Magazine Shalom arround the World | 2016

Ano 29 • nº 271 | Fevereiro • 2016 • R$ 14,00

Os consagrados são cartas de Cristo, chamados a serem expressão do rosto misericordioso de Cristo para com a humanidade

MISERICÓRDIA

Reze com as três parábolas de Jesus que mostram o rosto misericordioso do Pai

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A PALAVRA DO PAPA Na Quaresma, somos chamados à penitência e conversão, buscando a reconciliação com o Pai

#ESSAVAIPROCOMSHALOM Veja as fotos mais belas feitas pelos leitores do ComShalom e da Shalom Maná no mês de janeiro

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THE FouNdATIoNs OF THE CHARISM OF THE SHALOM CATHOLIC COMMUNIY

MOYSES AZEVEDO Founder and Moderator of Shalom Catholic Community @moysesazevedo

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hen finding the disciples in the Cenacle, the Risen Jesus says to them: Peace to you (Jn 20,19), or simply, Shalom! In Jesus, this greeting is a real communication of Peace, that is, all sorts of spiritual and material blessings, the perfect happiness that the Messiah brings to us. It is, finally, the announcement and the giving of full salvation. Thus we can say that Jesus is the Shalom of the Father to the world, the true, full and only Peace that man can have. That is why

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the Apostle says: Christ is our Peace (Eph 2,14).

By giving His Peace to the disciples (cf. Jn 20,19-22), the Risen One who passed through the cross and who, therefore, has glorious wounds, has sent them into the world in His Name and given them His Spirit to establish, with His power, this Peace into the heart of every person and all humanity.

The Shalom Catholic Community is based on this experience with the Risen Lord who passed through the cross. He, for the greater glory of the Father, pours out His Spirit upon us and sends us as His disciples and ministers of His Peace.

We are called to accept, live and witness the Charism of Peace. The Community is based on the charismatic experience of a new Pentecost in the Church. Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the consequent blossoming and use of His gifts, with its spirituality, life in common and its own particular ministry, the Community serves the Church and cooperates with the establishment of Peace in the world.

We are a Family. That is why the Community has as members people of various states of life: celibates for the Kingdom, single men and women, couples, priests, seminarians, deacons, men and women, young and old, married and single people. Inspired by the diversity and unity of the Holy Trinity, every state of life lives fully its own identity in complementarity with the other states.

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In order to respond to the divine call to be disciples and ministers of Peace, the Lord gives us the path of CONTEMPLATION, of UNITY and EVANGELIZATION. We are called to configure ourselves to Jesus Christ: like him, we are called to be contemplatives in an active life (cf. Luke 5,1516), devoting lengthy and intense moments of intimacy with the Father and at the same time, embracing the tireless duty, anointed by the Spirit, to proclaim the Good News and do good to all men.

In order to live our vocation, the Lord has configured us Community, following the model of the early Christian communities (cf. Acts 2,4).

Only by living charity to Him and to our brethren, we will be promoters of His Peace to the world (cf.

Jn 17, 21-23). Living the Gospel in all its radicality generates holiness. By the power of the Spirit and the experience of UNITY in charity, our goal is holiness, not by presumption but by vocation.

Fraternal love within the communal life is a concrete fruit of CONTEMPLATION and a lever to our EVANGELIZATION. The Community feels called to reflect the UNITY of the communion of love of the Trinity. The TRINITY is the source and model of our contemplative, communal and apostolic life.

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THE INTERFACE A snack bar, a vocation, a New Work, A new way: the Way of Peace

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982, a small group of young university students, without extraordinary talents or knowledge, common youth, but in love with Jesus and the Gospel…that is how Shalom Catholic Community was born. God did not choose the biggest or the best people, but chose “the smallest” for a great mission: to be, in the world, disciples and ministers of the Peace of Jesus Christ, “the Risen Christ who passed through the Cross”

Our first interface “Shalom”! is is how we called our first interface, "Shalom snack bar," the “Lord’s snack bar”! God was giving

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us a new inspiration and a wisdom to make Jesus known to our friends, especially those who would not accept an invitation to a mass or a spiritual retreat, but who would not refuse a sandwich, a pizza or a pop, in a friendly environment. In between a sandwich and another, a word, an invitation to a prayer, an experience of “a happiness that does not cease”.

Shalom’s snack bar was something that really “worked out” but it was only an opening door, an interface! Over the sandwiches, the friendship, the prayer, the chapel, the presence of the Holy Sacrament became the “encounter

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sites” with our best Friend, who has attracted many people, many youth to Himself. He was calling us, attracted and guided, transforming us into only “one family”, making us a “community”.

