MAY 22. 2011, vol 61 no 10

www.catholicnews.sg SUNDAY MAY 22, 2011

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Church leaders fear Osama death backlash LAHORE, PAKISTAN – A retired

archbishop said Pakistani Christians could suffer a backlash after Osama bin Laden’s death, but it also might help the nation in the long run.

In India and Philippines, Catholic leaders also warned of a possible backlash.

“We are a soft target as they cannot attack America,” said retired Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore. He said that despite the risk of short-term retaliation against Christians, Osama’s killing could return balance to Pakistan’s society.

He said he hoped the incident would reduce the militant radicalism that has engulfed Pakistan in recent years. “Many looked on bin Laden as a hero of the Islamic revolution, but he was a role model of extremism and a threat to world peace. His death will change the complexion” of the country, the archbishop said.

Archbishop Saldanha was episcopally ordained on the day of the attacks. “The post-9/11 events affected my whole episcopal career and life,” he said, adding that the situation changed for Christians who were badly affected by violence and bloodshed. “I saw it growing worse,” he said.

In India, Fr Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, prayed the Al-Qaeda leader’s death would not lead to retaliatory attacks.

“The Church never endorses violence or associates with violence,” he added. “Violence perpetrated by religion is never acceptable to any civilised society.”

The head of the Bangladeshi bishops’ Christian unity commission also expressed concern.

“No killing is welcomed. A criminal should be brought to trial and be duly prosecuted,” said Bishop Bejoy D’Cruze of Khulna.

VOL 61

NO. 10

INSIDE HOME Jesus Youth launches new website Group marks ¿fth anniversary in S’pore Page 6

Members of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front hold placards in New Delhi on May 3 in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death.

ASIA Indian Church leaders join nuclear-plant protest

CNS photo

Facility said to be largest in the world Page 7

ASIA Bridging the divide in Thailand’s south Church helps to bring govt, community closer Page 9

WORLD Bloggers, Vatican exchange views Both sides need each other, bloggers say Page 10 “I don’t know if bin Laden or AlQaeda had any connection with Bangladeshi militants or not. But it’s sure they were encouraged and inspired by his activities, which will decline, I believe.”

In the Philippines, Church leaders advised the government

‘

to prepare for possible retaliation.

“The death of bin Laden is good >in the ¿ght against terror@,” Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez of Marbel told Church-run Radio Veritas 846. “But it is also bad because his loyalists will retaliate not only against the military and police but

Many militants looked on bin Laden as a hero ... but he was a role model of extremism and a threat to world peace.

’

– Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, Pakistan

against innocent civilians.”

In Basilan province, where AlQaeda-inspired Abu Sayyaf Islamic militant forces have camps and have frequently attacked Christian communities, Bishop Martin Jumoad of Isabela said the terrorist’s death was a “triumph of good over evil”.

He said he hoped Osama’s death would “weaken the Abu Sayyaf group here ... because Abu Sayyaf leaders have been claiming they are being supported by Al-Qaeda.” UCANEWS.COM, CNS Page 11: Vatican’s response

LETTERS Using tissue packets to ‘chope’ pews?

A reader complains Page 14

SPECIAL FOCUS World Day of Prayer for Vocations Pages 15-24

2 HOME

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

‘Chilling out’ with Franciscan friars Young men listening to Friar John Soh sharing his faith and vocation during the Chill Out with St Francis session.

Children from the Holy Trinity Kindergarten selling cooked food to parents during their ‘entrepreneurial day’.

Preschool kids learn about business, values

By Don Gurugay Holy Trinity Kindergarten organised a special “entrepreneurial day” recently in which students from St Francis Xavier kindergarten also took part.

The April 29 event, held at the Church of the Holy Trinity, aimed to teach the children not only basic business concepts but also important life values.

The hall where the educational activities were held was decorated to resemble a Myanmar village.

Here, children ran money-changing, second-hand clothing and cooked food stalls among others, to learn the values of money and the importance of recycling.

The idea of using a Myanmar village as a theme for the activities came from a mission trip some of the teachers had undertaken earlier.

The simplicity of the way of life in that country was thought to be ideal to help children understand what it was like to go back to basics.

The stalls were run by about 50 children from the K2 classes at Holy Trinity along with the teachers assisting. Parents were also present and took the part of customers.

Kids from both kindergartens also learnt visually where everyday food items such as milk, eggs and chickens come from.

Some 40 students from St Francis Xavier Kindergarten took part in the activities.

The Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools has been organising gatherings among various preschools to encourage them to share resources, and this recent event was an outcome of this.

By Darren Boon The Franciscan friars are inviting young men to learn more about their order’s way of life in a series of fellowship and community prayer sessions.

The meetings, called Chill Out with St Francis, started on Feb 27, and are held once every two months.

The friars invite aspirants, aged between 18 and 35 years, to chat with the friars over dinner.

The meetings, held on the grounds of Church of St Mary of the Angels, is followed by communal night prayer and a sharing by a friar about his faith and vocation.

Friar Derrick Yap, who is part of his community’s vocation promotion team, said the sessions are to “get people interested in the Franciscan Religious life”.

“Those who are serious will meet the vocation director more regularly and perhaps discuss entry options and interviews,” he said.

For those who do not join the Franciscans, they would still be able to learn about the Franciscan brotherhood and the order’s spirituality, he added.

Friar Derrick said that Franciscan spirituality is “caught” from interaction with the friars rather than “taught”.

ARCHBISHOP’S DIARY May 17 10.00am Church of St Vincent De Paul: Mass – ME (32nd Anniversary) May 21 5.30pm Church of St Mary of the Angels: Mass – Con¿rmation May 28 6.00pm Church of St Teresa: Mass – Con¿rmation May 29 3.00pm Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour: Mass – Con¿rmation

Franciscan spirituality is “very broad” as St Francis stood for many things. It could be care for creation, reconciliation, peace, living the Gospel life, preaching, wanting to be contemplative and active.

Each friar would also have his own unique connection with St Francis, said Friar Derrick. Therefore speaking to different friars will help people get a different understanding of who St Francis is, he explained.

Gabriel Ng, 18, who attended the Chill Out session for the second time on April 17, said the sessions help people discern their vocations.

Samuel Ong, 16, who attended the session for the ¿rst time that day, said he found the evening’s sharing by Friar John Soh meaningful.

The next Chill Out session is scheduled for June 26. darrenboon@catholic.org.sg

Pages 15-16: Pope, Archbishop Chia issue messages for World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

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4 HOME

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Archbishop Chia’s message to Buddhists for Vesak Day Dear Buddhist Friends, On the occasion of Vesak Day, I join in prayer with you that this annual festival may bring serenity and joy to Buddhists in Singapore and throughout the world.

In Singapore, the respect of different religions and faiths is a building block of our society, and we wish to acknowledge the importance that the Catholic Church places on inter-religious dialogue as a means to living in peace and working together to achieve the best outcome for all.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his message for World Day of Peace this year, has stated, “for the Church, dialogue between the followers of the different religions represents an important means of cooperating with all religious communities for the common good.”

We value our work with representatives from the Buddhist com-

munity and other religions in the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony to promote peace and harmony among all people.

As we witness great suffering around the world today on so many levels, from natural disasters to religious persecution and war, it is important that we join together in our efforts to spread peace, working hand-in-hand to alleviate the sufferings of those around us.

My dear Buddhist friends, on behalf of the Archdiocese of Singapore, I pray that your celebration of Vesak will be a source of spiritual growth.

Happy Vesak Day! Yours sincerely,

Archbishop Nicholas Chia

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Hospice’s new chapel a boon for patients, family members

By Darren Boon The newly opened Assisi Hospice chapel is a great blessing, say patients.

One female patient says she “feels very at home” in the chapel “because I’m a convent girl and it reminds me of the convent, it’s a good feeling”.

Her daughter agrees, saying she wished that “more hospitals, schools and work places have little chapels just like this. It gives a sense of serenity and peace.”

The chapel was blessed by Redemptorist Fr Peter Wee on March 9.

Spiritual care is part of hospice care, says Assisi Hospice executive director Irene Chan. It is important for a hospice to provide “a place to give the patients some form of solace” and reÀection.

Although the nearest chapel at Mount Alvernia Hospital is on the same premises as the hospice, it is dif¿cult for hospice patients to make their way across the car park to the chapel, said Ms Chan.

Special considerations went into designing the chapel, she added.

The cruci¿x features the ¿gure of the Risen Christ as He “points to eternal life”, said Ms Chan. The Risen Christ inspires hope among patients who are preparing for death and have questions about what lies beyond that, she said.

The chapel is opened at all times and has one long bench to allow for ample space for patients in wheelchairs to come and pray.

Family members are also encouraged to pray with patients at any time of the day.

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Counsellors also provide a listening ear and compassionate presence for all patients regardless of their religion, says Ms Rose Goh, manager of Mount Alvernia Hospital’s Clinical Pastoral Care.

Meanwhile Assisi Hospice will hold its annual charity fun day on June 19 at SJI Interna-

tional. Altar servers from Church of St Francis Xavier will be going around parishes to sell tickets as part of their outreach project.

They would also be working with hospice patients during the June school holidays. darrenboon@catholic.org.sg

Mass to pray for Church in China The Singapore archdiocese will hold a Mass to pray for the Church in China on May 24 at the Church of Sts Peter and Paul.

Archbishop Nicholas Chia will be the main celebrant at the Mass, held to mark the World Day

of Prayer for the Church in China.

The Mass will start at 8 pm.

All priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful, especially those of Chinese origin, are invited to join in prayer for the healing of the Church in China.

The Church in China has for the past 54 years been divided.

The of¿cial, or “open” Church is recognised by the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, a governmental body that aims to regulate Church ministry and governance.

The unof¿cial, or “underground” Church, does not, in principle, recognise this governmental body.

In 2007, the pope released a pastoral letter to the China Church and conveyed his “fraternal closeness” with the Catholics there.

He also proclaimed May 24 as the Day of Prayer for the Church in China, saying that “Catholics of the whole world” will demonstrate their “fraternal solidarity and solicitude” for Catholics in China on this day.

The pope stressed his wish for respectful dialogue between the Vatican and civil authorities which would contribute to harmony within Church and society.

HOME 5

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Young people praying and walking barefoot on April 16.

Feeling Christ’s passion by walking barefoot Sixty-¿ve young people walked barefoot through the streets of Singapore before the start of Holy Week to meditate on Christ’s suffering.

