemed only to be for others. When any assisted him, he expressed the greatest confusion and thankfulness: if he had given the least trouble to anyone, he would beg to receive the discipline, and because no one would give it to him, would confess his fault, as he called it, and implore the divine mercy with tears. The like sentiments we read in the relation of the deaths of many of the holy monks of La Trappe. Dom. Bennet, under the most racking pains, when turned in his bed, said, "You lay me too much at my ease." Dom. Charles would not cool his mouth with a little water in the raging heat of a violent fever. Such examples teach us at least to blush at and condemn our murmurs and impatience under sickness. The humility of St. Hugh was the more surprising, because everyone approached him with the greatest reverence and affection, and thought it a happiness if they were allowed in any thing to serve him. It was his constant prayer, in which he begged his dear Carthusians and all others to join him, that God would extinguish in his heart all attachment to creatures, that his pure love might reign in all his affections. One said to him, "Why do you weep so bitterly, who never offended God by any wilful crime?" He replied, "Vanity and inordinate affections suffice to damn a soul. It is only through the divine mercy that we can hope to be saved, and shall we ever cease to implore it?" If anyone spoke of news in his presence, he checked them, saying, "This life is all given us for weeping and penance, not for idle discourses." He closed his penitential course on the 1st of April, in 1132, wanting only two months of being eighty years old, of which he had been fifty-two years bishop. Miracles attested the sanctity of his happy death; and he was canonized by Innocent II in 1134.
There is no saint who was not a lover of retirement and penance. Shall we not learn from them to shun the tumult of the world, as much as our circumstances will allow, and give ourselves up to the exercises of holy solitude, prayer, and pious reading. Holy solitude is the school of heavenly doctrine, where fervent souls study a divine science, which is learned by experience, not by the discourses of others. Here they learn to know God and themselves; they disengage their affections from the world, and burn and reduce to ashes all that can fasten their hearts to it. Here they give earthly things for those of heaven, and goods of small value for those of inestimable price. In blessed solitude, a man repairs in his soul the image of his Creator, which was effaced by sin, and, by the victory which he gains over his passions, is in some degree freed from the corruption of his nature, and restored in some measure to the state of its integrity and innocence by the ruin of vice, and the establishment of all virtues in his affections; so that, by a wonderful change wrought in his soul, he becomes a new creature, and a terrestrial angel. His sweet repose and his employments are also angelical, being of the same nature with those of the blessed in heaven By the earnest occupation of the powers of his soul on God and in God, or in doing his will, he is continually employed in a manner infinitely more excellent and more noble than he could be in governing all the empires of the world; and in a manner which is far preferable to all the vain occupations of the greatest men of the world during the whole course of their lives. Moreover, in the interior exercises, of this state, a soul receives certain antepasts of eternal felicity, by which she intimately feels how sweet God is, and learns to have no relish for anything but for him alone. "Oh, my friends," cried out a certain pious contemplative, "I take leave of you with these words, and this feeling invitation of the Psalmist: ''" But these, and other privileges and precious advantages, only belong to the true solitary, who joins interior to exterior solitude, is never warped by sloth or remissness, gives no moments to idleness, uses continual violence to himself in order perfectly to subdue his passions, watches constantly over his senses, is penetrated to the heart with the wholesome sadness of penance, has death always before his eyes, is always taken up in the exercises of compunction, the divine praises, love, adoration, and thanksgiving, and is raised above the earth and all created things by the ardor of his desires of being united to God the sovereign good.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Remembering Terri Schiavo - 9 years ago - RIP

Terri Schiavo died Thursday, March 31, 2005 around 10 a.m. EST. This was due to a court order to withhold  food and water. Schiavo died heading into her 14th day without nourishment. Wednesday night's decision came hours after a federal appeals court declined to hold another hearing on the issue. Her parents fought for her life but were turned down by the courts. Her family now helps those with similar issues...

POPE FRANCIS “Think of the vast reality of unemployment, with all of the negative...

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday met with members of the 27th General Chapter of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The theme of the chapter is “Witnesses to the Radical Approach of the Gospel.”