Youth, adults, couples, children, priests with only one desire: to love and to make the One who called us, be loved.

Something new, something marvellous, a calling The Shalom family became numerous, as a compact army, searching for every men and women in need of Peace. We did not take long to realize that the Lord, through the mission, gave us a way “To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.” (Lk 1, 79)

Way of Peace!

This is the name of the spiritual itinerary that we have been discovering and crossing each day, helping many people to make the experience of St. Thomas when he touched the open side of Risen Jesus. From the discovery of “a God who loves me personally” (Kerigma Phase), who doesn’t want me only as a servant but in prayer and in life as his friend (Filoteia Phase), from the reckoning of our weaknesses to the experience of our “second conversion” (Metanoia Phase) and the discovery of the real peace: “Shalom!”.

"My Lord and my God” (JN 20,28).

In Jesus, the Peace is not just a well-being feeling, the absence of conflicts, which is good and noble, but it goes away further: it becomes a

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mission of love, lived in the fraternity of a community life, in the unity that is the reflex of the Trinity (Koinonia Phase) and in the love for all the others who are far from Christ and the Church, through the evangelization by the testimonies of Christ (Martyria Phase).

New interfaces same way

to

the

When we started, we did not know where we would arrive. Today, we see that God in His Providence and Mercy, opened a new way, where we pass through with a crowd. After the snack bar, many other interfaces emerged: schools, orphanages, retirement homes, treatment homes for addicted people – all to give physical and spiritual comfort to the needy; radio stations, TV programs, artistic spectacles, movements on the internet and social media to reach the most distant, the peripheries.

Most of all, each young missionary brother becomes himself an interface, an expression of God´s love to the people that are in or out of our Evangelization Centers, at work or school, in the proper time or not, making the love of God visible in every site of society.

We present, in this journal, some of our interfaces in many part of the world, certain that “we did little or nothing” in the huge mission of searching with the Holy Spirit’s creativity, the Peace's interface necessary to be carried to the ones who are still “sitting in the darkness” waiting anxiously for someone who can give them the hand and help them to walk through the “Way of Peace”.

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Speaking the language of the youth: evangelizing party in Budapest

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ungaRio is the creative name given to a party hosted by Shalom Catholic Community in Budapest, Hungary’s capital. The party, as the name says, combines a little of Hungary and a little of Rio, the famous Brazilian city.

Numerous young people are drawn to the party that takes place every three months. This is the result of a collaboration between the Archdiocese of Budapest and Shalom Community, inspired by the historic “evangelizing snack bar” which marked the foundation of the Community in 1982.

According to the missionaries of Shalom Mission in Budapest, the initiative was born two and a half years after the Community arrived to the city. The Archdiocese was willing to rent a bar where the Community could create a pole of attraction for young people and where the missionaries, helped by other young people who had recently known the Community, could meet others and establish a

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close relationship. From this friendship, there were other invitations to know more about the Community and their missionaries such as where they live and some of the evangelizing work they do. The young people are also invited to participate in spiritual retreats and other meetings that helped them to grow in faith.

Carolina Costa, missionary of Shalom Community in Budapest, is one of the creators of HungaRio. The event’s success formula is, she says - "having young people evangelizing other young people… that’s the secret! We have seen, right from the beginning, a great involvement of the young people who were already part of our prayer groups.

They were all involved in the event and very happy to bring this good news to Budapest". Carolina adds - "In fact, they, the young people, were the ones who planned the whole party. We, the missionaries, offered them support and helped out in what was needed. That was the big secret of our evangelising

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journey here in the Hungarian capital.”

HungaRio offers music, dance, theatre performances, games and an occasion for chat among the young people. There is also a very important personal invitation during the party: to participate in a spiritual weekend.

Carolina says that many young people end up taking this 'leap of faith' and participating in spiritual gatherings, especially when they see that other young people, part of Shalom Youth, did not lose their joy and youth when they decided to live the novelty of the Gospel. Instead, they begin to live a more fulfilling life and to bear a joyful testimony.

and Catholic events where the "Shalom Band" of music and dance performs both in the capital and in the countryside.

On the mobile library, Anderson explains that during the cold Hungarian winter the library serves as an invitation for those who want to have some tea and chat - "It's our way of, while having some tea together, not only to sell our products but to establish new contacts for our evangelizing service and thus reach other young people".