The group from Jesus Youth Singapore divided themselves into several smaller groups on April 16 morning. They began their walk from the north, south, east and west corners of the island towards Novena Church, thereby tracing a big sign of the cross across Singapore.

The ¿rst group started its journey at 7 am from Joo Koon and walked 22 km towards the church.

Nine other groups then started their journey from places like Pa-

sir Ris, Punggol and Harbourfront.

The participants, who included seminarians and children, braved the scorching sun, rain showers and muddy ground as curious onlookers stared at them.

By 3.30 pm all the groups reached Novena Church and were warmly welcomed by Redemptorist Fr Jacob Ong. Participants said the experience helped them to identify with the sufferings of Jesus more closely.

One participant shared that the tiny gravel on the road were the most painful to his feet. He likened them to little sins that become most painful when ignored.

The choir and congregation at the Church of Divine Mercy Mass on May 1.

Relics of Blessed John Paul II were displayed during the Mass.

Honouring John Paul II The Church of Divine Mercy displayed relics of Blessed John Paul II during its May 1 feast day celebration.

The vestments worn by the late pope when he visited Singapore in 1986 were placed in the church during the 5.30 pm feast day Mass, which also commemorated his beati¿cation in Rome that day.

The congregation viewed a

live broadcast of the ceremony before the start of the Mass, which was celebrated by Archbishop Nicholas Chia, Msgr Marek Zalewski, First Counsellor of the Apostolic Nunciature in Singapore, and priests.

Later that evening, a dinner was held at the Singapore Expo during which excerpts of the video of Blessed John Paul II’s visit to Singapore were screened.

6 HOME

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Archbishop Nicholas Chia launches the Jesus Youth Singapore website.

Youth group launches website at celebration Archbishop Nicholas Chia launched the new website of Jesus Youth Singapore at the group’s monthly gathering on May 7.

The gathering, called JesusNet, was also to celebrate its ¿fth anniversary.

A hundred and twenty-¿ve young people, from Jesus Youth’s (JY) seven ministries, attended the celebration, held at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes parish hall.

Archbishop Chia encouraged each member to be a committed follower of Christ and commended JY’s activities.

He also cut the anniversary cake in addition to launching the new website (www.singapore.

jesusyouth.org).

The website contains information about JY activities in Singapore, faith testimonies, as well as JY news around the world.

Fr William Goh, JY Singapore’s spiritual director, also blessed newly baptised members of the group.

Jesus Youth has been active in Singapore since 2001.

It is an international Catholic youth movement with a Charismatic spirituality with its origins in Kerala, India. The movement is now active in 25 countries.

For more information about Jesus Youth Singapore, email singapore@jesusyouth.org

Archbishop Chia taking part in a group activity during the JesusNet gathering.

ASIA 7

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

South Korean faith leaders travel north to discuss aid SEOUL – South Korean religious leaders met with their counterparts in the North recently to discuss details on humanitarian aid for the impoverished communist state.

The April 27 meeting was the ¿rst such visit since South Korea accused North Korea of attacks last year.

Rev Kim Nam-suc, Mr Stephen Yang Deog-chang of the Korean Catholic bishops’ conference and Won Buddhist Jung In-sung, representing the Korean Conference on Religion and Peace (KCRP), met three members of the (North) Korean Council of Religionists in Kaesong, just north of the Demilitarized Zone.

Besides aid, they also discussed whether a religious delegation could travel north to monitor its distribution, Rev Kim, secretary general of the KCRP, said later in Seoul.

The response was positive, Rev Kim noted, adding that they would

invite us “as soon as possible”.

KCRP representatives, including its president, Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong of Kwangju, met with the 8ni¿cation Minister Hyun In-taek on April 4 to seek permission for the meeting and to supervise future distribution of aid.

Almost all exchanges between the two Korean rivals were put on hold in May last year after South Korea blamed the North for sinking one of its warships on March 26.

A uni¿cation ministry of¿cial said on April 27 that the government still bans South Korean visits to the North but approved the KCRP request because it was for humanitarian purposes.

KCRP comprises representatives from Buddhism, Catholicism, Confucianism, Protestantism, an association of Korean traditional religions, and Chondogyo and Won-Buddhism, both founded in Korea. UCANEWS.COM

Nargis victims celebrate new parish Survivors of Cyclone Nargis receive food from a local donor in a Myanmar village. &16 ¿OH SKRWR

PEIN-NE-GONE,

MYANMAR

–

Catholics from some of the villages worst hit by Cyclone Nargis in 2008, now have something to celebrate with the establishment of a new parish in the Irrawaddy Delta.

Fr Denis Min Zaw, the priest of Sacred Heart Church in the new Pein-ne-gone parish in Pathein diocese, said villagers will have the opportunity to attend daily Mass, while people from surrounding villages will ¿nd getting to church celebrations much easier.

The remoteness of the villages made travel dif¿cult and lack of pastoral care was made worse when Nargis destroyed the old Sacred Heart Church, he said.

During the post-Nargis period many Catholics in the area were struggling with their faith and some quit the religion because of the hardship they were enduring and a lack of contact with priests, he added.

Fr Raymond Htun Kyi, dean of the Church’s Maungmya zone,

along with ¿ve priests, presided at the May 1 opening ceremony creating the new parish.

About 500 participants attended the ceremony.

“It is a great joy for me as I never expected to take part in daily Masses,” said Mr Peter U Tin Shwe 48, the Pein-ne-gone village head.

The previous parish was too far away, and he did not go there after Nargis. “I hope our villagers will deepen their faith since our village has become the centre of a new parish,” he added.

Mr Joseph Thar Htoo 39, a villager from nearby Ta-yoke-gone said the new parish is so close it will take just 15 minutes by boat to attend Mass.

Since the old parish was too far away, villagers seldom ever went there and only used to go to confession and receive Holy Communion when a priest came to the village.

As there was no catechist in the village, villagers used to conduct funerals, he said.

Indian Church leaders join protests to halt nuclear power plant

A woman shouts slogans during an anti-nuclear protest in Mumbai, India, on April 26. CNS photo MUMBAI – Church leaders in Maharashtra have added their voice to a movement opposed to several proposed nuclear projects in the state, including what would be the largest nuclear power generating plant in the world.

“We don’t want a Chernobyl nuclear disaster or Fukushima crisis to happen in India,” Bishop Alwyn Barreto of Sindhudurg told the Asian Church news agency UCA News on April 28.

He said the diocesan centre for social action organised meetings to educate people on the consequences a nuclear accident could have on the western coastal region.

The Indian government has said it plans to introduce a bill in the next session of parliament to create an independent and autonomous nuclear regulatory authority

before starting construction of the US$10 billion, 9,900-megawatt, six reactor Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Madban village in Ratnagiri district.

It is just one of several nuclear projects planned for a 190-kmlong strip along the Arabian Sea. Bishop Barreto said a grassroots movement involving thousands of people who oppose the projects has gathered momentum.

The main focus of opposition is on the Jaitapur project. Local villagers fear the massive facility will ruin traditional ¿shing grounds.

A demonstration was staged on April 25 at India’s ¿rst nuclear plant in Tarapur. Organised by the Anti-Nuclear National Committee, the protest involved several

Christian leaders including Mathany Saldhana, a Catholic legislator from Goa state.

Vaishali Patil, convener of the coordinating body opposing the Jaitapur plant, said representatives of the group had met India’s environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, three times to demand that plans for the power plant be scrapped.

“The government can build a nuclear plant at Jaitapur but over our dead bodies,” said B G Kolse Patil, former justice of the Bombay High Court and president of Lokshashan Andolan (Movement for People Power), one of the groups opposing the project.

The protest came on the heels of a demonstration on April 18 in which a ¿sherman was killed and a curfew imposed in Ratnagiri. CNS

8 ASIA

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Malaysian bishops slam allegations of ‘Christian nation’ plot Two Malaysian Catholic bishops have sharply criticised reports claiming that a group of Christians pastors were plotting to replace Islam with Christianity as the of¿cial religion of Malaysia.

The same group was also alleged to be praying for the appointment of a Christian prime minister.

On May 7, the Utusan Malaysia Malay-language daily referred to several blogs allied to UMNO, the ruling political party, in its report headlined Malaysia negara Kristian? (Malaysia, a Christian country?). The blogs alleged that Christian leaders had met in Penang and had vowed to make Christianity the of¿cial religion of Malaysia.

It was further reported that a meeting was to take place that evening at the Catholic Christian Centre (Pusat Kristian Katolik) in Penang and a public lecture organised the next day.

Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, president of the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, released a press statement that very day refuting the allegations.

“On behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, I would like to categorically refute the allegation that such a meeting had taken place or will take place in a Catholic venue in Penang,” he said .

“It is clear that this reporting is baseless and highly irresponsible as the reporters and editors of the above newspaper have not taken any reasonable steps whatsoever to verify the allegations made by anonymous bloggers.”

The archbishop, who heads Kuala Lumpur archdiocese, said the news report came after the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), one of the organisers of the meeting, refuted the bloggers’ claims.

It is clear that such reporting has the effect of inciting hatred against Christians.

Allowing debate over religious precedence IRU KLJK RI¿FH KROGHUV is disorienting.

– Archbishop Murphy Pakiam

– Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing

“The NECF has further clari¿ed that this meeting only covered the topic of ethical leadership and had no treasonous agenda as alleged by the bloggers and news report,” said Archbishop Pakiam.

“It is clear that such reporting has the effect of creating religious disharmony, inciting hatred and heaping odium on Christians,” he said. He urged the authorities to immediately make a thorough investigation of the matter.

Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing of Melaka-Johor, in a May 10 press statement, noted how a “national debate” had been stirred up in the wake of the bloggers’ claims.

“Allowing the debate over which race or religion wielded precedence in the matter of who is quali¿ed to become a holder of high of¿ce in the country is fundamentally disorienting,” said Bishop Tan, who is also president of the

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

If “we are going to be ¿xated on them, we would divert from what is more important at this stage – a person’s intellectual and moral ¿bre for high of¿ce”, he said.

He noted that a Catholic Cabinet minister in Sabah had “offered the view that there was nothing in the constitution of the country to disbar a non-Muslim from being PM >prime minister@”.

In a May 9 statement, Bishop Tan warned of the rise of a “new McCarthyism in Malaysian society” where failed politicians engage in “witch-hunts and “scaremongering” as diversions from the problem of their sinking popularity.

He said Christians will not be daunted by this development in which everyone else is blamed except those most responsible for the situation.