In his address, the Holy Father said the Holy Spirit would assist the religious institute to understand the expectations and challenges of our time, especially those of the young people whose formation is the basis of the congregation’s main apostolate.

Pope Francis told the Salesians the evangelization of young people is closely connected with education, and he encouraged them in their efforts to respond to the current educational crisis, while always remembering the “Preventive System” of St. John Bosco, which is based on kindness and friendship with pupils.

He also spoke of the life of exclusion many young people face.

“Think of the vast reality of unemployment, with all of the negative consequences,” said Pope Francis. “Think of the addictions, which sadly are manifold, but stem from a common root of an absence of true love. Reaching marginalized youth requires courage, maturity and much prayer.”

He urged the Salesians to use “careful discernment” when sending people to the peripheries inhabited by these excluded youth.

The Holy Father also encouraged the community life of the Salesians, which he said supports their entire apostolate.

“The humanizing power of the Gospel is demonstrated by the fraternity lived in community, comprised of welcome, respect, mutual help , understanding , kindness , forgiveness and joy,” said the Pope. “The familial spirit bequeathed by Don Bosco is a great help in this respect, encouraging perseverance and building an attraction to the consecrated life.”

During their General Chapter, the Salesians elected Don Angel Fernandez Artime as the 10th Rector Major, commonly referred to as the successor of Saint John Bosco.

Text from Vatican Radio website

RIP BISHOP MICHAEL PUTNEY of Australia - Age 67 - "Ecumenical Giant"

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
28 Mar 2014
Bishop Putney at WYD2005
With great sadness the diocese of Townsville announced Bishop Michael Putney AM DD died peacefully in the early hours of Friday 28 March, aged 67 years old.
Hailed as "an ecumenical giant" Bishop Putney's work in Christian dialogue and ecumenical relations will be felt in Australia and internationally for many years to come. As tributes started pouring in on social media via the Diocese of Townsville's Facebook page, the National Council of Churches in Australia, for which Bishop Putney served as chairman posted:
"Bishop Michael was an ecumenical giant who contributed so much to his own church, the Australian churches and the wider ecumenical family. He inspired us to imagine what a healthy reconciled Church could be. May he rest in God's peace."
Sister Giovanni Farquer, Director of the Archdiocese of Sydney's Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Relations, recognised the faith and commitment of Bishop Putney so evident in his ministry.
"He was a true ecumenist and an amazing chair of our committee" she said.
"He made us all feel that our work was making a significant contribution. Prayer was at the centre of every meeting he chaired and he was a man of great faith.  He provided great leadership and vision reaching out to people of all faiths, not just Catholics."
A native of Queensland, Michael Putney was born in Gladstone in 1946 and educated in Townsville and Brisbane. After seminary studies in Pius XII Seminary in Banyo, he was ordained a priest in 1969. He was ordained a bishop on 27 July 1995 and was announced as the 5th Bishop of Townsville in January 2001 and installed in March that year.
Most Rev. Michael Putney, Bishop of Tonwsville
Bishop Putney was diagnosed with terminal cancer in December 2012. Prior to his diagnosis he was a member of the Permanent Committee of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Chair of Bishops' Commission for Mission and Faith Formation; Catholic Co-Chairman of International Methodist / Roman Catholic Dialogue; Member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Chairman of the National Council of Churches.  In 2013 Bishop Putney was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
According to the Vicar General of Townsville Diocese, Fr Michael Lowcock, Bishop Putney was admitted to the Mater Hospital on Friday 21 March for a procedure relating to cancers in his stomach, he remained in hospital until he passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning.
Bishop Putney's health had deteriorated in recent weeks but defying doctor's orders to slow down he still kept many appointments including welcoming the Apostolic Nuncio in Australia, Archbishop Paul Gallagher to his annual dinner with 170 guests and also publishing his book entitled "My Ecumenical Journey" which was launched by Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Phillip Aspinall.
Bishop Putney was grateful for the many prayers received during the past 15 months and believed it was these prayers which enabled him to continue his work until the very end.
Just last week in an interview with a local Townsville publication, an ailing Bishop Putney said he was at peace knowing his life was in the hands of God.
"I am very accepting of what happens to me and I am not in any way afraid.
"People's prayers are like the air I breathe and I am being carried along by the grace of God, so I have nothing to worry about'' he said.
As an auxiliary bishop of Brisbane and Vicar for Youth, Bishop Putney was a great supporter of young people says Malcolm Hart, Senior Youth Ministry Projects Officer for the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life.
"He revitalised the Church and particularly youth ministry through local initiatives, support and ongoing involvement in World Youth Days. Bishop Michael Putney will be sorely missed by his diocese and the Church in Australia."
Malcolm also acknowledges the contribution Bishop Putney made to evangelisation. "He was central to the Hearts on Fire conference in 1999, one of Australia's first national conferences on evangelisation" he says.  "He explored evangelisation in an Australian context like no one before."
Bishop Putney visiting a local Townsville school
Shayne Bennett, Moderator of the Emmanuel Community is grateful for the long association their lay community has had with Bishop Putney. In the early days of the Community's establishment a young Fr Michael Putney was appointed by the then Archbishop of Brisbane, Francis Rush as his liaison priest to the fledgling community. Years later, Shayne and Bishop Michael remained friends.
"Bishop Michael was a scholar, a wise mentor, a man who was passionate in his love for Jesus Christ and His Church" says Shayne Bennett.
"I saw the love he had for his Diocese blossom into something very beautiful. He loved Townsville and was joyful in laying down his life for the people whom God had entrusted to his care. He lived this commitment of love to the very end. May he rest in peace."
Throughout the day, the Facebook messages have continued to flood in. One member of the diocese wrote, "Bishop Michael was an inspiration to many and no one can deny what a truly beautiful person he was. He will be missed, and remembered by all those he touched. RIP"

