"This spiritual event, which unites Christians from all traditions, increases our awareness of the fact that the unity we strive for cannot result merely from our own efforts; rather, it is a gift we receive and must constantly invoke from on high".
As we approach the bicentenary of Charles Dickens (born in February 1812) we will get the chance to see many productions of his famous stories on TV, as well as in our theatres and cinemas. Now during Christmas, we can remember perhaps his most famous Christmas story as it is revealed here by Mr. Joe Unsworth writing in Sursum Corda, the Magazine of St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The Lord asks each of you to collaborate in constructing the city of man, uniting faith and culture with seriousness and passion. Therefore I invite each of you to seek the true Face of God with patient constancy. ... Announce to everyone that the true Face of God is in the Baby of Bethlehem, so close to each of us that no one can feel excluded.
If we could hypothetically save all the food wasted across the UK on any one day, there would be enough to feed 60 million people. In straitened times it becomes ever more important to address the chronic problem of wastage in food production on farms, in factories, in supermarkets, restaurants, and in homes all across the world. Saving food really does help alleviate hunger, in rich countries as in poor ones.
This month, from Nov. 17th- 19th, the Indianapolis Catholic Youth Conference has seen a gathering of Bishops, priests and religious, together with guest speakers, musicians and artists to work and pray with 25,000 young Catholics from both America and abroad.
Glory be to God for dappled things -
For skies of couple - colour as a brinded cow;
For rose - moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh - firecoal chestnut - falls; finches' wings;..
Dagupan City, Philippines – About 11,000 youth will simultaneously pray the rosary for world peace at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 in an event called “Eleven Eleven Eleven” here. The youth will gather for a Marian procession from the De Venecia Highway towards the Dagupan Cathedral where the archbishop together with the priests and the youth will pray the rosary for peace in the world.
Inner-city teenagers are swapping ideas with police as part of a fresh bid to beat the capital's knife crime problems. More than 90 schoolchildren are taking part in the new scheme aimed to shape the way youth violence is tackled. Barry Mizen, whose 16-year-old son Jimmy was murdered in 2008, is among a panel of experts speaking to 14 and 15-year-olds at City Hall.
There will be no children costumed as devils, wicked witches or terrifying zombies and vampires to go trick-or-treating, carving jack-o’-lanterns or playing pranks on Halloween. The eve of All Saints’ Day will instead find these children, aged 5 to 13, from Bagbaguin in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, dressed in pristine robes and radiant veils and garments to emulate some of the saints and martyrs venerated by the Catholic Church.
In some Indian villages, girls are sent into prostitution by their families - a tradition that began as religious obligation but is now continued for money. In "Trapped by Tradition," which airs Saturday and Sunday on CNN International, "Slumdog Millionaire" star Anil Kapoor shows how Indian charities are trying to stop the tradition
On September 21, 2011, a variety of groups, organizations and people worldwide will host and attend International Day of Peace. In 2002, the U.N. General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace. The JPIC commission of the General Superiors invites all of us to be part of this action for peace in a prayerful way. This prayer material was prepared to be used by your communities, houses, groups, parishes and dioceses.
The rule of celibacy for the diocesan clergy is strangling the Catholic Church in many parts of the world. Dr Daley is the latest to say so, but perhaps the most well-known to nail his colours to the mast. The issue clouds discussion of the need for more fundamental changes in the Church.
Evening all, my name is Aimee and I attended my very first World Youth Day in Madrid this year with the Claretian family. I didn't really know what to expect as I had read and heard about previous WDYs but was still not entirely sure what it was all about. Happy to say I was presently surprised.
Michael Thompson is a twenty-year old mathematics student at the University of Edinburgh originally from Newcastle. He was involved with CAFOD’s ‘Step into the Gap’ gap year programme in 2009-10 and is passionate about issues of social justice and fighting for inequality in our world. He tells us about his experience in World Youth Day in Madrid.
“The motto will be the command of Jesus: 'Go and make disciples of all peoples.' Even now I entrust to the prayers of all the preparation of these very important appointments,” said the Pope in his August 24 general audience at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo.
I extend an affectionate greeting to the many English-speaking young people who have come to Madrid. May these days of prayer, friendship and celebration bring us closer to each other and to the Lord Jesus. Make trust in Christ's word the foundation of your lives! Planted and built up in him, firm in the faith and open to the power of the Spirit, you will find your place in God's plan and enrich the Church with your gifts. Let us pray for one another, so that we may be joyful witnesses to Christ, today and always. God bless you all!
I have come here to meet thousands of young people from all over the world, Catholics committed to Christ searching for the truth that will give real meaning to their existence. I come as the Successor of Peter, to confirm them all in the faith, with days of intense pastoral activity, proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life; to motivate the commitment to build up the Kingdom of God in the world among us; to exhort young people to and so, rooted in his person, to become faithful followers and valiant witnesses.
Cash-strapped families are enrolling their children in the Scouts and Girl Guides in favour of costly after-school clubs, it has been revealed. The recession has driven a boom in membership, with the Scouts growing by almost 10 per cent since 2008, from 467,351 to 508,570.
Over the next few days, around the world, Pax Christi members will be remembering the anniversaries of the first use of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki through prayer, discussion and action. In the UK, vigils, exhibitions and stalls will be held in London, Coventry, Oxford, Abingdon and Aylesford, inviting people to work to reverse Government policies on the renewal of Trident.
30 July 2011 – On the first International Day of Friendship, Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon today urged the global community to work together to build a peaceful, more prosperous world, where old friendships flourish and new ones are made.
