MAY 06, 2012, Vol 62, No 09

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www.catholicnews.sg SUNDAY MAY 6, 2012

SINGAPORE 50 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM$1.20

MICA (P) 043 / 01 / 2012

PPS 201/04/2013 (022940)

VOL 62

NO. 9

INSIDE HOME Learning about religious education Schools’ commission travels to Brisbane „ Page 4 CNS photos

ASIA Christian unity in Bangladesh Catholics, Protestants learn to speak with one voice „ Page 9

ASIA 22,000 Easter baptisms in China New Catholics come from 101 dioceses „ Page 10

WORLD ‘Resist unjust laws!’

VATICAN CITY – Love of God nurtures love of neighbour, especially in people with vocations to the priesthood or Religious life, said Pope Benedict XVI in his message for the 49th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The special day is observed on April 29 this year. “The profound truth of our existence is thus contained in this surprising mystery: Every creature, and in particular every human person, is the fruit of God’s thought and an act of His love, a love that is boundless, faithful and everlasting,� Pope Benedict wrote.

the soil of self-offering ‘It is inthat all vocations are born and grow. ’

– Pope Benedict XVI

“It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and as the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow. “By drawing from this wellspring through prayer, constant recourse to God’s word and to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, it becomes possible to live a life of love for our

neighbours, in whom we come to perceive the face of Christ the Lord,� the pope wrote. Pope Benedict wrote that love of both God and other people “must be lived with a particular intensity and purity of heart by those who have decided to set out on the path of vocation discernment towards the ministerial priesthood and

US bishops urge Catholics the consecrated life�. Calling on the Church to “create the conditions that will permit many young people to say ‘yes’ in generous response to God’s loving call�, the pope recommended “Scripture, prayer and the Eucharist� as the most valuable means “enabling us to grasp the beauty of a life spent fully in service of the kingdom�. Quoting his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, Pope Benedict called families the “primary and most excellent seedbed of vocations to a life of consecration to the kingdom of God�. „ CNS

„ Page 11

WORLD Pope not pushing for ‘return to pre-Vatican II’ New book defends pope’s teaching „ Page 12

WORLD Vatican’s Vesak Day message Guidance of youth stressed

The full text of the pope’s message and other stories on vocations can be found in our special Vocations section, Pages 15-26

„ Page 13

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Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Parenting teens course launched By Darren Boon

St Joseph Church’s newly renovated interior.

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Mrs Sandra Hung, course coordinator at the Church of St Ignatius, speaking about the Alpha Parenting (Teenagers) Course. The programme helps parents learn more about their children’s needs and how to build healthy relationships.

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) $ 8 ? had heard. ? ) / ` ) ; "`; & F ) 8 ? $ 8 ? % The Catholic Prayer Society is organising the parenting course for children on Mondays, May 14-July 23, 12.30-1.30pm, at 206/208B Telok Ayer Street. To register, email alphacac@catholic.org. More information on the parenting course can be found at http:// www.relationshipcentral.org.sg „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Catholics urged to be proud of the papacy The papacy is “one of Christ’s great gifts to the Church�, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli told a packed cathedral crowd on April 22. The papacy has provided “outstanding leadership and has maintained the faith of the Apostles for the last two millennia�, he said at the Mass to celebrate the seventh anniversary of Pope Benedict ‚ <Z Archbishop Nicholas Chia and several priests also concelebrated the Mass held at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. % $ ) 19, 2005. Praising Pope Benedict XVI’s leadership of the Catholic Church, Archbishiop Girelli said he was q8) F ) 8 out to the Church of Singapore, particularly because the circumstances in which he exercises his ministry are not always favourable�. The nuncio noted in his homily that the papacy has provided good guidance for the world across the ages. “Some of the prophetic stances made by the popes contained important messages for the people of today,� he said.

‘Which other authority in the world stands up to defend the sanctity of life, the supreme values of justice and peace, the voice of the poor and oppressed, with the same intensity, perseverance and consistency as popes did and are still doing?’ Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli greeting people after the !"#$

“For instance, which other authority in the world witnesses so well to the values of marriage and family life?� he asked. “Which other authority in the world stands up to defend the sanctity of life, the dignity of the human person, the supreme values of justice and peace, the respect of human rights, the voice of the poor

and oppressed, with the same intensity, perseverance and consistency as popes did and are still doing?� Archbishop Girelli added, “We see then that the role of Peter and now of his successor, Benedict XVI, has shown itself to be a guiding light for all Catholics and also non-Catholics.� He noted that “in the modern

– Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli

world, even non-believers or people away from Catholicism have to acknowledge that the teaching and witnessing of Pope Benedict XVI is something that has proven to be one of the most important guides�. “We should be proud of the papacy and recognise that it is one of Christ’s great gifts to the Church,� he concluded. „

Applications open for Carlo bursaries Applications for the Carlo Catholic Society Bursary Scheme for 2012 are now open to needy Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnic and university students. Applications must be submitted before June 30 to Carlo Catholic Society. The applicant: ~ Must be a Catholic student. ~ Must be studying full-time at a government recognised institution. ~ Must possess good conduct and satisfactory academic results. ~ Must not be a recipient of any other scholarships or bursaries. ~ Applicant’s total household monthly income must not exceed $2,000, or the per capita (average) household income, i.e. total monthly household income divided by total number of household members, must not exceed $450 per month. Application forms are available at Carlo Catholic Society, 225B Queen Street, email: bursary@carlo.org.sg. Submissions must be complete with an original application form and attached documents. All applications must be submitted by hand or by post to Carlo Catholic Society. Online submissions will not be processed. „

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Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Learning about religious education in Brisbane By Don Gurugay Two staff members of the archdiocesan schools’ commission, who attended an Australian religious education programme, said they found it dynamic and enriching. “What impressed me the most was the emphasis placed on the religious ethos of Catholic schools as a crucial means of integrating religion into the everyday school life of a student,� said Ms Merilyn Dasson. “I also learnt how arts and music can be used to help a student relate to themes of the Bible and to Church liturgy,� she added. Ms Dasson, project director for preschools in the Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools (ACCS), together with Ms Jeanette Atabelo, project director for secondary schools, attended the Religious Education Access Program (REAP) in Brisbane from April 17-20. The programme is run by Brisbane archdiocese’s Catho) @ * ˆ participants with the knowledge and skills to create experiences of prayer and ritual with students. It also explores learning strategies that would enhance the classroom teaching and learning of religion. In addition, the programme enriches students’ religious life through an exploration of the Church Year, feasts and seasons, and the recognition of important community events. In Brisbane, Catholic religion teachers must have taken a module in religious education in their undergraduate studies, or undergone REAP, to teach in Catholic schools. Ms Dasson said that the pro-

Students putting on a dance at the Moment of Magic carnival.

SJI carnival raises funds for charity Ms Merilyn Dasson (far left) and Ms Jeanette Atabelo (third from right) from the Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools, seen here with

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gramme helps children to “relate personally to the Bible stories and ‌ the richness of liturgy because there will be a connection that comes from the child himself or herselfâ€?. “I believe that using this approach makes learning about religion enjoyable, and religious education does not end up as a mere compartmentalised subject restricted to a particular time slot.â€? Ms Atabelo said, “I learnt that

‘What impressed me was the emphasis placed on the religious ethos of Catholic schools.

’

– Ms Merilyn Dasson, ACCS

religious education in the Catholic schools of Brisbane is very alive and dynamic. It is given high priority in the everyday life of the school.� According to Msgr Eugene Vaz, chairman of the ACCS Religious Education Committee, ACCS hopes to use the knowledge gained to design a programme to train teachers in religious education. “Currently there is no standardised training for teachers who are delivering RE [religious education] and no platform to gauge the effectiveness of RE in Catholic schools and the preschools,� he said. ACCS executive director Wendy Louis said one opportunity arising from the recent trip is to collaborate with the Brisbane Catholic @ * q =) teacher exchange programme�. „

A St Joseph’s Institution (SJI) carnival has raised $41,000, part of which will go towards the CHIJ Sisters’ Mission Outreach Programme to aid the young and underprivileged. The SJI carnival, called Moment of Magic, held on April 21, was a wholly student-initiated and run affair. Over the past three years, it has become an occasion for students to learn organisational and problem-solving skills, contribute to a worthy cause, and have lots of fun in the process. The event, which featured food and games, saw teachers

Teachers slug it out as ‘gladiators’.

challenging each other physically in the American Gladiator game section, students putting on dance performances, and parents chipping in to sell food. In addition to helping the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Sisters’ outreach work, the income generated will also go to the school’s Society of St Vincent de Paul pocket money fund for needy students. “It had been a pleasure to help organise this event,� said SJI head prefect Brandon Krygsman and a member of the SJI Carnival Organising Team. “The past few

= / = nitely memorable.� „

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

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Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Archbishop celebrates Mass for SSVP By Darren Boon The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP) organised a Mass to pray for its aid recipients or Friends-inneed (FINs). The concelebrated Mass with Archbishop Nicholas Chia as main celebrant was held on April 22 at Church of St Ignatius and attended by some 400 people comprising the society’s volunteers as well as FINs. Speaking to CatholicNews after the Mass, Mr Paul Foo, the president for the society’s National Council of Singapore, said that it is “rightâ€? to keep a day to pray = The date April 22 was chosen to mark the birthday of the society’s founder Blessed FrĂŠdĂŠric Ozanam Z 8 Paris in 1833, said Mr Foo. Blessed Ozanam’s birthday is on April 23, 1813. The Mass also encourages the ( = Â’ = their service and the needs of the = ? )) awareness within the congregation to pray for the poor, added Mr Foo. He said that such a Mass will be held next year. In his homily, Archbishop Chia exhorted the SSVP members to place the needs of those they serve before their own, to have

Archbishop Chia exhorted the SSVP members to place the needs of those they serve before their own

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their eyes and ears opened to the = / ) to them. He also encouraged the society’s members to be grateful to = q struments� for SSVP members to encounter Christ. He also encouraged members to work closely with one another

as “team spirit is important in apostolate�. Mr Joseph Ong, an SSVP member from the Church of St Michael said that it is “good� to meet other members. He sees this Mass as a form of encouragement for members as they come together in prayer and receive God’s blessings.