Funeral arrangements are currently being finalised by the diocese and many parishes in the Townsville diocese will be holding special masses this week.

POPE FRANCIS the Lord always gives us grace to turn back - Mass Homily

(Vatican Radio) Where are you on your spiritual journey? Are you wandering aimlessly like a tourist? Have you stopped or lost your way? Or are you heading straight for your destination? Those questions were at the heart of Pope Francis’ reflections during his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning.
Reflecting on the day’s readings from Isaiah and St John’s Gospel Pope Francis distinguished between three different types of Christians and how they live their spiritual lives. Before God asks anything of us, the Pope said, He always promises us a new life of joy, so the essence of our Christian life is always to journey in hope and trust towards those promises.

But there are many Christians whose hope is weak and while they believe and follow the commandments, they have come to a standstill in their spiritual lives. Pope Francis said God cannot use them as a leaven among his people because they have stopped and they’re no longer moving forward.

Secondly, he said there are those among us who have taken the wrong turning and lost our way. Of course, the Pope continued, we all sometimes take the wrong road, but the real problem arises if we don’t turn back when we realize that we’ve made a mistake.

The model of a true believer who follows the promises of faith, Pope Francis said, is the royal official from today’s Gospel reading, who asks Jesus to heal his son and does not doubt for a second when the Master tells him the child has been cured. But unlike that man, the Pope said, there are many Christians who deceive themselves and wander aimlessly without moving forward.

These people, Pope Francis said are perhaps the most dangerous group because they wander through life like existential tourists without a goal and without taking God’s promises seriously. But the Lord asks us not to stop, not to lose our way and not to wander through life. He asks us to journey on towards his promises like the official who believed what Jesus told him.

Despite our human condition as sinners who take the wrong turning, the Pope concluded, the Lord always gives us grace to turn back. Lent, he said, is a good time to consider whether we are journeying forward or whether we have come to a standstill. If we have chosen the wrong road, we should go to Confession and return to the right way. If we are a theological tourist wandering aimlessly through life, we must ask the Lord for grace to head off again on the journey towards the promises of our faith.

Text from  Vatican Radio website

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Figure 2.2. grefpackages

Implements the Palette customizing window.

Create/Delete/Edit Palette’s content. »grefpackages« is dedicated to a single palette window. This palette is selected from the option menu in the top area of »grefpackages«.