ASIA 9

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Thai Church builds Vietnam’s papal envoy urges bridge between govt, ‘witnessing to Good News’ community in south PATTANI, THAILAND – Commu-

nities in southern Thailand have been caught in the cross¿re of a bitter war between Thai government forces and Muslim separatist insurgents for more than a decade.

The reign of violence, which has quietly stacked up thousands of bodies since it escalated in 2001, has hampered daily life for ordinary people living on both sides of the Buddhist-Muslim religious divide which characterises the conÀict.

The Catholic Church has found a role here as mediator.

“We aim to bridge the gap between the government and the community,” says Fr Suwat, director of the Diocese Social Action Centre (DISAC) of Surat Thani.

DISAC is helping to repair relationships between alienated Thai Muslims and the national government, and to set up income generating programmes across Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces.

It runs several capacity building initiatives in the region with

the help of European Union (EU) funding and support from the Catholic Church.

Communities in the area are now bene¿ting from various projects which are simultaneously generating additional income for residents and addressing social issues arising from the conÀict.

“The key challenge is changing the mentality of people within the community who feel discriminated against and alienated by the system. We are teaching them the system because they do not know how to approach the government for help,” Father Suwat added.

His organisation is working closely with community leaders, offering training on how to approach government bodies for project funding.

Fr Suwat said there is still much work to be done. “We need more time for this ongoing work.

DISAC has been greeted well by the government and the local communities who are beginning to trust us. This is a good starting point.” UCANEWS.COM

Doctor’s TV show enters Guiness records COLOMBO – A Sri Lankan Catho-

lic doctor and member of parliament recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest-running medical advice programme on television.

Dr Ruban Canistus Jayalath Jayawardena’s programme, Vaidya Hamuwa, has been regularly broadcast for 14 years and seven months, every Thursday on the TNL private channel.

His parish priest, Fr Srilal

Fonseka, commended Dr Jayawardena’s work.

“He has run a number of free medical clinic programmes in the country and is an active member of the parish council,” said the priest of St Anne’s Church at Weligampitiya in Colombo archdiocese.

Dr Jayawrdene, 58, was elected to the Sri Lankan parliament for the opposition United National Party in 1994. UCANEWS.COM

Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli with Catholics in Can Tho diocese.

HO CHI MINH CITY – The non-res-

ident ponti¿cal representative for Vietnam has urged Catholics in Ho Chi Minh City to work for the country’s development as good citizens.

Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, during his trip to Vietnam, visited Ho Chi Minh City archdiocese and met representatives of parish councils, catechists, choirs and 25 lay apostolate associations at Notre Dame Cathedral on April 27.

“Good Catholics means good citizens,” Archbishop Girelli told the congregation. “Good Catholics love their homeland, respect laws and the government and work for a better society.”

He noted the Vietnam government should not fear the Church

but see that local Catholics’ presence and useful contributions help develop the country.

The Italian archbishop also urged Catholics to “bear witness to the Good News through your daily activities in a consumerist and materialistic society”. They should study Church teachings to deepen their faith, Archbishop Girelli said.

Mr Peter Nguyen Van Tra, a lay leader, said Archbishop Girelli’s presence in the communist country marks a crucial step in developing relations between the government, the local Church and the Vatican.

Mr Tra said local Catholics work with their clergy and Religious to build the local Church and bring Christian values to others.

Cardinal Jean Baptiste Pham Minh Man said Archbishop Girelli had met Vietnamese bishops who were attending their biannual meeting, as well as priests and Religious in the archdiocese.

Archbishop Girelli also attended a ceremony to lay the ¿rst foundation stone of the Vietnam bishops’ headquarters in the city on April 26.

During his April 8-May 1 trip to Vietnam, Archbishop Girelli also visited the southern dioceses of Can Tho, My Tho, Vinh Long, Xuan Loc. Archbishop Girelli is also Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore and Timor Leste, and Apostolic Delegate to Malaysia and Brunei.

UCANEWS.COM

10 WORLD

Sunday May 22, 2011 „ CatholicNews

(J\SWLDQ SROLFH PXVW UHVSRQG TXLFNHU WR YLROHQFH VD\V ELVKRS LONDON – Egyptian police must

act more quickly against Muslim rioters, a Catholic bishop said after 12 people were killed and two churches burned in a night of violence.

Bishop Antonios Aziz Mina of Giza said Egypt would descend into anarchy if such acts were allowed to go unpunished. “The police need to say clearly to those who have done this: ‘You cannot do this. It is not allowed,’â€? he said in a May 9 telephone interview with the British branch of Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity helping persecuted Christians. “Without action from the police and the army, it will be chaos,â€? he said. “We cannot make peace and reconciliation without Âżrst bringing people to justice,â€? he added.

Bishop Mina’s remarks followed violence in Cairo on May 7 triggered by claims that a Christian woman who wanted to convert to Islam was being held against her will in the Orthodox Church of St Mina in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba. Four imams were allowed into the church but could ¿nd no one held there.

However, a mob of about 500

SalaÂż Muslims massed outside the church before attacking it at about 5 pm. The SalaÂżs are a Muslim sect dedicated to the spread of what they believe is traditional, Orthodox Islam, including in the political life of predominantly Muslim countries.

At about 5.30 pm, the mob began shooting at Christians, and beginning at 7 pm, Âżrebombs were thrown at their homes, shops and cars. The mob also attacked the nearby Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary, according to reports.

Christians responded by hurling glass and stones at their assailants.

The army did not take control of the situation until after 10 pm, when it sealed off access roads to Christian areas and churches.

One Orthodox priest said that about six police of¿cers arrived earlier but Àed when they saw the protesters ¿ring live ammunition.

Seven Christians and Âżve Muslims were reported killed, and more than 200 others, mostly Christians, were injured.

The Egyptian army has said that 190 people were arrested and will face military trials. The military is also reported to have increased security around churches in Cairo. „ CNS

Christians clean up a Coptic Christian church on May 8 after it was set RQ ÂżUH GXULQJ clashes between 0XVOLPV DQG Christians in Cairo.

CNS photo

Catholic agencies DLG 86 à RRG YLFWLPV WASHINGTON – Catholic agencies

are assisting those who have lost their homes and possessions as the Àoodwaters of the swollen Mississippi River worked their way south.

Holy Angels Parish in the Memphis diocese has “been directly affected,� said diocesan communications director Suzanne Aviles. Another parish, Our Lady of Sorrows in Memphis, also had to close, she said. “The building itself is on top of a hill, but it is surrounded by water.�

Sr Mary Lou Stubbs, a Daughter of Charity who is director of Catholic Charities of Arkansas, said her organisation is “looking at signiÂżcant long-term recoveryâ€?. “As a team, we’re doing our specialties but we’re all coming together in disaster areas for what we call one-stop shopping – food, clothes, counselling services.â€?

As for damages to Catholic churches or properties, she said, “We’re going to have to wait until the water goes down. And it’s still rising.� „ CNS

œ&KXUFK QHHGV EORJV EORJJHUV QHHG &KXUFK¡ Bloggers share views at Vatican meeting

Catholic EORJJHUV at the May 2 PHHWLQJ CNS photo

VATICAN CITY – The Catholic Church needs active members who blog, but Catholic bloggers also need the Church, said participants at a Vatican meeting.

The May 2 meeting between the Vatican and bloggers was sponsored by the pontiÂżcal councils for culture and for social communications.

Fr Roderick Vonhogen, a Dutch priest and author of Katholiek Leven (Catholic Life), told the meeting that blogging “allows me to be a shepherd for people who need one�. “If you write a blog post and no one comments, you feel miserable ... alone and isolated,� he said. The comments let the writer and readers experience being part of a community.

But, it’s only when you have established interest and friendship that you can bring someone to faith, Fr Vonhogen said.

Elizabeth Scalia, who writes The Anchoress, said that while the mainstream media tend to view blogs as “little more than a means of self-promotion,� Catholic blogs generally are real sources of “Catholic clarity.� “The Church needs us to be where the sheep are grazing,�

Scalia said. “It needs us for evangelization. It needs us to disseminate information and often to correct information.�

But at the same time, bloggers need the Church and its pastors to remind them that God’s mercy reaches out to all people and that Jesus wants his followers to be united, she said.

Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the PontiÂżcal Council for Social Communications, welcomed the bloggers to the Vatican and told them the Vatican wanted to begin “a dialogue between faith

and the emerging culture� that is the blogosphere.

One discussion topic was the fact that blogging already is changing because, in many countries, Twitter’s 140-character messages are becoming a more popular form of communication.

Another theme involved the use on blogs of copyrighted stories and photographs taken from news sites.

Mattia Marasco, author of WikiCulture, said that while it was right to acknowledge the source of material, copyrights are “an old model for a new media.�

Mr Richard Rouse, an of¿cial at the ponti¿cal culture council, said the meeting was not aimed at developing a code of conduct, but rather to acknowledge the role of blogs in modern communications and to start a dialogue between bloggers and the Vatican. „ CNS

&RXSOH EOD]HV QHZ WUDLO LQ VWHPFHOO UHVHDUFK LOS ANGELES – Dr Eduardo Marban, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, and his wife Linda, research manager for Cedars-Sinai’s Board of Governors Heart Stem Cell Center (right), are blazing a new trail in adult cardiac stemcell research.

In a ¿rst-ever clinical trial, a small sample of a patient’s own heart tissue is used to grow specialised heart stem cells. The stem cells are then injected back into the patient’s heart in an effort to repair and re-grow healthy muscle in a heart that has been injured by heart attack.

The trial could start a new era of treating heart disease, which is the top killer of men and women in the US. If cardiac regeneration is possible, then people who suffer heart attacks might be able to

achieve greater post-heart-attack productivity and health and, for the most extreme cases, not require heart transplants.

The moral implications of the trial are also profound no embryo is

involved at any stage of the process. “I come from a culture that’s deeply Catholic,� said Dr Marban, who came to the US from Cuba with his parents when he was six. “For me, that we could develop a treatment that was not ethically problematic, that was consistent with the Hippocratic Oath and the tenets of Catholicism, was very gratifying.�

He added, “By the end of 2011, we’ll release the results of the trial. What we’re doing is still in clinical testing ... and we don’t want to raise false hopes. But we’re onto something. We’re very optimistic.�

Said his wife, Linda, “These adult stem cells are a gift that we hope will lead to long and happy lives for those living with heart disease.� „ CNS

WORLD 11

Sunday May 22, 2011 „ CatholicNews

‘Osama’s death cause for UHĂ HFWLRQ QRW UHMRLFLQJ¡ VATICAN CITY – The Vatican

said the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, a man who sowed division and hatred, should prompt serious reÀection about one’s responsibility before God, not rejoicing.