% = K Fpressed their joy that such a Mass had been organised for them. Madam Catherine William, a recipient from Church of St Francis of Assisi SSVP, said that she is happy to attend the Mass with Archbishop Chia present and to be treated to a small meal later. Madam Josephine De Cruz a

recipient from Church of the Risen Christ SSVP thanked God that the Mass had been organised. The Society of St Vincent de Paul was founded in Paris in 1833 by a group of young laymen. It is an organisation of lay people dedicated to providing “personal help to people in any kind of need�, according to the society’s website. It lists 51,000 SSVP conferences with 700,000 members in 142 countries. The SSVP in Singapore has 30 conferences and serves about 1,700 families or 3,000 people. About 15 5 = are Catholics, said Mr Foo. He said he hopes more Catholics of all ages can become members of the society. For more information on SSVP, go to http://www.ssvpsingapore.org/ „ darren.boon@catholic.org.sg

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Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Lasalle Brothers, postulants and old boys of Lasallian schools pose for a photo with Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli and Archbishop Nicholas Chia (both in centre of photo) before the April 20 celebration. Photo: LEE JOONMIN, 3E5, St Patrick’s School

Lasalle family marks 160 years of education

A memorable moment for SJI Junior students as they take a photo with President Tony Tan.

SJI Junior students share their experiences This year marks the 160th anniversary of the arrival of the La Salle Brothers to Singapore. The La Salle Brothers together with the La Salle Schools, their school management councils, partners and stakeholders celebrated this momentous occasion with a thanksgiving Mass at the SJI International Chapel. We were honoured to have the President of the Republic of Singapore and distinguished Lasallian, Dr Tony Tan, as our guest-of-honour. The ceremony opened with a processional march led by the bagpipe group of St Joseph’s Institution. Representatives from each of the Lasallian schools walked in = 8 ) ’ 8 We felt honoured and humbled to represent SJI Junior at this important occasion. We were and will always be proud to be part of this great Lasallian family. Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Nicholas Chia together with other priests, all of whom are Lasallians. Further importance was lent to the occasion by the

attendance of the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli. < ? 8 8 bread and wine, the very symbols ) K / ? by the two oldest Brothers of the La Salle Order. At the end of this reverent yet joyous celebration, the words of the hymn, We Are Lasallian, resounded in our hearts: We share a dream and sing with one voice I am, you are, we are Lasallian. We were fortunate to be present when the President presented tokens of appreciation to major donors. This was one of the most enriching experiences that we could ever have, as very few at our age get to meet the President of Singapore in person. The most memorable part was when the President very kindly accepted our invitation to take a photo with him. „ Contributied by: head prefect NEIL BHARGAVA (P6 Joseph), and deputy head prefects MARK LOH (P6 Joseph) and SHAUN HUE (P6 Patrick)

The Lasalle Brothers, present and past students of Lasallian schools, including President Tony Tan, celebrated 160 years of the Religious congregation’s education mission in Singapore on April 20. The highlight of the event, held at St. Joseph’s Institution International at Thomson Road, was a special Mass concelebrated by Archbishop Nicholas, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli and eight priests who are old boys of the schools. Franciscan Friar John-Paul Tan, in his homily, said that “Catholic education begins and ends with recognising the dignity and uniqueness of the human person�. He stressed that the celebration is not just about celebrating the past but also continuing the spirit of St John Baptist de La Salle – that Catholic education helps every child, “no matter of what creed or culture, to recognise in themselves their divine dignity and the call to be men and women for others�.

The evening’s celebration, which drew a crowd of about 300, saw Dr Tony Tan unveiling the plaque of the new SJI International Sports Complex, made possible through donors and supporters. He also presented tokens of gratitude to benefactors of St Jo-

The impetus that ‘ brought the Brothers [here] must continue to bring about a new vision and solutions to new challenges.

’

– Friar John-Paul Tan in his homily

seph’s Institution (Malcolm Road) and SJI International. The SJI Redevelopment Fund was also launched. The fund aims to upgrade the facilities of St Joseph’s Institution when it introduces a dual track programme comprising the Integrated Pro-

gramme (IP) and O Levels. In his welcome speech, Br Edmundo Fernandez, Provincial of the Lasallian East Asia District, thanked God for His loving kindness to the Lasallian family in Singapore and blessing Singapore with committed Brothers, dedicated teachers, students, faithful alumni and generous benefactors over the past 160 years. % F ; )) # arrived in Singapore from France and USA on March 29, 1852, as a result of relentless appeals by Paris Foreign Missions priest Fr Jean-Marie Beurel. Three remained in Singapore to start St Joseph’s Institution while the rest sailed to Penang to establish St Xavier’s Institution. In Singapore, there are now four Lasallian primary schools, two secondary schools, an international school, a college of higher education for the arts, and HopeHouse which offers a helping hand to young offenders. „

8 ASIA

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

CHURCH IN CHINA

Chinese bishops released by government on Easter UCANEWS.COM photo

HONG KONG – Two Chinese bish-

ops not recognised by the government were freed by authorities on Easter, Church sources told the Asian Church news agency UCA News. Coadjutor Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou, in eastern Zhejiang province, and Bishop Peter Jin Lugang of Nanyang, in central Henan province, were detained, respectively, for four weeks and four days. Bishop Jin was taken away in ) ) = ) )) 8 ) wanting to prevent him from celebrating the Chrism Mass, which symbolises a bishop’s communion with his clergy, and other Easter liturgies. The prelate was detained in a guesthouse and taken by four ) K ) before being released on April 8, UCA News reported on April 16. Bishop Shao was detained March 19. Local Church sources said his detention included a “brainwashing� class on the country’s religious policies. Sources told UCA News that Bishop Shao was detained because he participated in the secret episcopal ordination of the bishop of Tianshui last year. His participation was seen by

Coadjutor Bishop Peter Zhumin of Wenzhou.

Shao

8 K q ) Z — ) 6 election and self-ordination’ of bishops�, said the sources. They said Bishop Shao, 49, ? = 8 K cials to Leshan diocese, where he met the excommunicated Fr Paul Lei Shiyin, ordained as a bishop without a papal mandate last June. ` ; ) ? Bishop Shao some historic monuments, a church-run hospital, guesthouse and the construction site of the new bishop’s house. Fr Paul Jiang Sunian, chancellor of Wenzhou, who was detained with Bishop Shao, was released on March 24, UCA News reported. „ CNS

Nanchong diocese ordains bishop NANCHONG, CHINA – Bishop Jo-

seph Chen Gong’ao was ordained on April 19 as the bishop of Nanchong diocese and made a pledge to strengthen formation and promote new evangelisation. The 47-year-old prelate, the

= = dained this year, was approved by the pope and is recognised by the Chinese government. He told UCA News that his priority is to enhance the quality of priests, seminarians and nuns so that “the diocese’s evangelistic work would be developed in a more systematic manner�. Bishop Chen added that he would organise more training for lay people, especially catechists. Citing the coming 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Chen said he hoped to open up new avenues for evangelisation by bringing priests and lay catechists to spread Catholic teachings that were integrated with Nanchong’s local culture. Also a priority for the new bishop is the construction of a new cathedral to replace the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral. Bishop Chen is the fourth = > 8/ K

UCANEWS.COM photo

Bishop Joseph Chen Gong’ao of Nanchong (kneeling) is ordained at Sacred Heart of Jesus cathedral.

dioceses in southwestern Sichuan province. Born in 1964, he graduated from the Sichuan Catholic Seminary in 1988 and was ordained a priest two years later. He has presided over diocesan affairs since 2005 and became the seminary’s rector in 2008. Nanchong diocese serves about 86,000 Catholics. There had been no bishop since the death of Bishop Michael Huang Woze in 2004. „ UCANEWS.COM

ASIA 9

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Catholics and Pacquiao starts Protestants now training ‘spiritually’ speak with one voice CNS photo

DHAKA, BANGLADESH – The re-

lationship between Catholics and Protestants in Bangladesh has tra )) = $) The Catholic Church has been perceived as taking a superior attitude to Protestants, while some Protestant branches even threatened their members with punishment if ? ) But over the last decade, leaders and members of both comminities have been putting aside their old differences and forming a K The shift began when Christians started making a concerted, grassroots effort to hold interChurch programmes and seminars ) 8 < 8 ) 8 ? the United Forum of Churches in # 8) "˜` #& ? UFCB comprises three nationwide organisations – the Catholic # Z / > ) ) > ) ` )) ? The Catholic Bishops’ Dhaka headquarters was the venue for the

8 8 ) @ ) q ™ z/ the half day programme was attended by 62 participants including an archbishop, two bishops, four priests 8 ( q< ? K ? $ from different standpoints with = /z = Patrick D’Rozario, the UFCB q# ? ? ? )) K

Nuns offer prayers in Bangladesh.