The main working part is located to the bottom left. Here every palette item is listed. Items can be added or deleted to the palette.

The two buttons to the right allows to edit the content of a single palette item (its properties); or a series of new palette items can be created from a prior project.

The section immediately below the palette option menu contains general settings for the palette itself. This settings include, what Tcl-Package is required to use this palette and also which structural prerequisite must be »-ensure«d before the items are activated in Jeszra.

The ensure command does also exist for each individual item. The item ensure is omitted, whenever the palette features an ensure command –for the performance sake.

The »-palettes« property tells the grefpackages page where it ought to look for the palette windows.

Window Command

A Window created through the grefpackages command exposes various functions. Using these functions has the following general form:

          pathName option ?arg arg ...?

PathName is the same as the window path name. Option and the args determine the exact behavior of the command. The following commands are possible for this window:

pathName cget option

Returns the current value of the configuration option given by option. Option may have any of the values accepted by the grefpackages command.

pathName configure ?option? ?value option value ...?

Query or modify the configuration options of the window. If no option is specified, returns a list describing all of the available options for pathName (see Tk_ConfigureInfo for information on the format of this list). If option is specified with no value, then the command returns a list describing the one named option (this list will be identical to the corresponding sublist of the value returned if no option is specified). If one or more option-value pairs are specified, then the command modifies the given window option(s) to have the given value(s); in this case the command returns an empty string. Option may have any of the values accepted by the grefpackages command.

pathName show name

In response to a palette selection. Fill in the second part of this dialog with any information retrieved from the palette under question. Extended : 02/25/2008, Roger

pathName applyRequire

In response to a change inside the require text field–this field, and the ensure text field, is hidden under the extender. This changes are monitored and auto-applied with this function.

pathName init

Secondary constructor for template windows of kind »grefpackages«.

Makes an event binding on the template listbox so that properties is invoked for a double-click.

Contains obsolete code for column and row customization –will move to the template.

Stripes the dialog.

pathName selectPackage menu

Does query the via »-palettes« provided children for »Galette« windows and report them inside the »menu«–these windows are what will be edited by a »grefpackages« window.

pathName applyGlyphen

First find out what toolbar is selected. Next verify there is a glyph font specified; if there isn't a glyph Font specified: launch the font browser to let the user select an appropriated font with symbols. The glyph font is determined as a part of the individual toolbar items and not as a property of the toolbar. The toolbar does only specify if a glyph font should being used at all. Shown may not return a toolbar –if there is none selected–, so ignore any exception.

pathName properties

Populate the »grefpkproperties« dialog with the data from the current selected template and display this dialog.

pathName selectTemplates

make a lexical analyze of this script do not try to create an interp for it ... takes to long and will contain additional data as well.

pathName deleteTemplate

Removes the current selected entries from the internal gistbox window.

pathName applyEnsure

Use the ensure data from the dialog and store it inside the edited galette.

See »applyRequire« for more detailed information.

pathName getPaletteByTitle title

Reused in »askpalettes.tcl«, be careful when modifying this.

See also grefpalman, there a copy is used of the body below.

pathName addTemplate

Get the current entry and apply the values to the palette. later refresh the displayed palette ...


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Citation X Speed | Articles

Picture courtesy of Paul Bowen

Does the speed of the Citation X really make a material difference?  Yes!

The Citation X was first delivered in the end of 1996 and quickly became NetJet’s best selling aircraft. This is true due to the combination of cabin comfort, speed, ease or maintenance, operating economics and dispatch reliability.

Initially with any technologically advanced aircraft, there were some issues that had to be addressed and overcome.   However, since the initial series of issues have been resolved and with an upgrade to the gross weight in 2002, the Citation X has become one of the most successful new aircraft introductions in recent aviation history.

Winner of the prestigious Collier Trophy for advancing aviation, the Citation X is a leading alternative to any mid-sized, super mid-sized or large cabin buyer.  For the midsized buyer, the Citation X offers a sizable cabin and baggage combination.  The double club configuration offers 8 comfortable captains chairs with a galley and good sized lavatory.  The baggage compartment is 72 cubic feet, pressurized and heated.  The range is as good as or better than any other competitor in its class.