In early 2015, due to this dynamic engagement of the young people, another initiative took place in Shalom Budapest Mission: a "mobile library" and an "icon workshop". The first was inspired by the thirst of Christian formation among those who were new to the faith. The later came as a way to encourage young people to grow in the path of prayer.

Today, a small group meets every Wednesday for the manufacturing of new icons led by Anderson Silva, also a Shalom missionary in Budapest. These are high-quality icons printed and mounted on wood. Religious icons are important elements in the practice of the Catholic faith, designed especially for prayer and are widely used in Shalom Community’s spiriutality.

The creativity of these young people has recently led them to add other items to their worskhop such as fridge magnets with Christian quotes and prayer notebooks. They are all called “gifts that evangelize“.

The products are taken to parishes

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Shalom or Salam: as leaven in the dough in the land of Jesus "An oasis of contemplative and fraternal life to heal the wound of division"

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he conflict seems to have no end. At least that is the impression you get by following the media. Lorena Gadelha is in the Holy Land for 14 years as a missionary of Shalom Catholic Community (also known in Israel as “Salam” Catholic Community). She has already lived many episodes, from the hostility among people to moments of war in that country. She says: "Indeed, those who live here notice this tension that seems to pervade our daily lives.

There is like a wound of division and discrimination spread across all sectors of society, especially in the hearts of people."

The missionary’s personal story is deeply connected with the presence of this community in the Land of Jesus. "Over the years, we always comprehend more the strong need to promote the culture of peace and reconciliation - highlights Lorena - and even more amongst young people, a

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privileged target of the activities of our Community."

Charles Roseno, also a Shalom Missionary in Israel, currently works at the Basilica of the Annunciation (or Annunciation Shrine) in Nazareth.

He says that the Community is now established with missionary homes in Haifa and Nazareth. "We want to be a sign of communion and of new evangelization, taking part in the mission of the local Church, from the Charism of our Community in order to strengthen and revive the faith in this precious place... precious not only for us Christians - underlines Charles - but also for Jews and Muslims.�

Charles' statement on the statistics of the Christian presence in Israel can create amazement. There are actually around 15,000 Christians, resulting in only 2% of the total population. The most skeptics might think that is a real waste to send 16 missionaries from Shalom Community to meet local needs. Lorena Gadelha explains: "I believe we are here not only to serve those who are already in the Church. Somehow, we are a 'creative minority' who seeks to contribute to ‘all’. What we want to be is an oasis of contemplative and fraternal life for everyone we meet."

Yara Rocha, also a member of the Community, in mission since 10 years in the Holy Land, says that the service of the Community is currently more focused on the 'Arab world', with regard to language and tradition, on which most of the Christians in this region are also anchored to. "For me it was a beautiful discovery what I saw and experienced here in the Land of Jesus. There are a variety of rites and

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traditions within the Catholic Church that I did not know in my home country, "- says the Brazilian missionary.

Shalom Catholic Community is present in Haifa since 2000, and today they have eight missionaries in this city. In 2006, they started a new missionary group based in the city of Nazareth, where also eight missionaries developped an evangelizing service in collaboration with the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, in the Basilica of the Annunciation.

Among the missionaries, there are some who learned the Arabic language and others who are dedicated to learn the Hebrew, according to their responsibilities and apostolic services.

Specifically, these "oasis of contemplative and fraternal life" are, in principle, their own "community houses" in which Shalom missionaries live and dedicate themselves exclusively to the apostolic service, fraternity and prayer. But there is also the so-called 'prayer groups', in which many men, women and young people run through the "Way of Peace", the itinerary of formation, spiritual and missionary life offered by Shalom Community.

In the Holy Land, the Community has established and motivates at the moment four prayer groups in Arabic, which involves at least 70 people. There are groups in Haifa, Nazareth and also in the city of Shefar'am. The groups generally gather both adults and young people. In Haifa, the missionaries wanted to start a group especially dedicated to young people and another that is held in Hebrew language.

Omima Fauze Dakwar was born in Haifa and has been participating in the prayer group organized by Shalom

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for 8 years. In her testimony, she said that she felt a little lost in her life before meeting the missionaries of Shalom and facing many disappointments of life, she thought the kind of people that 'help each other' no longer existed.

"The Community taught me to face my problems and daily challenges with the help of God. They taught me to pray and look at life with the eyes of God. With them here in Haifa - she concludes - I do not feel alone, because I know that in the heart of these missionaries there is always room for everyone and they never get tired of serving the others."