The Vatican statement on May 2 came the day after President Barack Obama announced that US forces had killed Osama in an attack on his hideout in northwest Pakistan. In several US cities, the news prompted street demonstrations and expressions of jubilation.

Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman (right), released a brief written statement reacting to the news. “Osama bin Laden, as is known, claimed responsibility for grave acts that spread division and hate among the peoples, manipulating religion to that end,� he said. “A Christian never takes

pleasure from the fact of a man’s death, but sees it as an opportunity to reÀect on each person’s responsibility, before God and humanity, and to hope and commit oneself to seeing that no event become another occasion to disseminate hate but rather to foster peace,� he said. „ CNS

&DUGLQDO VWUHVVHV LQWHUUHOLJLRXV GLDORJXH LQ 9HVDN 'D\ PHVVDJH VATICAN CITY – Interreligious dialogue is the peacemaker’s alternative to secularism and fundamentalism, a top Vatican ofÂżcial wrote in a message to Buddhists around the world. “In today’s world, marked by forms of secularism and fundamentalism that are often inimical to true freedom and spiritual values, interreligious dialogue can be the alternative choice by which we Âżnd the ‘golden way’ to live in peace and work together for the good of all,â€? said Cardinal JeanLouis Tauran, president of the PontiÂżcal Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

In a message for Vesak Day, a commemoration of the major events in the life of the Buddha, Cardinal Tauran said that when believers of different religions enter into dialogue with one another and get to know each other better, “respect for the fundamental

“Wherever religious freedom is effectively acknowledged, the dignity of the human person is respected at its roots,� the cardinal wrote in the message released by the Vatican on March 31.

Freedom, truth and peace are all related, he said. “By the sincere search for what is true and good, moral conscience and civil institutions are strengthened, and justice and peace are Âżrmly established,â€? the cardinal wrote.

Most Buddhists will celebrate Vesak Day in May. „ CNS The Vatican has issued a message to all Buddhists for their celebration.

human rights of freedom of conscience and freedom of worship� increases.

The full message is available at http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/ d o c u m e n t s / rc _ p c _ i n t e re l g _ doc_20110331_vesakh-2011_ en.html

12 WORLD

Sunday May 22, 2011 „ CatholicNews

John Paul praised for

0RUH WKDQ PLOOLRQ SHRSOH JDWKHUHG LQ DQG DURXQG WKH 9DWLFDQ IRU FHUHPRQLHV CNS photos

VATICAN CITY – Pope John Paul II

was a true believer, a courageous voice of truth, said Pope Benedict XVI during the beatiÂżcation ceremony for the late pope. “John Paul II is blessed because of his faith – a strong, generous and apostolic faith,â€? Pope Benedict said on May 1 just minutes after formally beatifying his predecessor.

Pope Benedict said that after a consultation with many bishops and faithful and a study by the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, he had decided that “the venerable servant of God, John Paul II, pope, henceforth will be called Blessedâ€? and his feast will be Oct 22, the anniversary of the inauguration of his pontiÂżcate in 1978.

Italian police said that for the beati¿cation Mass, more than 1 million people gathered in and around the Vatican, and in front of large video screens in several parts of Rome. The next morning 60,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square for a Mass in thanksgiving for the beati¿cation.

Pope Benedict ended his homily sharing his own personal story.

As prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1982 until his election in 2005, Pope Benedict worked closely with his predecessor. “His example of prayer continually impressed and ediÂżed me: he remained deeply united to God even amid the many demands of his ministry.â€?

Pope Benedict said even at the moment of his death, people “perceived the fragrance of his sanctity and in any number of

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Pope John Paul was a wonderful pope. He was like us.

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ways God’s people showed their veneration for him�.

During the Mass, a silver reliquary containing a vial of Blessed John Paul’s blood was carried up to the altar by Polish Sister Tobiana

Sobodka, who ran Pope John Paul’s household, and by French Sr Marie Simon-Pierre, who was cured of Parkinson’s disease through the late pope’s intercession.

After the Mass, Pope Benedict

’

– Isabel Marin, 16, from Madria, ZKR DWWHQGHG WKH EHDWL¿FDWLRQ FHUHPRQ\

went into St Peter’s Basilica and knelt in prayer for four minutes before Blessed John Paul’s casket, placed in front of the main altar.

After the pope left, the concelebrating cardinals Âżled up to the wooden casket, touching it lightly and kissing it.

Later, the Vatican opened the basilica to the general public and kept it open until 3 am.

The ofÂżcial celebrations began the night before with a prayer vigil at the Circus Maximus, the site of the ancient Roman racetrack.

The crowd – estimated at about 200,000 people – cheered Sr Simon-Pierre, whose cure from Parkinson’s disease was accepted „ Continued on Page 13

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WORLD 13

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

his faith WR PDUN WKH ODWH SRSH·V EHDWLÀFDWLRQ From Page 12

as the miracle that paved the way for the late pope’s beati¿cation.

She said when she was diagnosed with the disease in 2001 at the age of 40, she found it dif¿cult to watch Pope John Paul, who suffered from the same disease. “I saw in him the image of my illness. But I admired his strength and courage,” she said.

Two months after the pope died, her condition worsened.

Then, after prayers to him, she awoke early one morning feeling well rested. “I felt something had changed in me, and I was healed,” she said. The crowd in the Circus Maximus erupted in applause.

Presiding at the thanksgiving Mass on May 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, thanked God for “having given us a pope able to give the Catholic Church not only a universal reach and a moral authority on a global level like never before,” but also one who helped Catholics be “more spiritual, more biblical and more centred on the Word of God”.

Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, who was Pope John Paul’s personal secretary for nearly 40 years, noted that the late pope was declared Blessed in the same square where almost 30 years ago a Turkish gunman tried to assassinate him.

“We can never forget that 30 years ago, in this very square, he gave his blood for the cause of Christ,” Cardinal Dziwisz said.

Of the 1 million people who came for the beati¿cation events, the biggest groups were from Italy and Poland. More than 80 countries sent of¿cial delegations and most of them had at least a few pilgrims present.

Thousands spent a chilly, damp night camped out near the Vatican in an attempt to ¿nd a place in St. Peter’s Square.

Weather forecasts of a weekend of heavy rain turned into innocuous grey clouds on April 30 and then sunny skies on May 1, which many attributed to Blessed John Paul.

Isabel Marin, 16, said she and her two friends from Madrid, Spain, stayed on the street all night. Although she was only 10 when Pope John Paul died, Marin said, “our parents have told us a lot about him and told us this was a great opportunity to grow our faith”.

“Pope John Paul was a wonderful pope. He was like us. My mom showed me a video where he was watching a clown and really laughing. And I saw another video where he moved his feet when the people were singing, following the beat,” she said. CNS

Late pope’s impact will continue for centuries: biographer

Pope Benedict XVI prays at the casket of Pope John Paul II in front of the main altar in St Peter’s Basilica on May 1. A US biographer says the late pontiff’s legacy will endure for generations. CNS photo VATICAN CITY – Pope John Paul II deeply inÀuenced generations of Catholics who knew him in life, but his most enduring legacy – his teaching – is something that will continue to impact the Church for centuries, a US biographer of the late pope said.

“It’s going to be several hundred years before the Church really takes on board the breadth and depth of this man’s explication of the Gospel, and in that sense we’re going to be thinking, and arguing, about John Paul II for hundreds of years,” said George Weigel, author of the papal biographies “Witness To Hope” and “The End And The Beginning”.

Weigel said that six years after the pope’s death, his connection with young people continues to bear fruit in many ways: in priesthood vocations over the last decade, in women’s Religious orders inspired by him and in renewal movements.

“I look at my own parish in suburban Washington and see

young couples raising Catholic families, who all took some form of inspiration from John Paul II. And I suspect this is replicated all over the world,” he said in an interview four days before the beati¿cation.

Weigel said he had devoted some 15 years of his life to researching his two major biographies of the Polish pontiff. What impressed him, he said, was that the pope was an “utterly normal human being” who made himself completely open to the work of the Holy Spirit.

In that sense, Weigel said, the holiness that is being recognised at his beati¿cation is something accessible to all Christians. Throughout his life, he said, Pope John Paul was trying to ¿gure out what God was doing in his life and in the world, and to respond accordingly.

“I think everything he did, as a literary man, as a philosopher, as a priest, a bishop, a statesman, a pope, grew out of his radical Christian discipleship,” he said. CNS

14 LETTERS/OPINION

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

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DESIGN / LAYOUT: Christopher Wong: design#catholic.org.sg Elaine Ong: elong#catholic.org.sg

7KLV VHDW LV choped During Holy Week, I believe all churches in Singapore were ¿lled to capacity.

I have seen many “choping” or reserving seats for their relatives or friends, using handbags and tissue packets.

When I approached them, many said the person went to the toilet. Others said their friends were on the way.

We practise “choping” seats when we are at foodcourt, now the habit appears to have come into the Church.

John Wee

Singapore 090111

The habit of reserving seats using tissue packets appears to have entered the Church. Posed photo.

+XPDQ ÀGHOLW\ DQG *RG·V ¶VLOHQFH· THEOLOGIANS sometimes try to simplify the meaning of the resurrection by packaging its essence into one sentence: In the resurrection, God vindicated Jesus, His life, His message, and His ¿delity. What does that mean?

Jesus entered our world preaching faith, love, and forgiveness but the world didn’t accept that.

Instead it cruci¿ed him and, in that cruci¿xion, seemingly shamed His message. We see this most clearly on the cross when Jesus is taunted, mocked, and challenged: If you are the son of God, come down from there! If your message is true, let God verify that right now!

If your ¿delity is more than plain stubbornness and human ignorance then why are you dying in shame?

And what was God’s response to those taunts? Nothing, no commentary, no defence, no apologia, no counter-challenge, just silence. Jesus dies in silence. Neither He nor the God He believed in tried to ¿ll that excruciating void with any consoling words or explanations challenging people to look at the bigger picture or to look at the brighter side of things. None of that. Just silence.

Jesus died in silence, inside God’s silence and inside the world’s incomprehension. And we can let ourselves be humbly scandalised by that silence, just as we can let ourselves be perpetually scandalised by the seeming triumph of evil, pain, and suffering in our world.