For the super mid-sized or large cabin buyer, the Citation X offers unmatched speed and competitive operating economics.  The Citation X has set many speed records with its .92 mach top speed.  Though the speed and technological advancements get the “accolades”, Cessna is just as likely to sell an aircraft because of their product support.  When you speak with operators, especially the early serial number operators, they consistently applaud Cessna for the responsiveness.  When a Citation X beats out a competitor with a larger cabin, the “X” factor is usually the intangibles such as the smaller ramp presence, customer support, speed, and dispatch reliability.

Does the speed of the Citation X really make a material difference?  Yes

When compared with the F2000, the Citation X’s long range cruise is 60 miles per hour faster which translates into a cross country savings of 30-40 minutes.  Though the Citation X burns more fuel per hour, the specific fuel for the trip will be similar due to the time savings.  If you complete this trip on a regular basis, you could reduce your annual private jet utilization by 50 -100 hours per year.  Savings over other comparable aircraft like the Hawker 800XP or Gulfstream 200 would be even greater.

In the most important category, safety, the Citation X has one of the best records in all of business aviation.  According to Robert Breiling Associates Inc 2004 Annual Turbine Aircraft Accident Review, the world wide Citation X fleet had never been in an accident.  This is a credit to the aircraft’s design, the pilots who fly the Citation X, and the training and support available.

For more information on the Citation X or any other private jet, please contact Kevin O’Leary at


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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Kitty Drama

So, hubby and son leave to go up the street to the neighbor's house to visit. I'm going to be following on the golf cart in a few minutes when I finish getting neighbor's jewelry together that I had been working on for her - repairs and such. 5 - 8 minutes had probably passed. I get up to leave and the back door is open. The sun has set, it's dark, and God only knows how many cats are missing. I was frantic. The wild pack dogs are still lose out there somewhere and they've already chased a neighbor down the street, yes they chased an actual grown man, but luckily he was on his 4-wheeler. Got hubby to come home immediately while I frantically did a headcount to see who got outside. Syl was at the door when I got to it, so he came back in. Mousie couldn't be found in any of her hiding spots in the house. We went all over our yard. Hubby went all over the vacant yard where the crazies lived. I heard a meww and hubby saw eyes in the dark - we were apparently seeing and hearing two different cats. I go in to relook in the house and when I get to the back door, there's Mousie trying to figure out how to get in the gate. I get her in, chew her out, spank her on the butt, and give her a good talking to and assuming hubby must have gotten her to that point of being at the gate. I call out that I've got her and call for him a couple times and no reply, so I figure he must have gone to the neighbors. I go to the neighbors on the golf cart. No hubby. I call his phone, no answer, the ringer is off. He comes to the neighbor's house in the midst of me calling his phone over and over. He comes in and thanks me for locking the door as it made it harder for him to put Mouse in the house......................what, come again. You put who in the house???? He says he put Mouse in the house??????? I'm like, no, I put Mouse in the house, who did you put in the house??? Hubby says, you're kidding right??? He had managed to catch Mousie's and Sapphire's and late Obsidian's very feral mom and put her in our house. lol. She's very pregnant and 3x as big as Mouse and her eyes are gold and Mousie's eyes are green like her Daddy's were. Our neighbor's laughed so hard they were in tears. Neighbor said he was getting his cat and putting him in the house before my husband came back and swiped him, lol.................I laughed til I cried. Neighbor said we had so many darn cats that we didn't even know what cats were ours, lol...............I know which ones are mine, lol.

So, we get home and the door gets opened again. We already know Syl climbs the back door and now we are guessing he has learned to open it, lol. The handle is one of those lever handles that you can pull up or down and the door opens, which is great for folks with hand issues like mine - very easy to open. Apparently so easy that Syl can open the back door........Since I've been sitting here I've heard him rattle the doorknob again, but this time the door is locked. The funny part is that Syl doesn't even want outside. He's just found a new toy - our door knob........