Lorena Gadelha says that currently, in Haifa, there are eight Arab brothers who walk on the vocational path of discernment in Salam Community. In addition, the Community promotes pilgrimages to the shrines of the Holy Land to local Christians; evangelizes in homes, in hospitals and in Christian schools of Galilee; conducts human formation courses according to the doctrine of the Church; organizes retreats and spiritual meetings;

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develops an evangelization through various services such as music, pastoral, counseling, preaching, intercession; and also collaborates with musical entertainment with the pastoral of children and catechesis in the Melkite parish of Haifa.

The Shalom Community also seeks to offer recreational events that promote a healthy coexistence among young people. Bringing together pleasure with spirituality, the community has organized in recent years in the Holy Land, the Halleluya Festival, especially aimed at the younger crowd with music, dance, drama and moments of deep spirituality. The last edition was attended by about 250 participants.

Many testify that the Halleluya Festival is a new experience of rediscovering a Christian identity in the midst of discrimination and challenges existing in the region.

Fadi Bahouth, 19 years old, is one of the young people who found in 'Salam' Community a safe haven to

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feed their faith. From a Christian family in the city of Shefar'am (which is 25 km far from Haifa), he met Shalom in 2012 and describes: "My first encounter with the Shalom missionaries gave me the impression of visiting heaven."

The young man explains that he feels the community as an extension of his family. After a visit to the Community's headquarters in Brazil in 2014, Fadi began to follow a vocational course and now wants to consecrate himself to God following the ‘Shalom Charisma’.

In the city of Nazareth, a group of Shalom missionaries is working with the Franciscan Custody on the hosting service for pilgrims visiting the Basilica of the Annunciation. The Community there witnessed a real transformation in the lives of many people through experiences of Nazareth’s own simplicity and deep spirituality, especially with regard to the prayer of intercession.

This is the case, for example, of a pilgrim from Latin America, which witnessed to a missionary who had prayed for her: "Today the angel Gabriel's

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announcement came to me; here my old life stays and I leave this sanctuary with a new life.”

Many other stories are like Judyta Sowa's, a young Polish pilgrim, who discovered a new sense of life when found the group of Shalom missionaries in the Basilica of the Annunciation.

"I participated in the candlelight procession from the Basilica, animated by the Community, later, during the visit to the Shrine; I had the opportunity to approach even more the missionaries, who invited me to worship the Blessed Sacrament and to visit the house of the Community. Thus I started to get to know more about the life of Shalom Community and had the opportunity to make a day of retreat with them ... I can say that the reception of each of the missionaries brought me back to life. Today I am still continuing a path to discover my vocation in my home country, Poland, where other missionaries of Shalom Community accompany me on this discovery."

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An artistic and missionary troupe Young Latino-Americans bring the gospel through the arts: Evangelisation through the arts in Chile and Uruguay

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runa Viana, Luis Gonzales and Maxsuel Lucena, are Brazilians in their twenties. They all have the same passion: proclaiming Jesus through the arts, music and dancing. Bruna is a young missionary of Shalom Catholic Community and she is the current head of the 'Arts Sector' of the Shalom mission in Chile.

Luis is a young man who was seduced by the beauty of the arts. He believes that Shalom’s concerts in Chile are a translation of the mysteries of his faith.

Maxsuel, a young missionary living in Uruguay, one of the most secular countries in the Americas, coordinates

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a group of 15 young evangelizing actors of the Shalom mission in the capital, Montevideo.

Bruna, who has been in Chile for three years, explained that the number of invitations and opportunities to spread the word of Jesus through Shalom’s concerts and shows have increased considerably. Some of these shows have been translated into many languages and are performed in many countries where the Community is established. The Spanish version of the musical “Son of God, My Little Boy” made such a great impact in Chile.

This musical depicts the birth of Jesus,

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using various rhythms and dances styles. Another huge success is the theatrical play “The Chant of the Irias”, which tells us about the mystery of Salvation of men through the Cross and Resurrection of Christ.

“Our cast is composed of 20 amateur actors. Most of them are young adults between 15 and 30 years old. The team also has 20 other members who work on set, production, finances and publicity of our plays” - says Bruna. Although all members have other work outside of the group as students or professionals, they are committed to attending the rehearsals. The young people meet up not only to learn about the technical apparatus, but also for fellowship and to share moments of prayer and spiritual formation.

