VATICAN CITY, 29 OCT 2009 (VIS) – This is the calendar of celebrations that the Holy Father will preside over from the end of November 2009 until January 2010.
NOVEMBER
- Saturday 28. At 17 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, celebration of first Vespers for the First Sunday of Advent.
DECEMBER
- Tuesday 8. Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. At. 4 p.m. in Piazza di Spagna, veneration of the Virgin.
- Thursday 24. Solemnity of the Lord’s Nativity. At 10 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica the Pope will celebrate Midnight Mass.
- Friday 25. Solemnity of the Lord’s Nativity. At 12 p.m. the Pope will impart the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the central balcony of the Vatican Basilica.
- Thursday 31. At 18 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica the Holy Father will preside over first Vespers in thanksgiving for the closing year.
JANUARY
- Friday 1. Solemnity of Holy Mary, Mother of God, and the 43rd World Day of Peace. At 10 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, celebration of Holy Mass.
-Wednesday 6. Solemnity of the Lord’s Epiphany. At 10 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, celebration of Holy Mass.
- Sunday 10. Feast of the Lord’s Baptism. At 10 p.m. in the Sistine Chapel, celebration of Holy Mass and baptism of children.
- Monday 25. Feast of the conversion of St. Paul the Apostle. At 5:30 p.m. in the Basilica of St. Paul without the Walls, celebration of Vespers.
The Pope’s general intention is: “That all the men and women in the world, especially those who have responsibilities in the field of politics and economics, may never fail in their commitment to safeguard creation.”
His missionary intention is: “That believers in the different religions, through the testimony of their lives and fraternal dialogue, may clearly demonstrate that the name of God is a bearer of peace.”
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 29, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is encouraging media professionals to take up the challenge to use the new technologies of the digital age to spread the word of God, while keeping the content unaltered.
The Pope said this upon receiving in audience participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, who met this week in Rome to work on a pastoral instruction that will demonstrate a willingness to dialogue with the “digital culture.”
The last document of pastoral guidance for the Church’s communicative commitment — “Aetatis Novae” — was issued in 1992.
The plenary was the first one presided over by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, who was named president of the council in 2007.
“A genuine revolution is taking place in the realm of social communications,” the Pontiff said to the participants in the assembly, “of which the Church is ever more responsibly conscious.”
“These technologies make speedy and penetrating communication possible, with a capacity to share ideas and opinions; to facilitate acquiring information and news in a personal way that is accessible to all,” he added.
Vatican City, Oct 28, 2009 / 10:37 am (CNA).- At today’s General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Benedict provided a lesson on the theological renaissance of the 12th century, advising Christians to learn from the monks and set aside time every day to meditate on the Bible, “so that the Word of God will be the lamp that illuminates our daily path on earth.”
Because 23% of Americans claim to be Catholic, it should be made crystal clear what excommunication actually is. Some look at excommunication as a thorny punishment from the Catholic Church. It actually is a medicinal penalty that is compulsory to help the sinner repent and turn back to God.The Church fervently hopes that the former Catholic changes their ways, and returns to “communion” with the rest of the Church…
“One of the most amazing surprises of the presidency was the fact that people’s prayers affected me.”–Former President George W. Bush quoted by The Washington Post October 27, 2009.
The Children of the Rosary have organized this Saturday’s, October 31 Prayer Vigil with the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Unborn, to be led by the Most Reverend Thomas J Olmsted at Planned Parenthood, 4417 N. 7th Avenue, Phoenix at 1:00 p.m.
CNA STAFF, Oct 25, 2009 / 03:47 pm (CNA).- On Thursday, Catholics will celebrate the feast day of Helen Kafka, better known as Blessed Maria Restituta. Working as a nurse in the 1940s, she was ordered by the Gestapo to remove crucifixes she had placed in several hospital rooms and was sentenced to death. Pope John Paul II beatified her on June 21, 1998.
Helen Kafka was born in 1894 to a shoemaker and grew up in Vienna, Austria. At the age of 20, she decided to join the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity and took the name Restituta after an early Church martyr.
In 1919, she began working as a surgical nurse in Austria. When the Germans took over the country, she became a local opponent of the Nazi regime. Her conflict with them escalated after they ordered her to remove all the crucifixes she had hung up in each room of a new hospital wing.
Sister Maria Restitua refused and she was arrested by the Gestapo in 1942. She was sentenced to death for “aiding and abetting the enemy in the betrayal of the fatherland and for plotting high treason.”
She spent the rest of her days in prison caring for other prisoners, who loved her. The Nazis offered her freedom if she would abandon the Franciscan sisters, but she refused.
On October 24th, His Excellency, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop of Lincoln conferred Tonsure on 14 men and the Subdiaconate to one other from Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Lincoln. This was truly a joyous day for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter as they also had 16 other men tonsured on the same day from their seminary in Wigratzbad Germany. Below you will find pictures taken from the Tonsure and Subdiaconate in Lincoln, as well as a picture of all 30 men that were tonsured. Please keep these men in your prayers as they continue their way to the Altar of Lord.
V: Let us pray for our Pope Benedict.
R: May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.
V: May Thy hand be ever upon the man of Thy right hand.
R: And upon the son of man whom Thou hast confirmed unto thee.
Let us Pray. O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
What ‘They’ Are Saying:
"Father, you're either very holy or very crazy, or a little of both!" -- a comment