< ? )) only improve our relationship but also enable us to speak up for our rights to the government with one K z ˜` # › K ; ( Sarkar, of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Fellowship, said the Churches were already working to8 = $ q™ 8 8 over attacks on religious minori /z q™ ) ? $ 8 8 to claim Easter Sunday as a public holiday and to have the Christian ™ ? )) be meeting the Prime Minister twice a year to voice the interests # 8) z Christians in Muslim-major # 8) percent in a population of 160

)) ) ) 8est Christian group with about ' / = „ UCANEWS.COM

Lao Catholics mark traditional New Year SAVANNAKHET, LAOS – Catholics

) # ; ) = 8 ) > ? Year festival is an important way 8 ) % # > ? ] val, Songkran or Bunpimay (water-throwing) as it is known local) / $ ) K ) 6 ' % / 6; ) / $ wife and two daughters to the Sacred Heart Church in Savannakhet on Sunday morning, where they and another 50 Catholics attended ) $ K ) q™ { tion’s peace and prosperity and to =) ? $ > ? ] /z % During the Mass, celebrants ) ) ? q; ) ) )) = lieve water will bring happiness and good health and wash away the sins /z % % / \š/ ? $ cookers for a living at a local market, said later that afternoon he and his family also attended wa 6 8 ) ) )

After that they paid a visit to ? Z q™ $ ) ? $ their hands to show our respect % ? ? on their hands wishing them both ) ) 8 ) /z He said his wife converted to ) ) q` )) ? 8 ) K ) an effective way to live in harmony ? ) /z % ; $ ^ 8 Thakhek Church visited a Marian 8 8 K ) a garland of orchids on the Marian statue and prayed for her family’s Catholics offered sticky rice and branches decorated with banknotes to priests and Religious ? Fr Phonethep, a priest of Seno parish, said they bring sticky rice =) Then they take it home and treat 8 8 K ) q< K ) ) $ K ™ respect each other’s beliefs and live /z „ UCANEWS.COM

He has vowed to give a biblical quote tion and politician, Mr every time he talks to Manny Pacquiao, said { Quoting Matthew on his side as he started 7:26, Mr Pacquiao high altitude training q# K on April 18 in preparaone who hears these tion for a June world words of mine and ) 8 ; 8 does not put them % 8 6 into practice is like a time world champion Boxer Manny Pacquiao. foolish man who built has become an unof z

) q# =) = z He said that with sport and ) 8 K { { ? )) ? = $ q ) ) K 8z ˆ ) ) q> 8 8 < Mr Pacquiao also sits as a repam still focused on my training, resentative of his province in the ) 8 < = < ( ) 8 K { ? /z ( ˆ The Filipino champion is pre ) ˜ > ? paring for a June 9 world-title He was supposed to start his 8 8 % # ) training camp on April 16 but stayed { { ; 8 / ) q# =) ) z > K „ UCANEWS.COM

BAGUIO CITY, PHILIPPINES – Boxing sensa-

10 ASIA

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

More than 22,000 Easter baptisms in China

Religious representatives at the ceremony in Johor Bahru: (from left) Mr Gianni Paramjit Singh (Sikhism), Mr Manikam Kuppusamy (Hinduism), Bishop Paul Tan (Catholicism), Dr Sarjit Singh (Sikhism) and Daozhang Wong Cook Hong 78

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CNS photo

SHIJIAZHUANG, CHINA – Ac-

cording to statistics that the Study Centre of Faith in Hebei province collected up to April 19, 22,104 baptisms were administered during Easter 2012 in mainland China. Despite this result, “the community is fully aware of the need for further work of evangelization�, said the head of the study centre, according to a report by Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The newly-baptised Catholics, 75 per cent of whom are adults, belong to 101 dioceses. In Hebei itself 4,410 people were baptised on Easter Day, 615 more than last year. Fides quoted the head of the study centre as saying that not all dioceses celebrate all

Photo: Francis Gopal

Interfaith ceremony remembers AIDS victims By Vincent D’Silva

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their baptisms at Easter. For example, in Shanghai

there were 379 Easter baptisms = ) 8 ) F 1,500 by the end of the year. According to Sr Li Guo Shuang from the study centre, “there are still some dioceses or communities which, due to commu ) / K reported data to us. So we must 8 complete, they may still increase�. „ VIS, FIDES

The newly-baptised Catholics come from 101 dioceses.

JOHOR BAHRU – Representatives of various religions gathered at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Johor Bahru to remember those who had died from HIV/AIDS. The April 22 memorial ceremony was organised by the Catholic Aids Ministry (CAM). Attendees included representatives of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) and a number of Religious and laity. Good Shepherd Sr Mercy Daniel, CAM spiritual advisor,

called on all to pray for those who have died of AIDS, and their family members. “In my experience of journeying with persons living with HIV/ AIDS ... what kills them is not so much the virus as the stigma and discrimination not only from society but more so from members of their own family,� she said. The nun urged everyone to show support for these people as this would help them in their struggle to cope with their condition. Religious representatives also prayed prayers in Tamil, Punjabi, Mandarin and English during the candelit ceremony. „

WORLD 11

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

US Catholics urged to resist unjust laws WASHINGTON – American Catholics must resist unjust laws “as a duty of citizenship and an obligation of faith,� a committee of the US bishops said in a statement on religious liberty. The 12-page statement by the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty also calls for “a fortnight for freedom� from June 21, the vigil of the feasts of St John Fisher and St Thomas More, to July 4, US Independence Day. “This special period of prayer, study, catechesis and public action would emphasise both our Christian and American heritage of liberty,� the committee said. “Dioceses and parishes around the country could choose a date in that period for special events that would constitute a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty.� The document was made public on April 12. It comes in the wake of a controversial government health insurance mandate that the committee cited as a “concrete� example of recent threats to religious liberty. The Department of Health and Human Services had mandated that most health plans must include contraception, sterilisation and some abortion-inducing drugs free of charge, even if the employer is morally opposed to such services. The committee statement says this amounts “to an unjust law�. The mandate includes a religious exemption, but leaders of Catholic and other faith-based organisations say it is too narrow

Nuns walk in a procession following a special Mass and prayers for the protection of religious liberty in Chicago, USA. CNS photo

Nuns walk in a procession following a special Mass and prayers for the protection of religious liberty in Chicago, USA. CNS photo

‘An unjust law cannot be obeyed.’ – Statement from a US bishops’ committee

and they will still be forced to provide coverage they oppose. Among other examples of “religious liberty under attack� the bishops named: Government actions in Boston, San Francisco, the District of Columbia and the state of Illinois that have “driven local Catholic charities out of the business of providing adoption or foster care services� because the agencies would not place children with same-sex or unmarried heterosexual couples. Changes in federal contracts $ 8 8 quire Catholic agencies “to refer for

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contraceptive and abortion services in violation of Catholic teaching�. Discrimination against Christian students on college campuses. “An unjust law cannot be = /z = Z said. “If we face today the prospect of unjust laws, then Catholics in America, in solidarity with our fellow citizens, must have the courage not to obey them,� it added. “No American desires this. No Catholic welcomes it. But if it should fall upon us, we must discharge it as a duty of citizenship and an obligation of faith.� „ CNS

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US religious freedom debate a warning for Europe, says cardinal VATICAN CITY – The current US debate over religious freedom should inspire Catholics in Europe to seek greater legal protection of their right to conscientious objection, says a retired Vatican cardinal. Believers and institutions must have a legal right to invoke conscientious objection when faced with “legislative norms that, because of their moral implications, are in ’ ? ) )) = Z ) 8 ties�, said Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, former president of the commission governing Vatican City State. The cardinal made his remarks in a speech on April 17 at the law school of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy. Large sections of his speech ? =) = ;Z* K Romano, the Vatican newspaper. Governments must always guar-

antee “the freedom of the Church and its institutions to live and act in conformity with its religious convictions and, at the same time, the freedom of individuals to live and act in conformity with the dictates of their consciences�, the cardinal said. He explained to his audience that his remarks were prompted “most of all by the recent experience in the United States, a country which through the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights was founded precisely on religious freedom�. Cardinal Lajolo said recent US laws and norms on abortion and on not discriminating against same-sex couples when arranging adoptions “place serious problems of conscience before Catholic institutions and Catholic citizens�. He said the recent federal gov Z K that health insurance must cover

included “the costs of abortion�. In fact, the Health and Human Service mandate would require that most health insurance plans cover the cost of contraception, sterilisation and some drugs that can induce abortion. Cardinal Lajolo said Europeans should not pretend that a similar situation could not develop on the continent. He asked for an “articulated elaboration� of the right of conscientious objection and said legislators must work to include conscience clauses in new laws ) ) ’ The Catholic Church “does not intend to impose� its moral teaching on society, he said, but it does expect that its moral principles be taken into consideration and that the rights of Catholic institutions and individuals to follow Church teaching be guaranteed. „ CNS

Special Vatican widget VATICAN CITY – The Vatican is

offering a special software application that will allow anyone with a website or blog to provide readers with automatically updated news and documents from the Vatican. % Z < * announced on April 19 that the application, called a “widget� (right), is available free from the Z ? = / ??? K va, or widgets@vatican.va. It is to mark the seventh anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict XVI. When installed, the widget opens a small rectangular window with four tabs. Clicking on one provides the latest news / Z day Angelus or “Regina Coeli� address, recent speeches and the Z ) ? bulletin. The Vatican said the widget

should help make the contents of its website more widely known and is another opportunity to use new technology “to spread the word of the Holy Father�. „ CNS

12 WORLD

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

‘Pope not pushing for return to pre-Vatican II’ ... says a book written by a cardinal and launched on the pontiff’s 85th birthday VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict

XVI does not want to undo the reforms of the Second Vatican Council but is working to ensure “the foundation and heart of the Christian faith shines again�, says Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch in a book released for the seventh anniversary of the pope’s election. Bishops, theologians and concerned Catholics are obliged to help the faithful understand the theology and teaching of the pope, Cardinal Koch wrote in the book that was presented in Rome on April 16, Pope Benedict’s 85th birthday and just three days before the anniversary of his election as pope. Cardinal Koch, president of ( ) ) ( ing Christian Unity, said the two most common misunderstandings are that the pope is concerned only about a small, active portion of the Catholic faithful, and that he wants to take the Church back to pre-Vatican II times. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the pope had spoken on several occasions about his belief that the Catholic Church would get smaller and smaller, but that eventually the world would discover the hope and joy present in the small community of true believers and be attracted again to the Christian faith. “A widespread criticism holds that the pope is not concerned�

Children dressed in the traditional Bavarian garb greet Pope Benedict XVI, a native of Bavaria, during his birthday celebrations at the Vatican. CNS photo

Pope Benedict absolutely does not want to ‘turn back, but to go deeper ... what matters is that the foundation and the heart of the Christian faith shine forth again.