The performances in Chile were also interpreted to a Uruguayan version and have been performed in schools as well as in youth events in the Archdiocese and theatres in Montevideo. Through the arts, a Christian message is incorporated into the city’s cultural program.

Maxsuel explains that the main goal is to stage a new play every year. “In 2016, we are working on the play, LOLEK,

by Wilde Fabio, which is about the life of Saint John Paul II. We hold auditions for new actors once a year. We are not worried about big numbers, because we know it is a huge challenge due the secularization of this country; however, every year we have a new opportunity to guide young actors and teach them how to use their God-given talents to spread a message of Peace”.

around 14 people in the Shalom Band in Chile, spreading the Gospel especially to the youth through singing, dancing and playing musical instruments. On average, we perform three concerts a month in churches, schools, the Archdiocese or youth meetings, both national and international”.

Luis is an avid follower of musicals performed in the chilean capital and highlights that Shalom Productions are comparable to professional ones. “The songs, colours, dances and performances captivate the audience in a particular way. The play ‘Son of God, My Little Boy’ evokes Advent and Christmas. It makes room in my heart to receive Christ, by watching all that Mary and Joseph lived in through during His birth”.

Arts are a powerful way to reach out those who do not know and would not willingly engage in a conversation about God. “Our mission as Arts Sector, with the current reality that we face in Montevideo, is to touch hearts. We have witnessed that this is possible because it shows a spark of God and Christ in the beauty of the arts. This is the same God who sends us to those who have lost faith or feel abandoned. In the expression of the beauty through the arts, our audience is invited to experience the eternal love and the true happiness that does not cease at the end of the show” says Maxsuel.

Bruna says that the artistic mission of Shalom Community has also reached the musical field. “We have

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Finding in Jesus one’s own dignity: Shalom Mission in Madagascar Compassion, culinary, sports and evangelization

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ntsiranana is located at northern end of the island of Madagascar, 24 hours driving far from the country’s capital, a port city with a population of about 150,000 people. Since August 2007, Shalom Community’s mission has been quietly growing there. The missionaries seek to give an answer to the Church, which is constantly in need for labourers to its harvest, through the so called “first announcement” of the Gospel in a semi-urbane context.

children and young people, especially those with physical disabilities.

Situated in a beautiful bay and surrounded by a rich natural park, Antsiranana paradoxically faces many challenges: prostitution, political instability, poor distribution of wealth, exploitation of natural resources, HIV / AIDS epidemic, malaria, abandonment of children with disabilities, child trafficking and exploitation of women.

The missionaries who live and work in Scama are all Brazilians. Only one of them knew French before arriving.

Vanda explains, "Usually, language is a great barrier, but we don’t give up”. She states that all the missionaries dedicate themselves thoroughly in learning the language. French is the main language of the former colonized country, although, the poorest people, those who received limited education, only speak the native language, Malgasy. “I am convinced that linguistic pr eparation is not the only element that defines the quality of a missionary. First of all, it is important to love the people and to will reaching out to them” - says Vanda.

Vanda Santos, 43 years, old from Salvador, Brazil, is the head of Shalom Community in Antsiranana that has a total of eight missionaries living in Scama, a neighborhood in the outskirts of the city. She explains that the community came to this town by the invitation of Archbishop Michel Malo with the mission to evangel ize through its own Charisma and run a centre for

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"Prophetically, the Archbishop had an intuition that physical disability was only one of the many infirmities that had to be addressed and healed in that area where we work. There are so many wounds and illnesses within the local reality such as drug addiction, child abandonment, discouragement due to extreme poverty… realities that need the attention of the Community,” explains Vanda.

The small community house where the missionaries live serves as

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an evangelizing centre for the general public. The main area is the dininghall, where people get together, and the chapel which is always open to anyone who would like to visit and pray. There lies the secret of their missionary force. Vanda explains that the mornings are “watered by prayer, because it is Jesus Who gives us the strength and impels us to overcome all human barriers and go to the people, to speak of His love". She adds that the afternoons and weekends, are filled with activities, "the true engine of our mission until now has been what we call the ‘Joseph of Egypt's Project’. In the afternoons, we teach and evangelize 45 children at the centre. Along with this project, we started our daily missionary visits to the houses in the neighborhood, especially attending prayer requests for the sick and the families of the children who are involved in our activities. We also regularly visit the sick in the two

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city hospitals and we have a prayer group at the local jail."