God’s silence can forever scandalise us: in the Jewish holocaust, in ethnic genocides, in brutal and senseless wars, in the earthquakes and tsunamis which kill thousands of people and devastate whole countries, in the deaths of countless people taken out of this life by cancer and by violence, in how unfair life can be sometimes, and in the casual manner that those without conscience can rape whole areas of life seemingly without consequence.

Where is God in all of this? What’s God’s answer?

God’s answer is in the resurrection, in the resurrection of Jesus and in the perennial resurrection of goodness within life itself. But resurrection is not necessarily rescue. God doesn’t necessarily rescue us from the effects of evil, or even from death. Evil does what it does, natural disasters are what they are, and those without conscience can rape even as they feed off life’s sacred ¿re.

God doesn’t intervene. The parting of the Red Sea isn’t a weekly occurrence. God lets His loved ones suffer and die, just as Jesus let His dear friend, Lazarus, die and God let Jesus die. God redeems, raises us up afterwards, in a deeper more lasting vindication. And the truth of that statement can even be tested empirically.

Despite every appearance sometimes, in the end, love does triumph over hatred. Peace does triumph over chaos. Forgiveness does triumph over bitterness. Hope does triumph over cynicism. Fidelity does triumph over despair. Virtue does triumph over sin. Conscience does triumph over callousness. Life does triumph over death. And good does triumph over evil, always. Mohandas K. Gandhi once wrote: “When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always.”

The resurrection, most forcibly, makes that point. God has the last word. The resurrection of Jesus is that last word. From the ashes of shame, of seeming defeat, failure, and death, a new deeper, and eternal life perennially bursts forth. Our faith begins at the very point where it seems it might end, in God’s seeming silence at Jesus’ death.

And what does this ask of us?

First of all, simply that we trust its truth. The resurrection of Jesus asks us to believe what Gandhi af¿rmed, namely, that in the end, evil will not have the last word. It will fall. Good will eventually triumph.

More deeply, it asks us to roll the dice of our lives on that trust and that truth: What Jesus taught is true: Virtue is not nawve, even when it is shamed. Sin and cynicism are nawve, even when they appear to triumph.

Those who genuÀect before God and others in conscience will ¿nd meaning and joy, even when they are deprived of the world’s pleasures.

Those who drink in and manipulate sacred energy without conscience will not ¿nd meaning and life, even when they taste pleasure.

Those who live in honesty, no matter the cost, will ¿nd freedom. Those who lie and rationalise will ¿nd themselves imprisoned in self-hate.

Those who live in trust will ¿nd love. God’s silence can be trusted, even when we die inside of it.

We can live in faith, love, forgiveness, conscience, and ¿delity in spite of everything that suggests that they aren’t true. They will bring us to what is deepest inside of life and love because God vindicates virtue. God vindicates love. God vindicates conscience. God vindicates forgiveness. God vindicates ¿delity. God vindicated Jesus and will vindicate us if we remain faithful as Jesus did.

VOCATIONS 15

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Vocations in the local Church Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The 48th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated on 15 May 2011, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, invites us to reÀect on the theme: “Proposing Vocations in the Local Church”. Seventy years ago, Venerable Pius XII established the Ponti¿cal Work of Priestly Vocations. Similar bodies, led by priests and members of the lay faithful, were subsequently established by Bishops in many dioceses as a response to the call of the Good Shepherd who, “when he saw the crowds, had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd”, and went on to say: “The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest!” (Mt 9:36-38).

The work of carefully encouraging and supporting vocations ¿nds a radiant source of inspiration in those places in the Gospel where Jesus calls his disciples to follow him and trains them with love and care. We should pay close attention to the way that Jesus called his closest associates to proclaim the Kingdom of God (cf. Lk 10:9). In the ¿rst place, it is clear that the ¿rst thing he did was to pray for them: before calling them, Jesus spent the night alone in prayer, listening to the will of the Father (cf. Lk 6:12) in a spirit of interior detachment from mundane concerns. It is Jesus’ intimate conversation with the Father which results in the calling of his disciples.

Vocations to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life are ¿rst and foremost the fruit of constant contact with the living God and insistent prayer lifted up to the “Lord of the harvest”, whether in parish communities, in Christian families or in groups speci¿cally devoted to prayer for vocations.

At the beginning of his public life, the Lord called some ¿shermen on the shore of

the Sea of Galilee: “Follow me and I will make you ¿shers of men” (Mt 4:19). He revealed his messianic mission to them by the many “signs” which showed his love for humanity and the gift of the Father’s mercy.

Through his words and his way of life he prepared them to carry on his saving work. Finally, knowing “that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father” (Jn 13:1), he entrusted to them the memorial of his death and resurrection, and before ascending into heaven he sent them out to the whole world with the command: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).

It is a challenging and uplifting invitation that Jesus addresses to those to whom he says: “Follow me!”. He invites them to become his friends, to listen attentively to his word and to live with him. He teaches them complete commitment to God and to the extension of his kingdom in accordance with the law of the Gospel: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit ” (Jn 12:24).

He invites them to leave behind their own narrow agenda and their notions of selfful¿lment in order to immerse themselves in another will, the will of God, and to be guided by it. He gives them an experience of fraternity, one born of that total openness to God (cf. Mt 12:49-50) which becomes the hallmark of the community of Jesus: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).

It is no less challenging to follow Christ today.

It means learning to

keep our gaze ¿xed on Jesus, growing close to him, listening to his word and encountering him in the sacraments; it means learning to conform our will to his. This requires a genuine school of formation for all those who would prepare themselves for the ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life under the guidance of the competent ecclesial authorities. The Lord does not fail to call people at every stage of life to share in his mission and to serve the Church in the ordained ministry and in the consecrated life.

The Church is “called to safeguard this gift, to esteem it and love it. She is responsible for the birth and development of priestly vocations” (John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, 41).

Particularly in these times, when the voice of the Lord seems to be drowned out by “other voices” and his invitation to follow him by the gift of one’s own life may seem too dif¿cult, every Christian community, every member of the Church, needs consciously to feel responsibility for promoting vocations. It is important to encourage and support those who show clear signs of a call to priestly life and religious consecration, and to enable hem to feel the warmth of the whole community as they respond “yes” to God and the Church.

I encourage them, in the same words which I addressed to those who have already chosen to enter the seminary: “You have done a good thing. Because people will always have need of God, even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalization: they will always need the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, the God who gathers us together in the universal Church in or-

der to learn with him and through him life’s true meaning and in order to uphold and apply the standards of true humanity” (Letter to Seminarians, 18 October 2010).

It is essential that every local Church become more sensitive and attentive to the pastoral care of vocations, helping children and young people in particular at every level of family, parish and associations – as Jesus did with his disciples – to grow into a genuine and affectionate friendship with the Lord, cultivated through personal and liturgical prayer; to grow in familiarity with the sacred Scriptures and thus to listen attentively and fruitfully to the word of God; to understand that entering into God’s will does not crush or destroy a person, but instead leads to the discovery of the deepest truth about ourselves; and ¿nally to be generous and fraternal in relationships with others, since it is only in being open to the love of God that we discover true joy and the ful¿lment of our aspirations.

“Proposing Vocations in the Local Church” means having the courage, through an attentive and suitable concern for vocations, to point out this challenging way of following Christ which, because it is so rich in meaning, is capable of engaging the whole of one’s life.

I address a particular word to you, my dear brother Bishops. To ensure the continuity and growth of your saving mission in Christ, you should “foster priestly and religious vocations as much as possible, and should take a special interest in missionary vocations” (Christus Dominus, 15). The Lord needs you to cooperate with him in ensuring that his call reaches the hearts of those whom he has chosen.

Choose carefully those who work in the Diocesan Vocations Of¿ce, that valuable means for the promotion and organization of the pastoral care of vocations and the prayer which sustains it and guarantees Continued on Page 16

16 VOCATIONS

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Hallmark of Church’s vitality From Page 15

its effectiveness. I would also remind you, dear brother Bishops, of the concern of the universal Church for an equitable distribution of priests in the world. Your openness to the needs of dioceses experiencing a dearth of vocations will become a blessing from God for your communities and a sign to the faithful of a priestly service that generously considers the needs of the entire Church.

The Second Vatican Council explicitly reminded us that “the duty of fostering vocations pertains to the whole Christian community, which should exercise it above all by a fully Christian life” (Optatam Totius, 2). I wish, then, to say a special word of acknowledgment and encouragement to those who work closely in various ways with the priests in their parishes.

In particular, I turn to those who can offer a speci¿c contribution

to the pastoral care of vocations: to priests, families, catechists and leaders of parish groups.

I ask priests to testify to their communion with their bishop and their fellow priests, and thus to provide a rich soil for the seeds of a priestly vocation. May families be “animated by the spirit of faith and love and by the sense of duty” (Optatam Totius, 2) which is capable of helping children to welcome generously the call to priesthood and to religious life. May catechists and leaders of Catholic groups and ecclesial movements, convinced of their educational mission, seek to “guide the young people entrusted to them so that these will recognize and freely accept a divine vocation” (ibid.).

Dear brothers and sisters, your commitment to the promotion and care of vocations becomes most signi¿cant and pastorally effective when carried out in the unity of the Church and in the service of

communion. For this reason, every moment in the life of the Church community – catechesis, formation meetings, liturgical prayer, pilgrimages – can be a precious opportunity for awakening in the People of God, and in particular in children and young people, a sense of belonging to the Church and of responsibility for answering the call to priesthood and to religious life by a free and informed decision.

The ability to foster vocations is a hallmark of the vitality of a local Church. With trust and perseverance let us invoke the aid of the Virgin Mary, that by the example of her own acceptance of God’s saving plan and her powerful intercession, every community will be more and more open to saying “yes” to the Lord who is constantly calling new labourers to his harvest. With this hope, I cordially impart to all my Apostolic Blessing.

Archbishop Chia’s message for Vocations Sunday

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: What does it mean to be a priest or a consecrated person?

Pope Benedict XVI has described priesthood and the consecrated life as identifying with Christ as “a witness to the absolute primacy of God in human life and history.”

The Holy Father explains that priests and consecrated persons have the ability to draw those around them closer to God, noting that “every priest, every consecrated person, faithful to his or her vocation, radiates the joy of serving Christ and draws all Christians to respond to the universal call to holiness.”

What an amazing feeling to answer God’s call! It is freeing to one’s mind and one’s soul.