’

– Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch in his book, The Mystery of the Mustard Seed

about the Church as a whole but is focused on a small portion of his ’ $ q ? z/ Cardinal Koch wrote in his book, The Mystery of the Mustard Seed: Foundations of the Thought of Benedict XVI. “The only thing that is true in this criticism is that, in reality, the

pope is convinced that the true renewal of the Church cannot begin with the masses, but only with small movements� inspired by the Holy Spirit and acting as leaven for the rest of the Church, the cardinal said. “Another deeper and frequently repeated criticism holds that Pope Benedict XVI has begun a march backward and wants to return to a time before Vatican II,� he wrote. “Pope Benedict absolutely does not want to turn back, but to go deeper just like the mustard seed that grows only from the depths of the earth. The individual reforms don’t matter to the pope, what matters is that the foundation and the heart of the Christian faith shine forth again�, which requires a return to basics about love, faith and truth, the cardinal wrote. He argues that the core of the pope’s thinking and teaching rests in his conviction that great things always begin with small steps, and that from the moment of creation God has chosen something 8) )) 8 to demonstrate His love and carry out the work of salvation. “I think it is part of the responsibility of a local bishop to help ) confusion of points of view and the clang of media information, purposeful disinformation and manipulated bias� in public comments and writings about Pope Benedict, Cardinal Koch said. „ CNS

WORLD 13

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Vesak Day message stresses guidance of youth Buddhist monks at prayer. The Vatican has released a message to all Buddhists for Vesak Day.

VATICAN CITY – If the openness,

questioning and hopes of young people are encouraged and guided, they become a stimulus for the building of a better world marked by dialogue and acceptance, a ) ) # “Young people are an asset for all societies,� said Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of ( ) ) < ligious Dialogue, in a message for $ + % # K )

$ K ) # In the message released on April 3, Cardinal Tauran said that as students around the world increasingly K ) ? = ) ? / ) K a responsibility to guide the young Â’ 8 ? = ) / learning about the beliefs and religious practices of others and grow 8 Education helps young people q K 8 =) human beings and to be ready to join hands with those of other re) 8 )K Â’ promote friendship, justice, peace K ) /z ) # 8 ) Z ) Z / Â’ 8

) ) 8 ? K ? ))/ q% 8 answer to the most fundamental questions about life and death, justice and peace, the meaning of suffering and the reasons for /z q# / = ) ers of the future, they put pressure on us to destroy all the walls which, unfortunately, still sepa /z ) ? ) K = ) / said, to “guide young people by our example and teaching to become Y z Vesak Day is celebrated in dif The celebration is held in Japan on April 8 while in Thailand, it is ) ! \ In Singapore, Vesak Day is ) = ' „ The full Vatican message is at: http:// www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/ rc_pc_interelg_doc_20120403_vesakh-2012_en.html

14 LETTERS/OPINION

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

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Speculation as pope grows older

Pope Benedict XVI is now the sixth oldest pope in recorded history

By Francis X Rocca POPE BENEDICT XVI’s 85th birthday, April 16, and the seventh anniversary of his election, April 19, are occasions for wishing the ? )) ’ 8 events of his reign thus far. These milestones, however, also prompt speculation about ? ) = Kers refer to diplomatically as “papal transition.� Pope Benedict, after all, is already the sixth-oldest pope since the 1400s, when records became available. It has been almost two years since he told a German interviewer, “My forces are diminishing� and that, when it comes to public appearances, “I wonder whether I can make it even from a purely physical point of view.� Last year, the pope stopped walking in processions up the main aisle of St Peter’s and started riding a mobile platform instead; in March, it was revealed that he sometimes walks with a cane. His schedule grew lighter last year, as he stopped meeting one-on-one with most visiting bishops. During this year’s Holy Week liturgies, TV viewers could see unmistakable signs of fatigue on his face. While none of this suggests that the pope does not have years of life ahead of him, some commentators have asked if he might be getting ready to step down. Pope Benedict himself said a pope might have an “obligation to resign� once he “is no longer physically, psychologically, and

spiritually capable of handling the z However, the evidence for this is less persuasive when seen in context. Consider, for exam ) / =) ? pope walking with a cane as he was about to board a plane for a \6 ’ 8 F / stop on a six-day trip that also took him to Cuba. Less than 78 hours after returning from Havana to Rome, he was offering Palm Sunday Mass in St ( Z ˆ / ) = tion in his busiest week of the liturgical year.

Some commentators have asked if the pope might be getting ready to step down. No observer can deny that Pope Benedict is unusually robust for his age. He is reportedly at work on the third volume of his bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series and is presumed to be writing at least one encyclical: on the theological virtue of faith, to follow his works on charity (Deus Caritas Est) and hope (Spe Salvi). The pope will travel to Lebanon this September, and the Vatican has done nothing to discourage the widespread assumption that he will follow established papal precedent by attending World

Youth Day celebrations next summer in Rio de Janeiro. As the pope told former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, also 85, at a meeting in Havana in March: “Yes, I’m old, but I can still carry out my duties.� The pope’s vitality is striking when compared with his predecessor’s. The current pontiff is already older than Blessed John Paul II was when he died in 2005 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease and other ailments. The contrast is especially sig ? Blessed John Paul seriously considered resigning on at least two occasions, his 75th and 80th birthdays. The postulator for his canonisation, Msgr Slawomir Oder, wrote that Blessed John Paul sought the guidance of experts on this, “consulting in particular then-Cardinal [Joseph] Ratzinger,� now Pope Benedict. #) ! ( ) )) decided that it was, in his own words, his “duty to continue to carry out the job for which Christ the Lord has called me, as long as He, in the mysterious designs of His providence, will want�. Pope Benedict is clearly inspired by this. Concluding his homily at Blessed John Paul’s = ) / ( Benedict paid a tribute to his predecessor’s “witness in suffering�. “The Lord gradually stripped him of everything,� Pope Benedict recalled, “yet he remained ever a ‘rock,’ as Christ desired.� „ CNS

Ten major faith struggles SOMETIMES the simple act of naming something can be immensely helpful. Before we can put a name on something we stand more helpless before its effects, not really knowing what’s happening to us. Many of us, for example, are familiar with the book, The Future Church: How Ten Trends are Revolutionising the Catholic Church, by John Allen. The things he names in this book, even when they don’t affect us directly, still help shape us for the better. As a journalist who travels the world as the Vatican analyst for both CNN television and the National Catholic Reporter, Allen is able to provide us with a wider, global perspective on Church issues than is generally afforded to those of us whose vision is more emotionally mired in our own local and national issues. Heartaches at home can make us blind to the wider concerns of the ) � Y 8 our own concerns and pain into a healthier perspective. Allen’s global frame of reference, as outlined in the mega-trends he names in his book, helps us keep our own ecclesial concerns in a healthier perspective. So here is my own attempt to name some things: Several years ago in an interview, Allen asked me to draw up a list of what I considered to be the 10 major faith and Church struggles of our time. I took this as a healthy challenge and the list that follows, no doubt less global in perspective than Allen’s 10 trends (My vision, I fear, speaks more for Western and secularised cultures than for the world at large), is my own attempt to name the key faith and ecclesial struggles we deal with today. 1. The struggle with the atheism of our everyday consciousness, that is, the struggle to have a vital sense of God within a secular culture which, for good and for bad, is the most powerful narcotic ever perpetrated on this planet ... the struggle to be conscious of God outside of Church and explicit religious activity. 2. The struggle to live in torn, divided and highly-polarised communities, as wounded persons ourselves, and carry that tension without resentment and without giving it back in kind ... the struggle inside of our own wounded selves to be healers and peace-makers rather than ourselves contributing to the tension. 3. The struggle to live, love, and forgive beyond the infectious ideologies that we daily inhale, that is, the struggle for true sincerity, to genuinely know and follow our own hearts and minds beyond what is prescribed to us by the right and the left ... the struggle to be neither liberal or conservative but rather men and women of true compassion. 4. The struggle to carry our sexuality without undue frigidity and without irresponsibility, the struggle for a healthy sexuality that can both properly revere and properly delight in this great power ... the struggle to carry our sexuality in such a way so as to radiate both chastity and passion. 5. The struggle for interiority and prayer inside of a culture that in its thirst for information and distraction constitutes a virtual conspiracy against depth and solitude, the eclipse of silence in our world ... the struggle to move our eyes beyond our digital screens towards a deeper horizon. 6. The struggle to deal healthily with “the dragon� of personal grandiosity, ambition, and pathological restlessness, inside of a culture that daily over-stimulates them, the struggle to healthily cope with both Y 88) ) K 6 ) K = )) ) = ) = ? ’ 7. The struggle to not be motivated by paranoia, fear, narrowness, and over-protectionism in the face of terrorism and overpowering complexity ... the struggle to not let our need for clarity and security trump compassion and truth. 8. The struggle with moral loneliness inside a religious, cultural, ) ) ) 88) ) ? us inside our moral centre. 9. The struggle to link faith to justice ... the struggle to get a letter of reference from the poor, to institutionally connect the Gospel to the streets, to remain on the side of the poor. 10. The struggle for community and Church, the struggle inside a ) F K K ) ) ) = ? viduality and community, spirituality and ecclesiology ... the struggle as adult children of the Enlightenment to be both mature and committed, spiritual and ecclesial. What’s the value in a list of this sort? It’s important to name things and to name them properly; although, admittedly, simply naming a disease doesn’t of itself bring about a cure. However, as the late American psychologist James Hillman used to quip, a symptom suffers most when it doesn’t know where it belongs. „