All this would be enough, but the group of missionaries is not completely satisfied. "Some time ago, we have been thinking about how to get to more people to talk about the love of Jesus, to reach those who do not go to Church or who often feel unworthy of God", - explains Thamires Pacheco, one of the missionaries who recently came to join the team. She adds, "so, an inspiration of God for the year 2015 came to us: start a cooking course and a small volleyball and soccer school".

Eugenia Costa, one of the members of the Community who has been in Antsiranana since 2014, explains the purpose of the cooking course: "Because of poverty and the lack of education, meals are restricted to rice only. We’ve noticed, however, in the preparation of the daily meals that there are other sources of nutrients available which are

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underutilized. So we thought about gathering the neighborhood mothers to help them to enhanced their daily bread.”

Vanda says that there are about forty women now participating in these courses, including some Muslim mothers, attracted by the unusual content of the classes. "I look at them," - she explains - "and I feel they are thirsty for something more, for an abundant life.

Therefore, our task is to have the courage to ‘propose’ the Gospel and to pray with them, thanking God for His gifts and care for us all. Practically, every week we try to give a testimony of the love of God in a new and attractive way," - she concludes.

One participant testified during the course: "If Shalom were not here, what would be of us? What would we be doing now? Thanks be to God for loving us in an unique and different way; for giving us the opportunity to learn how to prepare our food with more dignity; and for giving the understanding of the food needed for the body, because our souls need a body to live. Thanks be to God for Shalom and the way they express their - love of God… Thanks be to God for sending dedicated missionaries to our country who are willing to lead us to know and to experience the love and mercy of God.” The Shalom Mission in Madagascar is not restricted to the kitchen. Gabriel Angelo speaks about the volleyball and soccer projects: "Actually it is very simple, it is a way to get to the young people who otherwise wouldn’t go to church or who wouldn’t ever imagine themselves playing sports with a missionary. We use the moments of fellowship to offer them a chance to participate in a spiritual retreat according to their ages and social

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context. For many of them, it has been a rekindling of faith.”

With her long missionary and social work experience in Brazil, Vanda concludes: "In this land I rediscovered the joy of being a missionary. It is very challenging, but I see the merciful hand of God guiding my life and leading His people."

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Halleluya festival mixing arts, youth and happiness that never ends!

'The party that never ends' is the slogan of the event that has been happening for 20 years in Brazil, which attracts more than one million people.

About 70% of the audience is composed of young people.

Arts, cheerfulness, joy, innovation, solidarity. These and many other components form the Halleluya Festival. "The party that never ends" is the slogan of the largest Integrated Arts Festival in Brazil and reflects the main attractions of the event: music, dance, drama and prayer to attract young people to have an experience with Jesus who is the source of the happiness that never fades away.

The Festival surpasses one million people annually in Fortaleza, capital city of the state of CearĂĄ, in northeastern Brazil, where it began 20 years ago.

The event is held by Shalom Catholic Community and has its versions in other Brazilian cities such as Rio de Janeiro and SĂŁo Paulo in the southeast, in SĂŁoLuis and Natal in the northeast.

Halleluya has been held outside the country as well, in Rome (Italy), Nazareth (Israel), Montevideo (Uruguay) and Toulon (France). In the World Youth Day of 2013, in Rio de Janeiro, the event was part of the Youth Festival and attracted an audience of people from dozens of countries. This year, for the first time, Halleluya Festival will be held

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in Krakow (Poland) in order to attract young people from all over the world.

Halleluya Festival will be part of the program of the Youth Festival during the WYD. Brazil's largest Integrated Arts Festival is a great arena that brings together people, cultures and communities united by the same ideal: to be happy, to find the happiness that never ends! The majority of the audience is made of young people but there is room to welcome families and people of all ages.

The experience of joy of the Halleluya Festival does not last only the five days of the program. The following weekend, Shalom offers a 'Seminar of Life in the Holy Spirit' throughout the city in various Evangelization Centers held by the Community. This event is called 'Halleluya, I want more' and is a way to lead people to a path of faith and peace after they have experienced the love of God during the Festival.

The Halleluya Festival welcomes through its variety of attractions, the most varying audience profiles.

We can hear rock concerts, pop, samba and other typical Brazilian music styles. It means that on the main stage from classical to popular different attractions are offered and the most famous Catholic artists are invited. The other thematic areas are: Adventure, Kids, The Mercy Area, Integrated Arts, Solidarity, etc. All these make the huge "City of Peace".

The Halleluya Festival is an event that is also known for its solidarity.