Dear young people, Christ invites you to listen to his teachings and ¿x your eyes on his face. Our Blessed Mother Mary encourages you to follow Him. She speaks to you as she spoke to the stewards at the wedding feast in Cana: “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).

Be generous, and you can be sure that God will not be outdone in generosity towards you.

There are many in the world and around us who are living in darkness and sin, living meaningless and even destructive lives.

They need the light of the Gospel to give meaning to their lives.

Those who are poor, sick, elderly and rejected by society need assistance and compassion.

You will ¿nd great ful¿lment

when you share the Good News with others and help them to ¿nd meaning in their lives. You will enjoy peace and joy when you are able to help others to experience the love and compassion of Christ, a peace and joy that the world cannot give, a peace and joy which only God can give.

A vocation is a call, an invitation to serve the Lord. Let us pray that more young men and women will hear and generously respond to the call of the Lord, “Come, follow Me!” Let us pray that those whom the Lord has chosen and called will be faithful and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, to which they consecrated their existence.

Fill them with your Spirit of fortitude and prudence so that they may be able to discover the full truth about themselves and their own vocation.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in addition to your prayers for vocations in the Catholic Church, I exhort you to join the Vocation Promotion Team in your parish and to join the Serra Club of our Archdiocese, which fosters and promotes vocations.

May Jesus waken in the hearts of young people the desire to be witnesses to the power of His love in the world today.

Yours devotedly in Christ,

Archbishop Nicholas Chia

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

VOCATIONS 17

18 VOCATIONS

Sunday May 22, 2011 „ CatholicNews

The life of a disciple begins with a call From Abraham to Peter, Andrew, James, and John to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and extending to us, Scripture reveals that nothing is so life changing as the call that originates in God.

By Fr Donald Senior, CP THE most basic meaning of vocation is not deÂżned by any speciÂżc role or function but is something far greater, something written on a vast canvas. It is pure gift, with God as its author and life as its subject.

This call is not Âżrst and foremost to a particular role in life but more – it is a call to seek the face of God, a call to holiness and the fullness of life itself. This is the endpoint of the biblical quest: to see the face of God and live. It is for this that we are called, all of us as part of the human family, and surely all of us as part of the Church. “Callâ€? is not peripheral to Scripture but essential to the Bible’s understanding of human existence before God. Who can forget in the opening chapters of Mark and Matthew’s Gospels those encounters by the Sea of Galilee?

Fishermen Simon and Andrew casting their nets in the sea; James, son of Zebedee, and John his brother, sitting in their boat mending their nets – they have no inkling of what is about to happen to them, something that will change their lives forever. Jesus, walking by the sea, calls to them, “Come, follow me and I will make you Âżsh for peopleâ€? (Mark 1:16-20).

They drop their nets and leave their father and his workers behind in the boat where they’d been sitting.

The Bible offers many other stories, like the story of Peter’s call renewed, which appears at the end of John’s Gospel. It is perhaps the most exquisite story in all the New Testament. DeÀated disciples ¿sh listlessly. On the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a ¿gure appears with a charcoal ¿re burning – it is someone unknown but hauntingly familiar. He issues directions on where to ¿sh, and the ¿shermen haul in an abundant catch, which prompts a heart-pounding recognition.

Peter, knowing who awaits him, plunges into the sea and swims ashore. Sharing a breakfast of bread and Âżsh by the sea, the strain of joy and shame is about to burst within him.

And then comes the moment of reconciliation: “Simon Peter, do you love me more than these?� Peter undergoes the threefold question in order to heal the breach of his threefold betrayal.

Then Jesus invites him, “Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.� Peter’s

discipleship is restored, his call renewed.

In these and many other biblical stories where Jesus calls disciples we ¿nd certain basic qualities: „ They make abundantly clear that the life of discipleship begins not with a choice but with a call. Jesus’ authority and his alone is the source of that call. It comes unexpectedly and without warning. „ Most of the stories also make it clear that the call is foremost a call to follow after Jesus.

The focal point is the person of Christ. The disciples follow after Jesus, not ahead of him and not even alongside him. Jesus is out in front of his community; the disciples follow behind, often in confusion and fear. „ But there is something more in the content of the call.

Jesus says, “I will make you Âżsh – for people.â€? The disciples who are called to follow Jesus will be plunged into the work of transforming Israel, of renewing the covenant community, of establishing the kingdom, of healing and exorcism and teaching just as Jesus was. And their destiny would be to encounter the withering power of alienation and death in Jerusalem just as he would. „ Most of all, the stories make clear, the disciples’ lives would never be the same. They leave their boats and their families, and new allegiances would be required.

These stories remind us that responding to God’s vocation requires conversion and lifelong personal transformation. It is not by accident that the most pervasive biblical symbol for describing the life of faith is that of the journey.

All of Israel’s history is cast as a long and often tortuous journey of faith: from the ¿rst stirrings of Abraham’s trek into the pastures of Canaan through the exodus from Egypt and the journey to the promised land, from the wrenching experience of exile to a muted and hope-¿lled return to the land of Judah.

And so, too, is the life and mission of Jesus cast as a long journey, beginning in the bursting energy of His ministry in Galilee and then the ominous and purposeful journey to Jerusalem where He would meet His destiny in death and resurrection.

Response to God’s call is not an instantaneous or static reality but one that unfolds over time and one that must endure the rigours of the march to Jerusalem, a jour-

Men prostrate themselves in front of the altar during their priestly ordination in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

ney that often involves challenge, fatigue and failure. Each one of us has received a call. Our biblical heritage gives us the means to understand that call and to respond in faith. „ Fr Donald Senior, CP, is president of the Catholic Theological Union in &KLFDJR D PHPEHU RI WKH 3RQWL¿FDO Biblical Commission, and author of many books and articles on Scripture.

God’s call is not foremost to a particular role in life but more – it is a call to seek the fullness of life itself.

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

VOCATIONS 19

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Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

VOCATIONS 21

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Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

Engaging mind, heart in discernment

By Sr Joan Roccasalvo, CSJ Discerning one’s vocation differs from choosing a career that generates income allowing us to care for responsibilities and future planning. A vocation stems from one’s desire to derive meaning and purpose in life and to share these goals with others.

The call to the sacrament of matrimony, for example, is a choice for lifelong togetherness with a spouse. One’s full affectivity is exclusively focused on one person; it is particular and prior to all other loves.

This commitment shares the totality of one’s life with one husband or wife. Atypical are times of separation due to professional demands. Together the two live out the universal vocation to holiness, and sexual intimacy is part of the sacramental experience.

Husband and wife build up the domestic church.

In contrast to the sacrament of matrimony, the vocation to consecrated life chooses “the world for a wedding ring”, the title of a poem by the Jesuit Fr Daniel Berrigan. This commitment is not particularly or exclusively focused on one person. The vow of celibacy publicly professes that the heart, the seat of affectivity, is

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committed to all.

Consecrated Religious are totally free for others, for a world that awaits their unencumbered attention.

The process of discernment begins and ends in prayer. The process remains incomplete without asking for the Spirit’s wisdom.

Discernment engages the whole person: body and mind, heart, memory, imagination, gifts and limitations. It is based on a felt experience of what that person senses in prayer and is moved in prayer.

One way to discern a Religious calling is to walk metaphor-

ically in the shoes of a Religious man or woman for a few weeks: What do I notice? Is this a good ¿t? Despite my admiration for married life, would I grow in affective universal love as a celibate person?

Would I be happy as a consecrated Religious? Could I live

with a vow of poverty, whose essence is to be free of worldly possessions and the yearning for them? Could I live with a vow of obedience? Am I an emotionally independent person?

Consecrated Religious live within various concentric circles of relationality, the ¿rst of which is their religious institute.

For them, these circles of companionship help to lighten dif¿culties that are bound to come.

No vocation can promise utopia. But the cares related to all vocational choices bring the necessary graces to cope with them.

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Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

3 questions for vocational discernment

By Edward P. Hahnenberg

Vocational discernment involves coming to know not only the God who made me, but also the ‘me’ whom God has made. &16 ¿OH SKRWR

Discernment is the process of ¿nding God’s will in our lives. It is the process of listening for and responding to God’s call. It is the process of discovering one’s vocation.

Theologian Fr Michael Himes boils down the dif¿cult work of vocational discernment to three simple questions.

First, what gives me joy?

Joy is not the same thing as happiness.

Happiness comes and goes. It depends on many factors external to us and beyond our control.

Joy speaks to a deeper reality, an abiding sense of consolation and peace. It is not what “feels good”. It is what “feels right” when I stand openly and honestly before God. Second, what am I good at? Vocational discernment involves coming to know not only the God who made me, but also the “me” whom God has made: What are my interests and abilities? What are my strengths and limitations?

Here friends can help. Often they see those gifts in us that we don’t see ourselves, challenging us to put them to use.

Finally, what is the need? How might my particular talents help the people around me and serve society at large?

Theologian and author Frederick Buechner called vocation the place where our “deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”.

Made in the image of a loving God, we were created to love. And each of us was created to love in our own way.

There is no question that the world needs us. Suffering is great. Sin is real. We are always tempted to turn away from our neighbours in need. But doing so is to deny what we were born to do: love.

The great spiritual writer Thomas Merton once wrote, “For me to be a saint means to be myself.” To be a saint is not to imitate someone else’s ideal. Rather, it is to throw off what Merton called the “false self” of sin and strive to love others in a way that no one else can.

To do so is to embrace one’s true self, that beautiful “me” that God always wanted. CNS Hahnenberg is associate professor of theology at Xavier University, Cincinnati, USA.

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Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

ARCHBISHOP’S MESSAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES

The importance of quality family time International Day of Families is celebrated by the United Nations on 15 May each year to highlight the importance of the family as the fundamental unit of a society.

It has long been a fact that happy and productive adults are the result of their parents spending time with them. However, in today’s world of constant media bombardment, high stress and longer working hours, families are ¿nding it more challenging to spend “quality time” together on a regular basis.

I recently observed a family having dinner at a hawker centre.

Each member of the family was engaged with his or her respective electronic device – parents and children either tapping away on mobile devices or connected to earphones. The table was silent.

A study conducted in 2009 by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) showed that when families ate dinner together at least three times a week, and without the distraction of handheld devices, their children were less likely to become involved with drugs and alcohol.

Thus, being present at the same table is not enough. The real “magic” of the family dinner comes from stimulating discussions that serve to strengthen family bonds.