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Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Dear Brothers and Sisters, The 49th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 29, 2012, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, prompts us to meditate on the theme: Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God. The source of every perfect gift is God who is Love – Deus caritas est: “Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in himâ€? (1 Jn 4:16). Sacred Scripture tells the story of this original bond between God and man, which precedes creation itself. Writing to the Christians of the city of Ephesus, Saint Paul raises a hymn of gratitude and ` ? / ? = nevolence, in the course of the centuries accomplishes his universal plan of salvation, which is a plan of love. In his Son Jesus – Paul states – “he chose us, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him in loveâ€? (Eph 1:4). We are loved by God even “beforeâ€? we come into existence! Moved solely by his unconditional love, he created us “not ‌ out of existing thingsâ€? (cf. 2 Macc 7:28), to bring us into full communion with Him. In great wonderment before the work of God’s providence, the Psalmist exclaims: “When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you arranged, what is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him?â€? (Ps 8:3-4). The profound truth of our existence is thus contained in this surprising mystery: every creature, and in par-

ticular every human person, is the fruit of God’s thought and an act of his love, a love that is boundless, faithful and everlasting (cf. Jer 31:3). The discovery of this reality is what truly and profoundly changes our lives. In a famous page of the Confessions, St Augustine expresses with great force his discovery of God, supreme beauty and supreme love, a God who was always close to him, and to whom he at last opened his mind and heart to be transformed: “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You ’ / / )) blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.� (X, 27.38). With these images, the Saint of Hippo seeks to describe the ineffable mystery of his encounter with God, with God’s love that transforms all of life. It is a love that is limitless and that precedes us, sustains us and calls us along the path of life, a love rooted in an absolutely free gift of God. Speaking particularly of the ministerial priesthood, my predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, stated

that “every ministerial action – while it leads to loving and serving the Church – provides an incentive to grow in ever greater love and service of Jesus Christ the head, shepherd and spouse of the Church, a love which is always a response to the free and unsolicited love of God in Christ� (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 5'& @K K = the initiative of God; it is a gift of the Love {  _ * ? $ q step�, and not because he has found something good in us, but because of the presence of his own love “poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit� (Rom 5:5). In every age, the source of the divine call = K love of God, who reveals himself fully in ! < ? @ ) cal, Deus Caritas Est, “God is indeed visible in a number of ways. In the love-story recounted by the Bible, he comes towards us, he seeks to win our hearts, all the way to the Last Supper, to the piercing of his heart on the Cross, to his appearances after the Resurrection and to the great deeds by which, through the activity of the Apostles, he guided the nascent Church along its path. Nor has the Lord been absent from subsequent Church history: he encounters us ever ?/ ? ? ’

his presence, in his word, in the sacraments, and especially in the Eucharist� (No. 17). The love of God is everlasting; he is faithful to himself, to the “word that he commanded for a thousand generations� (Ps 105:8). Yet the appealing beauty of this divine love, which precedes and accompanies us, needs to be proclaimed ever anew, especially to younger generations. This divine love is the hidden impulse, the motivation which never fails, even in the most ) Dear brothers and sisters, we need to open our lives to this love. It is to the perfection of the Father’s love (cf. Mt 5:48) that Jesus Christ calls us every day! The high standard of the Christian life consists in loving “as� God loves; with a love that is shown in the total, faithful and fruitful gift of self. St John of the Cross, writing to the Prioress of the Monastery of Segovia who was pained by the terrible circumstances surrounding his suspension, responded by urging her to act as God does: “Think nothing else but that God ordains all, and where there is no love, put love, and there you will draw out love� (Letters, 26). It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and as the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow. By drawing from this wellspring through prayer, constant recourse to God’s word and to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, it becomes possible to live a life of love for our neighbours, in whom we come to perceive the face „ Continued on page 17

16

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Sunday May 6, 2012 CatholicNews

VOCATIONS 17

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

„ From page 15 of Christ the Lord (cf. Mt 25:3146). To express the inseparable bond that links these “two loves� – love of God and love of neigh= = ? ’ ? K / Pope Saint Gregory the Great uses ) 8 q< ) { ) ) K � / ) $ ) / ) K z " ) ; = / K F ; = # ! =/ ; = <</ 5\/ 57� (; š'/ š7 +& These two expressions of the K ) K = ) K ? a particular intensity and purity of heart by those who have decided to set out on the path of vocation ? rial priesthood and the consecrat ) � 8 8

$ ; K { / ? and consecrated persons are called / ? K ) / K ? 8 Lord’s call to special consecration through priestly ordination or the profession of the evangeli ) ) ( Z K ) + K q] / ; / $ ? < ) K z "! 5 '& ) )) 8 K ) K / thus one which is deeply joyful. The other practical expression ) K / ? 8 = / )) ? 8 / K ) ) priest and the consecrated person = = )

= tween people and a sower of hope. The relationship of consecrated / )) /

K ) = ) K The CurĂŠ of Ars was fond of saying: “Priests are not priests for )K / = z "; Z ÂĄ ¢ / ` K / ÂŁ / & + = = / / /

? / / toral workers and all of you who 8 8 ) 8 8 ) < K ) exhort you to pay close attention =

/ ) ) K ? )) to the priesthood or to a special < the Church to create the condi ? )) 8 people to say “yes� in generous response to God’s loving call. The task of fostering vocations will be to provide helpful guidance and direction along the way. Central to this should be love of God’s word nourished by 8 ? 8 ) ? / K 8 / = )

Â? ? )) $

=) { Z )) )) K ) ) # = K ))/ @ ) = the heart of every vocational journey: it is here that the love of God Z / F ) K / it is here that we learn ever anew how to live according to the “high standard� of God’s love. Scrip / @ the precious treasure enabling us to grasp the beauty of a life spent )) K ^ 8 < ) cal Churches and all the various 8 ? / ? )) = places where vocations are carefully discerned and their authen / ) ? 8

? ? 8 ) < ? /

) = the Love of God in which every calling is contained. As a response ?

! / eloquent and particular realiza ) / ? love is an expression of the love ? 8 K ) " @ ' 5& ™

It is my hope the ‘local Churches will be places where young people are offered wise spiritual direction.

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) ) K z "{ / \7&/ young people can have a wonderful experience of this self-giving ) K < / ) ) K ) 8 ) Â? ) = q Fcellent seed-bed of vocations to a life of consecration to the King { z "` ) / ' &/ = ) 8 = / ) ? ) / = the priesthood and the consecrated life. May pastors and all the lay faithful always cooperate so q )

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) ) / )) _ ) ` ) > ¤ / Â’ ) _ ) % ™ ) / < )) ) #) 8 )) = = / / / ) 8

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? ? K listen with a docile heart to God’s voice and are ready to respond generously and faithfully. #@>@+< %˜ (( ‚ <

18

VOCATIONS

Sunday May 6, 2012 CatholicNews

VOCATIONS 19

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

God’s call is for everyone, not just a select few, says Fr Paul Boudreau I WAS just turning off this cell phone so that we won’t be interrupted by any calls. You never know when these things are going to go off. I hear them ringing in church all the time. I guess somebody’s always trying to get hold of you. Like at home, when the phone rings, I always think it’s going to be somebody I know. But it’s almost always a telemarketer, more interested in my credit card number than in me. They call constantly, don’t they? And it seems they’ve always got some kind of great deal for me. But you know? There’s someone else calling all the time too, someone who is totally interested in me, who knows my name by heart, and who’s got the best deal of all.