There has been a partnership for 14 years between the Center of Hematology of Ceará and the Halleluya for blood collection and

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registration of bone marrow donation.

The partnership is also done in the other cities in Brazil where the event takes place.

There is also the incentive to donate non-perishable food. Half of the collected food is distributed to the towns which suffer from drought in the state of Ceará. The second half is given to the human promotion projects of Shalom Catholic Community, serving homeless people, children at risk and drug addicts.

Thematic AREAS attract diverse audiences to Halleluya The arena of Halleluya has an area for different shows and thematic spaces.

In Fortaleza, the total area reaches 80.000 m² of which approximately 60,000 m² are for the shows. The Festival has eight thematic areas, among them: the Mercy Area, Adventure, Kids, Halleluya I Want More.

The Mercy Area is the heart of the Halleluya Festival. Throughout the nights Courses, Confession, Prayer and Counseling and Life Seminar in the Holy Spirit are offered in this area. In the Mercy Area, there is also a chapel with adoration of the Holy Sacrament during the five nights of the event.

For those who enjoy radical sports, the choice is the Halleluya Adventure, a place that focuses on presentations and skating championships, rollerblading and biking; in parallel to the Halleluya Festival activities. This area is in the Cultural Arena. The Halleluya Festival atmosphere is created especially for young people.

We have to mention the Halleluya

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Festival partners. With booths and exhibitors, the 'Halleluya Patio' is a space where the partners can present to the public their companies, offer courses, give general information and make business. They support the Festival and are given a space to reach the public.

In the Area 'Making Noise', youth participate in debates of current issues.

Also located in the Cultural Arena, this zone focuses primarily on listening and interacting with young people of all ages and social classes. The area is name after Shalom Community's TV program that is broadcast on a Catholic network called 'Rede Vida' ('Life Network', in English).

The event also has the Arts Festival, gathering competitive exhibitions of dance, music and theatre. The event is free, but has a cabin lounge for those who want a great view of the stage.

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There is also the 'Cine Halleluya' with Catholic and Art films. Anyone can watch a movie if he wishes.

The area 'I Want More' is a meeting point that features live music, food courts, etc. All interactivity of this area aims to get young people to know the love of God through music, through films in the Cine Halleluya, in the 'Fun Bus', and mostly through the Seminar of Life in the Holy Spirit 'Halleluya I Want More' that takes place in the following week end in the centers of evangelization as said before.

In the Halleluya Kids, the younger ones can play games, there is storytelling, theatrical performances and educational activities throughout the event schedule. Everything is developed and accompanied by monitors to ensure the tranquility of the parents who are in the activities of the main arena of the 'City of Peace'.

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A PIECE oF HEAvEN

T

o dwell in community and missionary life of Shalom Community in the heart of the world. The mission’s irradiation.

In November of 2015 in the city of Evry, France, we realized an international event for the Shalom Work youth who live in Europe (also with people from Tunes, Madagascar, the Holy Land, Canada and Brazil).

Exactly one week after the terrorist’s attempts in Paris, in November 13th of 2015, 400 Shalom Work youth coming from 15 countries arrived in France as the “Youth of Peace”. In a place that felt the pain of the terror and hate, we could see our youth, as at Pentecost, having a new experience of Peace of the Risen Jesus and of being sent in mission, the result of a strong effusion of the Holy Spirit.

In there it did not exist anymore the language or culture barriers, but only “Shalom”, Reconciliation, Communion!

The “different” was not a harm but an opportunity of unity! There were no walls; there were bridges between nations, real “spiritual bridges” between those young people. That really was an experience of heaven! A piece of Heaven! Young people coming from different parts of the world, praying together, smilling together, having fun, singing and praising God together,…a piece of Heaven!

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In the same occasion, we prepared a site called “Youth Fest” on the second floor of Evry’s Cathedral, where the event took place. In this place there was a Shalom’ Snack Bar and a small stage.

In the Youth Fest, young people coming from many countries could bring a bit of their own culture to share with others. The place came to be a “great table” where we would share culture, values and experiences. We saw a bit of everything: the Italians recited some of Dante Alighieri’s plays, the Spanish danced some typical choreographies, the Dutch where making a Christmas play, the Polish would teach some dances while promoting the World Youth Day in Krakow, the Arabic youth were teaching us to say some phrases in their own language, the French, who were hosting the party, would give the gastronomic touch of the snack bar, selling quiches and gateaux in break time. The animation was taken by the Hungarian and Brazilian youth that were mostly speaking in English! What a mystery ! A full table! A piece of heaven!