The family meal is an excellent opportunity to discuss issues, make plans, and learn about one another’s interests in a non-judgemental way. It is also the perfect time to talk about values and the Christian faith, sharing stories from the Bible and one’s own experience.

My dear brothers and sisters, on Sunday May 15th, I ask that you set aside quality time with your family, using your time not only to reconnect with your chil-

By Anne Lim

Reading the Bible to your children is a useful way of celebrating International Day of Families.

dren, spouses, parents or siblings but also to explore the Catholic faith together as a family. In addition to sharing a meal together, I offer the following suggestions on ways to celebrate the International Day of Families this year: 1. Read the Bible together. If you have young children, read a Children’s Bible or watch a DVD that will help relay the Bible stories in a way that is engaging to young children.

Afterwards, discuss what you have read or watched, bringing the story into the modern-day context. What would Jesus do or say today? Could Jesus be walking among us in His disguise?

2. Initiate a family discussion that explores ways that your family can assist others by taking action through volunteerism or almsgiving.

3. Pray together, remembering family members who are far away or who have become alienated from the Catholic faith.

4. Go for a walk together or spend an afternoon at the park

with a picnic and games. Meaningful discussions can happen naturally when family members are relaxed and having fun!

5. Plan a “family night” where you stay in and play games or just watch a movie together with the phone and computer turned off.

Marriage and the family is a vocation to build the Kingdom of God. The family has been and continues to be God’s salvation plan. Listening with an open mind and heart and without judgment is the key.

Seek ¿rst to understand before being understood. In this way, your family will grow strong, being able to withstand hardships together.

Children will become good citizens and examples for all to follow.

The emotional and social bene¿ts that come from families spending quality time together are priceless. May International Day of Families be a special day for you and your family, and may you keep the feeling alive all year long!

Yours in Christ, Archbishop Nicholas Chia

Archdiocesan family resources Family Life Society: To promote a deep understanding and reverence for marriage, family and human life. Tel: 6488 0278; Website: www.familylife.sg Choice: A weekend stay-in programme for young adults aged 18 to 40, with the aim of discovering self and the importance of relationships within the family, with friends and the larger community.

Tel: 9046 2297/9685 9416; Website: www.choice.org.sg Engaged Encounter (EE): A marriage preparation stay-in programme for couples planning to get married. Suitable also for couples who wish to know one another better. Tel: 6782 3912; Website: www.catholic.sg/ceespore Marriage Preparation Course (MPC): A six-weekend

Easter and the VLJQLÀFDQFH RI the creation story

programme for couples preparing for marriage. Tel: 9848 2864; Website: www.catholic.sg/MPC Natural Family Planning (NFP): A natural form of fertility awareness based on a woman’s menstrual cycle to postpone and achieve pregnancy. Tel: 9106 1990; Website: www.catholic.sg/nfp Couple Empowerment Programme (CEP): Helping newlywed couples understand common issues and build emotionally intelligent marriages and families. Tel: 9787 9705; Website: http://www. freewebs.com/cep_singapore/ Marriage Encounter (ME): A stay-in weekend for happily married couples to enrich their coupleness and family life through the use of various “tools” of communication. Tel: 9670

5390; Website: http://www.marriage-encounter-sg.org/ Couples for Christ (CFC): A family life renewal programme for married couples, youth and children. Tel: 6284 1880; Website: www.cfc.org.sg Retrouvaille: A lifeline for troubled and hurting marriages. If you are serious about making your marriage work, this programme could be worthwhile for you. Tel: 6749 8861; Website: http://www. helpourmarriage.sg/ Beginning Experience (BE): A ministry to widowed, divorced and separated individuals to facilitate the resolution of the grief surrounding the end of a marriage/relationship and to promote healing. Tel: 9647 9122; Website: http://www.besingapore.com/

Why do so many people resist the call to make ecological amends?

Why is the call to act, to take steps to protect creation, so woefully unheeded?

The attitude that many Christians (that includes us Catholics) appear to adopt is one akin to passive resistance. But, as the saying goes, “What you resist persists”.

We can pretend all we like, but the truth will never go away.

For our Church, the call has never been clearer. Pope Benedict XVI, in his Holy Saturday homily, brought to light the deep signi¿cance of the sacred scriptural account of creation during the Easter Vigil.

The creation story, we are told, is not about “the external processes by which the cosmos and man himself came into being”.

Rather, the Fathers of our Church understood that the creation story served to point “towards the essential, towards the true beginning and end of our being”.

What does that mean?

To help us understand this better, the pope asked, “Is it really important to speak also of creation during the Easter Vigil?” Why not begin with “events in which God calls man, forms a people for himself and creates his history with men upon the earth?”

The answer is a yes to the former and no to the latter.

“To omit the creation would be to misunderstand the very history of God with men, to diminish it, to lose sight of its true order of greatness,” said the pope. “The sweep of history established by God reaches back to the origins, back to creation.”

In addition, says the pope, when we recite the Credo, we begin with: “We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth”. Our Church wants to bring

“man into contact with God and thus with the source of all things”.

“Therefore we relate to God as Creator, and so we have a responsibility for creation.”

In his 2007 Easter Sunday homily, Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien also urged Catholics to be good stewards of the Earth. He too spoke of how, at Easter, “the wonders and the beauty of creation are brought into the heart of our church and our liturgy”.

As carers of the earth, he asked, “What do we learn from the Risen Christ of how to exercise our call to be at the service of the planet? What do we learn from the ¿rst witnesses to the resurrection of how to live our lives fully and responsibly?”

Let us ask: How far removed am I from living the simple life?

The answer here is simple but not easily put into practice for us who live the afÀuent life.

“Quite simply, we must learn to live simply. By living simply we will do all that our Easter faith demands of us,” said the cardinal.

I am heartened by our pope’s words, that to be a person of faith is to embrace our human nature in its entirety – from our “origins” to our “eternal destiny”.

And from Cardinal O’Brien, we draw inspiration to pause in our busy lives, and ask ourselves: How far removed am I from living the simple life? Each of us knows in our heart just what steps can be taken, on the individual as well as community level. We can take one step at a time.

The writer is a parishioner of the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary with a special interest in spiritual ecology

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Sunday May 22, 2011 „ CatholicNews

Sunday May 22, 2011 „ CatholicNews

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Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

CHILDREN’S STORY:

By Joe Sarnicola WHILE Jesus was having dinner with his apostles, he said to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.

You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my father’s housethere are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ... Where (I) am going you know the way.”

Thomas, who was always one to ask questions, said, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”

Jesus replied, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Then Philip spoke. “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

Shaking his head as he spoke, Jesus answered, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?” Then Jesus addressed all of his friends. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?”

Jesus explained that he speaks the words his Father gives him and that the Father works through him.

Then he said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glori¿ed in

SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS:

John Baptist Rossi JOHN BAPTIST ROSSI (1698-1764) became a servant in the house of a nobleman when he was 10 years old. In the three years he was with the family, he earned their respect, but he also impressed two Capuchin friars who visited the nobleman.

John was invited to enter the Roman College because of his uncle’s inÀuence and the recommendations of the friars. He excelled as a student, but his commitment to denying the pleasures and care of the body became extreme and his health became poor. He had to leave the college as a result.

Although he completed his studies later on, his health never fully recovered. He was ordained at the age of 23 and devoted much of his time to caring for patients in hospitals. He also taught a course for prison of¿cers begun by Pope Benedict XIV. We honour him May 23.

the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

Jesus told his apostles that after he left them to be with his Father, he would send a helper to them. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name – he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you.”

Then Jesus offered a blessing to his friends and apostles, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to

you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

READ MORE ABOUT IT: John 14

Q&A 1. How did Jesus answer Thomas’ question?

2. Who did Jesus say he would send as a helper?

WORDSEARCH z APOSTLES z TROUBLED z THOMAS z FATHER z PHILIP z AMEN z BLESSING z FRIENDS z ADVOCATE

BIBLE ACCENT:

z WAY

IN ORDER to study the Bible or to ¿nd speci¿c passages more easily, scholars have divided the books of the Bible into numbered chapters and verses. If your teacher wrote John 3:16 on the board, you would know that means the Gospel of John, Chapter 3, Verse 16.

The books of the Bible also have been collected into various categories.

In the Old Testament, there are the books of law (also called the Pentateuch), followed by the historical books, the books of poetry and the prophets.

The New Testament begins with the Gospels, one book of history, the epistles (or letters) of Paul, the general epistles and the Book of Revelation. We should make ourselves familiar with the books of the Bible because the Bible is God’s word to us.

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1. John, Matthew, Paul. (Gospels) 2. Exodus, Kings, Genesis. (Books of law) 3. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Proverbs. (Books of prophecy) 4. Adam, Moses, Eve. (The first two people) 5. Last, New, Old. (Biblical Testaments) 6. Saul, David, Jacob. (Kings of Israel) 7. Deacons, lectors, priests. (Holy orders)

Answer to Wordsearch:

In each of the questions below, one word or name does not belong with the other two. Using the hints, cross out the incorrect words:

Answer to Bible Trivia: Four.

How many books of the New Testament are named after John?

PUZZLE:

Puzzle: 1. Paul, 2. Kings, 3. Proverbs, 4. Moses, 5. Last, 6. Jacob, 7. Lectors.

BIBLE TRIVIA:

z LIFE

WHAT’S ON 29

Sunday May 22, 2011 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 EVERY FRIDAY 7.30-8.30pm: Do you want to fall in love with God, Mary and the Catholic Church?

Sessions with Victor and Vivienne.

Church of the Holy Spirit (Room 03-02) LUNCH TIME MASS 12.15pm: The Catholic Prayer Society brings the celebration of the Eucharist to you in the midst of your busy week on Wednesdays and Days of Obligation at SGH Campus, Medical Alumni Association, Level 1 MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSE 2011 July 10 and Oct 9. Couples getting married should attend the course at least 6 months before the wedding. Allocation of places on a ¿rst-come-¿rst-served basis.

T: 9114 2862; E: mpcsingapore@gmail. com;W: www.catholic.org.sg/mpc May 15 CATHOLIC SINGLES EVENT AT ST JOSEPH CHURCH (VICTORIA ST) 10am: Calling all singles to attend Mass at St Joseph Church Victoria Street. Meet at church canteen. Proceed for lunch fellowship after Mass. Do invite your single friends to join.

RCIY/RCIA A journey in faith for those seeking to know more about the Catholic faith.

Baptised Catholics are also invited to journey as sponsors.