God is the great and constant caller, inviting you, me, and all of $ K 8 offer. Somewhere deep within our souls, the phone is ringing and we need to stop what we’re doing to answer it! It is the Lord calling us ) ) Y � F the very reason we were born. When I was a kid growing up in a US city, I learned about God from a little green book called The Baltimore Catechism. In it were hundreds of questions and answers that we kids had to memorise, or face the wrath of Sr Faleeta, our catechism teacher. To this day I still remember some of them, like question num= F q™ { $ ¼z

? / q{ to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in Heav z ` ) ? ) =  So, if that’s the reason I was made, then everything in me is = ) )) = ence of God, the love of God, and the service of God in this world. That desire for happiness, which we all have in us, is created to be a living part of who we are, and = ) )) )) by the one who made us. Like the smell of fresh bread coming from the oven, the attraction to God is a call that’s hard to q] K ) / * ; /z 8 ? / q ) )) z God’s call is for everyone, but we often think that it may be for some and not for others. We clergy sometimes hijack the whole idea of a divine calling, appropriating it as our own, making ordained

› ) 8 ) Fclusive purpose of God’s call. > ?/ <Z)) = )) you that professional ministry is a ? )/ F 8 8 occupation. But there are as many ) )) 8 K people in the world. The prophet Isaiah wrote that God’s word is like rain falling from $ < )) ) $ % 8 )

God has a mission for your life. It may be a call to ministry, or to retirement; to marriage, or to corporate leadership; to be a good salesperson, or a good listener. Your television may have a hundred channels, but God broadcasts over = ) / there’s a station just right for you. q` ) 8 ; /z ( ) š \/ q _ ? )) 8 K z I like to think of God’s call in my ) q% ( ) )z Also, because many of the stories in the Bible about God’s call involve the great heroes of salvation – people like Abraham, Moses, Peter and Mary – we sometimes think that a personal call from God is a little beyond us. We imagine a kind of Cecil B

+ )) F K 8 ¤ ? by John Williams, a cast of thousands, and someone who looks a lot like Charlton Heston. But Scripture reveals a somewhat different reality. Abraham and Sarah were childless and really old. But God called them to be the parents of a great nation with descendants as numerous q ) ÂĽz = $ ) { š š/ q / ? ÂŁ / K = = ÂĽz They both thought it was pretty funny and ended up naming their < / ? q) 8 z „ Continued on page 20

20 VOCATIONS

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

„ From page 19 Moses had a speech impediment and was on the run from Egypt where he was wanted for murder. But God called him to return to Egypt, confront Pharaoh no less, and demand the release of his enslaved kinsmen. % ) ( ? man, but in all the Gospel stories K ) 8) ? out divine intervention. When he

)) 8 ?/ ? ered a miracle! And forget about his nautical skills. Count the number of times his boat nearly sank. But the Lord called him to be “a

z great, global ship: the Church. St Paul says that God calls the foolish of the world, the weak, the lowly and the despised, so that no one can claim greatness before God. “For the foolishness of God ? ? /z says in 1 Corinthians 1:25, “and

encing the death of their spouses ) K / self encountering their grief more and more. She says that this has helped her to realise that her real purpose on Earth is simply to be there for others and to listen to their heartache. Your soul phone is ringing right now! God has a mission, a purpose for your life. It may be a call to ministry, or to retirement; to marriage, or to corporate leadership; to be a good salesperson, or a good listener, or a good homemaker, or a good skateboarder. You may be called at any time to give in to another or let go of a grudge, to offer a helping hand or accept someone else’s help. God’s call may be to public service, or to basketball; to be a cook, or a musician, or a bus driver; to offer a comforting word to a harried check-out clerk, or to surrender a spot on the highway to another driver, or to give away a well-earned day’s pay to a poor family in need.

- + * @ $ a great, global ship: the Church.

the weakness of God is stronger 8 z When God needed someone to be the mother of Jesus, the logical choice would’ve been a woman with lots of experience and a proven track record of good parenting. Instead he called Mary, who was young and lowly and without a husband. She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and became a virgin mother. So God’s call is not just for the great, but reaches down into the lowliness of all humanity, into the humble lives of ordinary people who do ordinary things and don’t imagine they’re of much importance at all in the plan of God. I got an email the other day from a friend. Although she raised

K ) ? 8 6 grandmother, she’s always felt that a true vocation in service to God had eluded her. But now, as she grows older, many of her friends are experi-

Perhaps God is calling you right now to share a moment of blessed communion with the Lord, who is as near to you as your own body. The Lord doesn’t have to look up your number or mine in some celestial phonebook to give us a call. He’s got each one of us on His speed dial and He’s punching that button all the time. The call of God comes into every life, every moment of every day. God works through His creation, through history and future and now, to always invite us to a closer walk, a deeper experience of His in ) K / =) satisfying act of goodness in God’s name. “I came that you might have ) /z ! ! / q K )) z „ Fr Paul Boudreau is from the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, USA. He is a well-known preacher who conducts retreats throughout the US and writes for many magazines and journals.

VOCATIONS 21

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

You need look no further than Scripture, the Church and your own personal history, says Fr Paul Boudreau ONE of these days, they’re going to develop a technology that will answer the question, “What is God’s will for me?� Wouldn’t that be great? Imagine your cell phone going off and there’s “Will of God� in the caller ID window. Or maybe a text message or an IM. Isn’t there a blog or chat room somewhere called “God’s Will�? ? ? )) { K on YouTube? God knows we’re looking everywhere. Finding the will of God is really important for those of us who love the Lord and want to live our lives according to His purpose for us. “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother� (Mark 3:35). That’s the people we want to be. But without an email from “jchrist@willofgodforme.div� we’re left to our own devices. Looking over our resources, how-

K / ? 8 ) ? )) help us. We have the Bible, the Word of God that “was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope�(Romans 15:4). We have the teaching of the Church, the tradition of wisdom handed down through the ages that tells us, “By prayer we can discern ‘what is the will of God’ and obtain the endurance to do it� (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2826). And we have our own personal history that we can look back on and see the will of God being done in our lives. Now, can you beat that?

St Paul wrote that God ‘has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He set forth in Christ’.

God’s will in the Bible St Paul writes in Ephesians 1:9

that God “has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He set forth in Christ�. In other words, we already know the will of God. It is spoken somewhere deep within us, in the hidden part of our hearts where God is known and encountered. It is where God’s love is generated in us, in our strongest desires, where we go in prayer, where we know what is good and right for us. When I was a young man, I

wanted so badly to serve God in my life. But I really didn’t know how. I remember spending hours in prayer, yearning for God, wanting so much to know God’s will for me. I begged and pleaded with God to show me the way. All I got was silence. I didn’t know at the time that silence was the voice of God speaking more deeply in me than my ears could hear. I wanted billboards saying, “Walk this way,� but instead I got subtle urgings. An opportunity

arose here, a door opened there, something I read interested me, a conversation with a friend piqued my curiosity. Little by little I was encouraged in small ways to become what God was calling me to be. The results often surprised me and sometimes alarmed me, but )? < ? ) )) by where God was leading me. God’s will in the Church When we invest ourselves fully in the life of the Church, through prayer, through studying the Bible, through participating in devotions, and especially through the celebration of the Eucharist, we are constantly being formed in the will of God through faith. But faith isn’t enough, for “faith apart from works is barren� (James 2:20). We need to practise our faith. When I was searching for my vocation in Christ, I didn’t belong to a church. I read the Bible and thought a lot about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but I really didn’t have a community of faith. Nor did I practice my faith in worship. I felt a little adrift and couldn’t quite get my mind on a clear direction. But when I started going back to church, the vision of my life began to clarify. “‘If any one is a worshipper of God and does His will, God listens to him.’ Such is the power „ Continued on page 23

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VOCATIONS

Sunday May 6, 2012 CatholicNews

VOCATIONS 23

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

„ From page 21

Looking back on our lives, it’s not hard to see God working through everything we experience.

Church’s prayer in the name of her Lord, above all in the Eucharist� (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2827). God’s will in our lives It really is a challenge to see God’s will for our future. But looking back on our lives, it’s not hard to see God working through everything we experience. We think sometimes that God only sticks around for the good things we do, and the evidence of God’s blessing is our success. But that’s not true. God is always with us, through the crooked ways and the straight, the successes and the failures. St Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12 about the burden of his human weaknesses, and then concludes that he is content with his weakness for the sake of Christ, because “whenever I am weak, then I am strong�. It is Christ who bears the cross of our human weaknesses, suffering and dying for our sins. Yet He rises again to continue the journey with us. So that now “all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose� (Romans 8:28).

Being a priest is my second / sion for 10 years before I entered the seminary and got ordained, was racing motorcycles. Was this God’s will for me? Well, I certainly didn’t consult

with God then. But back then this was where I learned the joy of life and the thrill of the extreme. I was just following my happiness, $ 8 ) ) heart. It led me to God. It says in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that people have a “natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the * ? ) ) ) z " 1718). That’s pretty cool, too. It means the good desires in your heart and mine are from God. They’re put there to guide us to { / ? = ) )) You want to know God’s will for you? Look in your heart. What is your true desire? Follow that desire; do what you love. Do you want to go to medical school? Do it. You want to be a teacher? Do it. You want to be a

8 $ ¼ + ] ? become a priest or Religious sister or brother? Do it. Doing your heart’s desire while keeping close to God in prayer and while staying connected to the Church will lead you to God, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. One of the hardest parts about doing God’s will is that you sometimes have to go against the will of the ones you love, like your parents or your friends. Even the best parents have agendas for their children. My parents wanted me to be ) ) / but I can assure you, it wasn’t motocross. And when I informed my friends that I was going to become a priest, they thought I was crazy. But I believed that it was God’s will for me, and I did it. And believe me, I couldn’t be happier. „

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VOCATIONS

Sunday May 6, 2012 CatholicNews

VOCATIONS 25

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

OVER the centuries, men and women of faith, generosity and zeal saw the great need for labourers to bring in the harvest Jesus spoke about in Matthew 9:37. They offered their services by becoming priests and Religious who, like Jesus, realised that they were on this earth not “to be served, but to serve, and to give� their lives “as a ransom for many� (Mt 20:28). There was such a multiplication of Religious orders, communities and congregations of men and women in the history of the Church that Catholics often joked that only God knew how many there actually were. But their numbers are now declining. There are fewer priests and Religious today than there were a generation or two ago. So the question about the availability of labourers to bring in the harvest is very much on the minds of many Catholics. An Aug 20, 2011, a headline in The New York Times caught my eye: “Nuns, a ‘Dying Breed’, Fade From Leadership Roles at Catholic Hospitals’�. Here is the opening paragraph of that story: “When Sister Mary

The spectacle of happy men and women doing useful work will continue to attract the generous young to Religious life.