This event, that happened recently, was, for us, an image of what God is constructing, in between us : community and mission.

By the definition of their Statutes, Shalom Catholic Community's mission is to help to renew the Church’s evangelizing action, with a new ardor, new methods and new expressions.

It will also seek to change secular activities into means of evangelization and sanctification of the world.

Desiring to fulfill its mission of making many men and women of this time have an encounter with Jesus Christ, the “Risen One who passed through the Cross”. Shalom Community,

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guided by the Holy Spirit and confirmed by the Church, goes forward to encounter and touch hearts, especially the youth, wherever they are.

With creativity and parresia (Greek word to designate, in the New Testament, the audacity of Christ’s disciples in the mission of announcing the Gospel), we want to be always more available to be sent to new sites, new lands and new people caring, with joy, the merciful love of God to the whole world.

Up to the end of 2016, Shalom Catholic Community will be in approximately 170 dioceses, in 27 countries around the world in America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Shalom Community had its begin in Brazil, a country that received many missionaries who came from Europe and other parts of the world. In face of the emergency of the mission and evangelization throughout the world we have always felt moved by Jesus’words: “freely have you received, freely give.”

(Mt 10,8). Therefore, the first Shalom Community missionaries begun to offer their lives for the mission.

After the years passed by, we saw that the Divine Providence and the Church’s voice have been opening us and boosting us to a missionary diffusion that crosses Brazilian frontiers, making us reach many other parts of the world.

In so many nations, many young people, families, men and women, started to identify with the charisma, the lifestyle and spirituality of Shalom Community, and the Bishops started to confirm and encourage the presence and action of Shalom Community in their dioceses.

more the “face of humanity” taking to the “common meal” of our missionary and community life, people of a diversity of cultures and nationalities...Today, by God’s grace, in Shalom Work we are not only Brazilian, but also Italian, French, Uruguayans, Chilean , Hungarians , Cape Verdeans, Guineans, Polish, Peruvians, Canadians, Arab, Ecuadorian, Spanish, Portuguese, Argentinian, Malagasy, Chinese, Colombian, Bolivian, German, Swiss, Paraguayans, Congolese, Guyanians, American, Dutch… and this family is growing, so the face of our missionary Community will always reach the “universal face” of the Church.

The Lord raises gifts and charisms especially for our time in the Church’s life and humanity, in order to generate a new missionary movement for a New Evangelization. Shalom Community is part of this new spring of the Gospel announcing Jesus to the men and women of the third millennium. By the proper grace of this Charisma that God entrusted to us, lived in Contemplation, Unity and Evangelization, we want to be at the service of the Church around the world, available for the mission.

Here is a general view of Shalom Community’s presence in the world:

In this movement of mission, our "Shalom family" acquired, each time

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CANAdA

ENglANd PoRTugAl

PolANd

gERmANy ITAly HuNgARy

HollANd

swITzERlANd

usA

FRANCE

TuNIsIA

FRENCH guIANA ECuAdoR

bRAzIl

PERu

IsRAEl

AlgERIA CAPE vERdE

mozAmbIQuE mAdAgAsCAR

bolIvIA

CHIlE

AsIA

PARAguAy

uRuguAy

FR. CRISTIANO PINHEIRO International Assistant to the General Moderator Shalom Catholic Community international@comshalom.org @cristianoshalom

If you want to become a peace benefactor to contribute to the missionary work all around the world, you can help us by making a donation to: COMUNITA' CATTOLICA SHALOM IBAN: IT40W0335901600100000008887 BIC: BCITITMX Current account: 100000008887 Bank: Banca Prossima FILIALE DI MILANO 20121 - PIAZZA PAOLO FERRARI 10 - MILANO

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T

he Shalom Catholic Community belongs to the Catholic Church and is recognized by her as a Private International Association of the Faithful with the mission to help to renew the Church’s evangelizing action, with new ardor, new methods and new expressions.

We are a Family. That is why the Community has as members people of various states of life: celibates for the Kingdom, single men and women, couples, priests, seminarians, deacons, men and women, young and old, married and single people.

In the diversity of these gifts, we live the same community life in which we make a strong communion experience with God and unity with our brothers and sisters, ďŹ nding the strength to bring Peace to the world.

SHALOM INTERNATIONAL OFFICE Via Dipignano, 67. 00173. Roma-IT. www.comshalom.org comshalom comshalom_en

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