Wednesdays and Sundays RCIA@CHURCH OF HOLY FAMILY Every Wednesday 7.30-9.30pm and Sunday 11am-12.30pm (from June).

T: 9666 6542 Thursdays from May 19 RCIA@CHURCH OF ST STEPHEN 7.30-9pm: Awareness night on May 19.

T: 9757 2102 (Peter); E: pthien88@ yahoo.com Fridays from May 20 RCIA JOURNEY 25 @ QUEEN OF PEACE 7.45 pm: T: 9030 9527 (Martin); E: admin@queenofpeace.sg Tuesdays from May 24 RCIA@CHURCH OF ST BERNADETTE 8-9.30pm: T: 9060 0789 (Janice), E: st.bern_rcia@yahoo.com.sg;

May 15 CHILL OUT WITH WOMEN RELIGIOUS 2-5pm: Inviting single women aged 23-35 years on the occasion of World Vocations Sunday to meet women Religious and ¿nd out more about Religious life. By Women Religious Vocation Team. At Church of the Holy Spirit. T: 9362 5408 (Sr Angeline); E: wrvocationteam@gmail.com May 15 ST JOSEPH TAMIL PRAYER GROUP 4.45pm: Celebrating the 5th anniversary of Divine Mercy prayers and 32nd anniversary of St Joseph prayers. At Blessed Sacrament Church (Damien Centre, St James Room, 3rd Floor). With 7pm Mass in church. All are welcome.

May 17 HEART ISSUES, HARD DECISIONS 2: SUB-FERTILITY OPTIONS FOR CATHOLIC COUPLES 1-4pm: Many Catholic couples are aware that IVF is not allowed by the Church.

This forum explores the effective and ethical options available. By Catholic Medical Guild. At Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre (2 Highland Rd, St Paul Auditorium). Register name and contact number. E: heartissues.harddecisions@ gmail.com May 17 WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER 32ND ANNIVERSARY MASS 10am-1pm: Marriage – God’s Call to Holiness. Come celebrate your marriage vocation with your family and

Registration forms at parish of¿ce or W: http://www.stbernadette.org.sg Thursdays from May 26 RCIA@CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 8-10pm: At 248 Upper Thomson Rd. T: 9010 2829 (Kim Ho); E: kim_f_ho@ yahoo.com; W: http://www.holyspirit.sg Tuesdays from May 31 RCIA@CHURCH OF STS PETER AND PAUL 7.30-9.30pm: At 225A Queen St. T: 9796 1288 (Allen), 9753 6863 (Joanna); E: sppsingapore@gmail.com ; W: http://www.sppchurch.org.sg/ Tuesdays from June 14 RCIA@ CHURCH OF ST IGNATIUS 8-10pm: 120 King’s Road. All sessions conducted by Fr Philip Heng, SJ. T: 9630-8346, E: tehjo@yahoo.com; W: http://www.stignatius.org.sg Wednesdays from June 29 RCIA@CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY 7.45pm: Hall A/B, 24 Highland Rd).

T: 9627 3835 (Nancy); E: rcia@ihm.sg; W: http://www.ihm.sg/rcia

community. Mass followed by lunch reception. By Marriage Encounter Singapore. At Church of St Vincent de Paul. T: 6726 2133 (Dominic/Flora); W: http://www.MEsingapore.org Fridays, May 20 and 27 DIVINE MERCY PRAYER 7-9.45pm: Divine Mercy Devotion followed by faith stories. At Peter Donders Rm, Novena Church .T: 91859675 (Johnny) E: ndavidik@hotmail.com W: http://¿shersomen.donumcristi.com Sunday May 22 to Saturday May 28 WEEK OF GUIDED PRAYER@ CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Learn to listen to God through Scripture.

Taster afternoon on Sunday to introduce prayer methods – Ignatian Contemplation and Lectio Divina and to meet prayer guide. One hour personal prayer time from Monday to Friday and then meet prayer guide in church for half-hour at most. Closing session on Saturday.

At Church of the Holy Spirit.

E: sojourners@catholic.org.sg; W: http://www.catholic.org.sg/sojourners

Blessed Sacrament. T: 9385 3381 (Richard), 9239 5562 (Anne); E: bsc.alpha@gmail. com; W: http://www.alpha-bsc.

Mercy (19 Pasir Ris St. 72) Register at http://www.catholic.org.sg/events E:communications@catholic.org.sg

Friday, May 27 LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME 7.45pm. All children, parents and catechists are invited to come and pray before the Blessed Sacrament for yourselves and your families at Church of the Holy Spirit.

E: childreneucharisticadora@gmail.com

June 15 to 17 HOLY TRINITY CHURCH TRIDUUM 8-10pm: 3 day triduum talks by Fr Bernard Teo CSsR, based on the parish feast day theme of We Are One. June 15 - We Are One with Christ. June 16 - We Are One as a Family. June 17 - We Are One as a Community. All are welcome.

June 3 to 5 MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND 8pm (Fri) - 6.30 pm (Sun): Marriage enrichment programme for couples married for 2 or more years. ME House, Punggol Seventeenth Avenue E: register@marriage-encounter-sg.org; W: www.MESingapore.org; T: 9670 5390 (Vincent & Julyn)

Sundays, June 19 to July 17 2011 SE7EN 2- 4.30pm: Discover the role you are meant to play in God’s plan for you.

Includes a stay-in weekend retreat from June 24-June 26. At Church of St Francis Xavier. Those aged 21-35 years welcomed. Cost: $80. To register, send your contact details to se7en.eleven@ hotmail.sg . T: 9794 9859 (Joshua).

Search for us on Facebook: se7eneleven.

June 4 and 11 DISCOVERING SPIRITUALITY IN ART 2-5pm: An invitation to participants to experience their own spirituality through the use of imagery and art media like pastels, charcoal, clay and paint. No special skills or art experience required.

Contribution: $120 (including art materials). Kingsmead Hall, 8 Victoria ParkRoad, T: 64676072 (Secretary); F.64687584; E: cisc2664@gmail.com; W: http://www.catholic.org.sg/cisc

May 22 PERANAKAN MASS 10.45am: Inviting all Peranakans to celebrate the 5th Sunday of Easter Mass.

Mass in English and Peranakan by Fr Alfred Chan. At Blessed Sacrament Church (1 Commonwealth Drive).

T: 9777 7400 (Grace) May 24 WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CHINA 8pm: Concelebrated Mass with Archbishop Nicholas Chia. At the Church of Sts Peter and Paul.

June 5 WORLD COMMUNICATIONS SUNDAY 5.30-7pm: Archbishop Nicholas Chia will celebrate a special Mass for the 45th Annual World Communications Sunday.

The archdiocese invites individuals from all facets of communications, including broadcasting, journalism, public relations, advertising and education. Mass will be followed by light refreshments and networking. At Church of Divine

Thursdays May 26 to July 28 POST ALPHA COURSE – LIFE WORTH LIVING 7.45-9.30pm:A post Alpha programme.

A 9-session Bible study examining the changed life of a Christian. At Church of

June 24 and 26 THE BREAD OF LIFE: A DIRECTED RETREAT 24 June (8pm)- 26 June (6pm): A 2-day residential silent retreat to reÀect on the signi¿cance of Holy Communion and Christian commitment. One-to-one spiritual direction offered. Contribution: $70 (non-aircon); $120 (aircon) Kingsmead Hall, 8 Victoria Park Road, T. 64676072; F: 64687584; E:cisc2664@gmail.com August 28 to September 3 QUIETING THE SOUL (CHEUNG CHAU, HONG KONG) Make a silent directed retreat at the beautiful Cheung Chau island, Hong Kong. Spiritual director will accompany you as you seek quiet, peace and GOD. Registration ends on June 25. Contact the Cenacle Sisters at (47 Jurong West St 42 Singapore 649368) T: 9722 3148 or 6565-2895 E: cenaclesisters@yahoo.com. sg; W: http://www.catholic.org.sg/cenacle

Crossword Puzzle 1033 1

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ACROSS 1 Slung fare 5 Notre Dame nickname, “The Fighting ______” 10 Jacob’s gift to Joseph 14 A Guthrie 15 _______ magna (episcopal cape) 16 Exhort 17 Opie’s aunt, and namesakes 18 Like a loud crowd 19 “…in the city of David a savior has been ______…” (Lk 2:7) 20 Moved by God 22 Dried grape 24 Food paste 25 Sect 26 Lilt syllable 27 City to which Paul was traveling when he was blinded

31 Wife of Abram 34 Complains 35 Pope of the ¿fth century 36 Hershisher of the diamond 37 “…thy will be done on ______” 38 Altar linen 39 There was no room here 40 The ____ of matrimony 41 One who gets a check 42 Spotted animals 44 Posed 45 Catch sight of 46 Old Testament prophet who was the successor of Elijah 50 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet 53 Distance across a circle

11 Precious metals, to Pedro 12 Culture or business opener 13 US state that borders eight others 21 Letters above the cross 23 Partner to alack 25 Wagons 27 Mends 28 Adam was made from this 29 River in Africa 30 Flat-¿sh 31 Earth 32 Operatic composer 33 City in Nevada 34 Easter treat 37 Headset 38 Fruit of the Holy Spirit 40 Expose to warmth 41 Lenten foliage 43 Annoyed 44 “_____ at the right hand of the Father” 47 Break the seventh Commandment 48 Food enhancements 49 Got up 50 Glide on surface 51 Melody 52 Agape ______ 53 A claim 54 Shipwreck site 57 Morgue letters

55 Capital of the Ukraine 9 Express oneself grufÀy 10 Noah’s boat was 56 Writer of lyric poetry measured in these 58 Roman emperor who persecuted Christians 59 Dies ______ Solution to Crossword Puzzle No. 1032 60 Aristocratic F A S T H A M A N L I 61 Taxis E M I R O H A R E O S 62 Blend A I R E C A T E C H U M 63 Relaxed S C E N E H A T E S 64 It may follow something DOWN 1 Sister suit 2 Sports spot 3 Burns’ partner 4 Sanatorium 5 Greek island in the Aegean Sea 6 Unusual 7 High-tech item 8 Mineral spring

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Sunday May 22, 2011 CatholicNews

PUBLISHED BY ARCHBISHOP NICHOLAS CHIA, 2 HIGHLAND ROAD #01-03, SINGAPORE 549102. PRINTED BY TIMESPRINTERS, 16 TUAS AVE 5, SINGAPORE 639340.