Priests pray the Lord’s Prayer during Holy Thursday Chrism Mass at the Vatican. CNS photo

Jean Ryan entered the convent as a young nurse in 1960, virtually every department of every Catholic hospital was run by a nun, from paediatrics to dietary to billing. “After her retirement on July 31 [2011] as the chief executive of one of the country’s largest networks of Catholic hospitals, only 11 nuns remained among her company’s more than 22,000 em-

ployees, and none were administrators.� Ponder the implications of those numbers as you consider the second paragraph of the news story, which ran under a St Louis dateline: “For SSM (Sisters of St Mary) Health Care, a US$4.2 billion enterprise that evolved ? $ K { nuns who arrived here in 1872, Sr Mary Jean’s departure after

5' Z chief executive marks a poignant passing. “The gradual transition from Religious to lay leadership, which has been changing the face of Catholic health care for decades, is now nearly complete.� ` K

8 \ years ago to a 22,000-employee health care system in 2011 is quite a transition. ™ 8 K to do today if they wanted to serve { Z ) ÂĽ ™ ) K committed, venturesome Catholic women band together to undertake such work today? Not in Sr Mary Jean’s order. It, according to the Times story, “has dwindled to about 100 from a peak of more than 500. Most

moved out of their convent last year and into a retirement and nursing home. There has not been an initiate (novice) for 25 years, and several years ago the sisters reluctantly stopped looking�. Is God still calling young men and women to Religious life and related health care, educational and social ministry? I think so, but I don’t know that every existing Religious or 8 ’ ? of recruits. God is also calling laypersons to Religious ministry. Some of the Religious orders have to adapt to new circumstances. Some will cease to exist. And some new orders will have to emerge to meet new needs. The spectacle of happy men and women doing useful work will continue to attract the generous young to Religious life. Likewise, the sight of great

) ? 8 harvest will be there for potential harvesters to see. The question is: Will they respond to the call? „ CNS Jesuit Fr Byron is university professor of business and society at St Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, USA.

26 VOCATIONS

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

Sr Elizabeth Lim, FMDM

The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood rejoiced with Sr Elizabeth Lim during her Feb 4 silver jubilee celebration. She has worked in Jordan, Zimbabwe and England and now works in the Apostolic Nunciature in Singapore. ˆ ’ = Australian writer Noel Davis, which portrays her experience of the past 25 years which have been

)) ? 8 Y / 8 a certain amount of sadness. „ KEEPING OPEN Letting go letting the quiet loosen our fear feeling exposed entrusting ourselves to simply be to choose ‌‌ to do ‌‌ to glow ‌‌ to pain ‌‌ to grow ‌‌

Sr Francisca Tan, RC

Sr Francisca Tan will celebrate her silver jubilee as a Cenacle Sister on Sept 8. Her initial formation took place in the Philippines. She also studied theology, pastoral ministry and supervision training in the US. She has been involved in retreat direction and spiritual accompaniment and has helped give retreats in Chiangmai, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China and the Philippines. Some of her other involvements include CANA, the Catholic Centre; the Archdiocesan Council For Inter-Religious and Ecumenical Dialogue (IRED); the Conference of Religious Major Superiors and the Inter-Congregational Formation Group. She has also conducted classes in the Singapore Pastoral Institute and the Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools. „

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Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

CHILDREN’S STORY:

they do not recognise the voice of strangers.� Then Jesus explained His mes“Amen, amen, I say to you,� Jesus said to the crowd, “whoever does sage in plain language. “Amen, not enter a sheepfold through the amen, I say to you, I am the gate gate but climbs over elsewhere is a for the sheep. All who came [before thief and a robber. But whoever en- me] are thieves and robbers, but the ters through the gate is the shepherd sheep did not listen to them. I am the of the sheep. ... The sheep hear his gate. Whoever enters through me voice, as he calls his own sheep by will be saved, and will come in and 8 z name and leads them out.� Jesus held up one finger to Jesus knew that the people who were listening today would under- emphasise His next point: “A thief stand His parable about a shepherd comes only to ... destroy; I came and his sheep, because many of them so that they might have life and owned sheep or lived near someone have it more abundantly. I am the ? # ! ? good shepherd. ... A hired man ... sees a wolf coming and leaves the with His story. “The shepherd walks ahead, and sheep and runs away, and the wolf the sheep follow him, because they catches and scatters them. This is recognize his voice,� He said. “But because he works for pay and has they will not follow a stranger; they no concern for the sheep. I am the will run away from him because good shepherd, and I know mine By Joe Sarnicola

St Stanislaus Stanislaus Szczepanowski was born in Poland in 1030 after his parents had been childless for many years. Even as a child he demonstrated compassion and an interest in the Scriptures. He entered the priesthood as a young man, and his sermons challenged people to live according to the principles of Christianity. Pope Alexander II made him a bishop. Stanislaus spoke out boldly against the cruelty of the king, Boleslaus II, so the king sent some of his guards to kill him. The guards were afraid to do it because they saw Stanislaus covered in a bright light, so the king killed him himself in 1079. We honour Stanislaus on April 11. „

parable, some of the people argued among themselves about what He meant. Some thought He was possessed or out of His mind. Others refuted those claims because of the miracles Jesus had performed. „ Read more about it: John 10

Q&A 1. How does a shepherd enter his sheepfold? 2. What did Jesus say He would do for His sheep?

WORDSEARCH: THE GOOD SHEPHERD „ SHEPHERD „ GOOD „ PARABLE „ VOICE

„ AMEN „ SHEEPFOLD „ THIEF „ MESSAGE

„ SHEEP „ GATE „ ROBBER „ RECOGNIZE

Bible Accent: John’s Gospel opens with a beautiful poem that declares “the Word was

’ z/ 8 ! / ? came to our world. Chapters 1-12 are so full of symbols and miracles that this section sometimes is called “The Book of Signs.� These chapters talk about the divine nature of Jesus. Chapters 13-20 are called “The Book of Glory,� and they tell us how Jesus tried to prepare His disciples for _ 8 / F The last chapter of the book describes Jesus’ appear _ ) _ F John closes his Gospel by saying that the whole world could not contain all the books that could be written about the wonderful things Jesus said and did. „

PUZZLE: In the blanks below, write yes if the statement is one which Jesus made. Chapter and verse from the Gospel of John have been provided as hints: 1. “Follow me.� (1:43) _____ 2. “My hour has long passed.� (2:4) _____ 3. “You must be born from above.� (3:7) _____ 4. “Give me a drink.� (4:7) _____ 5. “Rise and help your neighbour.� (5:8) _____ 6. “Throw away the fragments.� (6:12) _____ 7. “My teaching is not my own.� (7:16) _____ 8. “There is no light in the world.� (8:12) _____

KIDS’ CLUB: Share your thoughts on this week’s Bible story with family and friends by writing an essay in response to this question: Why is Peter so important to our Church history?

Answer to Puzzle: 1. yes, 3. yes, 4. yes, 7. yes. Answer to Wordsearch

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

and mine know me.� Then Jesus tried to show the spiritual meaning of His story about the shepherd. “Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, I will lay down my life for the sheep. ... The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.� ™ ! _

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Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

WHAT’S ON 29

Sunday May 6, 2012 „ CatholicNews

EVENT SUBMISSIONS We welcome information of events happening in our local Church. Please send your submission at least one month before the event. Online submissions can be made at www.catholic.sg/webevent_form.php Wednesdays April 18 to June 6 THEOLOGY OF THE BODY FOR YOUNG ADULTS 8pm: 8-week series of video sessions on the Theology of the Body by Blessed John Paul II. By Church of St Ignatius Young Adults Ministry. At Church of St Ignatius (Sacred Heart Hall AV Room Level 2). E: yam.stignatius@gmail.com Fridays April 27 to August 24 PREPARING FOR THE YEAR OF FAITH 12.40-1.10pm: Msgr Eugene Vaz will ) K K )$ ) ` each month based on Pope Benedict XVl’s document The Door of Faith. Talks followed by Mass. By Catholic Prayer Society At Singapore Conference Hall (7 Shenton Way Level 2). E: cps.contactus@gmail.com Wednesdays May 2 to May 16 FINDING GOD IN YOUR READING 8-9.30pm: Based on Mitch Albom’s

RCIA/RCIY A journey for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith. Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors. Thursdays from April 26 RCIA@BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH 7.30-9pm: At Blessed Sacrament Church (1 Commonwealth Drive). T: 6474 0582, E: rcia@bsc.org.sg. Registration forms K ) =) 8 request by email. Fridays from April 27 RCIA@CHURCH OF ST TERESA 7.45-9.15pm: At Church of St Teresa (St Paul Room Level 4 Parish House). T: 6271 1184; E: stteresa@singnet.com.sg Thursdays from May 10 RCIY@CHURCH OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL 8pm: At Church of St Vincent de Paul (301 Yio Chu Kang Rd). T: 6482 0959. Enquiries on RCIA in Mandarin welcome. Saturdays from May 12 RCIY@CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS 4-6pm: For 15-21 years old. At Church of St Ignatius (120 King’s Rd). T: 9762 6330 (Evelyn); 9362 0912 (Pascalene); E: rciy.ignatius@gmail.com; W: stignatiusrciy.blogspot.com Tuesdays from May 22 RCIA@CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY 7.45pm: At Church of the Holy Trinity (20 Tampines St 11). T: 8444 5505 (Gregory) E: rciaht@gmail.com Fridays from May 25 RCIA@CHURCH OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE At Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace (4 Sandy Lane). T: 9030 9527 (Martin) E: rcia.qop@gmail.com Tuesdays from May 29 RCIA@CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS 8-10pm: At Church of St Ignatius Hall (120 King’s Rd). T: 6466 0625 ext 10 (Angela) E: church@stignatius.org.sg Sundays from May 27 RCIA@CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR (MANDARIN) 9-10.30am: At Church of the Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (31 Siglap Hill). T: 9625 3897 (Molly), 9687 6021 (Zheng Ying); E: clairemollyong@gmail.com Thursdays from May 31 RCIA@CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 8-10pm: At Church of the Holy Spirit (248 Upper Thomson Rd). T: 9010 2829, E: kim_f_ho@yahoo.com.sg Tuesdays from June 12 RCIA@CHURCH OF STS PETER AND PAUL 7.30pm: At Church of Sts Peter and Paul (225A Queen St). T: 9753 6863 (Joanna); E: sng.joanna@gmail.com. Registration K ) =) Fridays from June 15 RCIA@CHURCH OF STS PETER AND PAUL (MANDARIN) 7.30pm: At Church of Sts Peter and Paul (225A Queen St). T: 9177 5689 (Corina); Registration forms available from parish