Mousie is the black one in the photo.......... :)

1 comment:

  1. I love that Cat story! You should write short stories and send to Reader's Digest, bet you'd win!


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Return to Main Recipes Page/Return to Home Page

Macrute (P)
Source: "Jewish Cooking II," Shalom Editors, Brazil
Yield: Unknown

1/2 kg (1 lb.) semolina
1/2 cup sugar
200g (6 to 7 oz.) dates
1 pinch nutmeg
Cinnamon, ground cloves and ground ginger
1 cup oil

Mix semolina with sugar and hot oil, knead well and open half of the dough with a pin over a table (preferable marble).

Stone the dates and grind together with the spices. Fry in oil for 3 minutes.

Cover the semolina dough with the date paste, leaving the borders free and cover with the other half of the dough.

Cut in slices and put in a medium heat oven in a baking pan dusted with flour. When they are golden brown, cover with honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Simone Greenbaum says: My father always made these for Purim back when I was growing up in Tunisia.

Then, when we came to this country and we started to be educated about fried foods, he started to bake them in an oven at 350°F for about 1/2 hour. Also, since we could not find semolina with a hechsher, he started to use a mixture of farina and cream of wheat. Tasted all the same.

He also made his own syrup to engulf them in by cooking 1 part sugar to 2 parts water with juice of 1 lemon and cooking until it had the consistency of corn syrup.

By the way the French Jews in Paris call them macroud.

Posted by Liliana Wajnberg

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A


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Antin, Mary

  • A proper autobiography is a death-bed confession.

  • So, at last I was going to America! Really, really going, at last! The boundaries burst. The arch of heaven soared. A million suns shone out of every star. The winds rushed into outer space, roaring in my ears, "America! America!"


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“Looking great is always the best revenge,” says Khloe Kardashian in a statement promoting her new reality series, Revenge Body. Revenge bods.

All those headlines about celebrities flaunting a remodeled “revenge body”—typically after a breakup—have materialized in the form of a reality show hosted by Khloe Kardashian. Because she’s experienced this firsthand. “It’s so exciting to be able to mentor these people through their full-body makeovers and I can’t wait to see the incredible results at their final reveals!” she exclaims.

For those who remain fortunately clueless, a “revenge body” is simply a body that’s been sculpted for the sake of revenge—usually to subliminally inform an ex that he/she has lost a good thing. In other words, it’s meaningless.

How it works: a celebrity hits the gym and tells his/her personal trainer: “I want a revenge body.” The trainer says, “OK.” The celebrity proceeds to eat nothing but blueberries in hopes of slimming down for photographs, which will lead to headlines about their great body:

Khloe Kardashian Goes Braless, Flaunts Her ‘Revenge Body’

Blake Shelton Debuts New Revenge Body: Doing Great Since Miranda Lambert Divorce, Searching for New Girlfriend

Katie Holmes Has the “Best Revenge Body of the Year,” According to Fitness Magazine

Kaley Cuoco Rocks Her Revenge Body After Splitting From Ryan Sweeting!

Revenge Body will air six episodes, each highlighting two subjects in need of makeovers. Khloe will coach them in their mission to get revenge and, less important, become healthier for their own good.

Deadline reports:

In each episode, two heartbroken individuals will get the opportunity to recreate themselves with the help of a team of Hollywood’s most elite trainers, stylists and glam squads assembled by Kardashian, resulting in a major transformation.

Google “revenge body” and you’ll find that most of the results even before today’s news are Khloe- and Kourtney-related. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Contact the author at clover@jezebel.com.

Image via Getty


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Registration Info

Age Requirements
  • Students must be 3 years old by September 1 to register for the 3 year old program
  • Students must be 4 years old by September 1 to register for the 4 year old program.
*Children registering for our preschool must be able to take care of bathroom needs on their own before the first day of class.