Have a Little Faith and through Ignatian / K ? Â’ ) / environment and the divine. Facilitated by Fr Leslie Raj, SJ. Love offering. By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling. At 8 Victoria Park Rd. T: 64676072; F: 6468 7584; E: cisc2664@gmail.com

May 12 MEDITATIVE PRAYER WITH THE SONGS OF TAIZE 8-9.30pm: At The Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator (60 Hill St). E: bennycah@gmail.com; T: 9837 7256 (Benny).

Fridays May 4 to June 8 CaFE: SAINTS – HELPING US TODAY 7.45-9.30pm: Learn how the saints’ teachings can give us practical help in our lives. By ACPT. At Church of St Bernadette (12 Zion Rd). Register with name, age and contact no SMS: 9007 0987; E: acptcafe@gmail.com

May 13 A DAY WITH MARY OUR MOTHER 10am-4pm: A one-day retreat by Sr Christine Santhou, fdcc. Cost: $30. By LifeSprings Canossian Spirituality Centre. At 100 Jalan Merbok. T: 6466 2178; E: lifesprings@singnet.com.sg

May 6 BILINGUAL PERANAKAN MASS AT BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH 10.45am: In English and Peranakan. Celebrated by Fr Alfred Chan. All welcome. At Blessed Sacrament Church (1 Commonwealth Dr). May 10 MASS FOR VOCATIONS 8pm: Celebrated by Fr Damian de Wind. At Church of the Holy Family (Function Room Level 4). Friday May 11 to Sunday May 13 LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR 7.30-9.30pm (Fri), 7-9pm (Sat), 9am-6pm (Sun): Rediscover and experience God’s love through the power of the Holy Spirit. At Church of Holy Trinity. Register T: 9692 0186 (Jeremy); E: jlck_07@yahoo.co.uk Saturdays May 12 to May 19 BEING & BECOMING THROUGH ART JOURNALING 2-5pm: Learn about art-journaling, using the language of design to help you focus, express, and connect with yourself. Cost: $160. By Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling. At 8 Victoria Park Rd. T: 64676072; F: 6468 7584; E: cisc2664@gmail.com

May 13 FLORES DE MAYO MASS 10am-12pm: A Filipino festival in honour of Mary with rosary and Mass. At Church of Our Lady of Lourdes Mondays May 14 to July 23 ALPHA PARENTING COURSE 12.30-1.30pm: A series of DVD talks by Alpha International on parenting children up to the age of 10. By Catholic Prayer Society At 206/208B Telok Ayer St. Register E: alphacac@catholic.org May 20 CATHOLIC SINGLES’ MASS AND LUNCH 10am: Meet for Mass at church canteen followed by lunch at Marina Square. A chance to have fellowship with other Catholic singles. By Catholic Singles Singapore. At St Joseph’s Church (Victoria St). E: CatholicSingle@gmail. com; FB: http://www.facebook.com/ CatholicSinglesSingapore May 20 ST JOSEPH TAMIL PRAYER GROUP 33RD ANNIVERSARY 6.30pm: Rosary and prayers in Tamil to honour St Joseph followed by Mass. All welcome. At Blessed Sacrament Church

Tuesdays May 29 to August 7 LANDINGS 8-10pm: For “returning� Catholics and those who wish to renew and share their faith experience. At Blessed Sacrament Church (1 Commonwealth Drive). T: 9750 3998 (Steven), 9668 2391 (Lilian); E: landings@bsc.org.sg

Thursdays May 24 to May 31 SPIRITUAL GROWTH SEMINAR SERIES: PRAYER IN THE CARMELITE TRADITION 7.15-9.15pm: Conducted by Fr John Chua, OCD and based on the book Upon This Mountain – Prayer in the Carmelite Tradition by Sr Mary McCormack, OCD. All welcome. At Church of Sts Peter and Paul (Chapel Level 3 Parish Building 225A Queen St)

June 2 I AM SPECIAL I AM ME 9.30am-5.30pm (children); 1.30-5.30pm (parents): Help children understand themselves better. By Morning Star Community Services. At Block 261B Sengkang East Way #01-400. Register W: http://www.morningstar.org.sg/events_ upcoming.html

May 25 CANDLELIGHT ROSARY WALK FOR YOUNG ADULTS 8-10pm: Rosary walk in honour of Mary followed by adoration and benediction. All welcome. By Generation CHRIST! Ministry. At Church of St Ignatius (Garden of Light behind Kingsmead Hall). E gen.christ.ministry@gmail.com

July 14 THE GIFT OF PEACE – SHARING CHRISTIAN MEDITATION WITH CHILDREN 8.30am-5.30pm: Led by Fr Laurence Freeman, OSB, Director, The World Community for Christian Meditation. For teachers, catechists and parents. Cost: $30. By WCCM Singapore. At St Joseph Institution (International). Register by May 23 T: 9759 0925 (Anita); E: Audrey_ leehw@hotmail.com; W: http://www. wccmsingapore.org

Saturday May 26 – Sunday May27 MINDFUL LIVING WITH JESUS SILENT RETREAT 2pm (Sat)-2pm (Sun): Sessions include Lectio Divina, Christian meditation, mindful walking. Cost: $60 (non-aircon), $70 (air-con). At Lifesprings Canossian Spirituality Centre (100 Jln Merbok). T: 9012 4778 (Sr Margaret); E: srgohmargaret@yahoo.com.sg

Crossword Puzzle 1057 1

2

3

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5

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7

9

17

18

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12

13

32

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49

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51

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37 40

39 41 44

11

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26

8

42 46

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61 www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

ACROSS 1 Prayer counter 5 “The ____ of one crying in the wilderness� (Lk 3:4) 10 H.S. science course 14 Actress Lancaster 15 Lyric poem 16 O’Neill’s daughter 17 Days of fast and ____ 19 Kernels 20 Floor covering 21 She played Ginger on “Gilligan’s Island� 22 Item having exchange value 23 They’re above abs 24 Rachel and Leah 26 Receipts 29 Site of 47A 30 Faculty heads 31 Readily 35 Cain traveled this direction from Eden (Gen 4:16) 36 Casts aside 37 Green and Pekoe 38 Innate abilities 40 Portion 41 Vatican news service 42 Long for 43 California “valley� 46 “In the sweat of your _____ you shall eat bread� (Gen 3:19)

47 It happened to the ship Paul took to Rome 48 “Lord, teach me the way of your laws; I shall observe them with ____â€? (Ps 119:33) 49 Permanently, in poems 52 Very small quantity 53 Holy symbol that is the capital of California 56 Annoyed condition 57 Attempts 58 Strikebreaker 59 End of a yearly song 60 Judas’ method of betrayal 61 Cast leader? DOWN 1 â€œâ€Śbut do not perceive the wooden _____ in your own?â€? (Mt 7:3) 2 “Able was I ere I saw _____â€? 3 _____ D.A. 4 Dis partner 5 St. Mark is patron of this city 6 Unfolds 7 College in New Rochelle, NY 8 Atlanta medical oversight agcy. 9 Loafer letters

10 First Christian Roman Emperor 11 The ____ of David 12 “____ through the narrow gate� (Mt 7:13) 13 Poles for sails 18 List parts 22 ____ Spumanti 23 Papal reign 24 Old sailors 25 Maladies 26 Notion 27 A tide 28 Pope Benedict XVI asked us to _____ the light of Christ upon the world 29 “I can see for _____� 31 Broaden 32 Computer nerd

33 34 36 39

Ornamental fabric North Sea feeder Martial art Bloodsucking insect 40 “____ in terris� 42 Pester 43 Vatican Guard 44 Satirical dialogue 45 Allowed to enter 46 Prices of passages 48 202, in ancient Rome 49 Differ ending 50 And others (abbr.) 51 Biblical epic starring Burton and Mature (with “The�) 53 RR stop 54 Noah built one '' ) K

Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1056 P O P E

A P E S

D E E P

U N L O C S A K B A B E A R I D G A D S H E P T C H O S A A A I T S N E T

A A R A S D I N S L A D U S A L M I I A E S O N S M I T B A L E T I R E D H E R D I N Y L E N M A V I S I T E A R T H S L A T E

B A L A N C E D

S C D H O E E M A L B E R T I E O V E R A D G L I P L O T T O U R S I L T N I T O B T O W E I N L E C Y S T

C O L T R O B S

A R T S

www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

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Sunday May 6, 2012 CatholicNews

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