Registration requirements:

The following items must be presented when registering:

  • Birth Certificate
  • Baptismal Certificate – where applicable
  • Immunization Records - It is mandated by the state of Pennsylvania that all children present documented proof of immunizations.  Please check with your child's pediatrician to verify that all immunizations are complete. The requirements are as follows:
    • 4 doses of DPT or DT (one dose must be given after the fourth birthday)
    • 3 doses of oral polio vaccine
    • 2 doses of MMR (measles, mumps rubella)
    • 3 doses of Hepatitis B vaccine
    • 1 dose of Varivax Vaccine (Chicken Pox) or proof by physician's letter of having Chicken Pox disease
  • Proof of Parent Custody (Where applicable:  Copy of divorce decree or court ordered separation agreement)
  • a completed pre-school application
  • a $100.00 non refundable deposit
All students are accepted on a trial basis.  During this trail period our teachers will work to create an environment that will provide an easy transition from home to school for your child. However, if during this time, your child is frustrated, unhappy or not adjusting, they will recommend waiting another year to be part of our program.

Registration Form


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Monday, May 31, 2010

Top Vermonter cracks the podium with third-place run in Vermont City Marathon

By John A. Fantino, Free Press staff writer • Monday, May 31, 2010

Justin Fyffe said he’s visualized running in the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon every day since December. Over and over and over,” he admitted.The 30-year-old from East Dummerston, Vt. saw months of daydreaming turn into everything he wanted Sunday with a third-place finish in the 22nd running of the VCM.
Fyffe cruised Burlington’s 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 16 seconds, claiming fame as the fastest Vermont resident in a field of more than 3,600 runners.
“This has been my goal race since December and I put everything I had into it,” said an elated Fyffe, who crushed his previous personal record of 2:27:32, set with a fifth-place finish in last year’s VCM.
“I wanted to podium more than anything.”
Fyffe carried out his plan to perfection. When winner John Crews and runner-up Gavin Coombs rocketed to a fast pace in the first half of Sunday’s race, Fyffe stayed within his means. Estimating he was in seventh or eighth place for much of the morning, he made his move in Burlington’s New North End.
“It wasn’t until Mile 20 or 21 where I can taste a podium spot and I’m glad I could hang on for it,” Fyffe said. “(The leaders) broke away early. I knew they were faster than me, so I didn’t get greedy and blow up. I stuck to my plan, stayed very conservative, very steady.”
Chadwick Shepard of Williston was the next fastest Vermonter in 25th place with a time of 2:46:07. Thomas Dunn of Burlington took 31st in 2:50:09.
Buxton, Maine’s, Curtis Wheeler, who like Fyffe is a North Country Union High School graduate, was fourth overall in 2:23:46.
Fyffe, a machinist at Bradford Machine in Brattleboro, had a lot of recent success running competitively, taking ninth place 50-kilometer Gibraltar World Championships in October and second in the 2010 USATF New England 10-Mile Championships.
He intends to compete in the Mount Washington Road Race in July, which includes a 6,288 accent to New Hampshire’s tallest peak. Although it might be tough for him to exceed the excitement he enjoyed Sunday after a three-foot podium climb.
“I grew up in Derby and I love Vermont. It feels like it’s a hometown race even though it’s a couple hours away,” said Fyffe, who vows to return to next year’s VCM. “I want to win this race some day.”Contact John A. Fantino at 651-4851 or

  1. Awesome run Justin!!! And the finish line photo is classic. You can really see how much you wanted it. But, if you run Washington in July, you'll be by yourself. :)

  2. Congrats on the great race! The photo is awesome!

  3. That's awesome!!! Congratulations.


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Jinnah Islmia Group of Colleges

Seminars and workshops, Revision classes
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Disciplined, secured and congenial learning environment
Easy accessible locations, Purpose built air conditioned campuses
Pre board examinations
Test Session during Feb / March / April for Inter Graduation. Test Session during Sep / Oct / Nov for Master Programs.
Long classes, Weekend classes, Quiz competitions
Teachers training workshops
Special lectures of eminent personalities
Liaison with parents
Regular weekly / Monthly house tests
Timely completion of 100% courses
Qualified and experienced teaching faculty
Merit and need based scholarships
Separate campuses for boys and girls
Highly qualified and professional management
17 Positions in MBA in University of the Punjab-2013
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